Talk One: Basics of Psychotic Thinking and Feeling
How the rational core of the person misinterprets hallucinations as actual reality and builds a complex delusional framework.
Topics include: Person has rational core within the hallucinatory reality, or waking dream, experienced during psychosis. Hallucinatory reality creates new ways of thinking. Patterns of psychotic thinking and feeling include: Loss of object permanency replaced by flow of realities; Synchronicity becomes basis for understanding mystical connections; Belief in mystical/religious symbol systems and pursuit of discovering a symbolic code underlying all of humanity; Synchronicity appears to create potential for magical solutions; Visions of probable futures and confusion; Voices and dialogues; Double-binds in actual personal reality; Poetic expression of reality; Hallucinations and false perceptions; The Unbearable Dilemma and the quest for the Deity/Extraordinary Being(s); Stepwise building of delusional framework; Being an emotional sponge.
Talk Two: Working with Someone in Psychosis Part I
Beginning Steps and CIT
Simple approaches to creating a peaceful, positive environment to help calm the person in psychosis. Simple rules for dealing with the person in crisis (CIT).
Topics include: In waking dream state, a person’s delusions and hallucinations are more real than consensus reality. Aim to calm schizophrenic’s hallucinations and delusions through peaceful, positive environment – create “a happier psychosis”. Keep in mind that the schizophrenic is an emotional sponge – peaceful, positive emotions will create more peaceful, positive hallucinations and delusions: Focus on the positive; Have a healthy, balanced diet with a lot of Vitamin B-complex; Be touching and affectionate; Have the person listen to positive music and see positive art; Watch for underlying emotions; See the good seed in the problem; Be aware of the core personality; Don’t minimize real problems. Also, CIT: Working with someone in crisis, basic and advanced suggestions.
Talk Three: Working with Someone in Psychosis Part II
Long-term Approaches
An innovative team approach to gaining the trust of the person in psychosis and allying with the rational core of the person.
Topics include: Need for plan for long-term period of psychosis. Purpose of mentor-realist team is to provide a place of support. Understanding Mentor role: Requirements for Mentor’s relationship; Interaction similar to Rogerian Client-centered approach; Stages of building relationship; Concepts to be used by Mentor. Consensus Realists role: Similar to present approach/Reality therapy; Realists often seen as interfering and persecuting; Special phrasing and actions to ease paranoia. Thinking like a schizophrenic. Negotiation of key beliefs.
Talk Four: Stabilizing on Medication and
Reviewing Possible Causes of Schizophrenia
Special rules of perception for the newly stabilized person; possible causes of schizophrenia; mapping out recovery plans.
Topics include: Process of stabilizing occurring during final stages of plateau and crisis; Reality checking and seven basic reality checking rules; Early warning signs and stabilizing; Reviewing possible causes of schizophrenia: Genetic Determinism; Extreme Trauma; Sensitive Person in a Brutal World; Other causes.
Talk Five
Counseling for Self-Understanding
Approaches, phases, and goals of counseling to meet the unique needs of recovering schizophrenics.
Topics include: Counseling is as essential as medication for post-psychotic schizophrenics. Phases of counseling: Early Counseling – six months to two years; Sorting through psychosis for meaningful hallucinations and delusions; Recording known events and trauma in person’s life; Revealing secrets and trauma; Facing and resolving character flaws; Religious conversions; Attaining Inner Peace; Developing new identity; Reviewing mystical and spiritual observations.
Talk Six
Rejoining Mainstream Society
Approaches, phases, and guidelines for the person rejoining mainstream society.
Topics include: Building safe territory over months and years; Step-By-Step approach to expanding safe places; Volunteering and Covenant of Good Works; Retraining for/Returning to work; Rejoining mainstream society; Choice to be public or not public about schizophrenia; Having positive expectations; Trusted individual to define reality.
Talk Seven: How a Series of Hallucinations Tell a Story
and Examples of Common Delusions
Gaining deeper understanding of the psychotic experience. How hallucinations can tell a symbolic story. Common experiences and delusions uncovered in discussions with four post-psychotic people.
Topics include: How a series of hallucinations combine to form a storyline. Summary of notes from schizophrenic research group. Schizophrenic delusions contain a grain of truth. Many negative delusions from stress. Delusions reflected by mainstream people who believe some version of the delusion. Stress triggering of hallucinations and delusional thoughts. Common elements in the world view: Belief in an immediate danger of an apocalyptic end of the world; Control of most people into being blind to this reality by a nefarious, subliminal means; Division of the world into a black-and-white good people verses bad people; Ongoing battle of good vs. evil, centered on oneself; Extreme forms of mysticism; Fascination with words and the belief that words contain hidden meanings; Original ideas that are foreign to their own background but are found in the cultures of other people; Focus on death, especially in a transcendent sense. Details of some common beliefs of those in psychosis. Potential contributions by schizophrenics to research: Common beliefs and a lexicon to aid communication with those in psychosis; Identifying the origins and triggers of delusions/hallucinations; Identifying the moment of understanding of accepting diagnosis.