First of all....I hope somebody responds to this...I can't count how many times I have posted my Brother's story and have gotten no replies...I'm confused and at the end of my rope....I don't know how to help him...

Once again......My Brother who is 40 and an ex-horoine/cocaine abuser......explained to me of an episode that happened a few years back of a bright light that he thought to be God came to him and spoke to him......After this experience he did stop taking drugs....he had been a long time abuser and he went off of them cold turkey.....He continued to hear God's voice.....after time went on his wife filed for divorce because of his erratic personality change...he had become fanatically relogious quotining the bible...saying phrases like "God told me to tell you ." When he would hear Gods voice....his face contorts and he is filled with emotions...he usually starts crying......He says he hears him audibley and through dreams and revalations.....Presently...three years have gone by and he still believes he hears God.....Nobody seems willing to help him....He lives with my parents who are in complete denial of anything...He has no job because he says God wants him to suffer as he did and he is to be satisfied with food and shelter only....He will go to jail for not paying child support...he says Jesus was also persecuted he will be with him.........He told me today he likes being depressed because this is when God talks to him the most......And that he knows the difference between the wordly living and spiritual living and he chooses the way God has shown......This is not a case of a dead beat father or just a lazy man.....something has happened to him mentally, his personality has changed completely...he quotes the bible for minutes of end....he thinks his child that has epilepsy is special and is chosen by God like he was......He also calls himself a prophet of God......The court has ordered him to take a pschiatric evaluation if he wants to see his children.....My brother has confided in me that he can fool a Doctor....I'm afraid that he can.....sometimes he seems very normal and functional. Most of the time he is not...He believes the whole world is against him and Doctors are of the world..........My question to you all is ...has anyone heard of this or experienced it????
Should I fear for my own safety??? He hasn't shown signs of violence but in his past he was very violent and so I know he is capable....Can he fool a Doctor and Tests????? What can I do to help him????

Or someone please just tell me that you read this...your acknowledgement will be of so much comfort...I feel so alone, like I'm the only one who sees this in my family....Is family denial normal also???

I don't believe in God therefore my opinion is that he has schizophrenia or some kind of pyschosis that was triggered by his drug use.

I totally agree with you. This is what I have always theorized...He also has hepatitis c...this could be a contributing factor because he doesn't seek medical treatment... I've often wondered if he has advanced liver damage by now, could toxins be circulating in his body causing mental instability.. His oldest daughter has also been diagnosed recently as bi-polar..I believe my Dad is also. I'm afraid all of this is going to end in a suicide or homocide...I'm not exagerrating either...it's very volitale....It is driving me mad that meds might fix this...but I can't get him to understand that the voices may not be God.
The God part.... just sake of arguments..(Millions of people believe he does exist and that he communicates)..How many other people does he talk audibly to?????? I was always taught that his voice was not audible????
Do other people suffering from this affliction believe that they are special chosen by God????

Why God??? Why not the President???

AREBE- I'm not trying to be critical over your beliefs...that has nothing to do with all of this, and I appreciate your honesty and taking the time to answer...You are the first..I can see how easy it would be for you to say ok. this is mental..But believe me there are people out there who believe him and it blows my mind...(I happen to believe in God)But I don't believe what my Brother is claiming.I was just wondering what the people who believe in communication with God say???How do they communicate?? I mean besides prayer..Am I being to critical???? I'm just totally confused...

alot of people suffering from schizophrenia beleive they hear the voice of God too. From what I understand it's a very common thing with schizophrenia...but there's always that 'what if God exists and is actually communicating'. who knows? But I'd place my bet on the schizophrenia. it's possible that all our old prophets and mystics were really just 'schizophrenics'.

You are right and since this has happened it has shaken my faith.....Until I see my brother perform a miracle like walking on water. I'm definately leaning toward Schiz.
It does make you rethink and question history and what we were taught to believe.....now with all of the other religions coming to the fore front (Muslims) I'm even more confused....I have always been opened minded and not a follower, I choose my own path by deductions of facts....Sometimes I think it would just be easier to go on blind faith....
getting back to the subject....So do I go along with him or continue to try to persuade him that he has a problem??? He is at risk to lose his kids, Go to jail and possibly die because he is fefusing treatment for hep c....God is healing him..grrrrr

Just being terribley nosey....don't answer if you don't feel comfortable and please don't get offended...If not God...Then what???? or how do you see reality??? I'm just curious, truly people's beliefs and perceptions fasinate me...(except my bro's...hehe)

That is a very tough situation and unfortunately I don't have any answers. There has to be some way that you can get him to see a doctor, but as to how I don't know.

