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Hermitude1963

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My name is Mark, and I live in New Jersey. I'm a middle-aged buzzard (50 on my next birthday).

I am out of my mind, and I have the signed, stamped papers to prove it.

Because I am not deemed dangerous, I am allowed to live in a minimum-security madhouse, where I have my own room, and it's a rather nice room, I must say.

Monday to Friday, I go to a psychiatric day-treatment program, which is the politically-correct thing to call an asylum that keeps old-fashioned banker's hours.

All of my friends are at least as crazy as I am and some of them much more so. For example, the lady downstairs from me regularly opens up the wall to cut the cable wires to keep "them" from spying on her. When asked, she insists that Bruce Springstein told her to do it (Bruce Springstein and Jon Bon Jovi (both from New Jersey) are perenniall favorites with New Jersey schizophrenics - Bruce Springstein, the CIA, the FBI, the pope, aliens - what a team!) Try getting a nut kicked out of a nuthouse!

Well - that's a little bit of my story. How's by you?
 

Duxwing

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My name is Mark, and I live in New Jersey. I'm a middle-aged buzzard (50 on my next birthday).

I am out of my mind, and I have the signed, stamped papers to prove it.

Because I am not deemed dangerous, I am allowed to live in a minimum-security madhouse, where I have my own room, and it's a rather nice room, I must say.

Monday to Friday, I go to a psychiatric day-treatment program, which is the politically-correct thing to call an asylum that keeps old-fashioned banker's hours.

All of my friends are at least as crazy as I am and some of them much more so. For example, the lady downstairs from me regularly opens up the wall to cut the cable wires to keep "them" from spying on her. When asked, she insists that Bruce Springstein told her to do it (Bruce Springstein and Jon Bon Jovi (both from New Jersey) are perenniall favorites with New Jersey schizophrenics - Bruce Springstein, the CIA, the FBI, the pope, aliens - what a team!) Try getting a nut kicked out of a nuthouse!

Well - that's a little bit of my story. How's by you?

Why are you there? If you want some humorous perspective on the situation, then you might want to read my poem about my time there; it's called Home For The Strange.

-Duxwing
 

Hermitude1963

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Why are you there? If you want some humorous perspective on the situation, then you might want to read my poem about my time there; it's called Home For The Strange.

-Duxwing

I'll look at the poem ... Major Depression and Asperger's Syndrome (the 2 often go hand-in-hand).

- Mark

I like the poem ... Yes, those who take care of the crazy are also crazy; most of them start off that way, and those who do not start that way wind up that way. Clearly, you were not at home. I, however, am quite at home. In this madhouse of a World, it's only the sane who are truly ill!

- M
 

TheScornedReflex

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Hi madman Mark.
 

Minimalist

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I'll look at the poem ... Major Depression and Asperger's Syndrome (the 2 often go hand-in-hand).

- Mark

I like the poem ... Yes, those who take care of the crazy are also crazy; most of them start off that way, and those who do not start that way wind up that way. Clearly, you were not at home. I, however, am quite at home. In this madhouse of a World, it's only the sane who are truly ill!

- M

I can't help but be curious about you as I have become aware of the existence of the possibility that INTPs (especially enneagram type 5) are more prone to schizophrenia or other forms of "losing their minds" under the right environmental conditions. Perhaps everyone has the potential to go down that one of many paths. The prospect of that experience intrigues me. By the way, hello.
 

Hermitude1963

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I can't help but be curious about you as I have become aware of the existence of the possibility that INTPs (especially enneagram type 5) are more prone to schizophrenia or other forms of "losing their minds" under the right environmental conditions. Perhaps everyone has the potential to go down that one of many paths. The prospect of that experience intrigues me. By the way, hello.

