Posts by mistybison

I find myself running into this error message quite frequently. It popped up at least ten times just this evening.

I keep running into this error message quite frequently:

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Is anyone else experiencing similar issues?

Dana Brooks3 said:mistybison, I know it isn't
I didn't think I would react this way or take
Maybe my involvement in this thread just reopened some old wounds... mine, my family's, and those close to me... I've spent so much time dealing with all of it... living through it and feeling it... I feel like crying a little right now, but it's okay... anyway

And perhaps I also slipped back into one of my old mindsets, remembering how frustrating it felt when someone offered advice while I was stuck in a dark tunnel with no light in sight.😉

😘

briskgull27 said:Oh, mistybison, look, just let her be. People dealing with psychosis are just like everyone else—maybe just a little more intense. Don't worry, once I get started on a rant, there's no stopping me.🙂 ☕ ☕ ☕

That sentiment comes partly from seeing our friend go through those lifeless phases during her battle with depression, and partly because I know firsthand what it feels like when you're sinking. In those moments, life coaches can seem quite ridiculous and their advice totally useless. However, it's clear you were referring to something else entirely. 😉

Dana Brooks3 said:Does she even get out of bed?
Does she sit at her computer?
Does she talk to us?
Am I talking to someone who can't even get out of bed?

Have you ever been in a crisis like that?
Do you know how it feels?

I do.

So please, go easy on those universal statements filled with "understanding."😉

To be honest, it provokes me. Sorry. I don't mean to offend.

But I am offended by people making "truths" about things they haven't actually experienced.

I am sorry if I hurt your feelings; that was never my intention. 🙂

Taylor Campbell4 said:You didn't miss anything (!!) — if anything, I think you handled things perfectly and did a great deal of good.

Oh, by the way—I’ve actually thought about pursuing this professionally outside of this forum. There’s clearly a massive demand for it out there. (I’d probably try reaching out to someone) In theory, it would be my main driver—though, in practice, that "engine" would likely break down a dozen times before I even got started, leaving me just scratching my head. Still, I’d love the chance to refine my skills to become truly proficient.
But honestly, I’m starting to feel like I’m just shouting into the void in this specific thread.

We are certainly entitled to share our own perspectives, though we shouldn't offer professional advice since none of us are qualified experts—I don't think there are any psychiatrists on this forum. That said, it's always a pleasure to hang out with briskgull27 and everyone else who stops by.🙂

Dana Brooks3 said:First, I have to say this isn't about willpower as a theory, but rather having enough will just to start.
And honestly, sometimes it's just about forcing yourself to do things to make life better.

Who wants to tell their boss they have schizophrenia?
If you believe in yourself and your ability to do a job, go apply and prove it.
If you feel like you lack certain skills, go back to school or take a course.
If you're low on energy, hit the gym at least three times a week... and even when you don't feel like it, force yourself to go. Go with your husband. Make it an absolute necessity.
Start building discipline through physical training, one small step at a time... you'll see how your spirit gets stronger too. You'll feel stronger.

Let those be your first steps.

I'm afraid that's often far too difficult even for healthy people when they hit a sudden crisis, let alone for those dealing with mental illness. For someone who lacks the strength to live, to get out of bed and simply exist, to eat, or to bathe, this advice sounds like pure science fiction.

briskgull27 said:Honestly, I know exactly where I'm headed.

Imagine finding a doctor in Kenya and then working as a beach waitress in a bikini on those sunny Kenyan shores. Doesn't that sound like quite the adventure?😁

😲 You're killing my dream! 🙂 😁
I'd much rather be on some tropical island, running a beach bar where I could mix cocktails and flirt with handsome tourists all day long. 😍 🤣

Taylor Campbell4 said:I just wanted to weigh in on this, as it's something I noticed in myself years ago and still struggle with today. There's this phenomenon where you unconsciously adopt the exact identity someone close to you—like a parent—has projected onto you, and then you find it nearly impossible to break free from that mold. It's tied to how we shift identities constantly, whether we're at school, home, work, or out in the world. I think Mahatma Gandhi touched on something similar regarding the different layers of ourselves—the person we believe we are, the person others perceive us to be, and then there's that third, true essence. Finding your actual self—being genuinely honest in your thoughts and feelings without those borrowed identities—is such a profound blessing.

