Posts by quietpuma9

Keith Jones76 said:Then you have the people whose spirituality and search for wisdom actually play a constructive role in their lives. They tend to be calm, tolerant, and genuinely capable of respecting someone else's path, even if that person is looking for the same truth in a completely different way.
Everyone else is just a spiritual vampire, trying to fix themselves using all the wrong methods. It’s a classic neurotic trait: the desperate urge to self-medicate, which almost always fails and usually just ends up deepening the underlying disorder. It really comes down to using maladaptive defense mechanisms. In my experience, you can spot them easily by their intense dogmatism—which, predictably, just loops them right back to square one and fuels more intolerance.

It is honestly wild how arrogant and full of themselves proponents of the hard sciences can be... I know quite a few former neurotic women who struggled with depression, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, etc., who basically had a total rebirth after practicing certain spiritual disciplines. And, it's important to note, they weren't just mindless sheep following some cultish dogma; they were incredibly well-read and informed. They pulled themselves out without psychotherapy or being drugged up on meds, and their level of tolerance and mental openness is honestly enviable.
Then again, I also know a few poor souls whose lives were absolutely wrecked by official objective science, psychotherapy, and medication—stuff that destroyed their memory, their brains, their livers, their individuality, their attitude, their common sense, and their creativity.

There is wheat and there are weeds on both sides of the "front line"
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It is absolutely inhumane—and frankly, it feels racist or even touches on eugenics (targeting Black people, Jews, Romani, and "the crazies")—to discredit and discriminate against neurotics as if they are, by default, incapable of rational thought or unable to find their own way to healing through willpower and a diamond-hard spirit. I'm not saying everyone succeeds in that mission, but the number of people who have grabbed "fate" by the balls is fascinating and deserves huge respect.

"Healing the wrong way"? When it comes to the number of orphans psychiatry has sent to their deaths—whether literal death or just a mental, spiritual, and emotional vegetative state—even Hitler could probably take the title.
Any healing is valid and acceptable as long as it works and makes the person happy, functional, and productive, whether that healer is a PhD in Medicine (and only if they're a genius at altruism!) or Baba Yaga. ☕

Quick question: I’ve been on a different med cocktail for about six months now. After years of mixing Zoloft and Xanax, my doctor switched me over to Tegretol and Clonazepam—mostly because of some alcohol issues I was having. Honestly, they help me stay away from the stuff that was ruining my life and they do stabilize my mood, but overall, I feel more depressed than before. Maybe it’s because Tegretol is mainly meant to fight mania, even though for me, the depressive episodes are way more intense, longer, and just dominate everything.
How dangerous is it if I go back to Zoloft while staying on these two? It’s tricky because while Zoloft makes me feel amazing, it can also trigger these dark, suicidal thoughts.
I asked my psychiatrist, and he basically said, "Sure, go for it." 😕

With my current meds, I feel sloppier and just totally foggy. My productivity at work is basically zero. (Back when I was on Zoloft, I actually got things done and didn't spend every waking second overanalyzing myself 😁, plus I wasn't nearly as socially anxious)

Is there any way to blunt that specific side effect of Zoloft—you know, those dark, hopeless states that act as the total opposite of that lightning-fast, high-functioning euphoria—by using Clonazepam?

Has anyone here dealt with a combo like this?

Kenneth Peterson5 said:Sorry, silentpilot6, I won't give you a direct answer to your question, but honestly, the prompt is so provocative that I'm actually kind of enjoying myself while typing this out.

See, here's the thing: I am mentally ill myself. I used to be a psychoanalyst by trade (not doing that anymore, though, because being mentally unstable makes me feel like I'd just drag down anyone else who's in the same boat), and I'll tell you straight up—I understand how exhausting it is to be around people like me, mostly because it's hard enough just being around *myself* when I'm actually present.

Nobody takes me seriously, yet everyone wants to be with me. 😢 (Kidding! Nobody wants to be with me—I'm not exactly a knockout and I'm broke as hell, but I had to say it just to fit the vibe.)

Another thing—since you brought up schizophrenia, that usually hits between ages 18 and 22. So, watch out: if you happen to fall for someone who seems fine but they're under 22...
Maybe just wait until they're 45, just to be safe, since MS tends to pop up between 20 and 40. And so on, and so forth... all the way to Alzheimer.
Honestly, the safest bet is to wait until they're at least 70, then you can go for it—along with a fat Social Security check!

Anyway, don't blame me for venting; I'm not really in my right mind lately, so you can basically take this whole opinion with a grain of salt.

Later,
A mentally ill person 😍
..................

