Comment from LJbutterfly

Excellent

Your description of a person suffering with schizophrenia sounds accurate and believable. As per the prompt requirements, you have included many symptoms. This is an unfortunate disorder.

I worked for many years at the Department of Veterans Affairs and encountered several veterans who heard voices. They all felt the government and private citizens were against them.

Best wishes in the contest.

Typo: I'm always having to have to hide, (remove the word 'have.')

 Comment Written 23-Mar-2023

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reply by the author on 24-Mar-2023

Thank you so much for the excellent review. They don't all hear voices but I think they all feel paranoid and believe people are conspiring against them.

Comment from Ben Colder

Excellent

The devil's playground. Medication is a copout. I have experience these people before and through the anointing of Christ, they were delivered. "Let this mind be in you that was in Christ."

 Comment Written 23-Mar-2023

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reply by the author on 23-Mar-2023

One of the girls I knew with this problem was prayed over and the preacher called for the demon to come out. She thought she was healed and got off her medication. She took her daughter;s car and left the state, but she went manic again and they had to go get her. Not everyone is called to deliver demons.

reply by Ben Colder on 23-Mar-2023

Some come by fasting and prayer.

Comment from Spitfire

Excellent

I wonder how this happens? Is it genetic? It has to be awful to be that paranoid as your stream of consciousness piece points out. I can see accusing the government. After all, I blame a lot on them too. LOL

 Comment Written 23-Mar-2023

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reply by the author on 23-Mar-2023

Thank you for the review. Thinking back, I have known a lot of people with this problem and what I wrote came from a combination of all of them and not just one. It can be genetic. At least two of the ones I wrote about had it in their family history.
Beth

Comment from lyenochka

Excellent

You did a super job with replicating the thoughts of a person with some kind of mental illness and you added the conspiracy theories to fan the flames. This was very believable and reminded me of the movie A Beautiful Mind. Virtual six!

I very gifted. (I'm)
The ones who took that vacine (vaccine)

 Comment Written 23-Mar-2023

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reply by the author on 23-Mar-2023

Thank you Helen. I have know a lot of people with this problem and what I wrote came from many different ones. I don't think they all hear voices. You are the only one who mentioned my fanning the flames with that about the internet fake stories. LOL
Beth

reply by lyenochka on 23-Mar-2023

The scary thing is that often it's those with these mental illnesses and tendency toward paranoia who now have access to the internet and start those rumors themselves. And others believe them!

Comment from royowen

Excellent

I absolutely agree with you Beth, I have at least two friends that show signs of that, they tend to think that some of us are part of the conspiracy, the trouble these guys are convinced these are going, with Donald Trump convincing people he is being conspired against. It frightens a lot of people, we are all in God's hands, we safe there. Beautifully written Beth, blessings Roy
Typo: I('m) very gifted. 2 : That (has) poison. Have? 3: who has (been) watching me. 4: for the voices (to) come back

 Comment Written 23-Mar-2023

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reply by the author on 23-Mar-2023

Thank you, Roy. This is one thing they all seem to have in common and that is they always believe there is some conspiracy and they other people are against them. Thank you for pointing out the spags. Beth

reply by royowen on 23-Mar-2023

Welcome Beth

Comment from patcelaw

Excellent

The new things that I have had through the years with those who have mental disorders as much as you described it here, and the story. I've heard some fantastic stories of people who are suffering from manic, depression, or other psychotic disorders, and they do many other things that you described. Patricia.

 Comment Written 23-Mar-2023

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reply by the author on 23-Mar-2023

Thank you, Patricia. I've known quite a few people with menal conditions and this is mixure of things I've actually heard them say. I don't they all hear voices.
Beth

Comment from damommy

Excellent

Beautifully written story about mental illness. It has made me understand it better. I thank you for that. It must be hard sometimes to diagnosis this. It would be frightening way to live, I think. Good luck in the contest.

 Comment Written 23-Mar-2023

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reply by the author on 23-Mar-2023

Thank you for the review. One of the girls on this site says she has and has been the hospital many times. I hope what I wrote didn't upset her. The things I wrote came from a lot of different people I've known. I don't think all of them heard voices.
Beth

Comment from Sandra Stoner-Mitchell

Excellent

I've read many stories from the 16th century upwards about how these people were treated. Electrodes attached to their heads, and pills that made that totally out of it. It's really sad, yet, like this lady in your story, they are clever enough to convince the medical system they are better. This was really interesting, Beth, and has made me more aware of what life is like for these poor people. Very well done, my friend. :)) Sandra xxx

 Comment Written 23-Mar-2023

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reply by the author on 23-Mar-2023

Thank you Sandra. Yes the earlier manner of treatment was barbaric. I had a cousin the doctor did a lobotomy on. They did that to Kennedy's sister too. They still use the shock treatment because I know of someone who had it recently.

reply by Sandra Stoner-Mitchell on 23-Mar-2023

It's so barbaric! You would think they'd have found a better way to treat those patients by now. What was your cousin like after her/his operation? xx

reply by the author on 23-Mar-2023

She was almost like a vegetable. She talked very slowly like she had lost interest in life and she no emotion at all. She had been an epileptic and when had an episode, she had no idea what she was doing. Once she ended up in the fine, and another time she tried to choke her mother who was in a wheel chair.

reply by Sandra Stoner-Mitchell on 23-Mar-2023

Oh, that must have been a constant worry for you all. It's so sad, Beth. xxx

Comment from Brett Matthew West

Excellent

"I very gifted" should be I am very gifted.

First paragraph shows the depths of their insanity.

"they're taking about me" should be they're talking about me.

"I won't I'll know they" should be I won't know they

"put it my head" should be put in my head

vacine" should be vaccine

"voices come back" should be voices to come back

Unsure if these were intentional to develop the character's level of insanity or things you may want to look at again.

Either way, their insanity shines forth.

 Comment Written 23-Mar-2023

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reply by the author on 23-Mar-2023

Thank you Brett, I've known quite a few poeple with this problem and what I wrote is things I've heard from a number of different ones so I"m sure they don't all have the same kind of delusion. They probably don't all hear voices. Thank you so much for finding all those spags.
Beth

Comment from jessizero

Excellent

I am diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, and I've been in mental hospitals many times. I have met people who believe these things as you have written them. This was heartbreaking. Thank you for sharing, and best wishes to you.

 Comment Written 23-Mar-2023

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reply by the author on 23-Mar-2023

Well, I do believe most people with this condition have a have an exceptionally gifted mind and most of the ones I've known seem totally normal most of the time. One of my best friends has this and I've only been with her once when she was manic. I would never tell her the things she said and did then because I don't if she remembers it. I wouldn't dare embarrass her. She insisted every car was watching her and that her son-in-law was plotting aganist her and taping in the nude. Now she is normal and again and she stays on the medication. I had another friend whose preacher tried to cast our a demon. She thought she was cured got off the medication. She took her daughter's car and left the state. It is like any other illness and I know it has to be scary. I'm sorry you have to deal with it Someone I worked with had the problem and he believed he was working for the CIA. He told some really wild tales. I hope I didn't say anything that hurt you in any. It could happen to any of us and there is no shame in it.
I'd like to hear your story and how it feels for your perspective.

reply by jessizero on 23-Mar-2023

I have written about it in the past, but I don't feel up to sharing right now. Thanks for saying you'd like to hear my perspective, though.