But then you find yourself unable to put food on the table or provide for your family, forcing you to work and suck up to all sorts of bosses just to get by. I wonder where you'd actually end up if you lived by the "just be yourself" or "follow your instincts" mantra you see in every commercial. 😁

Oops, we drifted off-topic again. 😲 That terrible ego will be the death of us. 😈 😁

briskgull27 said:I haven’t really spoken up about who I am until now.
Back when I was younger, I was thinner, had more energy, more big dreams, and plenty of friends to hang out with. Even then, I had this gut feeling that a major shift would have to happen sooner or later.
I tried to push through and act like everyone else for as long as I could, but how can you compare yourself to others when they haven't faced the kind of tragedies I have?
Most of them still have their mothers around, too.
How am I supposed to hunt for a great career above $1667 when I'm worried about losing my footing
once word gets out that I struggle with schizophrenia?
I don't even have a specialized degree; I just finished high school.

Let's set aside the sheer intelligence of goranboa for a moment.

Do you know what most people immediately think when they hear someone is "crazy"?

They think: stupid.
Or maybe: brilliant but heartless.
Or even that you're "unstable," just like you mentioned hearing from your godmother.

In the end, you're left with one choice: accept it or give up.

And all those theories about "sheer willpower" are usually sold by people whose lives have been smooth sailing the whole way.

My take is that such individuals are smart and dangerous. 😁
You aren't wrong, briskgull27, but we can't change how society functions. People struggle with anything outside the norm, and most of us (as I've mentioned before) sacrifice bits of our individuality just to fit in. You simply have to find a way to protect yourself within those existing circumstances. 🙂

Quincy:

Those theories about sheer willpower are usually peddled by people who had it easy.

"Willpower" works for mentally healthy people facing life crises who just need a little self-improvement to bounce back. Mental illness is an entirely different matter.
We have a friend who has struggled with depression since she was a teenager (she actually grew up in the foster care system). She has been in treatment her entire life and is now in her 60s. She has a wonderful husband and children who love her. She is also a brilliant architect—an incredibly intelligent and engaging person. However, she is constantly on medication and has been hospitalized several times. During her low periods, she lacks even the strength to get out of bed to wash her face or brush her hair. To speak of "willpower" to such an intelligent, highly educated woman—someone who relies on medication just to stay alive—is not only ridiculous, it is insulting.

Taylor Campbell4 said:To be perfectly honest, I don't think any of us are entirely free from prejudice—not even when we think we are. I won't go into my own biases regarding outtheoftheblue, as that isn't really the point, nor will I swear that there aren't people among us with slightly different minds (and their accompanying diagnoses) who don't participate in these psychological threads quite as candidly—though I am quite observant of it, if not exceptionally so.

If I were prone to a bit of "paranoia"—and since I don't know outtheoftheblue at all, having heard some rather unpleasant things about her (as well as other folks dealing with schizophrenia)—I might actually be afraid to share a room with her at night. 😬 (Well, I mean, theoretically speaking—if certain conditions were met.)$$

Ultimately, it's all there: the stigma. Whether it's someone with long hair, someone who stammers, or whoever else, everyone carries some sort of label because no mind is truly free from forming preconceived notions about others. However, for the person "carrying that stigma," it isn't particularly productive or helpful to constantly analyze how people react to them. One shouldn't dwell on it; rather, one should accept it and realize that the individual is often just as biased toward others as the world is toward them.

What matters much more is how that person views themselves—specifically, trying to adopt a fairer, more balanced perspective toward their own struggles and flaws. That, in turn, inevitably influences everything else, including the environment (which eventually adopts that same attitude from the individual).

