Mental Wellness Support Group

[feral.cherub]

Edit : I realized how unwelcoming and harsh my post sounded...I regret posting that
I wasn't thinking straight, and I hope all members involved can forgive my moody rant x(

As the moderator pointed out, sometimes our experiences with religion and/or spirituality do have a direct bearing on our mental health.
Although I didn't mention it, such was the case. An incident occurred at church that triggered an 'episode'. I'm not sure but abuse may have occurred. I can't tell if it was innocuous or if the person (a registered RN on a psyche ward) should really have known better.
It's one thing to compliment a person about their blouse, but to do so three times in one day, touching your person in the process. I sort of froze up because I was torn. On the one hand, I was thinking, "hooray! Someone's paying attention to me!" On the other hand I was also thinking, "this might not be such a great idea. He has a wife who might get jealous-I don't think she liked me much anyhow.'
The man in question leads a twelve step based recovery program I was a member of and I'd set up the chairs. His wife said, ''be sure to put his next to the table so he can put his drink and book there so I did. Then in the next couple weeks, he would take his chair and flip it to the front of the table and was sitting closer to me .I moved a couple seats further away out of respect for his wife .
At any rate during the day he was 'hands on with my shirt' (which wasn't appropriate for the setting at any rate I don't think)during another class he used an analogy about a snake asking someone to carry him from a shady hill down to the sunny sunny spot at the bottom. The person says, but you're a snake you'll bite me. The snake promises not to bite him and gets carried down the hill. Then the snake bites him. The man says, you promised not to bite me! The snakes says, I'm a snake!
Then this other woman starts a rant about a snake being at the top of her door and how when that's happens, you need to set it on fire till it drops and then drive it away.
By then I'm starting to feel paranoid, freaky and claustrophobic. I sit outside during the last meeting to cool off. Afterward is a lunch. I sort of fake mental health through it. Then when it's over, I see his wife and ask if they still planned on taking me home, she said yes. I told her I'd wait for her outside in the sun. She says, "Yeah, like a snake." So yeah .Critical mass. On the drive home they talk in what sounds like code talking about this person who got stabbed to death. Then about 'this woman who never gets out' (like I don't)and inviting her over to swim but she might drown. Etc. Then she asks me if I feel in danger where I'm at. I take a tone and I tell her it's nothing I can't handle on my own. She asks where the address of my ex is because I was visiting I give her the address and say, ''Its right next door to 666. (Which is actually true.) But by that point I'm confused and outraged by the day and decided that if she thinks I'm a snake I'll act like one. God forbid lest I let down her expectations.
At the end of the day,, I'm nothing, I'm nobody and I'm nowhere. I'm a void and a mirror. If she wants to call me a snake, I'll just flip that mirror around and give her what she f'king wants.
I doubt if I'll be going back there any time soon and I won't trust anyone there again. Ever.
I know this experience seems to have nothing to do with my previous post, but the event triggered the way I trip on that song and those suspicious thoughts and speculations.
I'm sorry I seemed like I was prozyltizing, but that would imply recruit but I wasn't I even gave a disclaimer at the end that it could all be b.s. fairy tales. I don't know. Its a big universe.

pros·e·lyt·ize
ˈpräs(ə)ləˌtīz/
verb
gerund or present participle: proselytizing

1. convert or attempt to convert (someone) from one religion, belief, or opinion to another.

With all due respect, the above wasn't happening.
Just saying. I'm sorry you were having a bad day .so was I. Seemingly at the same time. These things happen.
Sooooo....yeah. Sorry this is so long -yet again. I get so damn sick and tired of feeling like I need to justify my right to exist. Still just p.o'd about the whole messy clusterf"ck.

