I guess I first started becoming ill in my mid to late teens but it didn’t really become an issue until my mid twenties. I went through a phase for about a year around my a’level time when I believed people could read my mind. To circumvent this I used to count in my head so instead of reading my thoughts they would be hit by a wall of numbers. It made for interesting conversations as I’m listening, counting and trying to find a reply at the same time. Fortunately I didn’t tell anyone because I might have ended up with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Quite how I managed to pass my a’levels I don’t know. I was also suffering from bouts of depersonalisation (which shall feature in a later post) and was pretty much in a state of confusion for alot of the time. Added to that were mood swings. I could be down for weeks and then sudenly get a burst of manic energy which i generally used for doing daft things.At least I never really got into drugs. I have come across numerous youngsters in their twenties whose problem first started with drug induced psychosis caused from smoking cannabis and then developed into full blown schizophrenia which is generally there to stay. I feel like an old fogey when I talk about all the wasted youth I see around me at the hospital.
On a completely different matter altogether I took a patient shopping today. It was a slightly bizarre experience as I was never sure whether she was talking to me or a non-visible 3rd party. Before making any decision she clearly consulted this voice and went by what they suggested. I was unsure as to how much influence I should attempt to levy over her spending. She wanted to buy 20 mens shirts (4 for a tenner) but I managed to beat her down to 10. I also made her buy a purse because she was constantly losing her money in the depths of her handbag. Anyway she must have enjoyed herself because she wants to go again next week.
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