Curious about me ... Let's see ... I'm the Family Embarrassment, of course - After all, I get my clothes at thrift shops; all that matters is that the clothes fit and are clean - and roughly for the male gender ... I talk to myself ... I collect cactii and granny figurines ... I'm a devout atheist, but I collect rosaries and any representation of the Virgin Mary (dozens of statuettes and paintings) ... I smoke a pipe ... I made a CD that had Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and Tiny Tim's "Tip-toe Through The Tulips" on it - those and the theme song from Green Acres. (I loved that show!) ... My parents knew that something was wrong with me (I was the only little boy whose favorite TV program was Julia Child's The French Chef), but autism hadn't yet become fashionable, and Asperger's Syndrome wasn't heard of in this country before the late 1970's. Until recently, I was just this weirdo, who could not be made to do what he did not want to do ...

I would not be surprised if many schizophrenics could be classed as INTPs. Schizophrenics tend to be intelligent and anti-authority, and - just talk to them - and you will soon realize what Piaget realized about children: their explanations of things are almost always perfectly logical within the context of their lives. That is, given their limited experience, children do not come up with ridiculous explanations of the World around them - and neither do schizophrenics.

- Mark
 

Pyropyro

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Welcome Mark.
 
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Because I am not deemed dangerous, I am allowed to live in a minimum-security madhouse, where I have my own room, and it's a rather nice room, I must say.

Monday to Friday, I go to a psychiatric day-treatment program, which is the politically-correct thing to call an asylum that keeps old-fashioned banker's hours.

All of my friends are at least as crazy as I am and some of them much more so.

Well - that's a little bit of my story. How's by you?
Comfortable sharing your diagnosis? (EDIT: Now I see. Major D Burgers). My sig should give mine away.

So it's a part time RTF? What did you do in your former life? Are you comfortable where you are now? I didn't enjoy my year and a half, but I was much younger at the time myself.
Any good meds? :D
schizophrenia
As per Kiersey, ^tends to be an INFJ (Ni-Ti) thing. Schizo-prefix personality disorders tend to fall in the INTx region. Mood disorders tend to correlate with high Ne.
 

The Gopher

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Hey, I'm more interested in the living conditions. You have your own room and internet connection? What's it like?
 

Hermitude1963

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Comfortable sharing your diagnosis? (EDIT: Now I see. Major D Burgers). My sig should give mine away.

So it's a part time RTF? What did you do in your former life? Are you comfortable where you are now? I didn't enjoy my year and a half, but I was much younger at the time myself.
Any good meds? :D
As per Kiersey, ^tends to be an INFJ (Ni-Ti) thing. Schizo-prefix personality disorders tend to fall in the INTx region. Mood disorders tend to correlate with high Ne.

So it's a part-time RTF?
RTF? ... It's a part-time loony-bin. I like the place. It's set up to be rather like a high school. We are in "tracks," based on our diagnoses and attend "classes" (groups) that the state has approved for our treatment. We have a "homeroom," called "Emergent Needs," which is the first group of the day. Here is where one meets people from all the different tracks; what we have in common is that we share a case worker. Ours is named Matt, and he's really wonderful. I suspect that he comes from money because he is always well dressed and has a nice car, which is rare for someone who makes do with the pittance that social workers are paid. But he's the best organized case worker that I have ever come across, and he keeps on top of his clients and their lives and does so in a way that shows real caring as opposed to the frequent sadism that one finds in social workers. Matt is no pushover; he won't take any crap - but he's endlessly patient and utterly unflappable ... Then we go to our groups. My fellow track members are more like family than most of my family ever was. We're an assortment of nuts, but nobody is made to feel odd, which is a switch for most of us. The program gives us breakfast and lunch, and the food is very good. We have a real chef, and the owners of the program spend their own money to make sure that the food is plentiful and high-quality (the state requirements are exceeded by far*). Then there is the "token economy:" attend your groups, participate, be polite, and you will get tokens to spend at the program's store, which "sells" all the personal necessaries - toilet paper, deodorant, soap, dish-liquid, toothpaste, etc, and a variety of food, such as canned soups and tuna fish. I haven't had to buy any personal care item since I've been at the program (3 years last January) ... As an Aspie and an INTP, I care nothing about status, so it does not bother me to spend my days at a licensed bolt-box. I'm happy there - and I'm happy for the first time in my life.