 

[Nakita Akita]

As the moderator pointed out, sometimes our experiences with religion and/or spirituality do have a direct bearing on our mental health.
Although I didn't mention it, such was the case. An incident occurred at church that triggered an 'episode'. I'm not sure but abuse may have occurred. I can't tell if it was innocuous or if the person (a registered RN on a psyche ward) should really have known better.
It's one thing to compliment a person about their blouse, but to do so three times in one day, touching your person in the process. I sort of froze up because I was torn. On the one hand, I was thinking, "hooray! Someone's paying attention to me!" On the other hand I was also thinking, "this might not be such a great idea. He has a wife who might get jealous-I don't think she liked me much anyhow.'
The man in question leads a twelve step based recovery program I was a member of and I'd set up the chairs. His wife said, ''be sure to put his next to the table so he can put his drink and book there so I did. Then in the next couple weeks, he would take his chair and flip it to the front of the table and was sitting closer to me .I moved a couple seats further away out of respect for his wife .
At any rate during the day he was 'hands on with my shirt' (which wasn't appropriate for the setting at any rate I don't think)during another class he used an analogy about a snake asking someone to carry him from a shady hill down to the sunny sunny spot at the bottom. The person says, but you're a snake you'll bite me. The snake promises not to bite him and gets carried down the hill. Then the snake bites him. The man says, you promised not to bite me! The snakes says, I'm a snake!
Then this other woman starts a rant about a snake being at the top of her door and how when that's happens, you need to set it on fire till it drops and then drive it away.
By then I'm starting to feel paranoid, freaky and claustrophobic. I sit outside during the last meeting to cool off. Afterward is a lunch. I sort of fake mental health through it. Then when it's over, I see his wife and ask if they still planned on taking me home, she said yes. I told her I'd wait for her outside in the sun. She says, "Yeah, like a snake." So yeah .Critical mass. On the drive home they talk in what sounds like code talking about this person who got stabbed to death. Then about 'this woman who never gets out' (like I don't)and inviting her over to swim but she might drown. Etc. Then she asks me if I feel in danger where I'm at. I take a tone and I tell her it's nothing I can't handle on my own. She asks where the address of my ex is because I was visiting I give her the address and say, ''Its right next door to 666. (Which is actually true.) But by that point I'm confused and outraged by the day and decided that if she thinks I'm a snake I'll act like one. God forbid lest I let down her expectations.
At the end of the day,, I'm nothing, I'm nobody and I'm nowhere. I'm a void and a mirror. If she wants to call me a snake, I'll just flip that mirror around and give her what she f'king wants.
I doubt if I'll be going back there any time soon and I won't trust anyone there again. Ever.
I know this experience seems to have nothing to do with my previous post, but the event triggered the way I trip on that song and those suspicious thoughts and speculations.
I'm sorry I seemed like I was prozyltizing, but that would imply recruit but I wasn't I even gave a disclaimer at the end that it could all be b.s. fairy tales. I don't know. Its a big universe.

pros·e·lyt·ize
ˈpräs(ə)ləˌtīz/
verb
gerund or present participle: proselytizing

1. convert or attempt to convert (someone) from one religion, belief, or opinion to another.

With all due respect, the above wasn't happening.
Just saying. I'm sorry you were having a bad day .so was I. Seemingly at the same time. These things happen.
Sooooo....yeah. Sorry this is so long -yet again. I get so damn sick and tired of feeling like I need to justify my right to exist. Still just p.o'd about the whole messy clusterf"ck.

Sounds like those two people are crazy.
They are those type that need to create drama. You are better off divesting yourself of them. They have probably been calculating and scheming for a while. (Nutters)
I'm sure you can find a different group that has less weird people in it.

 

[Mojochi]

Most days, I honestly couldn't tell you whether masking autism is either unequivocally the only manageable way to live among humankind, or quite possibly the most detrimental disservice imaginable, whether the worse insult is being told you act weird, or that no one would ever know anything was different about you, but one thing is certain. It is without a doubt endlessly disheartening to contemplate how relentlessly isolating and tiresome it can be, if you let it.

