The silver lining of living with a mental health disorder

bluemason3 said:"Common sense" is just a phrase with a universally understood meaning. It isn't a clinical term for mental health, so trying to dissect it like this usually feels like trolling.

Basically, just accept your genetic hand 😛

Well, how about you accept your own trolling tendencies instead of projecting them onto me? 🙂

Anyway, peace out everyone, heading off to grab some food.

Since I work in neuroscience and my nerves are basically fried, I feel obligated to demolish a mountain of junk food—think bacon, cookies, gummy bears, and all that good stuff.

Take it easy.

I see exactly what you mean—it’s just pure, unadulterated suffering. Is there anything else hiding behind it?

Back in the day, I struggled with deep depression, and eventually, I was diagnosed with neuroticism. Did that diagnosis actually fix my life? Not even close; if anything, it probably just weighed me down further. And did it make me a better person? Honestly, no. I only started becoming a decent human being once I slowly moved past those states and finally began to forge my own actual personality. Looking back, when I was caught up in that neurotic mindset, I can admit I was actually a pretty terrible person. I used to be consumed by this intense, bitter jealousy toward people who had everything going for them—real friends, stable relationships, you name it—to the point where I’d actually wish them ill. So, in my view, suffering is just suffering. It’s usually just plain old misery.🍿

Andrew Doyle said:part of Maria Price3, which got incorrectly linked to my previous post that was already being discussed:

Oh, please! Because why wouldn't we just descend into pure catastrophizing instead of actually looking at the other side of the coin? The entire point of this discussion is to talk about the POSITIVE aspects of these conditions.

I mean, seriously, why on earth would any sane person embrace the idea that our lives are entirely predetermined by our genes?!

I’m sure diabetes, cancer, epilepsy, and all those other gems have their "upsides" too, but I bet anyone dealing with them would give anything just to live without them.

And look, there’s a massive difference between romanticizing depression and just pointing out (maybe, potentially) some positive aspects.
It's like saying someone is "good" versus calling them "perfect." Neither of those is a weird way to talk, right?

Everything mentioned so far feels like an exaggeration—just attempts to prove that "we" are somehow superior to "them." But the truth is, we're running different races and can't even compare. Comparing a healthy person to someone struggling rarely ends well for the second group. It just feels like... honestly, better if I don't finish that thought.

I could easily romanticize my own situation and spin it into the best thing ever, but reality check: I'd give anything to just live a normal life. Because this isn't normal. It’s just not. Hell, it really isn't.

Whenever I hear people acting like it’s "wonderful" that someone is feeling terrible, my first thought is just—give me a break.
And that’s exactly what romanticizing depression does.

Maria Price3 said:Freedom of choice.
I have the option to decide whether I want to be "crazy" or "normal." If I want to play it safe and stay within the lines of normalcy, I’ll take my meds—but if I feel like indulging in a little madness, I just stop taking them for a while. You can't choose to be "crazy" if you’re just fundamentally ordinary. You, being normal, will never experience, perceive, create, or conclude anything that I am able to, or currently am, or might become. For you to experience something truly peak, you'd probably have to go out and pick up some illegal substance and break the law. Me? I just have to skip my prescription for a few days because my brain produces its own compounds that you actually have to go out and buy. I can wake up feeling like I'm on a cocktail of speed, ecstasy, and coke all at once—feeling absolutely head-over-heels in love and seeing the sheer beauty of everything—while you're busy whining about how the weather is terrible, or how cold it is, or how hot it is, or how much it's raining. Meanwhile, I'll be breathing in the crispness of the ice, soaking up every bit of the sun's heat, and actually feeling every single drop of rain.

You spent your vacation on some exotic island. I was in hell.

I haven't heard anyone say, "This shawl is beautiful, but it's made of silk." It's not good; it's too sensitive. I'd probably prefer something in latex.
"Why are you so sensitive?" — Please. What's your excuse for being so insensitive? Because, honestly, questioning someone's "sensitivity" right now isn't even an issue, nor is it particularly relevant. Not that you'd be decent enough to realize that.

"My god, you're so thin, you look like you're wasting away, are you sick?" — Sorry, but just because you're a total cow doesn't mean I'm underweight. It means I'm at a normal weight for my build and fitness level—actually stronger and more resilient than you. The fact that you can barely move, sweat like a pig, can't fit into a single piece of clothing, and are likely headed for a heart attack doesn't make me "too thin." And yes, I am concerned about your health. But I’m not going to tell you that you're fat, because I don't need to, and I didn't even notice how big you were until you blurted out your weight. When I talk to you, I look you in the eye and listen to what you have to say.

No, the fact that I don't enjoy sitting motionless in a pub for two hours doesn't mean I'm antisocial; it just means I prefer a meaningful conversation while walking.

blah blah blah...

I think this is a great post. 👍

darksurfer4 said:I see exactly what you mean—it’s just pure, unadulterated suffering. Is there anything else hiding behind it?

