Coping Methods For Alien Abductions: Confronting Fears of Being Crazy

I can’t believe I didn’t post this “Coping” article FIRST because I think it is the very first issue abductees/ experiencers have to deal with…

We must determine if we are crazy.

Though I am claiming that aliens are real and abducting people, including me, I am not saying that crazy people don’t make the same claims! In fact, I’ve spoken to people who mistakenly believed aliens were monitoring and abducting them who were utterly sincere, but sadly, delusional. To me, it is now easy to figure out the difference, but I well remember the days in my teens when I doubted my own sanity- it’s why I was inspired to study psychology to begin with!

I am familiar with this topic, as it was my major in college. Though health did not permit me to stay in school, I maintained a lifelong interest in clinical psychology and have continued to study on my own. I have kept a copy of the latest Diagnostic Statistical Manuel as its published since the late 80s and further investigated various maladies of the mind. Sometimes to understand myself or a friend better, sometimes to rule out a possible issue, sometimes just out of curiosity. So I have a background on this matter, and have some notion of how to diagnose and understand various mental disorders. I would never presume to have full training, but I’m in better shape than your average online lookie-loo (or at least I prefer to think so!)

Schizophrenia would be the possible “crazy” diagnosis of a person who suffers from delusions and hallucinations. It typically hits more men than women, most often beginning between the ages of 15 and 25, and almost never manifests after age 30. It may develop slowly over time, or quickly escalate. Regardless, it does not spontaneously regress on its own. Instead, very sadly, it inevitably worsens over time, leaving its victim more and more confused, scattered, and dysfunctional.

“A diagnosis of schizophrenia requires that continuous disturbance (i.e. debilitating symptoms) be present for at least six months, including at least one month of certain key symptoms (active symptoms: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized/catatonic behavior, negative symptoms such as severe emotional flatness or apathy) “  — schizophrenia.com/earlysigns.htm#

Paranoid schizophrenia is the form of delusion that involves an interesting backwards ego issue. For some reason, which varies according to the individual, paranoid schizophrenics believe they are being tormented by powerful but hidden agents. It could be the government, the mob, demons, or aliens who seek to destroy them. Without evidence or witnesses, they can’t help but think that they are pursued and harassed by these agents, and their life becomes a living nightmare.

Delusions of grandeur are also possible alone or in conjunction with paranoid delusion. This form of mental illness involves strong ideas that one is incredibly “special” — perhaps they are Jesus or Mother Mary or a secret member of a royal family or an agent of the angels… or, more recently since the 80s and 90s, they may believe that they are Starseed or Alien Hybrids.

Some signs that a person is delusional would be having absolute faith that they are what they claim, despite lack of evidence or any evidence to the contrary. (One reason to doubt a ‘true believer’ who says they have all the answers… if they aren’t lying, they’re almost surely crazy.)

These are real mental states that would lead a person to mistakenly believe aliens are involved in their life. This is a fact, and we must face this fact and confront it.

However, let us break down these symptoms.

1. To be diagnosed with schizophrenia, you must have ongoing strange experiences that last longer than 6 months.

~ Most abductees have periods of ‘crazy’ that come, but then GO AWAY for days, weeks, months, and years at a time. That pattern does not fit schizophrenia.

2. To be crazy, you must have over a month of delusions (powerful beliefs without evidence) and hallucinations (sights and sounds that only you can see).

~ Most abductees doubt their beliefs. They may try on many, attempting to find one that explains what happens to them, but confusion is the reigning mental state. In addition, most of us have physical evidence on our bodies (scars, burns, virgin pregnancies) or our homes (objects moved or changed, burn circles in yards) and at least a few witnesses who see UFOs or other odd events or beings while with us. Schizophrenics have nothing in the real world that backs up their claims.

So, once you have shared an experience with someone, you can almost always rule out being crazy.

[For example, I make the claim that aliens put a camera type of device in the back of my eye. I have a memory of when it happened and of them telling me this. I had an actual eye infections afterwards. I have seen a weird shaped blue 'light' that seems to appear in my visual field. When I got a chance to see an x-ray of said eye, I ACTUALLY FOUND SOMETHING ODD THERE. This would indicate I am probably not crazy.]

3. To be schizophrenic, you must display disorganized speech.

~ This is a great one to check because without it, you don’t fit the profile! Schizophrenics have issues in the speech and organizational centers of their brain (almost like their dreaming mind or right brain somehow take precedence over their logical, left brain) and they speak in “word salad” or strings of words that make no sense. OR they may not be able to keep to one thread of an idea and instead have odd stream of consciousness speech that bounces around OR they may rhyme all their words or in some other way just not make sense!
The longer one has had untreated schizophrenia, the worse the periods of disorganized speech become.

[For example, my long-winded history of cogent writing pretty much negates any chances of my having this issue!]

4. To be schizophrenic, you must display disorganized behavior and/or sit still not doing anything for very long periods of time (catatonia.)

~ It comes as no surprise that a crazy person may act oddly, but the key here is the word ‘disorganized’. Actions may make no sense and be haphazard. How objects are used, where they are placed, how they are put together– all without any logic– would give pause to anyone looking to see if there is a problem.

Interestingly, a total LACK of action, just staring off into space and not moving for long periods (without depression or drug use being a factor) is also an indicator. Generally, it is assumed that thoughts are so mixed up that no decision as to what to do next can be made and so the victim gets stuck in time and space, unable to move forward.

5. To be schizophrenic, you must display apathy (lack of concern) and/or a blank or flat emotional tone.

~ Strange as it may seem, much of crazy behavior is just– a lack of actual ‘life’ in one’s face and ‘affect’ or expression. One’s voice may be a monotone, and they may be almost robotic in some ways. From what I understand, this is not the case all the time, but it is an ongoing and regular problem without medication. (Although some meds cause a lack of affect as well…)

If you are in doubt as to your mental state, please do have a mental health evaluation!

Here is another resource to consider:
www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-disorders/schizophrenia-signs-and-symptoms.htm#signs

Generally speaking, If you’re able to work and have successful relationships, communicate effectively, and negotiate reality quite well– you’re probably not schizophrenic. Schizophrenia is a very debilitating mental illness that must be taken seriously and handled with compassion. If you realize that in fact you are “crazy” and not actually an abductee, it is not your fault and you deserve help and kindness, not censure. We are all just trying to figure out our worlds, and whether the world of weird hits you from the outside, or you create it from the inside– no one should be ridiculed or shunned. At Spiral’s End: What’s Left After the Paradigm Shatters is the personal paranormal blog of a woman that follows not only current odd events in her life, but recounts incidents from her past, including lifelong alien abductions, encounters with ghosts and other spiritual beings, and premonitions from either waking visions or dreams. She reacts and speculates about the deeper meaning behind these incidents and wonders– what is the ultimate reality or intelligence behind it all?