am i, in your opinion, insane?

this is kind of difficult for me, but i figured that with all of the people here, there could be a lot of knowledge on this, and maybe an answer. i don't really know how to describe this. when i was about 16 or 17, i used to hear music, physically hear it, every night when i went to bed. i would mute my tv and listen hard to see if someone else had a radio on or something. i would only hear this music when my head was on the pillow, it would stop as soon as my head was up. this went on for about two weeks. lately, i see some very strange things while driving. at night, i'll see black things running across the road, usually animals. i don't mean black fur, i mean they are completely black, like shadows. one time, i saw a pair of legs run across the road. i frequently slam on my brakes or swerve when i see these things, though they are clearly not there. once, while driving during the day, i saw one of those refelctors on a metal post on the side of the road, not strange by itsself, i know, but when i was about 40 feet from it, it started vibrating back and forth so quickly that it blurred. there was no wind, and even if there was, these things are too sturdy to be shaken like that. i also tend to be very paranoid about things, people being angry with me, my death, abduction, i get very frightened out of no where about these things. once, a few years back, my sister asked me if i was crazy, and i started laughing uncontrollably, strange part was, at the end of the laugh, it sounded more like crying than laughter. i can't think of anything else right now, but i'll post whatever i think of. anyone with some insight please respond.

I'm not a doctor as you might've guessed, however is this somewhat like schizoprhenia? I had friend who thought he could control the weather and would tell me he'd see all kinds of crazy stuff like that and he was schizo, dunno if he really saw what he said or just did it to mess with me no clue to be honest but he was a good friend imo, sadly lost contact with him over the years.

no, i don't have any delusions of granduer or anything like that. i mostly just see, hear, and feel strange things. it really doea concern me, because i don;t know what to do if i really am insane. i want to have a family, and i think that will be difficult to do from a padded room. opinions please.

also tend to be very paranoid about things, people being angry with me, my death, abduction, i get very frightened out of no where about these things. once, a few years back, my sister asked me if i was crazy, and i started laughing uncontrollably, strange part was, at the end of the laugh, it sounded more like crying than laughter

thats what made me think schizophrenia...

Huge thread on it maybe this'll help you?

www.abovetopsecret.com...

What are the signs and symptoms of schizophrenia?

Signs of schizophrenia vary from person to person, and even within the same person. Not every person with schizophrenia will have all of these symptoms. A combination of these symptoms, accompanied by a decline in functioning for at least six months, is needed to diagnose schizophrenia:

* Delusions: false ideas that a person has about him or herself or surroundings (such as receiving special messages from the TV or radio, having unusual powers that no one else has, or being singled out for persecution).
* Hallucinations: sensations that are heard, seen, smelled, or felt that a person experiences while others do not (the most common hallucination is auditory-hearing voices talking negatively about the person or sometimes giving commands for dangerous behavior; however, not everyone with schizophrenia hears voices).
* Disrupted thoughts and behavior: trouble concentrating and maintaining a train of thought (conversation might not make sense-may respond to queries with a seemingly completely unrelated answer; or sentences that start with one topic and end somewhere completely different); unpredictable or erratic behavior.
* Negative symptoms: an absence of what is normally noted in the general population: lack of interest in previously enjoyable activities, not taking care of oneself, social withdrawal, and blunted affect (restricted facial expressions and emotions).
www.helpguide.org...


But really if you are worried I'd say it's best to go to a doctor someone who turly knows what they are talking about not us random net folks

[edit on 8-6-2005 by Lysergic]

hmmm, a few of those seem to apply to me. for about 3 years now, i've had a voice that speaks in my head, well, he doesn't speak, not with words, but with feelings that are not my own. he only conveys bad feelings, never anything good. i also am very socially withdrawn, and have been for quite some time. for me, it just seems to be a choice, since i find nothing about many of the people around me to be very interesting. most of them just make me angry. that's another thing, i am a very nice, calm person, but sometimes, i get these feelings of extreme rage. i never do anything rash, i just keep them inside. i have also been very emotionally estranged for a while. certain emotions are difficult for me.

also, my short term memory is pretty much non existant. i forget things very quickly, within a matter of seconds. but it only happens to certain categories of things. basically, if it doesn't interest me, my brain deletes it instantly, whether it's important or not. i have a hard time keeping on topic in conversations, as well.i become very paranoid about being killed by the government, mostly because of things that i know, a lot of it conspriacy related, though if i think about it, i do not know what many others do not.

I can tell you nobody is going to kill ya man, really it's nothing to worry about I know the feeling might feel so real.

Just seek professional help man, thats all I ask of you.

You want to this to go away right?

i do want it to go away, badly, i try very hard to lead a normal life, but it is quite hard to do so. one problem i have with going to the doctor is this: it has been my belief since i was about 14 that the only person who can help me is me. i believe that every can and should help themselves, that their problems will go away if they work at it, it might take longer, but it will go away in time. of course, this doesn't work for things like disease, but more for mental and emotional problems.

also, i notice that at one moment i will be very paranoid and frightened, and the next, i am totally calm, even though the thought of what had scared me remains.

