Posted by habbyshabit on August 31, 2003, at 17:27:33
In reply to Re: dealing with the delusional disordered » habbyshabit, posted by judy1 on August 30, 2003, at 11:52:54
Hi Judy1, thanks for responding.
As defined in the DSM 4, this is not schizophrenia and does not have the degenerative effects of that disorder. Unless he tells you about the thoughts he is having in the one particular area, you would have no idea that he is delusional at all. His functioning with regards to finance, mechanical repair, social interaction, etc are completely normal. If you felt like it, you could google Delusional Disorder and find a good definition of it.
Since he is retired, I couldn't hide the fact that I was attending Nami meetings to get support for his illness. I have to play the game another way. One that is more supportive of where he lives and not an announcement of my lack of faith in him. I guess I am getting support here. I hope to someday have a meeting alone with my shrink, whom my husband comes to see with me, where I can talk more candidly about the situation. My shrink is aware that my husband has the disorder as I said above.
It's not so terrible, really, except in that it gets tiresome sometimes going along with the delusional storyline.
And there is the fear he may be slowly killing himself with the things he believes is happening to him. Not that he's suicidal, just that he believes that the things that the DEA types are doing to him may be destroying his body.
Being Bipolar and having had some pretty good delusions myself does give me lots of empathy for him. It just that I always wake up from mine...
Thanks for listening,
Hab
poster:habbyshabit
thread:255324
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20030814/msgs/255964.html