You can be Psychotic and have a Conscience too

[AmericanPsycho]

New one to me.

[finding my way]

Hi AP! Do you want to say more? Are you ok?

[AmericanPsycho]

Okay as I'm ever going to be.

My therapist Miss Jennifer told me about it. Doesn't make sense if you ask me.

[finding my way]

Who's conscience is this about?

[malign]

Is there a confusion about what psychotic means, AP?

It doesn't mean evil, or likely to shoot the place up if given the chance, the way the news media is using it currently.

[AmericanPsycho]

@ finding my way,

MINE.

@ malign,

There seems to be some confusion. I was always under the impression that being psychotic meant that person lacks a conscience.

[finding my way]

Try googling antisocial personality disorder... is that what you were thinking maybe? I think that is what people used to call a psychopath...

Psychosis itself does not mean the person will be a psychopath

and maybe if a person with antisocial personality disorder starts to heal they will start to experience empathy and a conscience?

[malign]

Well, it's an interesting question, if it's about your own conscience: can't you tell whether you have one or not? And if you don't feel like you do have one, does that mean it's impossible to develop one? Or, are you hoping that because you have a diagnosis with "psychotic" in it, you don't have to have one?

To me, the concept of a conscience is that it's the part of you that knows right from wrong. You know that bullying is wrong (you've said so), so maybe you do have the ability to tell the difference? Now, I can understand feeling as if you don't have a conscience, or even being confused about right and wrong (I think it's confusing for everyone), but I hope you give yourself the option to have one.

[AmericanPsycho]

Well, it's an interesting question, if it's about your own conscience: can't you tell whether you have one or not? And if you don't feel like you do have one, does that mean it's impossible to develop one? Or, are you hoping that because you have a diagnosis with "psychotic" in it, you don't have to have one?

To me, the concept of a conscience is that it's the part of you that knows right from wrong. You know that bullying is wrong (you've said so), so maybe you do have the ability to tell the difference? Now, I can understand feeling as if you don't have a conscience, or even being confused about right and wrong (I think it's confusing for everyone), but I hope you give yourself the option to have one.

One of my diagnoses is Psychotic Disorder but my Therapist knows that I would NEVER harm an innocent person. She knows how dead set I am against such a thing.

[malign]

I believe you.

Wouldn't you call the part of you that would think it was wrong to hurt an innocent person, your conscience?

[AmericanPsycho]

I believe you.

Wouldn't you call the part of you that would think it was wrong to hurt an innocent person, your conscience?

Of coarse I would. I'm just wondering how a person can have both at the same time. Sounds like a oxy-moron thing to me.

[malign]

You may be confusing the word "psychopath", with the word "psychotic" (easy to do). A psychopath is described as not having the same depth of feeling as most people, or the same sense of right and wrong. Those who have had psychotic episodes experience sensory effects like visions or voices which aren't objectively real. This doesn't necessarily affect their conscience at all.

You seem to feel pretty strongly, and to have a clear idea of what you think is right, so you probably aren't a psychopath.

{"Psyche" is the Greek word for mind, so it's found in a lot of the technical terms of ... psychology. Confusing, yes.}

Psychopathy, in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy

Psychosis, in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychosis

[AmericanPsycho]

You may be confusing the word "psychopath", with the word "psychotic" (easy to do). A psychopath is described as not having the same depth of feeling as most people, or the same sense of right and wrong. Those who have had psychotic episodes experience sensory effects like visions or voices which aren't objectively real. This doesn't necessarily affect their conscience at all.

You seem to feel pretty strongly, and to have a clear idea of what you think is right, so you probably aren't a psychopath.

{"Psyche" is the Greek word for mind, so it's found in a lot of the technical terms of ... psychology. Confusing, yes.}

Psychopathy, in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia....iki/Psychopathy

Psychosis, in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychosis

It is PSYCHOTIC DISORDER. Clears it up a bit.

[malign]

Mr. Google knows that one, too. The following is from the National Libraries of Medicine at NIH, my personal favorite source for medical stuff. It's a bit short, though, but there are links if you want. Basically, it says "psychotic disorder" is essentially the same as the definition of "psychosis" above, and therefore still not "psychopath".

"Psychotic Disorders" on NLM at NIH.gov: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/psychoticdisorders.html