What's your definition of insanity?

Is it considered insanity if someone exhibits every single personality disorder simultaneously? I mean having symptoms from all of them at once—narcissistic, dependent, bipolar, grandiose, sociopathic, psychopathic, schizoid, schizotypal, and so on. Or does "insanity" refer to possessing the symptoms of every mental illness all at once (schizophrenia, depression, neurosis, psychosis, etc.)? Or perhaps it's when someone displays all the symptoms of both personality disorders and mental illnesses combined. 😕

I am emphasizing every symptom because my logic is this: if a person has a specific psychological personality disorder or illness, it isn't insanity. It can be diagnosed and treated. But if we are talking about all the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment become impossible. At that point, the person is simply insane. Do you agree with this view, and how would you actually define insanity?

I think most people would agree—even if someone showed up with every single symptom on the list, finding a person who checks every single box is probably a long shot. They might have most of them, but all of them? Unlikely.

In my opinion, you’re looking at actual madness when someone loses their grip on reality entirely. When they can't tell what's real anymore, or they're constantly insisting that everyone finally "gets" them, or they've got an imaginary friend they chat with daily... those are the clear signs that something is seriously broken.

quiethound10 said:I think most people would agree—even if someone showed up with every single symptom on the list, finding a person who checks every single box is probably a long shot. They might have most of them, but all of them? Unlikely.

In my opinion, you’re looking at actual madness when someone loses their grip on reality entirely. When they can't tell what's real anymore, or they're constantly insisting that everyone finally "gets" them, or they've got an imaginary friend they chat with daily... those are the clear signs that something is seriously broken.

I think I'm on board with that idea.

It reminds me of how Einstein used to describe insanity—you know, that cycle of doing the exact same thing over and over again while hoping for a different outcome. To me, that feels like a pretty solid way to put it.

From what I understand, schizophrenia is most commonly linked to actual insanity.
Also, psychosis is much more likely to be categorized as madness than neurosis is. As far as I know, psychosis involves a chemical imbalance in the brain, whereas neurosis is more about an overstimulated central nervous system—and honestly, everyone deals with neuroses to some degree, just in different amounts.
For instance, if you see someone out on a street corner talking to someone who isn't there, we usually call that person crazy, and they probably have schizophrenia (though I'm not counting drunks or people just talking on their iPhones where we can't hear them).
Of course, there are plenty of other mental health issues out there, but they aren't typically associated with being "insane." Real madmen don't realize they've lost it, while most people claiming to be crazy (including most of the crowd on this subforum) aren't actually insane; they just deal with neuroses and anxieties.

"Madness" is really just a colloquialism at this point. It’s not an official clinical term you'll find in a medical textbook, but people throw it around constantly in everyday conversation or even in literature. It's such a broad concept.

There isn't actually a diagnosis for being "mad," but you'll hear Mary say about Barrett: "Ugh, she's totally crazy!" Or maybe someone gets back from a wild trip to Miami and says: "That was absolutely insane!" You might tell a friend they're nuts for betting that Schumacher would win nine races this season, or encounter some postmodernist who titles their book "Cryptography Madness within the Frameworks of Post-Capitalist Civilization and the Panopticon."

To me, madness would be defined as:

that feeling where your consciousness just hits an irreversible, ruthless breaking point. It’s when your subconscious starts operating on totally broken logic, making you feel like everyone is out to get you—like there's this invisible repression happening, people meddling in your business, poisoning you, or following you. Real madness... it's probably that state where even a drink won't help you cheer up.😁

Laura Ross57 said:To me, madness would be defined as:

that feeling where your consciousness just hits an irreversible, ruthless breaking point. It’s when your subconscious starts operating on totally broken logic, making you feel like everyone is out to get you—like there's this invisible repression happening, people meddling in your business, poisoning you, or following you. Real madness... it's probably that state where even a drink won't help you cheer up.😁

When you say "following," I'm guessing you actually mean "spying."😉

There’s a massive distinction to be made here—truly psychotic individuals have actually lost their grip on reality entirely, whereas hysterics and neurotics are really just people throwing a fit because they can't handle the reality that's already sitting right in front of them.

So, what I’m hearing is that psychopaths and sociopaths just don't fit into this "definition"?
What about people dealing with major depression who can't even drag themselves out of bed?
Or those with OCD who need two full hours just to double-check that the front door is locked before they leave the house?
Or folks with agoraphobia who are literally terrified to step foot outside?
And so on...

