Again, I reviewed another psychologist's report on a patient whom I saw today. It suggested schizophrenia. This nice man does not experience psychotic perceptual disturbances, such as hallucinations, has no delusions and speaks coherently. His main problem is discomfort around people, so he withdraws. He doesn't panic around them, but he avoids people whom he doesn't know, which doesn't work well for keeping a job. The exception is that he has managed to marry and have children happily.

What no doctor, psychiatrist or psychologist has asked this unlucky guy is whether he has ever experienced abuse, sexual or otherwise. I always ask. Yes, he has, many times, every kind of abuse imaginable, in foster homes throughout childhood. That trauma is enough to scare anyone off from people, especially strangers. He's not classically showing post-traumatic stress disorder with nightmares all the time (just occasionally) and flashbacks, but he sure is careful, scared, nervous and self-protective around most people. It's a sign of sanity in a way. He's reacting to what he's lived through. He doesn't like telling anyone about his life, so he's never gotten decent help, just the wrong meds. Now, hopefully, he will.