Someone might identify with their "stigma" so deeply that they actually refuse to let it go, simply because doing so would require a total overhaul of their world. Sometimes, a stigma serves as a convenient excuse for everything. 😉 😁

It is far more important how that individual views themselves. Attempting to adopt a healthier perspective toward one's own flaws and challenges will naturally influence how others react to them.

Self-acceptance and self-love are the ultimate skills from which everything else flows. 🙂 But let's not get too deep into these waters, or the moderator might delete our posts.

briskgull27 said:Look, you guys clearly don't get it—I could happily eat roasted ants if I had to.
But the real thing is, I’ve got the stamp to prove it!!

It's clear you wouldn't fit in with us here on this forum. 🙂 Honestly, if you hadn't mentioned your schizophrenia in your posts, I doubt anyone would have even suspected it based on how you write. 😉 Now that we know, however, it doesn't change our opinion of you one bit.

briskgull27 said:It’s not like there are strict rules I have to follow. I’m pretty easygoing, so I usually just hash everything out with my doctor over the phone at the local community clinic. They aren't going to lock me up; they don't even have the facilities for it.
But once she heard my voice, she insisted that I come in person.🙂 ☕

Then you have nothing to worry about. 🙂 She simply wants to see you in person.

briskgull27 said:I'm heading over to Queens tomorrow. Hopefully, they won't lock me up.
I'm actually pretty nervous about it.

Is this a mandatory checkup?

Gerald Rivera60 said:A little bit of everything 😬

Have you taken your medication yet? Try to focus and get your head in the game; you have control over your own thoughts.
If you are genuinely struggling, maybe reach out to someone who can actually provide professional support. I’m not equipped for this, nor am I a clinician (and honestly, I’m not much of a counselor anyway).

😘

However, you have a very calming presence. 🙂

(At least your posts certainly feel that way.)

Taylor Campbell4 said:Unless we are talking about telepathy, which is a bit of a tangent. However, telepathy cannot be confused with the auditory hallucinations experienced by schizophrenic individuals, because telepathy is perfectly clear and precise communication. It manifests as a distinct internal voice. To my mind, this can't be mistaken for anything else because it is crystal clear, truthful, and therefore verifiable. For instance, if a Teacher sends you a message to visit specific locations at certain times to meet someone you've never met, and those instructions prove to be accurate, then you have your answer.
That particular phenomenon is certainly not common.

I believe it is essentially a "thought" that simply presents itself in a way that mimics a "voice." It is similar to when you recall someone's words and literally "hear" them again in your mind—not as if someone is speaking to you in that moment, but rather like having a song stuck in your head, complete with all the musical nuances and the singer's actual voice.

James Cox6 said:I am not entirely sure what kind of treatment he received for his knee initially, but I really want to help him see the situation for what it truly is.
When his pay was cut, his only reaction was, "That's just how it goes." Then, the very next day, his boss shouts the exact same thing at him: "That's just how it goes."
My sister got into an argument with him, and naturally, he’s acting all offended.

I have to say, that doesn't seem quite right to me.

I believe he lacks social skills, among other things.

Perhaps some people are simply born with a calm and balanced temperament. They don't experience extreme mood swings and maintain a peaceful outlook on life. This could be the result of cultivating a specific mindset, or it might just be their natural disposition. I am curious why that strikes you as such a negative trait.

briskgull27 said:I treat others with respect, so I expect the same in return.😁 😍

However, we simply cannot control how other people choose to act. 😉

briskgull27 said:And the voices...
I honestly have no idea what that experience is like.
I hope someone who actually knows can weigh in.

I read somewhere that this is incredibly rare and that very few people ever go through it.
I also suspect many people mistake sudden, intuitive thoughts for "voices," leading them to believe they are hearing from Bogart, an angel, or their "inner self." However, those are still just thoughts, not actual voices.

briskgull27 said:I'm moving back to my standard nickname—switching it up now.

What is it about this one that you aren't feeling anymore? 🙂