Not to disparage the value of this thread, but the main reason I'm not in here more than this is because that drag is more so, the more I preoccupy myself with it. It's why I don't belong to any groups, & don't spend my time researching it. Talking about it, reading about it, or quite frankly wallowing in it, (No offense intended) is work... a job I didn't sign up for in this life, & won't allow the injustice of spending my precious days/hours/minutes on, so long as I function as well as any man.

More to the point, many decades have passed, and I know of myself that there is within me the strength to carry on managing. I discovered or invented coping mechanisms, that are now called commonplace, stumbling alone in the dark, before the general public ever even had a clue about this... before even I knew myself. (My parents might never have even known its name) There's a genius to that, something I might doubt the average person ever unearths, like the first persons to ever discover a way to make a fire. That strength is empowering, and why would I rob myself of the very wind in my sail, that comes from those stormy waters?

My strength, from that solo pursuit, hidden to others though it may be, is what keeps me going, my source of self-pride. Sometimes, the worst thing you can do to someone who struggles to stand is give them a crutch, or worse yet, be their crutch, because in truth, they who struggle to stand may very well find a treasure in it, that no ordinary standing person ever could. Maybe finding support is the beneficial choice to make. Many more educated, knowledgeable & experienced people than me seem to think it is.

However, maybe allowing myself to be supported is the beginning of a choice that gives away the very thing I value most about myself. Faulty logic though it may be, it's not a risk I'm willing to take. So... Today I felt I needed a moment to reflect. Such a little thing or 2 can set that chain in motion. I hope you can appreciate the deepest respect it shows that I chose to do so here.

Tomorrow, I sail on.

 

[Twilight Phoenix]

However, maybe allowing myself to be supported is the beginning of a choice that gives away the very thing I value most about myself. Faulty logic though it may be, it's not a risk I'm willing to take.

I don't think it's faulty logic at all. We all have different ways to deal with our differences, and if your own way brings you strenght and pride, then by all means, keep doing it ! The only thing that matters is that you're feeling good about yourself (at least most of the time).
BTW...thank you for trusting us enough to share, Mojo


@rhubarbodendron : I totally agree with everything you said, and I think that it will take time for society to evolve to the point you mentioned. If we look at the situation of physically disabled people, they keep being discriminated on a daily basis, even with all the existing laws to ensure their rights...It will be a long fight for everyone with a difference, because unfortuntaly, humans show little understanding for the slightest variation...

@feral.cherub : I'm glad you're posting again on the thread, even if the content of your post breaks my heart...At least, you know that you can talk to us as much as needed.

Sounds like those two people are crazy.
They are those type that need to create drama. You are better off divesting yourself of them. They have probably been calculating and scheming for a while. (Nutters)
I'm sure you can find a different group that has less weird people in it.

Buddy, I know you're not ill-intended, but using words like 'crazy', 'nutters' or 'weird' as insults is quite the contrary of what we're trying to do on that thread
Those are words used by 'normal' people (in this case, neurotypical people) to make us feel bad and unfit...or to laugh at us...
Besides, what 'weird' means totally depends on the context. My husband and I are both neuroatypical and ended up with neuroatypical friends as well (we didn't deliberately searched for some, it just happened), and when we're all together, we all feel perfectly 'normal', since we set up our own norm.

I'm pretty sure the word 'toxic' would have conveyed what you wanted to mean about those people feral.cherub mentioned

 

[feral.cherub]

Well, all in all, neurotypical or not, we all have to slouch through a civilization that seems to be circling the drain. It can be demoralizing. The best thing we have going for each other is other people more often than not. (This coming from the isolator! :-D ) At least I have several people I've known online for a decade and a half who've been there for each other through good days and bad, sickness and health. We all sort of prop each other up and hold ourselves together with duct tape and baling wire.

P.S. Thanks for the welcome mentions too.

