There’s the known, there’s the unknown, and then there’s this doorway standing right between the two worlds. Once you step through that threshold, everything that used to feel straightforward suddenly turns into a tangled mess, and your entire perspective on existence shifts beneath your feet. For me, my ticket into the unknown was schizophrenia, and after spending so much energy trying to run away from it, I finally realized that running is pointless; you just have to embrace it. I remember reading an article once claiming that schizophrenia primarily impairs our ability to reason by distorting our perception of reality. But that really brings us to the deeper questions, doesn't it? What even is reality? And how do we define "normal"? Who decided where the boundaries of normalcy lie, and what are they even measuring? If you happen to be part of the majority, you're considered normal. Ever since I can remember, my view of the world has been a bit skewed; I’ve always felt like a misfit because my thoughts and interests don't align with the rest of the crowd. When I was finally hit with a schizophrenia diagnosis, I spiraled into a deep depression. I ended up being hospitalized four times in an attempt to "get cured," mostly because I just wanted to fit in with everyone else. That was until I realized there isn't actually anything about me that needs fixing. They tried to "treat" me by essentially poisoning me with various pills that were supposedly meant to make me normal. I was passed around between all sorts of doctors, from obscure practitioners to the top-tier psychiatric elites at places like the Mayo Clinic. I never truly understood the logic behind the treatment process, because in reality, they aren't trying to cure you—they're trying to force their own perspectives onto you, molding you to see the world exactly like the masses do. And the funny thing is, they don't even realize that they aren't normal either. Nobody is. Not a single "normal" person is capable of true independent thought; nobody possesses a genuine personality, because every person is just a byproduct of their environment. We are all fed these pre-packaged ideas of who we ought to be. People don't decide who they are; their surroundings decide for them. From the time we are toddlers, we absorb the exact same patterns of thought as our parents, and those views stick with us for life. Most people don't even bother thinking for themselves because everyone else is doing it for them. It’s always been this way, though as time passes, values shift and human personalities evolve along with them. Times are pretty bleak nowadays, honestly. People are being manipulated by television and mindless pop music that screams that money and other bizarre superficialities are the ultimate virtues. And then they try to fix me, just because I have a "distorted" view of reality. But the reality I see is incredibly depressing, which is likely the main reason for the high suicide rates among those diagnosed with schizophrenia. We see the world for what it actually is, and we see people for who they truly are. "Normal" people are nothing more than puppets; everyone carries these imposed values that are ultimately hollow. Take diamonds, for instance—they are practically worthless, yet they're assigned value by some person who thinks a shiny rock is equivalent to love. If I had to choose between being "sick" or being "normal," I’d pick sick every single time. I can't wrap my head around the idea that my perception is the problem; to me, it's the rest of the world that looks bizarre. People go to extreme lengths just to belong to a majority that tells them if they don't mimic their idiot idols or wear certain designer brands, they are somehow less valuable. And apparently, because of that, I'm the one with the warped worldview??! I read these incredibly shallow articles about schizophrenia and how it affects people, and I find myself wondering who writes such nonsense. No psychiatrist in the world, no matter how brilliant, can truly explain what it feels like to live with schizophrenia. I’m writing this because there is this persistent, desperate attempt to "help" us simply because we aren't like you. In my opinion, we might actually be the ones who are normal. Because if you really sit down and think about it, you are the ones with the impaired perception; you are the ones with the bizarre outlook on life. We've reached a point where a "normal" person effectively lacks free will and doesn't think independently. If you think I'm wrong, just take a moment to look at everything that defines you as a human being, and you'll see that it isn't actually *you*. Those aren't your thoughts, your desires, or your convictions. You aren't what you think you are; none of it was ever your choice or an act of free will. If you reflect deeply enough, you'll realize you never even had your own unique perspective on the world; the people and things surrounding you manufactured the person you are today. You aren't normal just because you're part of the majority; you're just part of a group that is anything but normal.