Back in the day, I struggled with deep depression, and eventually, I was diagnosed with neuroticism. Did that diagnosis actually fix my life? Not even close; if anything, it probably just weighed me down further. And did it make me a better person? Honestly, no. I only started becoming a decent human being once I slowly moved past those states and finally began to forge my own actual personality. Looking back, when I was caught up in that neurotic mindset, I can admit I was actually a pretty terrible person. I used to be consumed by this intense, bitter jealousy toward people who had everything going for them—real friends, stable relationships, you name it—to the point where I’d actually wish them ill. So, in my view, suffering is just suffering. It’s usually just plain old misery.🍿

In certain societies, though, that isn't always the case. In many ancient or tribal cultures, suffering is viewed as a gateway. They believe that by enduring hardship, you invite spirits to assist you—and if you can make friends with them, you gain what they call "superpowers." That's why you see initiation rites where people intentionally starve themselves, endure extreme temperatures, or ingest certain herbs. It’s all designed to draw in those invisible guides who will then protect them for the rest of their lives.

Once you finally tackle the supposed problem of evil, you find yourself shedding much of that traditional, schizophrenic obsession with the binary struggle between "good" and "evil"😵. You start to realize that Santa Claus is actually the one true god; he simply rewards the well-behaved children and punishes the rest with various psychological disorders🙂
.
Just as one must accept genetic conditioning—those inherent limitations we all face—one must also accept everything that serves as a symptom of sound 😉reason
.
In the absence of reason, or perhaps when one refuses to acknowledge plain facts, mental disturbances will inevitably become more frequent🙂
.
FIRST, an individual is "educated"—which is really just brainwashing—within their familiar social circles using concepts of good and bad and other such nebulous nonsense
.
SECOND, they are convinced that they are inherently broken and destined for suffering; they're told that happiness and a meaningful life are fleeting trifles, and that dwelling on them too much is somehow socially unacceptable🤣—heaven forbid they contaminate their environment with any sort of uplifting solutions😂.

THIRD, they are given outlets, like posting on a forum, where their minds are further poked and prodded if the initial brainwashing wasn't quite thorough enough🙂.

FOURTH, the individual continues to speak honestly... telling everyone they missed the mark, that they were lied to, that they are living in a delusion... that they are wasting energy maintaining lies built upon even greater lies. But I suppose none of that would matter if it weren't for the existence of the 😵Madman
.
The point, in the context of this desperate need to "seek out" positivity, is that it is ultimately just a search for negativity🙂.

Lawrence Bailey77 said:Once you finally tackle the supposed problem of evil, you find yourself shedding much of that traditional, schizophrenic obsession with the binary struggle between "good" and "evil"😵. You start to realize that Santa Claus is actually the one true god; he simply rewards the well-behaved children and punishes the rest with various psychological disorders🙂
.
Just as one must accept genetic conditioning—those inherent limitations we all face—one must also accept everything that serves as a symptom of sound 😉reason
.
In the absence of reason, or perhaps when one refuses to acknowledge plain facts, mental disturbances will inevitably become more frequent🙂
.
FIRST, an individual is "educated"—which is really just brainwashing—within their familiar social circles using concepts of good and bad and other such nebulous nonsense
.
SECOND, they are convinced that they are inherently broken and destined for suffering; they're told that happiness and a meaningful life are fleeting trifles, and that dwelling on them too much is somehow socially unacceptable🤣—heaven forbid they contaminate their environment with any sort of uplifting solutions😂.

THIRD, they are given outlets, like posting on a forum, where their minds are further poked and prodded if the initial brainwashing wasn't quite thorough enough🙂.

FOURTH, the individual continues to speak honestly... telling everyone they missed the mark, that they were lied to, that they are living in a delusion... that they are wasting energy maintaining lies built upon even greater lies. But I suppose none of that would matter if it weren't for the existence of the 😵Madman
.
The point, in the context of this desperate need to "seek out" positivity, is that it is ultimately just a search for negativity🙂.

Exactly. But honestly, I think we also need to let go of that constant "striving for good," because that can lead down just as many distorted paths. At the end of the day, it's really just about being who you truly are.

Joseph Bailey41 said:Exactly. But honestly, I think we also need to let go of that constant "striving for good," because that can lead down just as many distorted paths. At the end of the day, it's really just about being who you truly are.

Why "in short"?! ... I’d prefer to take my time with it. 😬

To be what I am, obviously... and I can't really be anything other than what I already am.

🎉 A HUMAN 👋

made of blood and damn flesh. 😍

But no! People are constantly getting in the way of anyone trying to think straight... they wound you, and then they itch at your conscience, refusing to let you just exist as yourself... they mess with your head from the very beginning.

I guess swearing is one of the more positive symptoms of a disorder, though personally, I’m just struggling with a certain mental exhaustion... so perhaps I'm not exactly qualified to speak on clinical disorders. However, as an objective observer, I might notice that far more "disorders" are actually socially accepted... or rather, they are a form of societal extortion 🐔 that has to be repeated and explained so many times that I hesitate to say how much effort it takes just to make them visible, let alone start defining them... goodness, there is so much work to be done and so little time. 🙂