If we go by this "definition," pretty much everyone is insane... at that rate, it would be way too easy to label almost any person on the planet as crazy.

It’s just like cocaine mentioned—"insanity" is such a broad, colloquial term... and let's face it, nobody is walking around carrying every single psychological disorder under the sun.

shadowsailor17 said:I think I'm on board with that idea.

It reminds me of how Einstein used to describe insanity—you know, that cycle of doing the exact same thing over and over again while hoping for a different outcome. To me, that feels like a pretty solid way to put it.

Take rolling dice, for instance.
Every single time you throw them, the motion is practically impossible to replicate perfectly, yet we still expect a different number to show up.
Does that count as the "same action"? What does that term even really mean in this context?
Are there actually two identical actions in existence? I honestly don't think so...

Psychopaths aren't actually crazy

I think we should break this madness down into a few different categories.

Crazy = "maniacal slash public exhibitionist, rapist, pedophile."
Crazy = "David Icke types."
Crazy = "extreme PMS vibes."
Crazy = an overly specific and totally irrational reaction to some "action"
....... like, say, throwing a water heater at some guy... which would definitely be a case of wildly misperceiving reality.

Add to the list if you're on board with the idea that there isn't just one type of crazy.🙂

Actually, wait, it just hit me:

let's look at the whole mess from this angle:

Crazy = a very specific cocktail of a finite number of different mental illnesses.

It feels like nobody’s quite hitting that sweet spot of being totally normal today—though, honestly, they aren't exactly going full-blown crazy either, either

I’ve been thinking that there might actually be a whole spectrum of different types of madness, basically just different combinations of a finite set of mental illnesses or disorders.

Just for some brainstorming here:

What kind of specific clusters of conditions would you even want to see played out in a character? 😁

Type 1.
Schizophrenia mixed with claustrophobia, kleptomania, and a heavy dose of narcissistic personality disorder.

Type 2.
PTSD combined with pyromania and gender identity or sexual expression stuff.

Type 3.
... let me hear your ideas! 😁

Madness is reserved for those experiencing psychosis. Then there’s borderline personality disorder—is that just being halfway to losing it? ☕

Then you’ve got the absolute lunatics... those people who just wander the streets aimlessly.

Betty Chase54 said:Take rolling dice, for instance.
Every single time you throw them, the motion is practically impossible to replicate perfectly, yet we still expect a different number to show up.
Does that count as the "same action"? What does that term even really mean in this context?
Are there actually two identical actions in existence? I honestly don't think so...

I'm not sure if the dice thing is the perfect analogy, mostly because every roll carries its own independent probability; the odds don't care what happened during the last toss. I wouldn't be looking for one specific number, but I totally see where you're coming from.

A better example might come from a psychology topic we touched on recently—dealing with those "exhausting" people. You know the type: someone who desperately tries to force themselves into a social circle, even though everyone there is constantly blowing them off. Honestly, I think they've got a few screws loose. It feels like a plot straight out of a dark indie thriller... like he eventually lures them all down to his basement, ties them up, and forces them to play cards since they won't hang out any other way. Just a weird little cinematic thought. 😁

swifthawk23 said:Psychopaths aren't actually crazy

But why the hell not? 🤔

shadowsailor17 said:I'm not sure if the dice thing is the perfect analogy, mostly because every roll carries its own independent probability; the odds don't care what happened during the last toss. I wouldn't be looking for one specific number, but I totally see where you're coming from.

A better example might come from a psychology topic we touched on recently—dealing with those "exhausting" people. You know the type: someone who desperately tries to force themselves into a social circle, even though everyone there is constantly blowing them off. Honestly, I think they've got a few screws loose. It feels like a plot straight out of a dark indie thriller... like he eventually lures them all down to his basement, ties them up, and forces them to play cards since they won't hang out any other way. Just a weird little cinematic thought. 😁

Have you seen 😬--The King of Comedy? The plot is pretty much identical... but it makes you wonder: is that pure insanity, or is it just being unconventional? Is it pushing boundaries because of an overwhelming obsession?

I don't know, man, yesterday’s episode of Criminal Minds felt different... it was probably the closest I've seen to actual psychotic PTSD on screen. It’s just heavy watching someone who doesn't even realize they're losing their grip on reality and is totally powerless to stop themselves from spiraling.