At my last writing, we were in the early stages of discovery with “Toasty”. We have now concluded that Toasty is the most complex we weasel we have discovered. His belief in the “un-reality warp” he has created for himself has lead to mass instances of delusion (false ideas that do not respond to reasoned argument).

  His unwavering beliefs have carried him into a schizophrenic psychosis. Schizophrenia is a general term for a group of psychotic illnesses characterized by disturbances in thinking, emotional reaction, and behavior. Schizophrenia is sometimes referred to as “split personality” because the sufferer’s thoughts and feelings do not relate to each other in a logical fashion.

  Schizophrenia may begin insidiously, with the individual becoming slowly more withdrawn and introverted. In previous years, it had gone unnoticed with Toasty, but it became apparent recently that Toasty suffers from delusions and massive hallucinations (a sensory experience in the absence of an external stimulus).

  Delusions may take a variety of forms, ranging from single ideas, such as Toasty’s belief that he was the owner of a computer store and ISP, to elaborate delusional systems in which special significance is attached to everyday objects or events like Toasty’s unusual need for securing his company computer with daily password changes and numerous backups of irrelevant information.

  Hallucinations frequently are experienced as voices that comment on behavior or thoughts, and in Toasty’s case resulted in the form of conversations in which he was given authority over everyone and everything concerning the store he worked at. These “voices” told him he was to secure all information concerning the business and keep it safe from all others, including the true owner. This type of auditory third person hallucination occurs exclusively in schizophrenia.

  As with most schizophrenics, Toasty suffers from a variety of thought disorders, which impair his concentration and clear thinking. This was clearly exhibited in his inability to follow simple directions and his total lack of communication within the work environment. Toasty felt his actions were being blocked by the insubordination of others around him.

  Toasty’s disordered thinking is also reflected in his muddled and disjointed speech. Disturbance of association results in the schizophrenic jumping between subjects that are seemingly unrelated. Toasty’s inability to think in abstractions lead to bizarre responses to questions. An example of this was seem when Toasty was asked why he came back to the business he was dismissed from to take a company computer, his response was it was his company and therefore his right to have the computer.

  This severe mental disorder has caused Toasty to lose contact with reality. And the psychotic illness has so disturbed Toasty’s ability to think, perceive, and judge clearly that he does not realize he is sick at all.

  Antipsychotic drugs are often very effective in controlling the symptoms and making the patient more susceptible to psychotherapy. Toasty’s treatment may need to be long-term.

  I will keep you posted of Toasty’s progress in the coming year.