Delusions are the worst. (Mini rant)

Try to find a way to laugh about it. I am paranoid that my husband will leave me for someone better. When that becomes a delusion that he actually IS cheating on me, or planning to leave me, we make jokes about how absurd that is until I am able to find it funny.

This doesn't always work, but it can help.

Another option is rationalization. I was convinced that my sister in law was going to stab me in the face. But I talked to my husband about it, and we determined that it could never happen. She is a coward, and more likely to stab me in the back (attempt at humor with a small ring of truth to it) than the face. She lives in another city and wouldn't want to spend the money on gas to come stab me in the face. She loves her kids and wouldn't risk going to jail for stabbing me in the face. She finally got a job (other than "mommy"), and no longer has time to come stab me in the face. It's completely irrational, and I can go over all the reasons why when the idea pushes its way into my head.

Other delusions (belief that I was Loki's daughter, beliefs that other people were/are plotting against me/talking about me/laughing at me/judging me, that I could see ghosts/was psychic, belief that someone is sitting in the tree in front of my house taking pictures, and so many more...) have all been dealt with by one of these two approaches with varying levels of success.

In your case with fire, I would take the rational approach. Consider all of the things that are flammable around you. What, if anything, could possibly cause a fire to start? Are any of those things likely to happen? Is there a way to reduce the likelihood? Do you have a fire extinguisher, and is it in proper working order? Can you reach it quickly?

Each and every delusion that comes along has to be approached individually. Some will be more persistent than others. If you are a religious/spiritual person, it might be especially difficult. But keep at it. Recognizing delusions for what they are goes a long way toward controlling and/or ridding yourself of them.

/r/schizophrenia Thread