By my standards, conventional people are quite dull. I have met women diagnosed with schizophrenia who were far more engaging over coffee; though they may not fit the traditional social mold of marriage or motherhood, they are both artists with compelling work and a unique way of navigating human connections—even if their perception of reality is shaped by different cinematic or personal beliefs.
My own experiences with them have been entirely positive.
This diagnosis exists on a spectrum and manifests differently in every individual.
Has anyone here ever taken that mosaic assessment? It looks like a wooden tray filled with various little plastic shapes sorted by color. Basically, every color you can imagine is in there. The task is simply to pick pieces and arrange them however you see fit.
I chose all the sharp triangular pieces and arranged them in a colorful pattern. When the psychologist asked me what I was trying to create, I just told her I had no idea. 😛
On another note, I recently bought one of those adult anti-stress coloring books, and I’ve noticed I tend to color randomly without any real logic. One minute it’s purple, then orange, then blue and green. What could that possibly mean?
@goldentip how are you holding up socially these days? How do you spend your downtime?
I went through a psychotic episode that dragged on for nearly two years. Looking back, if I had actually sought psychiatric help at the time, would I have ended up with schizophrenia? Back then, I’d keep my phone powered off because I was convinced it was being tapped. I was terrified of walking outside at night, constantly spinning around thinking someone was following me. To make matters worse, some creep actually *was* stalking me and my friend, which just poured gasoline on the fire of my paranoia. I was certain my coworkers were enemies spying on my every word.😵 Once, during a meeting at the office, I suddenly blurted something out. Everyone turned to look at me with pale faces, and I just burst out laughing—honestly, I had no idea what I’d even said. It was as if my mouth moved faster than my brain could process a sentence. It happened again, too. I just told them, "Sorry, I'm tripping over my words," though I truly hadn't a clue what had come out of my mouth.🤔 My focus at university was nonexistent. Then, about six months later, my colleagues ran into me and started recounting these hilarious things I’d said—things I didn't remember saying at all, despite usually being the life of the party. I was also plagued by dreams where a hand tried to pull me toward a mirror; I’d fight it and turn toward my mother, who would say in the dream, "What hand? You have schizophrenia." Just another dream centered on that diagnosis. It wasn't until I finally read about schizophrenia that I realized the phone-switching and the stalking paranoia (which my friend had fueled, and I had fully believed!) were classic symptoms. I looked at my friend, who was staring at me blankly, and said, "Wait, this is schizophrenia, isn't it?" Is it possible for one person to influence another's consciousness? To convince someone else to adopt their psychotic delusions? My friend, who was sane throughout this, just stared at me, white as a sheet, unable to comprehend my talk of dream intrusion and loss of control.😵 @goldentip I feel the same way because I was dealing with massive stress and paranoia at the time. But I suppose there's no use crying over spilled milk. How can you ever be sure it won't happen again? Oh, and during that period, I suffered from constant nightmares, lucid dreams, and visions of demons. I was terrified to sleep.
Why shouldn't you overdo it with ginger tea? It’s much like taking too many aspirin; even natural remedies have their limits if you push them too far.
You can grate ginger into lemonade, but as Harold Anderson3 pointed out, you shouldn't overdo it because the flavor is intense. Is it actually harmful to consume large quantities?
Joseph Kim said:I'm not in Tech. But honestly, everything bores me pretty quickly—though, I suppose I wouldn't get bored if I were doing something I actually loved. A "dream job," if you will—but that's a different conversation entirely. You have to take the opportunities presented to you; that's the only way to actually move forward. If I spend my whole life dodging responsibility just to avoid boredom, I'll end up absolutely nowhere.
Two jobs? Please. I can barely handle the stress I have now—adding more would give me a legitimate reason to check out early.
What are your passions? What did you envision for yourself before high school, and what path did you originally aim to follow?
Andrew Doyle said:In a basement? Are you talking about that clinic over by Firule?
Was that through LOM?
Anyway, please let us know what the report actually says... 🙂
Yes, at a local psychologist's office. What does LOM stand for? I’ll definitely go see the results and treat myself to lunch downtown.🤣 I am quite curious about her findings.