*State "breakfast" = 1 slice of wheat bread and a cup of skim milk. Program breakfast = fruit, cereal, something hot (like eggs and sausage or waffles or pancakes), toast, breakfast bars, low-fat milk, and coffee/tea.

What did you do in your former life?
If one wants to call my former existence a "life," well, I spent my time trying to keep from being yelled at. My parents, who took care of me the best they could, did not yell at me - but everyone else did. I had an assortment of menial jobs, most of them driving this or that. It's amazing - I have no business behind the wheel of any vehicle, but I have a fully-endorsed CDL and can legally drive anything that has wheels. That I have not killed anyone is astounding. This has led me to suspect that drivers who are oblivious to everything are not as bad for the road as we are told. No accidents, no tickets. (On the other hand, like Mr Magoo, I may have been causing others to have accidents without getting involved in the accidents myself.) Wow! Of course, I no longer drive, and I have not missed it.

Being comfortable anywhere is a matter of realizing that each place has its rules. It's a matter of accepting the rules and abiding by them. I am one of the few people that I deal with regularly that has not done at least a 30 day stint in the county lock-up. Some of my friends have spent decades in prisons. They are survivors - they learned the rules and abiddded by them! Take your pills, go to your groups, meet with your counselors, and you need never, ever worry about the (so-called) Real World again.

Being happy is not a matter of getting what you want but a case of being satisfied with what you have got - Quentin Crisp.

- Mark
 

Hermitude1963

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:elephant:
Hey, I'm more interested in the living conditions. You have your own room and internet connection? What's it like?

Comfortable. The place is clean, well-kept, and even looks nice. I have a refrigerator and microwave and a coffeepot and a skillet and toaster-oven and a crock pot. TV, computer (obviously), and an air conditioner. My room is small-ish, but the closet is huge (1/2 the size of the room), and I'm happy in cramped, cluttered rooms, anyway. I have everything that I need. Mountains of books, my assorted collections, and the ability to lock myself away for several hours each and every day. It's a very nice set up, and all it costed me was 3 years of homelessness, a stint at the homeless shelter, a diagnosis as "disabled due to being crazy," and developing a new skill set (I can get just about anything for free if I really want it; the key is really needing it, as well, and not being greedy - books, clothes, shoes - all for nothing or very nearly nothing).

- Mark
 
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We're an assortment of nuts

So is intpf :D

As an Aspie and an INTP, I care nothing about status, so it does not bother me to spend my days at a licensed bolt-box. I'm happy there - and I'm happy for the first time in my life.

Sounds like you've got it down. Any interest in Buddhist philosophy?

This has led me to suspect that drivers who are oblivious to everything are not as bad for the road as we are told.

Such has been my experience thus far as a driver with hyper-focus who prefers high rates of speed.
Thus far.
:smiley_emoticons_mr

Being comfortable anywhere is a matter of realizing that each place has its rules. It's a matter of accepting the rules and abiding by them.

Now here I have to disagree. It's a matter of realizing that there are no rules but accepting all consequences. ;)

Being happy is not a matter of getting what you want but a case of being satisfied with what you have got - Quentin Crisp.

Agreed. :cool:
It sounds exactly like where I was with the only difference being that I lived with my parents because I was still in high school, so I had to ride a bus and sold my meds to the bus driver :angel:. Matt's last name wouldn't happen to be four letters long and start with R, would it? If so...
 

Hayyel

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You seem like a pretty good survivor to me. I'm not sure I could do that at this point in my life. Welcome! :cool:
 

loveofreason

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Hermitude1963, I think I'm happy that you're here.
 

Duxwing

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I'll look at the poem ... Major Depression and Asperger's Syndrome (the 2 often go hand-in-hand).

- Mark

Oof! What's your prognosis?

I like the poem ... Yes, those who take care of the crazy are also crazy; most of them start off that way, and those who do not start that way wind up that way. Clearly, you were not at home.

Some of them were not crazy--albeit, those who were not crazy were also quite young. My greatest difficulty lay in them thinking that my problem was caused by some sort of emotion that simply needed to be pressed on to remove. I understood my logic perfectly, and I still understand it today. Nobody asked me the right question; heck, no-one tried to debate me, which was what I needed most.