 

[TribbleFeeder]

Most days, I honestly couldn't tell you whether masking autism is either unequivocally the only manageable way to live among humankind, or quite possibly the most detrimental disservice imaginable, whether the worse insult is being told you act weird, or that no one would ever know anything was different about you, but one thing is certain. It is without a doubt endlessly disheartening to contemplate how relentlessly isolating and tiresome it can be, if you let it.

Not to disparage the value of this thread, but the main reason I'm not in here more than this is because that drag is more so, the more I preoccupy myself with it. It's why I don't belong to any groups, & don't spend my time researching it. Talking about it, reading about it, or quite frankly wallowing in it, (No offense intended) is work... a job I didn't sign up for in this life, & won't allow the injustice of spending my precious days/hours/minutes on, so long as I function as well as any man.

More to the point, many decades have passed, and I know of myself that there is within me the strength to carry on managing. I discovered or invented coping mechanisms, that are now called commonplace, stumbling alone in the dark, before the general public ever even had a clue about this... before even I knew myself. (My parents might never have even known its name) There's a genius to that, something I might doubt the average person ever unearths, like the first persons to ever discover a way to make a fire. That strength is empowering, and why would I rob myself of the very wind in my sail, that comes from those stormy waters?

My strength, from that solo pursuit, hidden to others though it may be, is what keeps me going, my source of self-pride. Sometimes, the worst thing you can do to someone who struggles to stand is give them a crutch, or worse yet, be their crutch, because in truth, they who struggle to stand may very well find a treasure in it, that no ordinary standing person ever could. Maybe finding support is the beneficial choice to make. Many more educated, knowledgeable & experienced people than me seem to think it is.

However, maybe allowing myself to be supported is the beginning of a choice that gives away the very thing I value most about myself. Faulty logic though it may be, it's not a risk I'm willing to take. So... Today I felt I needed a moment to reflect. Such a little thing or 2 can set that chain in motion. I hope you can appreciate the deepest respect it shows that I chose to do so here.

Tomorrow, I sail on.

You’re strength is evident, and encouraging. Thanks for sharing that.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

^ I second that! It's absolutely true that what doesn't kill us just makes us stronger.

feral.cherub, those two people sound like they are at least pretty thoughtless. But there is no reason at all why you should believe what twits say about you. Their opinion doesn't count. The only one that does is your own.

Another thing I'd like to comment at is that guy not keeping his hands to himself. While it is likely that he's just one of these people who always need to touch the person they talk with it's nevertheless annoying and an invasion of your personal space. It's not easy but you should sum up the courage to tell him that being touched makes you feel uncomfortable and that he should please respect your feelings and refrain from getting too close. If he has any decency he'll comply. If he doesn't, it legally counts as sexual harrassment since you explicitly told him (make sure you have a witness when you do).
In my experience, some people really grab and touch you without thinking. Once one makes it clear to them that it's unpleasant, they'll respect the personal space.

The three compliments about your blouse were perhaps just a somewhat plump attempt to cheering you up. Sadly, the art of making elegant compliments is on the verge of dying out.

And - admittedly slightly off-topic: snakes are beautiful and fascinating animals! They have a skin that feels like silk and command more strength than most other animals. Without legs they climb better than any legged creature (except ants, maybe) and they are the most elegant swimmers you can imagine. Some snakes even managed to develop gliding flight which makes them one of the very few animals that can move in every element. In many cultures they are sacred animals or even gods. In Germany, it was considered good luck to have a grass snake living in the house or the stable. People used to feed the house snake and protect it from harm. In many fairy tales, a rescued snake leads its rescuer to a hidden treasure and legends say that if you eat a white snake you'll understand the language of all animals.
So, next time someone compares you to a snake remember that they compare you to a most elegant and highly benign deity =)

 

[feral.cherub]

