Posts by David Vaughn75

George Cook said:For me, it lingered for a year and a half.
🕺

It reached a breaking point when the suicidal thoughts became too frequent. That’s when I finally sought help from a therapist and opened up about everything; things have been looking up since then...

Look, it wouldn't have gotten better if it wasn't for that intervention, but let's be real—this acute schizophrenia stuff isn't something you just "fix." It’s a lifelong battle, plain and simple.

George Cook said:That was my reality.
Everything burst like a soap bubble once a certain event hit me.
I sought psychiatric help afterward, though I never actually brought up the psychosis itself.
I focused only on the childhood traumas that surfaced once the bubble finally popped...

Looking back now, I wonder what I was thinking.🙄
Oscar feels as though they just emerged from some cultish trance..

Finally, I am thinking productively about myself—abandoning the delusions of saving the world through self-sacrifice and playing the fool.

Then again, you probably just had some acute little psychotic episode, and those usually just blow over on their own in a couple of weeks.

George Cook said:I went through a phase like that once myself...
I was following politics and conspiracy theories quite closely back then... and one friend of mine essentially brainwashed me.
She insisted everything was being monitored, that people could actually intrude upon my thoughts during dreams...
I actually bought into the idea that it was all possible.

Looking back, it was mostly just adolescent immaturity. I viewed her as an older, wiser authority figure. She always projected such intense confidence.

That whole narrative fell apart when another friend and I started talking about her behind her back.
We realized she was exaggerating everything and that her stories were pure paranoia.
For instance, someone would show up at her workplace, and she’d be convinced they were specifically sent there to target her. She didn't tell us what happened, but she filmed it, claiming it had some deep significance—we watched 🤔

The worst part was how much we absorbed her nonsense. Honestly, I was spiraling right along with her because of her influence.
Ever since that friend and my other sane friend cut ties with her, we've been much more positive.
It feels like we're entirely different people now.

It’s as if she no longer holds any sway over us. In reality, we simply began to think rationally and realized the world isn't the paranoid, dark place she imagined.
Drew Lee3—that former friend was a truly toxic individual.
Her main projection was that every man wanted to be with her.
If I was texting a guy, she’d force herself into the conversation and start rambling about how he had manipulated her or whatever. We’d just sit there thinking 🤔
It's fascinating how easy it is to manipulate someone who is naive or unstable. She managed to convince me, and she certainly wasn't convincing to anyone else! 😵

As for my mother, I suspect she occasionally exaggerates her lethargy. She lacks the drive to maintain a routine... but honestly, I find it hard to believe she is truly that hopeless and depressed.
She actually sabotaged herself with some ill-advised business ventures... so now she's reaping what she sowed. But that's life.

It’s not automatically a psychosis just because you think you're being bugged—I mean, look at some of those high-profile judges in DC screaming about how they're being surveilled.

Real psychosis is when you literally can't stop obsessing over it and it completely wrecks your ability to function in daily life.

Robin Lopez2 said:When it comes to schizophrenia, there is really only one solution: medication.

Sure, meds handle the symptoms—and yeah, you obviously have to take them—but if you ask me, the real cure for any mental struggle is just living a decent, high-quality life.

Honestly, some people are out here living in a total delusion—thinking they're being tracked, wiretapped, or even having their thoughts read. It’s like they genuinely believe they’re some kind of messianic figure or Napoleon Bonaparte, convinced there's this massive conspiracy specifically designed to screw them over.

To me, this just screams chronic depression mixed with some serious personality disorder stuff.

Larry Lewis I can't even begin to tell you how much I hate seeing this kind of nonsense pop up on my feed—it’s like everyone suddenly decided to lose their minds at once. Honestly, I’ve been around long enough to see these trends come and go, but this one? It’s just exhausting. You see people acting like they’ve discovered some groundbreaking truth when, in reality, they’re just recycling the same tired tropes we’ve been hearing since the nineties. It makes me want to throw my phone into the nearest Hudson River and just walk away from the whole mess. Anyway, here's what that guy was rambling about:
Now you’re really losing me—how on earth are you calling my suggestion "dirty play"? Give me a break.
It’s just gonna be way easier to get that poor woman admitted to the hospital if they play it this way—just a quick, painless way to get her through the door and processed.

Look, if you play it that way, all you're doing is basically poking the bear—you’re just gonna end up making her absolutely livid at you instead of actually focusing on getting her the help she needs. It’s counterproductive as hell.

