Psychiatry diagnosis - Hypnophobia, sleep deprivation, recurring dreams, delusion

[doctor_toc]

Genre: Weird fiction

Setting: UK, present day

Query: I need a clinical psychiatric diagnosis for a person presenting as follows; recurring nightmares of falling causing interrupted sleep, the fear that he isn’t real but might be someone else’s dream, extreme sleep deprivation, night terrors. The individual is terrified of falling asleep, and has

Comments

[carlyinrome]

What strikes me about your description is the delusion. It might make a medical professional label them as schizophrenic. Because they're also not sleeping, bipolar disorder with psychosis is another possible diagnosis.

[velyrhorde]

Have you tried getting a hold of a copy of the DSM? That's the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ... I think they're up to DSM-5 at this point. It's got the clinical language and actual diagnoses and is what psychiatrists use as their manual.

You might also get in touch with some psychiatrists or therapists in your area and ask if you could question them about the project. Most people enjoy sharing their expertise.

[doctor_toc]

I didn’t know about the DSM, but I’ll see about getting hold of a copy. I have tried talking to a psychiatrist about it, but she’s unwilling to help - she thinks my writing is “trivial”. I’ll see who else I can talk to. Thanks for the suggestions!

[doctor_toc]

Hmmm, that’s useful. Thanks!

[verrucaria]

Delusional disorder may fit better than schizophrenia due to lack of negative symptoms.

[verrucaria]

That said, PTSD (those nightmares can be horrid!) and bipolar would need to be ruled out.

[doctor_toc]

Sadly, I know what you mean about PTSD :-(

[doctor_toc]

That was the direction I was leaning in, so it’s reassuring that it’s a plausible diagnosis