I, however, am quite at home. In this madhouse of a World, it's only the sane who are truly ill!

- M

Good for you, but why are the sane ill?

-Duxwing
 

Hermitude1963

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It sounds exactly like where I was with the only difference being that I lived with my parents because I was still in high school, so I had to ride a bus and sold my meds to the bus driver :angel:. Matt's last name wouldn't happen to be four letters long and start with R, would it? If so...

No, it starts w/a T, and he's only just finished graduate school, so he is quite young ... We are not allowed to use last names; that's something to do w/the HIPA laws, I'm told. Even the counselors go by their last initials, the "My name is Mark R, and I'm nuts" formula converted to "My name is Matt T, and I sort nuts."

Our program has a fleet of vans that fan out in the morning to go county-wide to get us to program by 830. Some of the vans are loaded, and some have only a few passengers; that's just how it works out. The drivers are nearly all elderly men w/an elderly woman or two. They are retirees, collecting pensions, so they drive for pocket money and to keep busy. One of them is 80! - but he has more energy than all of his charges put together. Ex-cops, ex-FBI, an ex-Marine, an ex-CSI photographer - these people don't take drugs that a doctor did not prescribe.

I am fascinated by "systems" - how things work, especially if they work in a way that is counter-intuitive or at least not in keeping w/the official rules. The police, the parole/probation officers, the lawyers, the doctors, the programs, Social Services, Social Security - well, they all know one another, and that is to be expected, since their work brings them together daily. But what is interesting is how cozy their relationships are. Now, I am not "mandated" to attend my program; my attendance is voluntary. However, the majority of people at the program are there under some sort of compulsion, whether the courts, their parole/probation officers, their housing rules, etc. Fail to show up for program in the morning, and have the police knocking on your door by lunch - and, then, if they do not find you right away, you're tagged in the system, so that your EBT cash and food stamps are cut off, and a marshal comes to put a special kind of lock on your front door - w/a notice that lists the dire consequences of entering the property. I myself applied for a county ID card - and got one. On the back, there was my diagnosis: Asperger's Syndrome. Point is - I did not tell the sheriff that I had Asperger's - it's just in the system, which means that I won't be able to buy that elephant gun that WalMart has on sale! The schizophrenics have a point - we are being watched! ... Not caring and not hiding anything is the only logical response.

- Mark
 

Hermitude1963

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You seem like a pretty good survivor to me. I'm not sure I could do that at this point in my life. Welcome! :cool:

Thank you.

I assure you - you would be amazed at what you could do if you had to do it.

- Mark
 

Hermitude1963

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Oof! What's your prognosis?



Some of them were not crazy--albeit, those who were not crazy were also quite young. My greatest difficulty lay in them thinking that my problem was caused by some sort of emotion that simply needed to be pressed on to remove. I understood my logic perfectly, and I still understand it today. Nobody asked me the right question; heck, no-one tried to debate me, which was what I needed most.



Good for you, but why are the sane ill?

-Duxwing

Neither Major Depression nor Asperger's Syndrome is deemed curable. Despite medicine and therapy, my depressions are still cycling, though the DOWN is not as deep as it once was, nor does it last as long as it once did. Major Depression is believed to be due to a chemical imbalance and really has nothing to do with circumstances. Win the lottery and be depressed, lose a loved one and be fine - it's the cycle, not the event. Depression is NOT sadness. Sadness is a distinct feeling, an utterly healthy one when something bad happens. Depression is an absence of feeling - and so is Asperger's Syndrome, which is why they are so often paired in a patient's diagnosis ... By the by, I don't think that it would be easy to find an Aspie who wasn't also an INTP!

The sane are ill because they can cope with the intolerable. Who besides a normal person could possibly stand up to the rigors of the American Dream?