As far as my beliefs...I would say I'm agnostic.

hehe I have to break the dictionary out...

I just spoke to him on the phone....I told him about the board and all the people on it....I wanted him to know that I believe him, that he hears voices and others do to....He stated. See there is another level of existense out there......The doctors are the only crazy ones for trying to stop it, because it is God that is communicating to us.....He mentioned that he probably wont be here much longer.....I'm at a loss, I see what is happening and feel other's in my family are either to stupid or are choosing to look the other way....He is going to die....I just don't know what how I can stop it....I'm almost accepting the fact, because it seems so helpless...I will try anything. People please start posting suggestions anything....this is becoming critical....Tell me what I need to do

I have an adult daughter with a lot of the same symptoms. Although she doesn't hear God she is very religious and her thoughts are consumed by spirtual things. She is in total denial that there is anything wrong mentally. She also talks to herself constantly and is convinced she can fool the doctors and everyone else. She sometimes has violent thoughts, but has never acted on them

Maybe he is, if he reads the bible maybe he is and by not having a job hes showing god how much he loves him.

I believe in God and jesus and i went to church with a guy who heard voices in his head, he beleves they were deamons, which could be the case, anyways he got saved, and people prayed for him and he quit using drugs and now he doesn't hear bad voices.

He he quit using drugs cold turky thats crazy

I do not have schzio'a so am not experienced personally in the disorder.

However I have had two family memebers who have the condition so I know a little.

I think from your description of your brothers behavoiur it would be impossible unless you have a medical background to diagnose him to be suffering or not suffering from schiz'a / phycosis.

Also irrespective of religious beliefs his behaviour does not sound atpically normal epspecially as you say that in the past he was 'normal' (I use that term loosely every ones version of normal is different).

What about calling your doctor and explaining the situation and seeing if he would do a home visit. You may risk allienating your brother but if you believe him to be at risk of hurting himself/others you should take action.

I would not dwell on his comments about being able to fool the doctors if he is truelly mentally ill he will not.

At the end of the day if the docs think he was that ill they could section him and then he would be forced to take meds.

I do not want to scare you but one of my relatives who was genuinely schiz'a commited suicide by throwing herslf under a train - so although unlikely it does happen.

The other thing with her was that she thought she was perfectly normal and it was very one else who was odd. Although the voives/dellusions scared her it was like she was in another planet - although when stabilised she was a normal as the next person.

Good Luck.

Hello everyone! I've got a really quick question for you... and you have to completely open your mind to all possibilities on what I'm about to say. Here it goes:

Imagine, for a moment, that a newly married couple (healthy and fine) just delivered their first child. Upon delivery, the child had major sensory problems. That child was born with no sense of sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste.

Now, really imagine this little child laying there wrapped up in a blanket. Does that child know he/she exists and is living? (Truly answer that question)

Finished answering? If the child can't see anything, smell anything, hear anything, taste anything, or feel anything... how does it know it's alive? It's like a deep dark void!

Now, look on the other side of things. The child IS alive, and we know this! Why? Because we have the senses to understand and comprehend what's going on with our surroundings. We see other people and relate to OUR life because we have adapted to the senses given to us at birth.

Now, a twist in things. Perhaps this baby WAS born with all of our basic 5 senses... and somehow he had the gift of receiving 2 more, that we as regular people don't know of. What if that baby can now see and relate to things that WE CAN NOT because IT has the senses to know it's there and what it's sensing is there (just as we did with the baby at first, even though it couldn't to us).

Do you people ever sit down and really think about the concept of life? Why do we call these people strange, etc. when infact they could have a gift that none of us know of! I know it's a bit strange way of looking at it... but do look at it like that! We've all imagined having superpowers growing up as a child... something that nobody else had! Now, what if tomorrow you were granted those powers... would you know what to do with it? And, after awhile, wouldn't you just wish that perhaps you were just "normal" again... maybe realizing your "gift" isn't what it's all cracked up to be?

My reason for stating this whole post is because of both religious and pratical reasons. Society today is quick on judging people because they aren't like the MAJORITY of other people. And, they relate to these people mostly in a negative way. I'm not saying to NOT help and individual out if it's appearant that he/she needs help. I'm just saying, that in the process of aid, AT LEAST try to relate to the individual's experience. Know the difference between the two of you, and learn THAT person. Perhaps he/she doesn't want to become more like us, but would like people to understand THEM!

