Posts by Gary Nguyen45

Rachel Brooks63 said:That’s actually being quite generous considering my initial reaction to that idiot's response—I had to censor myself just to stay civil.

If you ask me, people with that kind of "intellect" deserve to suffer through the worst possible ailments without any relief from modern medicine. Honestly, I'd start by performing surgery on them without any anesthesia at all...

Why bother getting worked up?😉

We keep falling into the trap of trying to debate actual experts...

shadowfalcon33 is arguing about scientific methodology with him, while I'm over here discussing medical history.😂

I am truly wasting my time today.

shadowgardener12 said:To seems perfectly obvious to me,😉

but sure, go ahead and imagine why!

Right, because it’s all just one big conspiracy theory, isn't it? 🙄

If there were even a shred of historical context or actual facts to back this up, I might have something to say.

But as it stands... it's just baseless speculation.

shadowgardener12 said:Ha... I never claimed it always works. But people are turning to alternative medicine more and more these days.

Actually, they aren't turning to it "more and more"🙄.

I think you’re lacking a bit of historical perspective if you're making a claim like that.

There has always—and I mean truly always—been a wide array of various treatments and practitioners existing alongside mainstream medicine (though, naturally, the specific stance and type of mainstream medicine has evolved within society over time).

Homeopathy, naturopathy, and all those theories and methods date back to the late 19th century. They certainly had their chance to establish themselves as part of mainstream medicine, but they didn't. I can only imagine why.

A huge portion of what we call "alternative medicine" today was actually considered mainstream once upon a time. As for this idea of "holism" that shadowgardener12 mentions, that stems from Hippocratic medicine and shares roots with Traditional Chinese Medicine—essentially different versions of "mainstream" approaches. Every so often, popularity spikes, then it dips again. Compared to, say, 1920s Germany, I wouldn't go so far as to say we are witnessing some kind of modern peak.

The reality is that the WHO and similar mainstream organizations became interested in traditional methods primarily to see if any of those techniques could be utilized for populations that lack access to standard medical care altogether.

By the way, shadowgardener12, when you say "abroad," please define what exactly you mean by "abroad." It really grates on me when "abroad" is used as a catch-all term that lumps together places like Zambia and Japan.🙄.

Germany (and I believe Austria as well) requires homeopathic practitioners to graduate from medical school. In the United Kingdom, for instance, it isn't like that—alternative practitioners have their own schools where they learn some anatomy and physiology, and after that, they are perfectly free to open their own practices. Sure, they have their clientele, but they remain marginal players.

Sarah Cruz2 said:That’s just not how it works. Not everyone is driven by the same things; psychologists actually study various types and levels of motivation and even use them to categorize people.

You aren't necessarily right. Not always.

I don't mean to offend you. My take is that there's no reason to fear being (healthy) selfish. The impact your behavior has on those around you will remain the same—you just won't be stuck in a cycle of self-pity or making declarations like, "Look at how much I sacrificed."

But that isn't really the point here, and it has nothing to do with you.

I haven't personally gone through this, but from what I've observed in other situations, I think it's vital to stay as optimistic as possible (and stay extremely well-informed) and maintain a positive outlook. You know better than anyone how much encouragement and support truly matters. It might also be wise to try and settle your parents down a bit, considering she is with them. If they aren't taking you seriously, perhaps there is someone else they would listen to? A doctor? A psychologist? A family member? Or maybe just provide them with some reputable literature to read?

Elizabeth Miller8 said:Most things people do are ultimately driven by self-interest. No matter how much they try to wrap it up in fancy packaging labeled "self-sacrifice," it’s still about them. Once we actually admit that to ourselves, everything becomes a lot clearer.

That’s a sharp observation. 👍
It takes a rare kind of courage to look inward and be that brutally honest about one's own true motives.

neonhawk25 said:Gary Nguyen45, I wouldn't say he struggles with social interaction—at least, I haven't seen any evidence of that. He has plenty of friends, both guys and girls. He isn't aggressive or selfish, though he does have a bit of a macho streak. His only real quirk is that he doesn't exactly bow down to authority, but he knows how to play the game when he needs to, which seems perfectly normal to me. Honestly, if he had major social issues, I doubt he would have even made it through college. What exactly are you getting at here? Are you suggesting these are symptoms of schizophrenia or something else?

Just to clarify my point:
Yes, that’s roughly what I was implying. Since you brought it up, I was curious if you had specific reasons for thinking that beyond just family history. Based on what you've described, it doesn't sound like it.

neonhawk25 said:Gary Nguyen45, I wouldn't say he struggles with social interaction—at least, I haven't seen any signs of that. He has both friends and girlfriends; he isn't aggressive or selfish, even if he does have a bit of a macho streak. His only real issue is that he doesn't exactly bow down to authority, but he can adapt when necessary, which seems perfectly normal to me. Honestly, if he had more significant issues, I doubt he would have even made it through college. Could you clarify what exactly you're getting at here? Are you suggesting these are symptoms of schizophrenia or something else?

Just to give you a quick answer:
Yes, that’s roughly what I was implying. Since you brought it up, I was curious if you had any specific reasons for thinking that beyond just family history. Based on what you wrote, it sounds like you don't.

Anthony Rodriguez58 said:Isn't he just a sociopath?

Where on earth are you getting that from? Let’s not go around throwing clinical diagnoses at people just because it feels right in the moment.

neonhawk25 said:I have noticed he hasn't been heading out much lately or hanging out with friends as often, though I suspect his heavy course load at university might be the culprit. It doesn't seem like he’s losing interest in socializing; at least, he hasn't shown or said anything to suggest that. As for his sleep patterns, I honestly can't say. Between my work schedule and seeing him only a few times a day—usually in the evenings—it's hard to tell. I haven't heard anything about him being up all night, but I could be wrong. Everything else seems standard; he isn't showing signs of fatigue, lack of focus, or memory issues. Even when guests come over, he acts just like himself. Truly, everything feels perfectly fine aside from this one thing, which is exactly why I'm so confused.

Regarding what you mentioned in your first post—that he can be "a bit arrogant," "likes to defy norms," and "enjoys playing with people's emotions"—what is his typical dynamic with friends or partners? Does he cut people off easily if he perceives an insult or a slight? Does he hold others to a specific, perhaps elevated, set of behavioral standards? Do you get the impression he is easily offended or prone to misinterpreting harmless comments in a negative light? Does he seem to genuinely like people in general, outside of your immediate circle? And does he strike you as somewhat egocentric?

neonhawk25 said:I wasn't quite sure if this belonged in Psychology or Health—moderators, feel free to move it if necessary—but I figured I’d get more substantial answers here.

My biggest fear is that this might be the onset of psychosis, especially since it feels like a loss of touch with reality, and we actually have a history of schizophrenia in our family. Is it possible for things to start this way? I know they've been under immense stress lately finishing up their degree at university, which might be a factor, but isn't everyone dealing with that right now? And

Since you brought up psychosis, I'm curious if there's any other reason you're leaning toward that diagnosis besides the unusual behavior toward you and the family medical history. I'm not talking about hallucinations or anything extreme, but rather subtler indicators like:

- social withdrawal/avoiding friends (you mentioned they aren't interested in dating, but how are they with their friends?)
- a general lack of interest in people or social settings
- sleep disturbances—including oversleeping
- issues with concentration or memory
- social awkwardness—misreading body language, which can make them come across as cold or indifferent

Regardless, I completely agree with the previous point: a visit to a psychiatrist is necessary.