The mental "health" system's real concern is "treating symptoms," which, as with the rest of the medical biz, means shutting mouths. I'm lucky. My 1:1 therapist likes me* and understands my way of looking at the world. She does not even try to get me to give up my pessimism (the others are relentless) ... Mental health workers don't have to be crazy, but it helps. At any rate, they must have a way of looking at things that is different; otherwise, they will not be able to get along with their patients, and that is the most important thing. A medical doctor doesn't need to be liked to do his or her job - but a psychologist does.

*as a person, no shades of meaning to the word "like" are meant

- Mark
 

crippli

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I've alwayas been like that too. If I got a room of my own, I tend to be happy. My mind is normal though, and got the papers to prove it. But I do like those who are out of their mind. Probably the contrast. Drags me out of my too comfy comfort zone. Hope you like it here. I find there is a lot to be learned from those with unconventional minds(as is my definition of insanity).

My latest chat with my psycologist yesterday, was that she couldn't help me. And wanted to write we out. I managed to have her keep me, just in case. So got 6 months more. But not good when they feel they can't do nothing for me. Quite sure they could if they put their back into it.
 

Duxwing

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Neither Major Depression nor Asperger's Syndrome is deemed curable. Despite medicine and therapy, my depressions are still cycling, though the DOWN is not as deep as it once was, nor does it last as long as it once did. Major Depression is believed to be due to a chemical imbalance and really has nothing to do with circumstances. Win the lottery and be depressed, lose a loved one and be fine - it's the cycle, not the event. Depression is NOT sadness. Sadness is a distinct feeling, an utterly healthy one when something bad happens. Depression is an absence of feeling - and so is Asperger's Syndrome, which is why they are so often paired in a patient's diagnosis ... By the by, I don't think that it would be easy to find an Aspie who wasn't also an INTP!

Interesting, huh. I always thought that only the latter of the two was permanent. Now if it's a chemical imbalance, then wouldn't proper medicine restore balance? Forgive my ignorance.

The sane are ill because they can cope with the intolerable.

As far as I know, mental illness is typically defined as the inability to cope, so being psychologically indestructible therefore seems like a benefit, not a deficit.

Who besides a normal person could possibly stand up to the rigors of the American Dream?

Oh, I see now. You're saying that a "well-adjusted" American is actually quite warped by the surrounding culture and given unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with the pain of warping. I get it.

But not every normal person follows the American dream, and not all parts of the American dream are necessarily inherently bad. A white picket fence won't actually walk up to your room at night and terrorize you in all its wooden glory, and not every dog is a psychological Kujo. The trick is understanding the difference between wanting something because the social narrative demands that you want it and wanting something because you want it. In essence, learning to rise above peer pressure.

The mental "health" system's real concern is "treating symptoms," which, as with the rest of the medical biz, means shutting mouths.

Perhaps you know more than I do, but the people whom I've worked with have always tried to understand etiology where such etiology is relevant.

I'm lucky. My 1:1 therapist likes me* and understands my way of looking at the world. She does not even try to get me to give up my pessimism (the others are relentless)

Wow, those others are quite clueless, then. Isn't the connection between Major Depression and pessimism glaringly obvious even with only the DSM to guide them?

... Mental health workers don't have to be crazy, but it helps.

You'd rather that they be crazy, you mean?

At any rate, they must have a way of looking at things that is different; otherwise, they will not be able to get along with their patients, and that is the most important thing. A medical doctor doesn't need to be liked to do his or her job - but a psychologist does.

Ah, OK. You want the patient to relate to the clinician.

*as a person, no shades of meaning to the word "like" are meant

I didn't even notice.

-Duxwing
 

Hermitude1963

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Interesting, huh. I always thought that only the latter of the two was permanent. Now if it's a chemical imbalance, then wouldn't proper medicine restore balance? Forgive my ignorance.

If they ever do discover the proper medication, then perhaps mood disorders will belong to the past. The medications that we have now do not do the whole job; what they do is alleviate the worst of the symptoms., making it possible for therapy to be more effective. My psychiatrist was quite frank in explaining this to me, and he even admitted that, currently, there is no real understanding of how the medications work. All they know is that this or that medication helps this or that patient. Some patients respond to nothing at all, and most patients have to be given many different medications before one that helps is found. I got lucky. Wellbutrin has done wonders for me; at least, I am no longer suicidal - and I have begun to socialize a little (my joining this site is proof of that).


