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.