You do have to help yourself, and by doing so you'll need to admit you have a problem and you need help from a professional, or you can just keep on believing what you want and stay the same man. IT's up to you, and you alone.

ok, who do i see about such things? just a regular medical doctor? or a qualified head-shrinker?

Go to a regular doctor first and you should get a referral. Also, he might have insight into what's going on.

Good luck.

A few other things to consider...

You're not the only one who hears music when there is none...Consider this: When you hear these noises you say your resting your head on a pillow...Try doing something - Cup your hand into the shape of the letter "C" and cup it around the back of your ear....Your hearing-field will be enhanced and you'll pick up on strange little noises that, when you listen to mindlessly and in a slumber-like state may indeed sound like it's own little orchestra....Much the same as the folds and crevasses of a pillow that channel various minute sounds to your ears while you're resting...

Perhaps there's a certain degree of psychosomatics at work here...

How's your eye-sight from afar during the day? Any blurriness? Do you feel like you get enough sleep at night? Do you consider yourself to be physically fit? Do you have an unusual amount of stress in your life or do you think you may suffer from depression?

Focus on questions in the here and now before you consider insanity....There are solutions to most all problems, and catching them early by answering questions honestly and working to solve them can save yourself time, money and self-pity...

My advise. See a doctor. If you need to ask the question, then just go. It is nothing to be ashamed of and if there is a physiological or psychological cause, then best to find out.

Sometimes it can be caused by stuff surrounding you. My mother gets very paranoid, hears windows breaking, people talking whenever she takes penicillin. Sounds wierd right? But the only time it happens is if she is on penicillin. Since she stopped taking it and started requesting alternative treatments, hasn't happened.

The only one that can tell you for sure is a doctor. If there is nothing wrong, then think how much of a relief it would be. If there is something, they can get you on the road to fixing it.

Keep in mind, Mozart heard noises (music and sounds) in his head that inspired some of his best works. Beethovan as well. Some of our best artists throughout history were called Crazy. Van Gogh cut off an ear (please don't do that!)

the thought of me being insane frightens me a bit. i'll go see a specialist as soon as i am able to afford it. it is hard to see this a having potential for something good, like making music and such. but i assure you i won't do anything rash, like cutting off my ear.

Yeah, this really sounds a lot like schizophrania. It doesn't sound that bad, though, compared to some of the other posters on here.
I'm sure it can be treated. Just see a doctor, and try to get over your fears. Have you done things that are extremely notable to the government that would get them to go after you?

the only apprehension i've got is that i do not want any sort of medication to treat this. in my experience, meds don't cure the problem, they mask it. i haven't done anything nasty to the government. just researched a lot about the nasty things they've done to others. i'm very outspoken about these things, and so it scares me that they may retaliate, though i don't realistically think they will.

I know where you're coming from, Space, but in the case of schizophrenia, medication really is one of the only viable treatment options.

There is currently no "cure" for schizophrenia - all we can do is treat the symptoms. Because it's not really an "emotional problem", as you put it - it has distinct physiological components - it's very difficult to control the symptoms yourself, although therapy can help a great deal in this area.

Please, please, please don't rule out medication "just because"; meds have been literal life-savers to many patients.

But more importantly - please see a doctor soon. If it's not schizophrenia, then that'll be one less thing to worry about....but either way, you'll be on the way to feeling better.

A basic nutritional deficiency can impair brain function to the point of causing a severe imbalance in cerebral dynamics, affecting perception, emotional response and behaviour.

Niacin is an example of a nutrient that is absolutely necessary for healthy nervous system and brain function, and a severe deficiency can have severe effects.

Stephan next turned to Autumn, whose mental state had been steadily deteriorating for years. Now she was psychotic, convinced she had a gaping hole in her chest from which demons emerged. Just released from the hospital where she’d been on suicide watch, Autumn required 24-hour supervision to ensure she didn’t hurt either herself or her 3-year-old son.

Stephan forced her to take the nutritional formula. After just two days of treatment, her rapid swings between mania and depression stopped. After four days her hallucinations vanished. “I remember saying, ‘Oh my gosh, my hole is gone,’ ” she recalls. By week’s end, she felt well enough to quit all but one of her five medications.

...

It’s easy to write off the Stephans’ treatment as just one more crackpot cure in a field rife with fraud and false hope. The supplement they took has yet to be proved in large clinical trials, while scientists who have studied it have been caught in the cross fire between converts, willing to take the supplement on faith and anecdotal evidence alone, and skeptics who look askance at all alternative medicine. Yet the idea of treating mental disorders with supplements makes sense, experts in the field say. Micronutrients help build and sustain the brain’s architecture and fuel its biochemistry. They are critical in countless ways to the working of cells throughout the body, including the brain. “We need 40 essential micronutrients in our diet—vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids,” says Bruce Ames, a biochemist at the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute. Ames has explored the impact of zinc and iron on brain cells. “If you don’t have enough of one, you’re fouling up your biochemistry.”

Source: Vitamin Cure - Can common nutrients curb violent tendencies and dispel clinical depression?

Are there any professional nutritionists in your area?