Is someone who possesses the desire to be mentally ill already mentally ill?
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"No bad words. Just bad ideas."
G-rated Shock Value
"No bad words. Just bad ideas."
Mental Illness Question
- Thread starter theboombody
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I would say not exactly. The person in question could only be thinking of the 'benefits' or an idealized version of the illness rather than the consequences and true form of the illness. Like Cartman in the Tourette's episode of Southpark. He wanted, and faked, Tourette's Syndrome so that he could swear and insult people without getting in trouble. It wasn't until he lost his ability to filter what he said (leading to him blurting out embarrassing and humiliating secrets) that he realized that Tourette's wasn't as fun as he first thought.
Or the person could want the illness as an excuse for being an asshole.
Or the person could want the illness as an excuse for being an asshole.
Funny story: when I was in my mid teens I used to idealise bipolar disorder. Easily done, it's widely associated with genius, Romantic (capital R), artistic types whose personalities are described using words like "tempestuous" and "stormy," who suffer greatly for their art and often end up dying tragically, but who leave a lasting legacy for generations to come. Embarrassingly, I used to wish for that for myself.
Well, I got my wish. I actually do have bipolar disorder, and I probably had it when I was a naive, angsty dipshit teenager dreaming about how romantic the whole damn thing would be. Turns out it's a nightmare and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
Secretly though? Part of me still wants it. Believes it makes me "special." It's bullshit, but it's there.
So yeah, speaking from personal experience, I'd say yes in some circumstances, but probably only when the person doesn't actually fully understand the condition they're lusting after.
EDIT: Ack, misunderstood the question a bit (I've been drinking, don't blame me
) In response to the actual question, I'd say not necessarily, as it's entirely possible they don't actually understand what they're wishing on themselves, as per my example.
Well, I got my wish. I actually do have bipolar disorder, and I probably had it when I was a naive, angsty dipshit teenager dreaming about how romantic the whole damn thing would be. Turns out it's a nightmare and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
Secretly though? Part of me still wants it. Believes it makes me "special." It's bullshit, but it's there.
So yeah, speaking from personal experience, I'd say yes in some circumstances, but probably only when the person doesn't actually fully understand the condition they're lusting after.
EDIT: Ack, misunderstood the question a bit (I've been drinking, don't blame me
) In response to the actual question, I'd say not necessarily, as it's entirely possible they don't actually understand what they're wishing on themselves, as per my example.
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Generally, a mental illness has to significantly affect the patient's life in a negative way, or be significant risk to themselves or others, to be counted as an actual mental illness, so I guess it'd depend on how badly the desire to be mentally ill affected the individual.
good question :/ perhaps
it certainly shows a lack of sense .. as to if its a sign of a mental illness probable depends on the sanario.. like wishing they were a crazy murderer might be.. wishing they had something to be interesting might be a bit on the fedish side wanting one to be more like a loved one might just be part of the normal desire to fit in...
it certainly shows a lack of sense .. as to if its a sign of a mental illness probable depends on the sanario.. like wishing they were a crazy murderer might be.. wishing they had something to be interesting might be a bit on the fedish side wanting one to be more like a loved one might just be part of the normal desire to fit in...
Isn't it basically the concept of the novel "Catch 22"?
"There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he were sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle." (p. 56, ch. 5)
"There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he were sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle." (p. 56, ch. 5)
People who want mental illnesses don't know just how devestating they can be.
Say you've got a phobia of spiders?
Have you ever completely frozen, collapsed, or fainted, at the side of an arachnid, spider or not?
If no, then no. You just want to be special.
And I'm pretty sure that is a mental illness in itself. It might overlap with histrionic disorder (mental requirement of social attention, or something along those lines) but I don't know much about either.
Say you've got a phobia of spiders?
Have you ever completely frozen, collapsed, or fainted, at the side of an arachnid, spider or not?
If no, then no. You just want to be special.
And I'm pretty sure that is a mental illness in itself. It might overlap with histrionic disorder (mental requirement of social attention, or something along those lines) but I don't know much about either.
This. A lot of people think if you have all the symptoms you have a mental illness, but that's not true. Like JoJo said it has to be a major impact on your life. As for the OP, it depends on how strong the desire is. If it's some highschool kid wanting an excuse for something or to feel special/different, it's not a mental illness. If someone wants a mental illness so bad they take drugs to simulate the effects or intentionally screw up their mind, that may fall under mental illness.JoJo said:
This is basically what I was going to say only much politer.twistedmic said:
I've meet people before who thought it would "cool" to be sktiz or land in metal institution because of free food and board. That didn't have a mental illness and were just naive and not thinking what they say through.
I could see something like that happening. In some cultures one is only truly "ill" if it has a name. Here, if you want sympathy, get yourself diagnosed. Because people tend to feel more sympathetic for people who have clinical depression than people who are "just sad". I am quite certain that I don't have a mental illness but I'm sure that they are not enjoyable, and I don't think anyone who is quite sane should wish for one. But if you are very depressed I think the diagnosis of clininal depression might come as a relief, as in "I'm sick, not posing". For example, I have a very low bloodpressure. I always feel faint, tired, dizzy, and it's not uncommon for me to faint. People always told me that I shouldn't be posing, I am just not eating enough, until I said it was hypotension and then I "suddenly couldn't help it" anymore and people were sympathetic towards me. Hypotension is not a mental illness but I just explained it to get my point across.
It could show that they have a higher predisposition for it later in life but its hard to say if the mind wishing to be that way makes it that way or if the mind wishing is actually it hinting at a future potential.
