Category: My Story
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Disclosure of Drug Use
It’s occurred to me that, if I’m going to write about my experiences with mental illness, there’s just no getting around a full disclosure of my history of substance use. Gulp. I maintain that my drug use has not been the cause of my mental illness(es), as my first signs of delusional thinking and paranoia…
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Sacred Geometrical Music Video: My Ayahuasca Journey
In August 2019, not long before I was diagnosed with delusional disorder, I had the opportunity to participate in a traditional ayahuasca ceremony with a shaman. Ignorant of my psychotic disorder, I took the opportunity for therapeutic purposes, and I had an interesting trip. My “spiritual counselor” aka psychic medium referred me to the group…
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Skin Picking
I first recall episodes of skin picking, or dermatillomania, at the age of 13. I went straight for the little bumps on my arms, above the elbows. Especially on the right side. Search and destroy. The skin picking got worse over time, and I moved onto other parts of my body including my legs, but…
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Maintaining friendships with delusional disorder and ADHD
But how can we seek accommodation for a mental health condition in our personal lives? It hurts to lose friendships and relationships.
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Delusional Disorder v. Schizophrenia
Per psycom.net, in 2013, the American Psychiatric Association adjusted the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V) to reflect the growing consensus that schizophrenia exists on a spectrum of psychotic disorders. Delusional disorder is on this spectrum. This makes sense to me, as I have had many of the symptoms of schizophrenia, however – quite fortunately –…
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Work Accommodations for Delusional Disorder & ADHD
Let’s dissect this. A flexible arrival time is the most important accommodation for me, as I would be liable to get fired for tardiness otherwise. I am often late, as it’s difficult for me to wake up in the morning and get going. It’s like it takes my brain longer than others to reboot. I…
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folie à deux
Not to be confused with ménage à trois, this condition is also known as Shared Psychotic Disorder. I think I had this with an ex for a time. It got weird. For example, my ex said he had a “spirit guide” that told him what to do – and I believed him. At least I…
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Delusional Infestation
Delusional infestation is one type of manifestation of Delusional Disorder. I experienced it in 2012, when I began believing that I had intestinal parasites. I became quasi-obsessed with colon cleansing, thanks in part to Dr. Schulze. I didn’t stop believing that I had intestinal parasites, despite the medical tests that showed that I didn’t have…
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My Mental Illness
I have been diagnosed with Delusional Disorder. [https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9599-delusional-disorder] Delusional Disorder sucks. But I’m doing better. At one point, I thought my family was sex trafficking me. I also thought I was getting subliminal messages from a music video. There’s more there, but it’s painful to talk about. I can’t believe I flipped like that. It…
Spider Medicine 