Andrew Doyle said:Or maybe they're just lost in the woods? (They always end up there eventually😁)
What I really want to know is: who actually sent you to take these tests, and what on earth was the motivation behind it? Where did you even go to get them done—was it through a private clinic or some hospital system? Since you're from a place like Chicago, I’m particularly curious about that, because frankly, despite my own extensive "pilgrimages" to all sorts of psychiatrists and therapists, not a single one of them has ever suggested this specific kind of testing. Mind you, most of my consultations have been with private practitioners.
I decided to do it myself. :teeth: First, I went to see a psychologist in a basement office, armed with the wrong referral from my doctor, naturally. 😛 After sitting through an hour and a half of tension, she decided we’d need to run the personality test a second time. This time, I made sure I had the correct paperwork.
I completed three different tests, plus some pattern matching and cross-referencing...
Perhaps those three weren't enough for her to get a clear picture. So, more were needed. She immediately referred me to a psychiatrist to get on their list, noting visible signs of anxiety. The results should be ready today, so I'll know then.
Brandon Newman95 said:Wartegg, B-R, I forget the exact name but I think it's meant to see if things look organic or if there's some psychological basis or even some kind of impairment involved.
It isn't Wartegg...
So, I wasn't supposed to complete drawings; I just had to cross them out. These were the symbols:
<___________> (plus an upper line, and it looked larger)
¤¤¤¤¤ ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ¤¤¤¤ (these were circles, right?)
Then there was a drawing of two intersecting wavy lines.
Also, a circle placed directly next to a square.
And I think a square combined with a wavy line.
The test started with the letter B.
@Matthew Castillo5 That mosaic part and the crossing out caught me off guard. I expected three standard multiple-choice tests.
She didn't ask anything else. She only asked what the mosaic was. I told her: Unknown. Then she asked if those pieces were all part of the same image—referring to the scattered mosaic elements. I said they were.
The Mosaic projective technique involves a psychologist placing a wooden box filled with colored plastic pieces—black, white, gray, brown, red, green, blue, and yellow—in front of the subject. Each color comes in a different shape, such as squares, triangles, or circles. How can one actually derive any meaningful insight from this method? For instance, when I looked at the colors, my mind began visualizing them bleeding into one another—a rather schizophrenic mental image. Once I started assembling them, I used the bright colors to create a pattern that lacked any coherent logic. It was just a sequence of individual elements scattered about. It looked utterly nonsensical. Just a chaotic splash of color without purpose. I utilized triangles and elongated squares. Then, I tucked some small cubes into the upper left corner.
Following that, I was given a second task. To cross out circles on a blank sheet of paper. Essentially, no sketching allowed; you simply strike them through.
Elizabeth Rodriguez34 said:When you reach the desk at the gastroenterology department, they’ll likely try to schedule an appointment first. Don't let them. The first available slot is usually six to ten months out. Tell them it's urgent because you have bleeding and need to be seen in the clinic by a specialist today. Honestly, you might just sit there for a few hours waiting for the scheduled patients to finish, but it's worth it... If they try to send you to the standard ER, tell them you've already been treated and they were the ones who referred you back to GI... Even if the bleeding isn't heavy right now, emphasize that it is just to ensure they see you immediately. Don't wait until it becomes a crisis again... Doctors generally advise through the media that people should seek a checkup as soon as they notice blood in their stool—not necessarily because of hemorrhoids, but as a preventative measure against colon cancer (though most of the time it’s just inflammation or something else)
I was thinking about going privately. To get a rectoscopy done.
I don't have the energy to be driven back and forth all day :/
Elizabeth Rodriguez34 said:You can go to the ER without a referral; rectal bleeding is considered an emergency, especially when the cause is a mystery. If there isn't a gastroenterologist on call at the ER, they'll pull one from their department. Because of the bleeding, that specialist might fast-track your tests, potentially even scheduling you for the next morning. That’s exactly how I discovered my UC. I went to the ER, and after talking to the GI doctor, he called me back to the department the very next day for a colonoscopy. I had to spend the first day doing the prep.
