The article discusses how personal identity remains intact during psychosis, despite the presence of delusions and hallucinations creating an alternate reality. It highlights that while people's perceptions may suggest the individual is 'not themselves' during these episodes, the true essenceâincluding their heart and emotionsâpersists. The trauma from these experiences doesn't disappear with the delusions, emphasizing the dual reality of suffering both within an altered state and the emotional scars that remain afterward. The author reflects on the impact of casual phrases like 'You weren't yourself' that can minimize genuine experiences of suffering.
When you have a psychotic break, you are still the real, authentic you... The difference in you is delusions creating a new reality, confirmed by various kinds of hallucinations.
People may think you aren't yourself, but you actually are - you are a victim who is suffering and held hostage by an alternate reality influencing your behavior.
...if someone says 'You weren't yourself,' it diminishes the profound suffering experienced during a psychotic break, erasing the reality of those genuine emotions.
The emotional trauma of psychosis remains long after the delusions fade, as the feelings attached to those experiences are real and impactful.
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