Posts by Drew Lee3

A close friend of mine was recently diagnosed with schizophrenia. He’s on some kind of long-acting medication—you know, the stuff you take once every few months—but honestly? It feels like it’s making things worse. His negative traits are just spiraling, becoming more intense by the day, and I’ve reached a point where I simply can't carry him anymore. Beyond the standard symptoms, he’s become a pathological liar who loves to exaggerate everything. In his own words, he actually enjoys messing with people and driving them crazy with these elaborate, fake stories. He’s completely obsessed with other people's business, constantly projecting his own issues onto everyone else and accusing others of doing exactly what he’s doing. I’ve realized I’m getting sucked into all that drama too, and as much as I desperately want him to get better, I just can't do it anymore. I don't *want* to help. People are starting to distance themselves from him, and frankly, I see why.
Does anyone else here have a friend or family member living with schizophrenia? How on earth do you deal with them?
I really did have the best intentions, but I'm failing, and sometimes... I'll be honest, I'm actually afraid of him.
When he isn't in one of these episodes, he’s actually a brilliant guy. He’s perceptive, easy to talk to, and an incredibly talented artist. But these phases are happening more frequently now, and his good qualities are being drowned out by the chaos.

I’m leaning all the way in—flaws, virtues, and everything in between. 🙂 Let’s be honest, we all carry that second side within us.

Larry Campbell said:Thanks. I'm facing those fears every single day, and I truly believe I'll pull through again once I finally land this new job.😉

Oh, I'm absolutely certain you do! 🙂

Hey there.
Work anxiety isn't really my battle, but I dealt with a nightmare version of it back in high school—which, let's be honest, is basically just a mini version of a workplace anyway. Since I didn't realize at the time that an anxiety disorder actually existed, I was just totally baffled by my own reactions. I honestly thought those feelings were just... me? Like, they were just a core part of my personality, so why would I even bother looking for help or putting a name to it? Meanwhile, the other kids just labeled me as antisocial. If I couldn't even make sense of myself, how on earth were they supposed to? I didn't have a single friend at school; I spent every single break just hovering by myself. I had a social life outside of campus, sure, but at my primary "job site" where I spent most of my hours, I was a total loner. And the teachers? They weren't exactly empathetic or understanding, not even the psychology teacher.
The silver lining is that I finally grew out of that miserable phase. I guess I just toughened up along the way.
At least you’re self-aware enough to recognize what's happening. My advice? Bite the bullet and face whatever it is you're afraid of head-on. Exposure is the best kind of therapy.

casualcanyon3 said:From what I gathered, the crowd split roughly down the middle. Toward the conclusion, someone actually forced a gun into her hand and attempted to pull the trigger by pressing down on her finger, essentially trying to make her shoot herself. Someone else in the crowd managed to wrestle the weapon away, which then triggered a full-blown brawl between those attempting to protect her and those who were actively harming her.

I find it hard to believe that this performance can be compared to those extreme social situations that attract particular sociopaths, primarily because art events are generally attended by people who exist within those specific cultural circles; it’s highly unlikely that, say, a dockworker from the local shipyard would just wander into a performance piece like this. 😁 It’s just far more probable that they wouldn't even be following such happenings in the first place.
And frankly, I have no idea whether the attendees knew exactly what they were walking into before the performance began.

So, fifty-fifty. That’s interesting. I guess that means we can't just write off human nature as being purely evil and twisted. But seriously, the whole thing sounds surreal—someone pointing a gun at her in public, forcing her finger onto the trigger to try and make her pull it? And then the "good guys" and "bad guys" start brawling because one side wants to keep causing pain while the other wants to stop it? All of this happening out in the open in broad daylight? It sounds wild. I'm not saying it didn't happen, but at first glance, it just feels... well, as I said, unbelievable.
Today was my first time hearing about this specific experiment, though I've read about her before.

Oh, and regarding the Milgram experiment, I read somewhere that about half of the people playing the researcher role dropped out entirely. And many of those who stuck it out didn't look like they were having any fun at all; some of them were visibly shrinking back into their chairs. Plus, let's not forget that a good chunk of the participants might have realized the "student" was just an actor and that they weren't actually delivering real electric shocks...
I definitely wouldn't jump to conclusions about human nature that easily.

I’ve never really bought into this idea that humans are inherently sadistic. I don't walk around feeling an instinctive dread of my surroundings, and honestly, I’ve never once felt that creeping sense of insecurity or fear—not even when walking home alone in the dead of night. If there were actual reasons to be terrified, I’m pretty sure that over the years, I would have picked up on something in the words or actions of the people around me that signaled I should be on high alert. But I haven't. Maybe once or twice, I've caught a vibe from someone that they just lacked empathy, or that they got a little too much of a kick out of being cruel. But compared to everyone else I know? It’s negligible. Though, I do notice that certain parts of the world seem "denser" with these cold, unfeeling, sociopathic types who thrive on antisocial mob mentalities. Why is that? Is it because certain environments tolerate deviant behavior more easily, is it purely genetic, or is it something else entirely? Who knows, I’m hardly an expert.

Also, seeing how a few individuals acted toward the end of the "performance" doesn't actually prove anything. That whole setup might have just attracted the wrong crowd; extreme social experiments often act like magnets for sociopaths and psychopaths. I really feel like I need a more detailed breakdown of this study. Was there a massive surge where almost everyone turned on her, or was it just a handful of outliers—like 10 out of 100? There’s just too little information to go on...