That's food for thought, definitely. My thing about his actions is that he IS an RN on a psyche ward and his experience and training should have certainly taught him something about boundary issues and touching. Especially since I'd confided in that group about abuse in my childhood.
Personally, if he touches me in front of witnesses again, I'll throat punch that fucker so I make myself thoroughly clear. Maybe he noticed my Dukat phone background and thinks I'm one of the '''reptilian overlords' who've come to invade the Earth! ><
Nah, seriously, as much as I'd like to,, I doubt I'd punch him plus I'm not going back to that over privileged den of festering hypocrites. Ill make my own path and walk it.
I hope this picture isn't too large. It looks okay on my phone but doesn't show me how many kb it is

 

[TrickyDickie]

Personally, if he touches me in front of witnesses again, I'll throat punch that fucker so I make myself thoroughly clear.

 

[Doom Shepherd]

*Blunders in*
So I’ve had dozens of people ask me if I’m on the autism spectrum somewhere, including the wife. I hate the self-diagnosed, so without some kind of evidence from a professional, I am loathe to ever say “yeah, I’m on the spectrum.” I’ve noted behaviors that seem to fit the profile, every time I take an online “test” I score pretty high, but even after talking to a professor at my uni who specializes in detecting autism in children, it seems that there are very few professionals who are willing to even attempt to diagnose an adult, apparently because the coping behaviors that adults learn can cloud the waters.

So it seems that for the time being i’m stuck in limbo, never to know whether I have a real issue, some other related issue, or am just kind of a jerk.

It’s a bit frustrating.

 

[TrickyDickie]

Sometimes, that "limbo" is a lot worse than self-diagnosis. *If* a person goes to great lengths in their research, self-diagnosis....at least in the short-term....may be of some help in some cases. As long as it remains tentative and not a firm belief. Am I suggesting taking it to extremes and doing something like going into the black market to obtain drugs to treat one's self based on self-diagnosis? Absolutely not.

Problems enter in when you are in an area where it is difficult to find good physicians. Let's face it: a lot of GPs don't like to do their 'homework'. They can't be bothered to investigate things that go beyond the usual. They are often too quick to come to a diagnosis based upon what they have seen before. "Well, it's most likely this...." And it could just as easily be that over there, which they have not dealt with before, because many things have such similar symptoms. In medicine today, there is not enough motivation to be thorough.

The series 'Mystery Diagnosis' gets into a lot of those issues.

I say do your own research as far as you can and put it on the table for your doctor to take from there. If the doctor is unwilling to look into it, simply because you are not a professional and he or she is, then you need to find a better doctor because being thorough and investigating multiple possibilities is a big part of their job to begin with.

Sometimes, the research itself can actually have somewhat of a therapeutic effect, because it's better than just staying in that limbo and not looking into anything.

Research should be done with care, of course, but in this modern communication age there is much more bonafide research from respected sources available to the general public than ever before.

At times, what *can* end up happening is that patients can help a well-meaning physician who simply has not had as much time as they would have liked to deeply research particular problems.

Good rapport is so very important.

 

[Riker'sMailbox]

*Blunders in*
So I’ve had dozens of people ask me if I’m on the autism spectrum somewhere, including the wife. I hate the self-diagnosed, so without some kind of evidence from a professional, I am loathe to ever say “yeah, I’m on the spectrum.” I’ve noted behaviors that seem to fit the profile, every time I take an online “test” I score pretty high, but even after talking to a professor at my uni who specializes in detecting autism in children, it seems that there are very few professionals who are willing to even attempt to diagnose an adult, apparently because the coping behaviors that adults learn can cloud the waters.

So it seems that for the time being i’m stuck in limbo, never to know whether I have a real issue, some other related issue, or am just kind of a jerk.

It’s a bit frustrating.