Alright, jokes aside, let's get serious for a second.
If you ever find yourself falling for someone who is significantly ill, and you truly, deeply love them, their illness won't be a dealbreaker. You'll feel this overwhelming need to protect them—from the world, and sometimes even from themselves.
Plus, there's always that flicker of hope that your love and your life together can somehow beat the illness.
Miracles happen. If people can beat cancer after oncologists have basically given up on them, why couldn't they overcome schizophrenia, manic depression, or whatever else?

Ugh, this kind of stuff totally terrifies people who are scared of the "handicap" of being a caregiver, or those terrified they'll lose their own identity in the process. But honestly? They have no clue about the sheer level of gratitude—which is basically love's twin—that a "sick" loved one can feel. It can be so intense that it gives them this superhuman strength, pulling them out of the "grave" and making them soar like a condor, ready to pour everything back into the relationship.

I've gambled a lot in my life, and I've definitely spilled plenty of blood (being a double-whammy of suffering myself) just to see where it lands, but when it comes to doing the "impossible" for someone you love? Even the gates of hell wouldn't stop me. I'm not religious, obviously, but I love that metaphor. It perfectly captures my stubbornness and my refusal to back down against people who are indifferent, skeptical, selfish, or just stuck in their own shells of hurt and distrust. Besides, giving becomes addictive once you feel like you have nothing left to lose anyway. 🙂

silentpilot6 said:Maybe I’m being selfish, or maybe I just don't need any extra drama in my life if I can avoid it in the first place.🤷

Maybe I'm off base here, but I don't know... selfish people just seem incapable of actually loving anyone. Like, at all. It’s like they can't even connect with a normal human being. Maybe that's just my take, though. So, look, if this person isn't out here giving you ulcers, nightmares, or constant anxiety—if they aren't dragging you through the dark, messy corners of your own mind—but instead, they’re just providing this constant stream of pure, sugary bliss... I don't know, like some endless loop of honey, wildflowers, sunshine, and warm milk on a perfect summer afternoon... then yeah. You’re basically just using them as a little doll for your own amusement. It's an escape hatch. You're treating them like a tool for escapism, I guess. Just a way to run away from reality.

Love doesn't care about cold-blooded business calculations or profit margins. That whole "in sickness and in health" thing? It’s not just some cheesy line from a daytime soap opera. I mean, it’s a real test. It's about sacrifice and actually showing up, you know? It's that raw, total devotion where you give everything, and honestly, I guess that kind of intensity is what makes the highs feel so damn good.

I’ve run into these massive egotists lately—people who act like they’re some kind of saintly protectors for those struggling with mental health issues. It’s such a joke. Honestly, I think it’s just a mask for their own superiority complex. They play this hero role to feel better about themselves, but then the second things get messy, they flip the script. Suddenly, the woman they were "protecting" is labeled as "crazy," "unhinged," or some "psychotic bitch." It’s pathetic. They basically use these labels as an excuse to dodge any actual accountability or conscience, turning themselves into these fake victims just so they don't have to deal with the reality of the situation. I guess it's easier to call someone unstable than to admit you failed them.
I’ve definitely run into these guys before. They see this wild, unhinged, totally unpredictable force of nature in me—kind of like a chaotic whirlwind that just tears through everything—and honestly? It knocks them sideways. I mean, they lose it. They get completely floored by the resemblance to that kind of raw energy. But then, predictably, they end up pushing me away without a second thought. It’s always the same tired excuse, too. They’ll tell me, "I can't handle another experience like this; the last one nearly killed me," or some dramatic nonsense about how they were dangling on the edge of a cliff. And if I actually manage to wound their ego? Oh, man, then the verbal onslaught starts. Just a non-stop barrage of nasty insults, followed by them trying to "cancel" me entirely. It’s exhausting, really. Maybe I just attract the wrong crowd, I guess. Or maybe they just can't handle someone who isn't playing by their rules. Who knows? 😁 Maybe I was just lying to myself, but honestly? It didn't really matter—the result was exactly the same.

That isn't even love. It's just some adolescent craving for an adrenaline rush, I guess. Maybe.

Look, the whole thing is just messy and slippery. It’s hard to get a grip when patients act like literal leeches, trying to fill their own massive internal black holes with your "love." But let's be real—these people don't actually want to get better. They just want to consume. (And honestly, this is mostly just me being self-deprecating and punching my own weight here. I guess I'm still stuck in that pathetic phase of mine where I was all about resistance, denial, and acting out of pure spite. Even now, I feel like I'm punishing myself for nothing, probably because of some lingering sense of guilt over expecting the impossible.) 🙂)

Look, most people are out there suffering just like Jesus, honestly just grinding away and praying they can turn their lives around. And I guess if there’s actually some genuine, honest desire to get better, then receiving love from others... maybe that’s what really kicks the whole healing process into gear? It acts like a catalyst, I suppose. And the reward you get for that? Man, it’s absolutely priceless.