I had something very similar happen to ME!

About 7 year ago I was involved in crystal meth & started hearing voices BUT they said they were DEAMONS & sounded EVIL like the exorcist.
They would tell me things like I should kill myself & everyone hates me. They use to tell me I should just go ahead & do another line cause no one cares if I live or die, they hated me etc.

Thease voices would tell me that Jesus HATES me & I was going to burn in hell. Then they would wisper & that made me paranoid, they would tell me "they know your on drugs" so I never left my house.
The voices said that I opened a "spirtiual window" that was pure evil & invited deamons into my life through drugs.
The voices would be at there PEAK when I was on meth.

Long story short they scared the HELL out of me I started even seeing them. I was asleep on the couch one night & woke up to see a gremlin looking {2 ft tall} little troll thing looking right at me, It was fluorescent green or yellow in color {I forget what one}
AFTER THAT I stopped useing & you know what ?
The "voices" went away!

I guess I'm lucky cause they went away.

I should be able to sit here & say that my voices were all in my head & not real, but to this day I'm not sure.

How long has he been off drugs?

Heather



[This message has been edited by *Heather* (edited 06-04-2003).]

I do believe in God, this makes me think that its a good thing that the big mirricals happened way back in the bible days because if they happened now, the whole world would be schizo.

Hi phoenix, how is your brother doing? I am fairly new here and just wanted to share some of my experience with you.

I do believe you can here God and other spirits. They do not actually sound like a loud audible voice, but it is a voice talking to you. It is hard to explain to somebody who has never heard a "voice" but trust me you can hear them. When I pray to God seeking an answer, I may or may not hear the answer, I guess it depends on the situation at the time. I also hear other "voices", I even talk back to them. I don't have multiple personalities, these are spirits that actually speak to me. Okay have I lost everyone yet? I believe that to believe in God you must also believe in satan and evil spirits. Sometimes evil spirits will attack you and make you believe that they are "god", if you let them they can ruin your life.

In my honest opinion, your brother is probably hearing real voices and doesn't know what to do with them. They may even be evil spirits trying to destroy his life, and look at what a good job they are doing so far. The voices can drive a person crazy if you let them. The best way for somebody to deal with them is to meet them on their own field, tell them to leave you alone that you do not believe their lies. Your brother definately needs help, but unfortunately he can trick doctors and make them think he is perfectly fine. You or your parents must provide the doctors with other proof that he is not okay. If you can ever get him on meds, he will be much better.

I was rambling there and if I didn't make much sense I'm sorry. Please, do not think I'm crazy. I am a grown man with a great family, good job, and lots going for me. I am very friendly and outgoing, have a lot of friends and if anyone knew what I just told you they would think I am crazy (okay maybe I am but that's beside the point, lol). I know who I am and what I am. I don't run from it, I embrace it and deal with it. I take no meds right now but I will admit it took a great deal for me to get to this point. Hope this helped you some, if you have any questions I'll do what I can to answer them openly and honestly.

my mom said she heard god, he told her to annoint me...then i heard a whisper...it said "power of god"..i also heard angels singing, trumpets sounding, and chains being broken...but if it's really god, he wouldn't be depressed when he hears him...god would want to lift him up and heal him of depression...maybe somthing is decieving him so he wants to stay depressed..

[This message has been edited by maunalei (edited 07-26-2003).]

I grew up in charismatic Christian household. I experienced some really weird stuff. To this day I still can't believe that I saw what I saw. In the charismatic tradition there is an obsession with the spiritual. If your brother is involved in one of these churches he'll get more fuel for his thinking. In fact, he'll probably be looked up to and listened to more because of his fanaticism. This to me is borderline occultic.

If the church that he is attending is sound, I think that they will love, help and accept him. They will recognize problems where there are problems and gently take him in a correct direction. If they are really with it, they might be able to guide him to professional care. You might even be able to speak to the church leaders yourself.

In a sound setting, the church can be a wonderful place. On the other hand, a bad church can be much worse than none at all.