So, I am a community habilitation supervisor for people with developmental disabilities and most of the individuals on my caseload fall into one of two categories: straight Intellectual Disability formerly known as MR (pm me if you don't know what MR stands for, I do not like to write it out) and ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). In order to have the label of 'person with a developmental disability', the disability has to manifest itself before age 21. This age limit is a huge hindrance for adults on the spectrum that "passed" as NT during their childhood. Since the autism spectrum is typically diagnosed in young childhood, people that fall through the cracks vary rarely get properly diagnosed. Part of the reason is coping mechanisms, as you stated. Part of the reason is no adequate screening process for adults. ASD screening are designed for children and their are no comparative and universally accepted screenings for adults.

However, there is a push to change this and there is a very small, but growing steadily, number of doctors that are developing their own screening methods for adults.

 

[feral.cherub]

attempt[/I] to diagnose an adult, apparently because the coping behaviors that adults learn can cloud the waters. so it seems that for the time being i’m stuck in limbo, never to know whether I have a real issue, some other related issue, or am just kind of a jerk. Its ’s a bit frustrating.

I hear you loud and clear on the frustration. I tend to need to categorize things so I feel like I have a tiny bit of identity sense myself.

I had a therapist recommend I be tested, but he only has a four year degree and isn't qualified to make a dx. Of course the following week he was recommending me to do the Barclay thing and look through medical database xD (Google) and research schizoid personality disorder. *Shrugs*
My actual dx, according to the social security doctor is schizoeffective disorder, bipolar type.
My personal dx is that my head is like a wasps nest. XD
Seriously, I think I'm both schizoeffective bipolar and autism spectrum.
Either way, it's ++ ungood.

 

[TrickyDickie]

My personal dx is that my head is like a wasps nest.

It's very interesting that you put it that way, because I made the exact same analogy a couple of days ago, in talking with my wife about how things feel at times. Further, my advocate for SSI has a good understanding of such things, because she goes through a lot herself. And it just so happens that her last name ends in 'hive'.

When I was young, I threw rocks at those nests. I have not done it in a long time, but as I look back I think it was very likely a projection of what I was feeling that I couldn't articulate. Today, the connection is made and I realize.

 

[Gryffindorian]

I hear you loud and clear on the frustration. I tend to need to categorize things so I feel like I have a tiny bit of identity sense myself.

I had a therapist recommend I be tested, but he only has a four year degree and isn't qualified to make a dx. Of course the following week he was recommending me to do the Barclay thing and look through medical database xD (Google) and research schizoid personality disorder. *Shrugs*
My actual dx, according to the social security doctor is schizoeffective disorder, bipolar type.
My personal dx is that my head is like a wasps nest. XD
Seriously, I think I'm both schizoeffective bipolar and autism spectrum.
Either way, it's ++ ungood.

I was watching a series of lectures by Dr. Mark Leary, a psychologist, and he talked about the various aspects of one's personality, as well as personality disorders. From what I understand, schizoid personality disorder shows lack of emotions or certain facial expressions when interacting with others. At least that's one of the telling characteristics. It made me wonder, of all the seemingly dispassionate people I've met, how many of them had this disorder? Or perhaps they were just plain stoic.

ETA:

From www.psychologytoday.com:

Symptoms of SPD:

• Takes pleasure in few, if any, activities
• Does not desire or enjoy close relationships, including family
• Appears aloof and detached
• Avoids social activities that involve significant contact with other people
• Almost always chooses solitary activities
• Little or no interest in sexual experiences with another person
• Lacks close relationships other than with immediate relatives
• Indifferent to praise or criticism
• Shows emotional coldness, detachment or flattened affect
• Exhibits little observable change in mood

Now if I were to self-diagnose, I would even consider myself partly schizoid. I have always been an introvert and I tend to be aloof, although I don't shy away from social interactions with the people I like.

I've had very little experience being in romantic relationships. Even when I started dating in my late teens, early 20s, they were just flings that involved no intimate relations. And at this point in my life, I have no desire or intention to find a "partner." Solitude has become a way of life for me. I do get attracted to both sexes but see no reason to pursue any kind of relationships.

