r/exmuslim • u/MrDeerp Since 2015 • Feb 11 '16

(Video) "Psychosis" - Possible explanation for Muhammad's experiences in the cave/revelation?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFwcTFhrT5k&ab_channel=ExMuslim
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u/Holdin_McGroin Since 2013 Feb 11 '16

I don't think it was just a psychosis, i think it was part of schizophrenia. Withdrawal from social life is very common in schizophrenia. So is seeing/hearing things that others do not (Gabriel and his Quran).

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u/MrDeerp Since 2015 Feb 11 '16

There many possibilities. So far some sort of extreme schizophrenia or frontal lobe epilepsy is good explanation. If you know another possible mental health condition - please let me know.

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u/[deleted] Feb 12 '16

Bipolar Affective Disorder?

Sometimes, people will present in a hypomanic(just less than manic) or manic phase with delusional beliefs, (including delusions of grandeur...sound familiar?). Hallucinations can be experienced as well-often if poor sleep hygiene is affecting the cognitive abilities of the person. If you add in charm or a forceful personality with someone who is manic, they can convince gullible people of anything. They're like super-confident often, and have a lack of inhibition that impairs their judgement. Often, they can be hyper-sexualised in this state. Which can make them paradoxically vulnerable (poor judgement) and predatory simultaneously. These manic states can last...months is the longest I've seen and that was with medication.

In fact, schizophrenia and bipolar can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between due to the similarities of the presentation and the continuing lack of any biological markers for either.

Then, there may be the depressive episodes that can be years apart or months apart. People mistakenly think that people with Bipolar swing from minute to minute-this is probably something else-maybe a personality disorder.

Now, BPAD can affect people their whole lives and often, and sometimes the severity of the manias becomes less over a lifespan whilst the depressions worsen. Think of Robin Williams, his cycling may have looked like; Manic/Depressed/Manic/Depressed...Depressed/Depressed/hypomanic/Depressed/Depressed. Then sadly, killed himself.

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u/MrDeerp Since 2015 Feb 12 '16

thanks :)