9 hours ago
You will occasionally hear it in support communities. A person who has spent countless hours complaining of nearly all symptoms that schizophrenia causes only to one day show up claiming to not have any schizo-related anything. They assert that they are some sort of fraud. They have been faking all along. Malingering is the term. Are they right?
Well, I suppose it's possible. Malingering wouldn't be a medical term if it didn't happen. In most instances, this is highly unlikely to be what is occurring. These "fakers" don't take the tone of one giving a confession rooted in guilt. The tone they do take is a persuasive one. The self-proclaimed faker is trying to convince their support buddies of what they wish was true. More importantly, and primarily, the motive is self deception. Why?
The simplest answer is that it is easier to claim to be a liar than it is to have a highly stigmatized condition. The complex answer goes deeper. When a psychotic patient is in a stable state of mind, they look back on their episodes through "stable glasses". They genuinely believe that they could easily have thought their way out of their last crazy mind state if they only tried. Indeed, while wearing "stable glasses", they firmly believe defeating psychosis can simply be accomplished with pure will power if an instance were to occur once more in the future.
A lucky few manage to never get the opportunity to put their imposter claims to the test. Their symptoms never strike them hard again.
The majority? They slip into a psychotic mindset and show to all who observe that they weren't con artists at all. They instead demonstrate that there is just no using logic to snuff out a major breakdown. A warped ability to think clearly will prevent use of will power long before you realize reality checking techniques are even needed. They can't save you. Not when the organ needed for rational thought is the one malfunctioning.
All too often, through sadness and hardship, the schizophrenic is shown to be the furthest thing from a fraud. They...unfortunately...were perfectly honest.
Well, I suppose it's possible. Malingering wouldn't be a medical term if it didn't happen. In most instances, this is highly unlikely to be what is occurring. These "fakers" don't take the tone of one giving a confession rooted in guilt. The tone they do take is a persuasive one. The self-proclaimed faker is trying to convince their support buddies of what they wish was true. More importantly, and primarily, the motive is self deception. Why?
The simplest answer is that it is easier to claim to be a liar than it is to have a highly stigmatized condition. The complex answer goes deeper. When a psychotic patient is in a stable state of mind, they look back on their episodes through "stable glasses". They genuinely believe that they could easily have thought their way out of their last crazy mind state if they only tried. Indeed, while wearing "stable glasses", they firmly believe defeating psychosis can simply be accomplished with pure will power if an instance were to occur once more in the future.
A lucky few manage to never get the opportunity to put their imposter claims to the test. Their symptoms never strike them hard again.
The majority? They slip into a psychotic mindset and show to all who observe that they weren't con artists at all. They instead demonstrate that there is just no using logic to snuff out a major breakdown. A warped ability to think clearly will prevent use of will power long before you realize reality checking techniques are even needed. They can't save you. Not when the organ needed for rational thought is the one malfunctioning.
All too often, through sadness and hardship, the schizophrenic is shown to be the furthest thing from a fraud. They...unfortunately...were perfectly honest.