 

[Nakita Akita]

I don't think it's faulty logic at all. We all have different ways to deal with our differences, and if your own way brings you strenght and pride, then by all means, keep doing it ! The only thing that matters is that you're feeling good about yourself (at least most of the time).
BTW...thank you for trusting us enough to share, Mojo


@rhubarbodendron : I totally agree with everything you said, and I think that it will take time for society to evolve to the point you mentioned. If we look at the situation of physically disabled people, they keep being discriminated on a daily basis, even with all the existing laws to ensure their rights...It will be a long fight for everyone with a difference, because unfortuntaly, humans show little understanding for the slightest variation...

@feral.cherub : I'm glad you're posting again on the thread, even if the content of your post breaks my heart...At least, you know that you can talk to us as much as needed.


Buddy, I know you're not ill-intended, but using words like 'crazy', 'nutters' or 'weird' as insults is quite the contrary of what we're trying to do on that thread
Those are words used by 'normal' people (in this case, neurotypical people) to make us feel bad and unfit...or to laugh at us...
Besides, what 'weird' means totally depends on the context. My husband and I are both neuroatypical and ended up with neuroatypical friends as well (we didn't deliberately searched for some, it just happened), and when we're all together, we all feel perfectly 'normal', since we set up our own norm.

I'm pretty sure the word 'toxic' would have conveyed what you wanted to mean about those people feral.cherub mentioned

For me nutters and weirdos are people who seek out to harm others. Like calling them a snake in an underhanded way.
I think everyone is different and that's good,
Making others feel bad on purpose with malicious intent is crazy and bad.
I have a crazy nutter sister in law who constantly tried to make me feel worse after my husband died, she was an evil malicious nutter-butter.
I stopped talking to her and almost immediately began to feel better.
I hate when people use others that may not be emotionally, mentally if even physically as strong and berate then or whatever in a sick attempt to make their own pathetic existence 'better'.
People like that are sick, sick,sick.
Nut job, evil whack jobs.
I don't care if you and your husband converse with the dust bunnies under your sofa you are not nut jobs like people who seek out to wound others.
Ok, I'm done. And I don't really think that you and your husband talk to dust bunnies under your sofa. It was just an off the top of my head odd thing to do. Well I think talking to the dust bunnies is okay, having an entire discussion would be different.

My point is crazy people are the ones that try to hurt others emotionally, or verbally, psychologicallythose are just as bad as physical abuse.

 

[TribbleFeeder]

I truly wish we didn't have to label any of these illnesses or disorders. It makes me feel so stripped of my identity and emotions. Every experience I have is considered to be less valuable than another person's because of a label given.

I don't have feelings, I have "episodes".
I don't get pissed off, I have "breaks".
I don't get upset, I get "unstable".

Leads me to spend half of my life denying what I'm dealing with and the other half hiding it.

 

[Nakita Akita]

Why isn't it just that everyone is different?
We all handle and react differently to stuff.
I think as long as you are not a danger to others or yourself, it's ok, or should be okay. This isn't a hard and fast fact or rule as the perameters can vary.
( without everyone siting strange examples)
Sometimes I think all of the medications prescribed are not a good thing. I think there are probably millions of people out there with millions of ideas that the medication is quashing right away from them.

 

[TribbleFeeder]

I agree @Nakita Akita.

I've been on 14 different medications in the last decade, nothing has helped. I'm either a zombie or a shaking mess. The last thing I need is another "here-take-a-nap" cocktail these days. I honestly think some doctors just don't know what to do with me so they give me some tranquilizers and send me on my way.

 

[TrickyDickie]

I have never really felt that there is an absolute 'truth' as to what is a baseline 'normal' for human beings.

We are all attempting to tread water in a pool of 'establishment' artifice.

At the time that Hemingway's 'A Farewell to Arms' was published, the ambulance driver at the end could be described as stoic in his response to what life dumped on his head.

Today? Not so much.

'Stoic' seems to have fallen out of fashion with a lot of the establishment, where human reactions are concerned.