Personally I have swayed from the charismatic to the more mainstream. Some of the "spirituality" ... or goosebump stuff is not there. Some of what the charismatics miss out on is being real people. Just loving and caring for people as people. It is very earthy and dirty. The problems are more garden variety. Things are not as black and white. The human touch is more readily noticed. There isn't a boogy man in every corner. There isn't a flame we follow. Things don't get more intense late at night. The music isn't undulating. It isn't as flashy or hush hush. It is about people as people in their smallness in relation to a God readily evident in the great expanse of all that is. There are no secret hooks into the divine that only the in-tune get.

I do hope your brother is ok. I do believe one can go through a radical change, then slowly come back from the clouds. Sounds like some of the change is good. If he gets plugged into the right place, I believe that he will slowly become more normal and pleasant... and possibly even convince you that he is ok and -did- experience -something-... but has moved passed it and is back on level ground. The road to level ground might be bumpy... but I do hope he gets on it.

Take care.

anyone heard of split personality? Like in the moive with Jim Carrey Me, Myself and Irene. I heard it does exist.

Waldo, it is called MPD, multiple personality disorder, and yes it does exist. MPD is a very real problem for many people.

Hi, my mother-in-law is paranoid schizophrenic. Also my cousin is too. My uncle was manic depressive.

The advice I would give you is too get him looked at for his Hep C, first. Focus on that. You could get alot of info from that. I know you want to jump in full force but getting him help slowly at first until you have a professional assessment from an internist or another MD, might be a way to go about it.

Good Luck, my cousin is untreated too. My MIL is on meds because our threat is you cannot see the grandchildren unless you are medicated.
As far as trust with his own children. I would only have supervised visits. Leaving children with an unstable person of any sort is child endangerment, imho.
Sorry you are having these problems. I understand some of where you are coming from.

helloooo well i would like to say that i am a firm beliver in god but under no religion, because i think the church is just a profit organization that has corrupted what god really is...And i would like to tell you that god MIGHT be communicating with them, but i dont think god would want your brother to suffer like he did, because god doesnt want suffering from us, he wants our belief in him and our lvoe for what he has given us.. and i think that if these people are having a tough time dealing with this god communicatoin, then they are not really talking to him because he doesnt want us to be bad, and he doesnt want us to dedicate all our lives to him, he wants us to be content and enjoy what he has given us...so i definitly side with schiz on this one...good luck!!!

I am Pentecostal and in a spirt filled religion. I know of many people who have heard Gods voice. Myself I have heard God audibly. We have tounges and interpretation in our churches and God will speak to a person and give them a message to deliver to the church. Some will see it it writting as on a wall or black board in their head and others hear an audiable voice. I have also seen angels and demons. I know of a couple of other people in my church who have also and I know of a few visiting evangelists who have seen into the spirit world as well. It does happen to sane people. However,....
My husband and I work with the mentally ill and many have sz. There is one man who believes he is Jesus Christ himself and walks around telling people spirtiual things. There is another who has sz who quotes scripture all the time and will sit in judgement of others. He is suicidal and paranoid. I myself had a pycotic episode and was hearing voices telling me to kill my family. It is different than when I heard Gods voice and there is a difference. I was religious and having these expereinces with God for years I grew up this way. The voices in my head made me paranoid and mean. I was scared. It was defintly not of God. I also hallucinated and had delusions. They scared the hell out of me. You can tell if a person is haveing a real religios experince or is sz by if they are suicidal, paranoid, delusional, grandois, exagerating things, violent, etc. I would talk to his Pastor. Chances are his Pastor already knows that he has sz. or suspects it. My Pastor would be aware of what is going on at least. Good luck and I hope and pray that you find answers and help soon.

I believe in God he is real. As for him hearing GOD id say its possible but GOD gave us a mind to use. I doubt the lord would be wanting him not to pay child support and let his marriage get messed up like it did. So from a relegious stand point I think it May be the drusg you see I truly beleieve there is also an evil power. And this evil power can use evil things like drugs to contort ones mind to where eventually. When and if they stop this is whats happened. If he were talking to GOD he wouldnt be having these problems thats for sure just sounds like alot of emotion.

mm good discussion guys. At what point does one draw th eline between supernatural contact and a schizophrenic episode.I myself have experienced both. I have had a number of psychic and telepathic interferences, and also had a few scary ones. Someone raised a good point concerning drugs making us more vunerable to the "evil" ideaology. Prior to taking zoloft ( an antidepressant ) i quite frequently had psychic experiences where i could follow ones line sof thoguht and predict what they will say next. Post zoloft ( which btw just because its a medication cant cause psychois is bullshi% ) i now walk around thinking someone is following me and am constantly looking over my shoudler. Whethere some is actually following me or its a delusion { societys dubb of spirit contact ) remains to be seen. Isn't it possiblt that perhaps many schizophrenics are gifted but are unaware on how to use their gift?