Man, you wouldn't believe the absolute circus going on in my neighborhood right now—just constant chaos, sirens blaring everywhere, and people acting like total maniacs. It’s getting ridiculous; I’ve even had people leaning out of their cars just to hurl insults at anyone walking by. Honestly, the whole vibe is just completely trashed lately.
Passersby... seriously, where do you even live? You're living in Beverly Hills, aren't you, Medo? 😉

Look, proving any of this stuff is a total nightmare—it’s almost impossible to pin down—but psychiatry? Man, that’s a whole different beast. It’s wild how they don't even bother looking for hard evidence; they just walk in there, drop an opinion, and suddenly it's gospel. No receipts, no data, just "this is what I think." It’s honestly kind of insane. 😁

Larry Lewis said:Teddy, you hit the nail on the head with everything you said, but why on earth should they wait for her to actually cause real damage? Instead,
they could just smash an old TV or something similar and call emergency services, claiming
it was her mother who did it. Sorry for quoting you, but since her mom's
psychosis is actively wrecking her brain at this very moment, things are only going to get worse.

I even bolded that part just so it sinks in—because it really is that serious.

But damn, I guess we shouldn't play dirty.

Though, honestly, she doesn't even need to break anything—just making a massive scene would be enough to get flagged for disturbing the peace.

Kyle Rodriguez said:How? There is absolutely no way she'll just go on her own... she refuses to even listen.
I have been pleading with her to go for such a long time now, but she just won't budge. I've tried being gentle about it—trying to reason with her through calm conversation—but that didn't work at all. And when the soft approach failed, things started escalating into shouting matches because, honestly, I just don't know how to handle the whole situation anymore. Everyone in the house has tried sitting her down to explain that nobody wants anything bad to happen to her—we really just want to help—but it’s been completely useless... her response is always the exact same: "You're all just trying to lock me up in a psych ward!" She insists she isn't crazy, and she tells us all that one day, we'll see that she was right about everything.

The second she messes up, call 911. Just do it.
Look, I was exactly where she is—totally closed off to the idea of psychiatric help—but honestly? I’m glad I ended up in the hospital, because that stay is the reason I'm doing okay now. The longer you let a psychosis run wild without treatment, the more it wrecks your brain. Without meds, things don't just "get better" on their own; they spiral. Period.

Don't carry any guilt about helping her get admitted if she fights it. You aren't acting against her, you're acting for her.

Think about it this way—if you have an addict, do you give them heroin just to make them happy in the moment, or do you try to actually save their life?

Man, if you only knew how deep the political rabbit hole goes with this one.

Honestly? This doesn't even touch the surface of what's actually going on in D.C.

Amanda Wood2 said:Hey everyone.

For the last few years, I’ve been dealing with this endless sadness that actually turns into physical pain and health issues.
When I finally get my head on straight, I know I *should* be happy, but this feeling just destroys me.
I grew up in a house with an aggressive father, and I definitely see the fallout from his outbursts. I moved out at 17 and worked my tail off while finishing school—cleaning toilets every morning and waitressing on weekends. I kept grinding through college just to pay my way. By 23, right after graduation, I was just chronically exhausted and totally drained. Then, things seemed to "work out"—I landed this amazing job that required moving back to my hometown. And, like, on paper everything is fine. I'm young, I'm fit, I have money, I built it all myself... but I'm sad. Just endlessly, deeply sad.
I saw a therapist who basically told me I need to figure out what I want from life and just "stop" this feeling.
I used to love pushing my body to the limit, but not anymore... I go 62 miles (literally) and there's zero rush left.
I'm just done. Done with life, people, ambition (theirs), everyone else's expectations, and this total emotional void.
I need help... what do I even do?

Look, I’m not really big on psychology myself—I tend to lean more toward psychiatrists since they feel a bit closer to actual hard science, you know?

I need help... what should I do?

Honestly? You’re feeling empty because you’re looking for fulfillment.

The stuff that used to make you feel whole just doesn't cut it anymore because you've grown up. As you get older, you start seeing the world through a much more realistic lens, and let's face it—that perspective sucks sometimes. The goal now is to work with some pros to find something new that actually resonates with who you are now.
I don't know about you, but back when I was hitting rock bottom, leaning into spirituality and religion really helped pull me through—just throwing that out there as an example. Maybe it’s traveling, maybe it’s getting a dog, I'm just rambling here, but everyone finds their own way to fill that void.