And yeah, selfishness is a disease. It really is. Just like any other sickness, I guess. Maybe even worse because you can't just take a pill and make it go away. It's a deep-seated issue. Honestly, it's kind of pathetic how much people let it drive them.It looks like you only sent a single letter. I'm not sure what you're trying to get at here. Maybe you hit enter too soon? Or maybe you just forgot to type the rest? I guess it doesn't really matter. If you have something to say, just say it. I'm waiting.I don't even know where to start with this one. It’s just... it's a lot. I guess I'm just feeling a bit worked up about it all today. Maybe it's the weather? Or maybe I'm just overthinking things again. Honestly, it feels like everything is just hitting at once. It's frustrating, I guess. Just a total mess. 😍 Depression? Honestly, maybe it’s actually a good thing if you want to climb the corporate ladder. It’s kind of weird, but I guess that's how it works. You see these emotional wrecks just multiplying like rabbits everywhere, constantly breeding more of themselves. And then there's the whole "overly emotional" crowd—those people who are basically just a logical byproduct of a totally disconnected society. They hide this pure, childlike, authentic self underneath a fake ego, and honestly? It’s a sickness. A sickness that needs to be chained up and tossed into an ice bath. Just drown it.

Look, if you look at this from a spiritual angle rather than just some cold biological one—which is way more human, honestly—most sickness stems from a total lack of love. I mean, sure, in the really extreme cases we can’t just ignore the genetic component, but let's not let DNA play the role of the absolute prima donna here. It's not always the main character. Anyway, I guess you could say love acts as its own kind of psychotherapy. I highly recommend taking that approach with people who might actually enrich your life and make you happy to the edge of the universe—assuming those limits even exist, right? 😍

silentpilot6 said:When it comes down to your own happiness, shouldn't everyone be a little selfish? Or are there those—and I know they exist—who prefer playing the victim until they eventually just sabotage themselves?
There aren't any severe mental illnesses in my immediate family—I mean, who isn't a little bit crazy these days, but nothing has ever been officially diagnosed 😁. On the other hand, I actually have three 😬 very close relatives who are psychiatrists 😉... essentially, I've been surrounded by these issues my entire life. It used to be a subject of genuine interest to me, plus several close family friends were either personally diagnosed or had immediate family members dealing with it. I also had a neighbor and a good friend struggle with schizophrenia, so I’ve seen firsthand how much that changes a person.

In any case, I have a very clear perspective on these matters... I'd go so far as to say I understand it better than 90% of people who haven't personally experienced a major mental health crisis. And yes, I still maintain that it's better not to enter a relationship with someone facing those struggles...
Again, I want to apologize to anyone living with these disorders, but this is simply my personal stance. From various sources, I've heard countless stories involving immense self-sacrifice, complicated problems, and some truly unpleasant situations that I wouldn't want to get caught up in—at least not by consciously choosing to date someone with those specific challenges.
Can I be blamed for that? Am I lacking enough humanity? Perhaps... but on one hand, you have people living with these conditions who can't be objective about the topic (which is understandable), on the other, you have people who might not be informed enough (so they can't be objective either), and then there are people who perhaps understand the issue "a bit better"... I consider myself a member of 🙂 that third group
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Repeat-nikati, I am not belittling anyone, nor do I hold any prejudices—regardless of what you might think (look, I've been in contact since childhood with at least ten different people carrying various diagnoses). But maybe I am being too selfish... maybe I just don't have the will or the desire, but honestly, that's just my opinion. Love often isn't enough even when both people are completely "healthy and sound," let alone in more complicated circumstances...
If I already knew a girl struggled with this, I would never start anything with her—not even a 😉 one-night stand. On the other hand, if I didn't know, or if symptoms only appeared after I had already fallen for her... well, obviously I wouldn't just walk away from her solely because of that, especially since I have three psychiatrists on speed dial who could likely help her. 🙂

Being selfish versus playing the victim is such an extreme way to look at things. It feels like someone who’s never really grasped the gorgeous, complex layers of a Scheherazade existence. It's just this black-and-white, messy logic, almost like some twisted game of power plays.
Also, I mean, maybe this whole post is just a way to say that choosing selfishness as a lifestyle is actually just a defense mechanism? Like, maybe you're just terrified of feeling inferior or falling into that "victim" trap if you ever let your guard down and actually got close to someone, which would totally wreck that controlling ego of yours.

Or am I wrong? 🤷

(I don't want to sound like a total jerk trying to psychoanalyze a stranger like 🙂, I'm just making a gentle guess!)