Well I have paranoid schitz and MPD and when I did not have medicine I uncontrollabily said in a robot voicer I had died and Jesus took over my body and that I was going to kill people./ Very Bad. I heard God and Jesus and demons and a guy named Peter. All in my head. Peter was a wizard.He "took over my soul" long story.

i have 2 sons with this illness and they really do hear voices and they really do see people that we can not see. i don't know how they can hear and see them but just except the fact that they do. it is not real but they believe it is real because they see it and hear it. they can hear mens voices, womens voices childrens voices gods voice and demons voices. they can hear laughing, mocking voices any kind of voices. some voices tell them to kill themselves, they can tell them that they are worthless anything you can imagine. with the right medication the voices and seeing people will stop or get better. this is skizephrenia, sorry i probably spelled it wrong but you know what i mean. but he really needs to be on medication for this. tell him that you believe he hears the voice of god but that it isn't real and he needs medication for this illness. the medication helps my 2 sons so they don't hear the voices all the time. you can also tell him that when he hears the voice again to ignore it because it isn't real and it's his mind causing him to hear it and that he needs medication to take the voices away.

signed,
eh

I don't get it. If the Pope says he talks to God it's OK. But if you or I say it they lock us up in the Looney Bin. But lately it doesn't seem like the Pope is capable of talking to anyone.

hi all. I really hope you don't mind me posting my opnion on here about all this. This is a really interesting thread...one of the most intreging i have read. Phoenix I really really hope everything is going ok for you...that sounds like such a tough situation to be in!! :( Please know you are in my thoughts. There have been many varied posts in this thread varying from saying that your brother needs medication to God really is talking to him. It can all get like a whirlwind and I truely hope that you can find sense in your search for answers. I myself believe in God...and the "gospel" of Christianity. I believe one can "hear" God but not in the sense your brother is. I find it intresting he quotes the bible but it seems to go against some bible verses to be him not working and taking on the suffering of Christ. After all...isn't there proverbs about working hard and isn't the pure sense of the gospel that people DON"t have to take on the suffering of Jesus. I would definately say that he has a mental disturbance and I would say point verses out to him which his behavior and words contridict...but i don't want him getting violent and such on you. I truely hope you are doing ok right now! i hope i am somewhat of a help...and an encouragement. Take care, --ww

no matter what anyone tells you or what happens from here,you have to keep an open mind...the truthe and the only thruthe here is, u wont know if its really god or a mental illness talking...will u?theres no way to proove what the hell is really going on.its all based on each individuals reality ...to doctors,its the mental illness...while to someone else its actually the voice of god. this that u say ...that your brother was an x heroine user and cocaine user,im sorry,but if he was cured over night after hearing god speak,wake up,thats a spiritual awakening, and yes that has occured to others as well.a spiritual awakening is the sord of powerful thing that can break someone away from the grips of addiction man.im an addict (cocaine)and ive been struggling withnthius addiction for years....i only wish i had an expirience like your brother did....
think about it,noone can stop just using heroine and coke from one day to another without having been touched by some kind of immense supernatural light...what more proof do u want.
now speaking of you....maybe u can try to sit back and relax,and let your brother be...accept him for what he is regardless if that means scitzo brother or godly man...exc.
sometimes we cant change things, we havre to learnto love and accept them for what ever it is they are...before theyre gone..
god bless...
take care
ps he is very fortunate to have someone like you around that thinks of him and tries to protect him.

umm, hi people. i am not sure how to work these boards, but i have a question that maybe someone can help me out with? i have never posted here b4, but...here it goes... i am 22 yrs old and suffer from social anxiety disorder and depression. the past year or so, i have been hearing voices, pple mumbling or arguing with eachother in my room. i have heard my closet door slam shut when there was no wind or nothing. if you knew wht kinda door it was ud be freaked, bec u need to really use both ur arms to push it closed. i have been seeing a therapist for social anxiety and depression..and i mentioned tht i think my room is haunted. well...now, she and the doc want me on meds etc, and well...i truly believe tht my room is haunted! i dont believe its coming from my head. umm...is there anyone here who had any kind of incident like this? thnks.