Asking if hearing voices and psychosis are a different thing....

[sgates]

Is hearing voices psychotic.

 

[rasselas]

...

you don't say what your opinion is... i'm sure you have one.

mother theresa said she was commanded to do her charity work with orphaned children by the voice of god.

peter sutcliffe claimed the voice of god commanded him to kill prostitutes.

spritualists and mediums make a living communicating with the 'dead'.

the author of the novel 'the color purple' claimed the story was channeled to her through the voices of the dead.

so when is voice hearing psychotic - when is it not?

psychiatrists would probably say that if the voices caused immense distress to a person (leading to harm to self and others) - it's psychotic.

if the individual can live with them, and not become a danger - or, they can integrate in society and turn the voice hearing into a material advantage, then it may meet the psychiatric criteria, but does not require psychiatric intervention.

nothing in life is ever black and white. other than, of course, the difference between black and white.

in psychiatry though, there are a number of disorders listed under schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders

to meet one particular disorder, you have to fulfill a number of specific features

hearing voices is psychotic per se by their definition - but remember that psychiatry allows for religious phenomena and excludes it from their disease model

although i dont think theyd generally allow for a religious experience from most people

if the pope hears god, thats all fine and dandy

if reggie the local butcher hears god, thats psychotic!


so in short, hearing voices is psychotic depending on who is hearing them and who is interpreting them hearing them!

 

[rasselas]

...

nothing in life is ever black and white. other than, of course, the difference between black and white.

it's a bit self-indulgent i know to quote myself but that statement is actually bullshit. even the difference between black and white is not black and white!

 

[keepsafe]

It might be self indulgent, but however I do think your response was a good one.