CarrollBlog

from Mikaela in Sweden:

Wanted to share this short bit of an article in a Swedish magazine called "ordfront".

It´s just such a wonderful description of something that I guess we all feel now and then...

The best description of how it feels like to be schizophrenic came from a catatonic man. He needed eight weeks psychotherapy (without medications) five days a week to be able to move out of the hospital and get back to work. One of his symptoms was that he was constantly bowing. When asked why he did this, he said:

- I don´t bow

- Yes you do

- No I don´t bow

- Listen, you do this (the psychotherapist bows). That´s how one bows. You are bowing.

- No, I don´t bow

- But you are doing it right now.

- That's not bowing

- Then what is that?

- It´s balancing

- What are you balancing?

- Feelings

- What feelings?

- Fear and loneliness

When the man felt alone he wanted to get near other people (so he leaned forward). When he got close to others he got scared and had to draw back (he stood up straight) but then he felt lonely again....