psychiatrists, psychologists: I need you! - Writers Forum

nereyda_333 · 02-26-2006, 01:34 PM

Hi, I need to know if it´s possible for a grown up person that suffers a mental disorder like hallucinatory psychosis to have like an imaginary friend. I also need to know how that person would behave, how it would affect his life, if he would have moments when he would realise that he´s just imagining it all, etc.
I´ll be very grateful if any of you can help me!

Verago · 02-26-2006, 02:16 PM

Sure, s/he could have an imaginary friend.

Behavior depends on the type of problem the person is dealing with.

More details would be appreciated.

Hodge · 02-26-2006, 02:49 PM

If you're going to be writing about mental illness (you're describing a form of schizophrenia), then you'll need to actually do in depth research. You won't get what you need to portray a convincing character in a single forum thread.

nereyda_333 · 02-26-2006, 02:57 PM

Hi Verago. I´m writing a story about a girl who was born with a facial deformation, and for that reason she´s got problems with her relationships. No one wants to be her friend, children get scared of her, people stare at her on the street, etc. The story of her life is a bit long, but the main thing is that now she´s around 15 and she lives with her young aunt and a friend of her, because her parents died when she was a child. And she´s very smart, but her self-esteem is very low and she doesn´t have friends.
I´ve already imagined the whole story, but I want to know if what I think it´s right. Would her behaviour change drastically or the only thing that would change is that she would see someone that others don´t? Would she sometimes realise that what she sees is not real?

nereyda_333 · 02-26-2006, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hodge

If you're going to be writing about mental illness (you're describing a form of schizophrenia), then you'll need to actually do in depth research. You won't get what you need to portray a convincing character in a single forum thread.

Yes, I know. But I´ve already searched in many books and read a lot about it, and I haven´t found much help. I´d like to know real cases but I don´t know where to look.

Ilan Bouchard · 02-26-2006, 03:19 PM

I suppose you could watch the movie "A Beautiful Mind" for starters.

Hodge · 02-26-2006, 03:19 PM

John Nash. A Beautiful Mind. Very accurate portrayal of his type of schizophrenia (and he did have an imaginary friend).

nereyda_333 · 02-26-2006, 03:35 PM

Ok. I will see it

mammamaia · 02-26-2006, 05:39 PM

google for the DSM IV... there you'll find descriptions of all the various permutations of schizophrenia and their symptoms/treatment...

pawn_of_pawns · 02-26-2006, 08:14 PM

A Beautiful Mind is a good place to start; I haven't seen many other accurate movies about paranoid schizophrenia.

If I remember correctly, someone who develops schizophrenia quickly has a better chance of recovering. When the change is gradual recovering is much more difficult.

Paranoia is also a symptom of schizophrenia; your girl may start suspecting her aunt is trying to poison her. Stuff like that. There are many other possible symptoms; try finding a psychology text book at a nearby University library or bookstore.

Usually, schizophrenic victims do not realize they are hallucinating, but there are a few exceptions, like in A Beautiful Mind. Even then, it takes alot of work to remember, i suppose, that they are hallucinations.

Keep in mind this is a very difficult subject to write about. Paranoid schizophrenia is one of the most mysterious and serious psychological disorders. One of my psych. teachers even compared it to a cancer of the mind.

Also remember schizophrenia has nothing to do with depression or self-esteem. It's a genetic disorder, so she's more likely to get it if one of her parents had it.

nereyda_333 · 02-27-2006, 01:52 PM

Thanks everyone for your help.
The character that I´ve imagined is not schizophrenic. I´ve got a problem there and is that I first "saw" the character and then I went to see what was her problem, what was her disorder... The most similar illness that I´ve found it´s hallucinatory psychosis, or also psychotic depression. But according to all what I´ve read it´s not common for people with those disorders to have repetitive visual hallucinations with the same object or person, and that´s why I was doubting if she could have an "imaginary friend". Her disease is caused by the difficult life she´s had, not by genetic factors. I just need to know if all what I´ve imagined it´s possible, if she can have one of those illnesses and the only hallucination that she has is the one of her imaginary friend, and keep her personality more or less normal (at least at the beginning)

pawn_of_pawns · 02-27-2006, 02:17 PM

Hmm...well I would say that anything is possible in the literary world. Even if it isn't an existing psychological problem, if it sounds convincing I doubt your readers will care.

Though to do that you still may want to look at psychology books. (And watch a Beautiful Mind...cause if nothing else, it's a good movie.

Maybe Fight Club as well, cause that is a good movie without a glimmer of psychological truth...)

I think a good question to ask yourself, though, is if your character purposely imagines this friend and then things go out of hand, or if she unwillingly sees him/her.

nereyda_333 · 02-27-2006, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawn_of_pawns

I think a good question to ask yourself, though, is if your character purposely imagines this friend and then things go out of hand, or if she unwillingly sees him/her.

I´m not sure about that yet. I think that she imagines it because that´s what she would like to happen, she would like to have a friend. But I don´t know yet if she does it partly on purpose or uncounsciously. And that´s what makes the difference, if she´s really ill or she´s just pretending it. For that reason I also wanted to know that in case it was really an hallucination if she would know that what she sees is not real.
Wow, what a mess

mammamaia · 02-27-2006, 05:33 PM

go to your neighborhood video store and rent 'harvey'!... that's a perfect example of what you seem to be describing... an otherwise normal person who develops an imaginary friend, to help him deal with life...

but it also sounds like you're writing yourself into a corner, by not being sure what is actually wrong with your character and not researching the possibilities well enough... try for something simpler as a plot device and see if that doesn't help...

hugs, maia

nereyda_333 · 02-28-2006, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mammamaia

go to your neighborhood video store and rent 'harvey'!... that's a perfect example of what you seem to be describing... an otherwise normal person who develops an imaginary friend, to help him deal with life...

but it also sounds like you're writing yourself into a corner, by not being sure what is actually wrong with your character and not researching the possibilities well enough... try for something simpler as a plot device and see if that doesn't help...

hugs, maia

I´ll try to get that movie, but I think it´ll be difficult because it´s very old. But thanks anyway for your advice!