Posted by Shell on October 23, 2000, at 9:59:42
In reply to Re: SOME OBSERVATIONS ABOUT US ALL, posted by GLYN on October 21, 2000, at 19:05:19
> I find all your responses fascinating and I'm glad to hear that Sharon feels she has more insight on herself after Noa's comments.
>
> Your also right as I do accept labels far too easily and in fact I almost cling to them at times but this post is helping me to rethink these things. Some may describe me as in a constant state of mild mania - actualy I have severe anxiety and mild depression but I have been on the lookout for other stuff since I became obsessed with my mental health - but I am know realising that this is not an illness with me but just a part of who I am (the apparent mania that is). For instance, I NEVER go to bed before 4 am, have racing thoughts, a general inability to "relax" like "normal" people by watching hours of mind numbing TV, and a million and one good ideas most of which I fail to fulfill for lack of time and the one's I do manage to pull off keep me occupied from wake to bed. Is this an illness? I hope not as I would not want it any other way as I am happy with who I am - and a lot more so since this thread started. I live a diverse life - I'm an artist, published author, Jazz musician, academic, business man (I own and run a couple of web businesses), web designer and a whole host of other things - too many to mention. Strange thing is that although I would describe myself as well accomplished in all of these things I have yearned all my life to find the one true thing I was born to do. Yes, you say, "sure sounds like some form of mania to me" but I can honestly say that I truely love all of these things and have always found each of them relief from the otherwise one-dimensional life that I see other "normal" people lead (I sound arrogant now and I'm sure that they do indeed lead fuller lives than it appears).
>
> If a doc ever described me as Manic and gave me a pill to make me "normal" I'd be broken hearted. Anyway, where does passion end and mania begin?
>
> I beg to differ over cure. I believe that there are such things as cures. The Nazis found a "cure" to the Jewish problem just like we British found a cure for distinguishing ourselves from others less intelligent or refined by constructing a polite society and a class system (I must say that the USA is the only other country in the world where I see this as well defined as it is in the UK),
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> Drugs can cure but as somebody else said it all depends whether you see it as an illness or not. Alcohol "cures" inhibition, nicotine "cures" the need for nicotine, a bullet "cures" a bad relationship - but the question is in all cases "is the cure better than the problem?" and I believe that we must ask oursleves that before we hit the pills. If the answer is "yes, I'd rather cured" then great as this is the easy option - its learning to wrestle with our problems because we feel that they are worthwhile thats really tough.
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> I am starting to think that by taking the pills I do that I may be missing out on the experience of improving and stretching myself by getting over then by hard work and self analysis. Surely, none of us REALLY believe that our "problems" are always chemical do we? IS somebody going to tell me that boredom is caused by a lack of alcohol in the brain as well. Just becuase fiddling dopamine and serotonin makes us feel better doesn't mean that the lack of them or abundance of them is a cause of our problems does it? I've heard of people being given SSRI's after their partner has died (within days often) because they feel depressed - for heaven's sake who wouldn't? So why a drug and why an illness?
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> ANyway, thats enough ranting for one day.
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> Glad I was only paranoid about insulting people.
>
> BTW: Dont mean to be pedantic but I am a 29 year old male from the UK - just noticed that I was refered to as a "she" in some posts. Or maybe there's something I should know about my gender or sexuality which you have all noticed? They say you are the last to know?
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> : )
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> Thanks again.
>
> GlynI don't find that I really have much to add to this thread that has not already been written. I can, however, give a possible explanation for the confusion over Glyn's gender (and no, it was nothing he wrote!).
The only Glyn I happen to know is a little girl (although her name is spelled "Glynn"). I (and many others on the board) live in the U.S., and there has been a trend here recently toward giving traditionally male names to little girls. Perhaps some of the other posters have also known female Glyns (or Glynns). The Glynn I know has experienced confusion over her gender as well (rough for a little girl!)
poster:Shell
thread:46800
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20001022/msgs/47172.html