Thanks. They couldn't see my intestines on the abdominal ultrasound because they were full of gas, even though I hadn't eaten anything since the day before or that morning. On the same day you gave me that advice, I headed to the ER. That morning, I had some minor bleeding. The doctor performed a physical exam and told me there were no external or internal hemorrhoids.
If this happens again, I'll head straight to the gastroenterologist. My digestion has been fine all along. No signs of blood. Then today, I go to the bathroom, and there's blood again.😵 My bowel movements are regular, I eat healthy, and there's no pain or burning—just that dull ache in my lower back that comes and goes now and then.
Jose Ward4 said:Honestly, I think you’re under an incredible amount of stress. At least, that’s how it seemed back when you were working in politics. You just can't stomach it—whether you realize it or not—and that’s exactly how people break. Their mental health just goes out the window because of the sheer weight of the responsibilities and those high-pressure situations that nobody is built to handle indefinitely. I have a buddy who actually started losing his hair after a few years working in investment banking. The guy was pulling in $150,000 a year, sure, but his mental state was completely shot. In my view, you aren't "sick" per se, and it’s hard to even wrap my head around what you're saying; rather, you're just putting way too much pressure on yourself and setting impossibly high expectations. You need to dial it back, seriously. What you said about feeling like you could just throw yourself onto the concrete while waiting for the bus? That is a massive red flag. It’s your mind screaming at you that you need a serious break. You need to get out into nature, maybe somewhere quiet with some flowers and fresh air, and take a good few months to just... recover. Because if you don't, you're going to snap. I don't think you'll do anything drastic, but you'll end up physically ill. When mental health hits a chronic level, the body starts paying the price physically, too. So please, slow down. Do something kind for yourself.
Elizabeth Rodriguez34 said:Your doctor isn't thinking straight... you need to find a new one immediately before things get serious. She might try to tell you it’s just the flu. Actually, you can bleed so much from hemorrhoids that it's hard to wrap your head around... more than a few ounces a day. That’s what my gastroenterologist told me last year when I went in for bleeding, thinking it was colitis, only for the colonoscopy to show everything was fine except for the hemorrhoids causing the issue. When I bleed, I can't pinpoint the exact cause, but nothing helps besides prescription enemas that seem designed to help the tissue heal.
Thanks to everyone here for the advice.
I'm heading in for an abdominal ultrasound (not pregnant). What other tests should I get done? I have a surgical consultation scheduled at the hospital, but it's three weeks out...
Should I start with a rectoscopy?
Regarding the bleeding... seeing it was a shock. I looked down and saw blood in the bowl after going to the bathroom.
😢( I'm debating whether to go to the ER so they can examine me right away.
Michael Diaz4 said:Go see a doctor. I don't want to scare you, but hemorrhoids don't usually cause lower back pain—at least not in my experience, and believe me, I've been through hell. It might not be anything serious, but it’s best to have a specialist take a look. Good luck, and let us know how it goes...
Thanks, I will.
My primary care physician is driving me insane. She keeps insisting it's just hemorrhoids and that the lower back pain is due to being overweight. But to me, the bleeding and the pain feel connected.
I practically had to beg for a referral. And she won't even prescribe anything for the hemorrhoids. If she doesn't want to work anymore, she should just retire already. Damn it.
John Baker47 said:You have two options. The smaller box costs $123, while the larger one is $199. Most people find relief with the smaller one. As I recall, that smaller box cleared up my hemorrhoids entirely. It might look pricey, but compared to the total spent on various creams and the sheer stress involved, the cost of Advil is negligible. It’s been years now, and they haven't returned once.
Thanks so much!!! If you don't mind me asking, how did you determine it was hemorrhoids? I've got this dull ache in my lower back. My stomach isn't bothering me at all. There's bright red blood. There's no actual pain there (aside from the lower back ache). I'm regular with my bathroom trips. The bleeding isn't constant. It happens about once a month or once every two weeks, lasting for a day or two.