How do you tell someone that they're "crazy"? I need to help a best friend who is losing his sanity. It's a long story... [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Dec 15, 2009 - 22 answers

“The Case of Ellen West” was published by the Swiss psychiatrist, Ludwig Binswanger, in 1944–1945 and (as far as I can tell) appeared in English translation in 1958. Anyone know where I can get a copy? Usual search suspects are turning up only the Carl Rogers article, "Ellen West and Loneliness", in the Review of Existential Psychology and Psychiatry (which I've requested via interlibrary loan) and some other scholarly pubs on Rogers (behind the usual pay walls).
posted by crush-onastick on Nov 20, 2009 - 4 answers

Is it possible to gently (but effectively) cut a mentally ill person out of my life when the usual detachment methods aren't working? (Warning: long, distressing explanation) [more inside]
posted by MuChao on Oct 27, 2009 - 34 answers

Help me figure out ways to minimize the effect my schizophrenic uncle's delusions have on government and law enforcement. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 27, 2009 - 14 answers

So, my minor tics are developing into more pronounced tics. Is there something I should be worried about? Is there something I can do? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 27, 2009 - 10 answers

My downstairs neighbor, who is most likely schizophrenic, has been harassing my wife and me. Our landlord seems unenthusiastic about evicting her, and we are unenthusiastic about moving ourselves. What legal options can I pursue? Does anyone in Chicago have personal experience with a (cheap!) lawyer they might recommend? [more inside]
posted by ztdavis on Jun 17, 2009 - 47 answers

What is the proper way to react to another person's delusions? [more inside]
posted by vorpal bunny on Jun 13, 2009 - 24 answers

SchizoFilter: I'd like to become a connoisseur of internet crazy. Does Timecube have a more harmonious 5-Day cousin? I know Cindy McCain (but not John, thankfully) is a Reptilian, but are they mole people, too? Can I get cursed by some chain-mail, please? I want all the crazy! Let loose your delirium, MeFi! [more inside]
posted by Keter on May 22, 2009 - 36 answers

Antipsychotics-filter: A conversation with a friend has me turning to the hive mind. [more inside]
posted by specialfriend on May 8, 2009 - 8 answers

Is there any good data on the sensitivity and specificity of symptoms of schizophrenia in its diagnosis? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Apr 29, 2009 - 12 answers

How do you deal with a crazy person's total hostility? [more inside]
posted by liketitanic on Apr 11, 2009 - 14 answers

Are we obligated to rehire a household employee with schizophrenia? [more inside]
posted by KWittman on Feb 22, 2009 - 29 answers

During the late '80s or early '90s, Epic Comics, an imprint of the Marvel Comics company, printed a graphic novel about schizophrenia thinly veiled as a ghost story. [more inside]
posted by fiTs on Jan 24, 2009 - 3 answers

I’m schizophrenic, on parole because of it, and I am looking for love. Please help. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 23, 2009 - 18 answers

Songfilter: Heard it on the radio, schizophrenia, prostitution, weirdness. [more inside]
posted by M Edward on Dec 24, 2008 - 7 answers

Are there any famous or not-so-famous epidemics with blindness as an indicative symptom? If so, which? How and/or why? [more inside]
posted by srs on Jul 6, 2008 - 14 answers

I've been seeing a sweet, charming, attractive young woman for about a month now. We have a huge amount in common, and excellent chemistry. We make each other very happy, and while we're not "in love" yet, it really just seems like just a matter of time. A few nights ago, she told me that she was on medication for schizophrenia. Help me not freak out and screw this up. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Feb 27, 2008 - 49 answers

I'm schizophrenic and need ideas on how to train myself to be active and able to work toward my goals. [more inside]
posted by hypervenom on Dec 5, 2007 - 5 answers

Help me create an interesting and realistic character with schizophrenia for my novel. Ideally, there would be a "Vaults of Erowid" type site out there where people have documented their 1st hand experiences with mental illnesses, but no such site seems to exist. [more inside]
posted by ekstasis23 on Aug 2, 2007 - 26 answers

Is it possible to tell the difference between an old, long-standing injury and a more recent injury to the brain on a brain scan? Would a particular type of brain scan (fMRI as opposed to CAT scan) be better able to reveal the difference between the two? This question would be pertinent to the Peter Braunstein case: earlier in the news coverage, they showed Braunstein's brain scan on television, because the defense claims that the decreased activity shown in the frontal region is consistent with schizophrenia. However, I understand Braunstein hit his head while in custody, and I'm thinking that could cause a similar result on the brain scan. I'm also wondering, could a brain scan show whether he got dropped on his head when he was a baby and/or all three possible conditions and when, approximately, they developed?
posted by bunky on Jun 18, 2007 - 2 answers

Is it possible to fake schizophrenia? I had a discussion the other days and the other person claimed that it can be done to avoid legal recourse. Never thought about it much, but it could be true. Please understand that I am sensitive to people suffering from any illness, be it mental or otherwise. I ask this question with respect and sensitivity.
posted by bright77blue on Apr 22, 2007 - 33 answers

I just read in the NYT that Zyprexa (an atypical anti-psychotic, used to treat schizophrenia and mania) is the fourth-most prescribed drug in the world. Other lists I've seen put similar drugs in the top-ten sellers. How can this be? Are there that many people suffering from these disorders compared to being medicated for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or any of a dozen other maladies I can think of that appear, on general observation, to be far more common? (And I don't believe, neccessarily, that this is simply doctors overprescribing - because, at least to me, that premise would mean overprescribing all drugs, not just the ones in question, right?)
posted by soulbarn on Jan 14, 2007 - 15 answers

How heritable is schizophrenia? [more inside]
posted by not that girl on Jan 8, 2007 - 27 answers

This research claims that there aren't any blind schizophrenics. Basically, it says that blindness could protect against schizophrenia, but because of typically later age of onset for blindness (mostly results of glaucoma and macular degenration), I wonder if schizophrenia could somehow protect against blindness. Does anyone have an opinion on this? [more inside]
posted by srs on Nov 3, 2006 - 15 answers

Where can a schizophrenic live? [more inside]
posted by subpixel on Sep 29, 2006 - 23 answers

Recently, I've been having problems figuring out what's real and what's not. [more inside]
posted by drleary on Jul 22, 2006 - 34 answers

What are the laws surrounding involuntary commitment for psychiatric treatment in California? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 12, 2006 - 6 answers

Are schizophrenics really selfish? (warning: spoilers to an old episode of House) [more inside]
posted by dagnyscott on Jun 16, 2006 - 15 answers

Looking for advice on helping out a schizophrenic friend. [more inside]
posted by garethspor on Apr 5, 2005 - 14 answers

Based on past recommendations by members I recently read Operators and Things. I loved it, and I have some questions inside...
posted by PinkStainlessTail on Feb 8, 2005 - 2 answers

This is an admittedly silly question, but I'm curious nonetheless. I'm battling insomnia and the new-generation Transformers cartoon comes on the television. The presumed villain is a schizophrenic character, whose head appears to have three faces side by side, and he switches faces, and the different personalities battle amongst each other.

I've also seen this in some really bad B Skiing movie from the 80's. No clue of the name. But I've seen it other places, too. My question is, does anyone have a clue where this concept originates? Is it some obscure R.D.Laing essay that I've overlooked? Some folklore I am not familiar with?
posted by oog on Jul 23, 2004 - 15 answers