Robin Lopez2 said:Dr. Harold Anderson3, I don't quite get why you're on two different antipsychotics. Wouldn't it make more sense to talk to your psychiatrist about scaling back to the lowest effective dose—just one medication at an optimal level?

Honestly, taking multiple antipsychotics is pretty standard practice—especially with those doctors over at the state mental hospitals in rural areas.

Look, playing amateur psychiatrist is just plain stupid—it’s not like popping a single pill is magically going to make psychosis vanish into thin air. Realistically, if you've got someone on the right treatment plan, they’ll hit remission after a few months of actual work. And honestly? If there isn't any way to get them to the hospital, just call 911 and let the paramedics handle the transport. It's not rocket science.

I'm headed over

Gerald Rivera17 is basically just getting fed a steady diet of media garbage at this point.

When you've got outlets like CNN or Fox News pumping out half-baked nonsense like that, it triggers this massive wave of public hysteria—and honestly, that kind of stuff is incredibly dangerous.

Alright, look, I get it—the mods have handed out plenty of bans, but honestly? They should be handing out 100 points for "Elite Trolling" whenever someone goes full Nazi on us. Seriously. Back when I was hanging out in those religious debate threads, I got flagged for basically nothing—just some absolute nonsense that half the people arguing there were doing every single day. It's a joke.

Alexander Ortiz3 said:On the flip side, maybe the mods should step in and tell us what we're actually allowed to call people who break the law—you know, those folks illegally crossing the border while actively attacking police lines or, God forbid, stabbing an officer with a knife... What kind of labels are we even permitted to use for those types in this discussion?

Do you go around calling your own kids "Americans" instead of using their actual names?

David Richardson67 said:Ever heard the word libel before? You might want to look it up, considering how fast you start throwing labels around at anyone who doesn't agree with you.

Under Section 200 of the US Penal Code, here’s how they define libel:

(1) Anyone who makes or distributes false statements about another person that could damage their reputation or honor shall be punished by a fine of up to fifteen days' wages or imprisonment for up to six months.

(2) Anyone who makes or distributes false statements about another person through print, radio, television, in front of a group, at a public gathering, or any other means that makes the libel accessible to a larger number of people, shall be punished by a fine or imprisonment for up to one year.

(3) If the person facing legal action for libel can prove their statement was true, or shows a justifiable reason why they believed it was true, they won't be punished for libel—though they could still face charges for insult (Section 199) or making false accusations (Section 202).

So, at the very least, the mods should've slapped you with something for calling people "Nazis," but I guess they decided to look the other way.

It’s pretty rich, honestly—you're out here calling me out for hate speech while you're basically using it yourself without getting a single slap on the wrist.

Glad you didn't bring a lawyer along, 🤦

Libel, my ass. 🤦

David Richardson67 said:I'm gonna give it a shot, even though I'm pretty sure that slapping the Nazi label on anyone you disagree with is against both the forum rules and actual American law (if nothing else, it's straight-up harassment/insulting)!

Can you actually point me toward a law like that?

Sarah Doyle54 said:The Sports subforum isn't under the jurisdiction of the Politics mods. If those old-school mods want to weigh in, fine by me—but honestly, I’d much rather we just sit down and hash out that controversial thread over in the Politics section.

So, what's your deal with calling it a "Nazi thread"? You actually think every single post in there is some kind of love letter to a fascist regime? Or are you saying we should just let the xenophobic, racist, and straight-up bigoted trolls run wild while we go after anyone who dares to call them out? Do you really believe that specific thread has spiraled so far into hate and hysteria that it's beyond saving—that we need to just wipe the slate clean and start a brand new one?

Look, closing a thread isn't going to magically turn people into less of a bunch of fascists. Let people read it, let them argue—as long as they aren't breaking actual US laws regarding hate speech—whatever. Personally, I'm just exhausted seeing how deeply that old-school, hateful radicalism still runs through certain people here.😢

I got totally screwed over back in school.

If this isn't straight-up Nazi stuff, then what the hell is? Some kind of dessert? Weeds in a backyard? What even is it?

Sam Alvarez4 said:Easy there, big guy—you're throwing around "Nazi" and "Nazism" way too lightly.

This isn't some Nazi thread.

Then what the hell is it?

One specific group of people is basically erasing the white race just by existing.
So, how exactly would you label that?