Not necessarily. Potentially yes, it could very well be the symptom of a psychological disorder but can also be a result of low self esteem, loneliness or just a desire to be different or special.
Historically you see people with certain conditions which would today be recognised as mental illness presented as romantic or misunderstood characters, often artistic, creative types, but right across the spectrum - for instance many of history's great leaders have battled depression.
Today you see mental illness presented in the media, particularly on television in soaps and the like, and while i feel this is overall a positive move towards removing the stigma attached to such conditions, but there is also a less healthy side effect from this. Due to (often poor) portrayals of mental illnesses some younger people are exposed to a "glamorised" - for want of a better word - version of some of these conditions which people can come to idolise.
Historically you see people with certain conditions which would today be recognised as mental illness presented as romantic or misunderstood characters, often artistic, creative types, but right across the spectrum - for instance many of history's great leaders have battled depression.
Today you see mental illness presented in the media, particularly on television in soaps and the like, and while i feel this is overall a positive move towards removing the stigma attached to such conditions, but there is also a less healthy side effect from this. Due to (often poor) portrayals of mental illnesses some younger people are exposed to a "glamorised" - for want of a better word - version of some of these conditions which people can come to idolise.
Mental illness is in the eye of the beholder, said beholder in this case being those who are not diagnosed with any such condition. Speaking as an autistic, I can tell you that I would not be as comfortable being your average person you meet on the street. To put it to an analogy, that's like mild salsa to Korean hot sauce. Now, my case is that I'm high-functioning, but when you consider what some people will say in life...and they're suppose to be NORMAL...would you want to be among their number? I'm not saying that it's all good on this side of things, but there is an area of the spectrum that isn't all that bad.theboombody said:
No, I wouldn't say that. Some of the mental diseases do have their perks. Ever heard about hypomania? It's a softer version of full blown mania where you'll experience a boost of energy, creativity and confidence among a few other things.
It's a student's dream. To be able to sit for hours doing stuff while never feeling depleted of energy, not feeling anxious about exams, not nervous.
People suffering from it often won't seek help because they personally don't see it as a problem, but they get a little annoying to be around and they may be subject to accidents due to lack of fear.
Having something that would explain my poor social skills would be sweet, but sadly I'm just too good socially for it to be considered a disease (I am joking here of course, I do NOT want any of that).
There's also sympathy. If you can point to a diagnosis people are more likely to feel bad for you than if you're just a whiny twat.
Then there are those who feel they're different and don't fit in. They might want a diagnosis to explain why they feel that way and somehow feel a little less distanced.
Of course some just want to feel special.
Conclusion: It might mean they're mentally ill or prone to develop a mental illness, but not necessarily.
It's a student's dream. To be able to sit for hours doing stuff while never feeling depleted of energy, not feeling anxious about exams, not nervous.
People suffering from it often won't seek help because they personally don't see it as a problem, but they get a little annoying to be around and they may be subject to accidents due to lack of fear.
Having something that would explain my poor social skills would be sweet, but sadly I'm just too good socially for it to be considered a disease (I am joking here of course, I do NOT want any of that).
There's also sympathy. If you can point to a diagnosis people are more likely to feel bad for you than if you're just a whiny twat.
Then there are those who feel they're different and don't fit in. They might want a diagnosis to explain why they feel that way and somehow feel a little less distanced.
Of course some just want to feel special.
Conclusion: It might mean they're mentally ill or prone to develop a mental illness, but not necessarily.
Sorry to jump in, but this is a common misconception. It certainly can be a bit like that, but even then you're likely to be irritable to the point of not being able to stand having other people around you (they can't keep up with your trains of thought and seem frustratingly "slow"). It's just as likely that hypomania will boost your energy, creativity and confidence and speed up your thoughts to the point that you're unable to sit still or focus on anything for more than a few seconds. Your thoughts just jump all over the place and you get constantly sidetracked and distracted. A lot of the time when I've been hypomanic, I've literally been unable to read a single sentence. Definitely not a student's dream!Yopaz said:
As for "not feeling anxious about exams," again that can be true, but it's just as likely that you'll feel more anxious, not less.
Oh, and that boost in confidence is likely to lead you to do things you'd never do normally, be that putting yourself in physical danger (driving too fast, running across the road without looking), or just doing things you later regret, like sleeping with people you're not even remotely attracted to.
There can be a physical side to it too - my hypomanic episodes, even the "fun", crazily productive ones, are always accompanied by a feeling like I've just consumed several pots of coffee: heart racing, shakiness, constant "buzzy" feeling in my stomach. And this can go on for days, even weeks.
The main thing that differentiates hypomania from full-blown mania is the absence of psychotic symptoms (hallucinations, delusions etc), but even that's not a hard and fast rule - I've experienced minor hallucinations while hypomanic.
Thanks for the input, good to get some information from someone who's got some personal relation to it and not just describing an illness. However my point was that people would want it because it sounds like a barrel of fun when you only know a little about it. I wasn't actually claiming it was, but still, thanks for informing me.Eamar said:
This I knew.
I've actually had a few similar episodes at times. Never for more than one week though and I've only had 2 hallucinations during them. Probably not hypomania, but if that was even remotely similar it isn't really something I would live with. Coming down afterwards is always a pain.
That's a brilliant book. It so perfectly captures the pointlessness of war and absurdity of bureaucracy.mistahzig1 said:
I feel like anyone who wants a mental illness probably doesn't have it, or they'd realize that they pretty universally suck.