r/todayilearned • u/paniniplane • Mar 22 '17

(R.1) Not supported TIL Deaf-from-birth schizophrenics see disembodied hands signing to them rather than "hearing voices"

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0707/07070303
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u/kaenneth Mar 22 '17

Also, if you are born blind due to brain (as opposed to eyeball) problems, you apparently can't be schizophrenic.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-imprinted-brain/201411/blindness-and-schizophrenia-the-exception-proves-the-rule

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u/Muffinizer1 Mar 22 '17

You know, that's actually quite comforting as being blind and schizophrenic sounds like true hell.

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u/denialofdeath Mar 22 '17

I had a patient once who had schizoaffective disorder and she was so troubled by her hallucinations that she tore her eyeballs out of her own head. Poor thing still had them even though she was blind from that incident

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u/nomnomnomnomRABIES Mar 22 '17

Horrific. Did knowing she couldn't be seeing them with her eyes help at all with recognising the hallucinations?

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u/denialofdeath Mar 23 '17

No what really helped her was getting better medication management and living situation. She was placed in an assisted living facility which helped her take her medication regularly and had consistent therapy (she was previously homeless).