Q & A Archive

Psychosis and Schizophrenia

Catatonic Schizophrenia, Dismal Institutions, and Dreams: A catatonic patient dreams,and he believes these dreams are his real existence. Is this plausible?
Hidden Schizophrenia: Could a person with schizophrenia have such a mild version that he appears completely normal except in periods of high stress?

Who Would Kill for a Father Figure?: After a life-time of abuse by father, a young woman seeks a replacement 'daddy' figure. Would she resort to murder of her target's wife to further her conditioned need of an older man?
What would it take to set off a killing spree in 2 angry teenage misfits? Would the more people they kill the more they go insane? Would their fractured mental state and loose view on morals be obvious?

What Exactly Makes Someone Decide to Commit Suicide?: What would it take to push a character into suicide? Would there necessarily be a final "straw that broke the camel's back," or would a person be likely to ruminate on his life and eventually decide that killing himself is simply the next right thing to do?

How Believing You're Insane Affects Behavior: Let's say my character really, really, really thinks he's insane. Would he be acting different, maybe becoming a little insane through the thought? And...how drastically different would he be?
A Villain's Atonement: What would the process be like for a villain whose conscience has gotten to him, making him decide he wants to atone for his sins?
My Character Has Just Realized He's a Ghost: What is his state of mind likely to be? I don't want to flat-out say "hey, you're dead" and I want to avoid a long dialogue during the scene.
What sort of mental problems would clones develop?: Humans believe that clones are not human because they have no soul. Clones have the potential of gene mutation and therefore could be born monsters.
The Normal "Split" Personality: Can a person have two completely opposite sides to their personalities, and still perform adequately? I am discovering my protagonist has two sides to him; he is able to separate them until he has a break through, or a break down, and is able to 'join' the two personalities. Is this feasible?