As far as I know, mental illness is typically defined as the inability to cope, so being psychologically indestructible therefore seems like a benefit, not a deficit.

You probably have a point, at least in your benefit/deficit assertion. However, mental illness is not an inability to cope; no, an inability to cope is a common result of mental illness - a subtle but very significant distinction. For instance, psychopaths/sociopaths - who are definitely mentally ill - actually cope quite well; often, they are very successful in worldly terms, and only the shrewdest observers see them for what they are.

Oh, I see now. You're saying that a "well-adjusted" American is actually quite warped by the surrounding culture and given unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with the pain of warping. I get it.

Hmmm ... I don't deal with very many well-adjusted people. And the successful people that I have known have seemed rather unhappy once my eyes got accustomed to the glare of their success. Frankly, I have yet to meet anyone, no matter how well-adjusted he or she presented him or herself, who did not turn out to be a knot of assorted miseries in desperate need of untying. But I don't live in the real world, do I? My viewpoint might be what is warped.

But not every normal person follows the American dream, and not all parts of the American dream are necessarily inherently bad. A white picket fence won't actually walk up to your room at night and terrorize you in all its wooden glory, and not every dog is a psychological Kujo. The trick is understanding the difference between wanting something because the social narrative demands that you want it and wanting something because you want it. In essence, learning to rise above peer pressure.

In itself, there is nothing wrong with the American Dream. What is wrong is what you say - people chasing after something because they feel that they must. And I think that doing that does make people ill - stress and strokes and heart attacks. It's the trying to "keep up w/the Jonses" that kills people.

Never try to keep up with the Jonses. Drag them down to your level. It's cheaper! - Quentin Crisp

Perhaps you know more than I do, but the people whom I've worked with have always tried to understand etiology where such etiology is relevant.

Well, yes - nearly everyone that enters the caring professions does so with the very best of intentions. However, unfortunately, there is the System. Insurance companies are not willing to pay for years of psychoanalysis, so only the wealthy can benefit from that type of therapy. Instead, insurance companies are eager to shove people into CBT programs, Cognitive Behavioral Programs, which, in 12 weeks, can get a mentally ill person back to work. It does not matter that the person almost invariably breaks down and winds up back in the hospital. By then, the insurance companies can drop the person because he or she will now easily get a Med-1 Form - that is, a paper that entitles a person to collect government benefits. In a system such as ours, in the end, what matters is the billing. Everybody (who counts) wins if a mentally ill person commits suicide in between rounds of treatment. Work in a mess like that long enough, and even a saint becomes at least a little callous.



Wow, those others are quite clueless, then. Isn't the connection between Major Depression and pessimism glaringly obvious even with only the DSM to guide them?

I'm a philosophical pessimist; my "guru" is the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (major influence on Freud and Jung, by the way). If you are interested, I am willing to discuss this at length. For now, I will just say that philosophical pessimism has little to do w/the old "half full/half empty" nonsense. Society and Philosophy do not define "pessimism" in the same way - just as Society and Philosophy have different definitions for the word "ideal."

You'd rather that they be crazy, you mean?
. Maybe. I don't know.

Ah, OK. You want the patient to relate to the clinician.
Well, I think that that is necessary.

I didn't even notice.
.
Well, mental patients are notorious for developing unrequited crushes on their therapists - and believing that the feelings are requited. I had others raise their eyebrows when I have said that my therapist likes me.
 
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No, it starts w/a T, and he's only just finished graduate school, so he is quite young ... We are not allowed to use last names; that's something to do w/the HIPA laws, I'm told. Even the counselors go by their last initials, the "My name is Mark R, and I'm nuts" formula converted to "My name is Matt T, and I sort nuts."
A T, eh? Well, one can be hopeful...

That's how it was with us, but nothing was a very well kept secret. Within a month you knew everyone in your group's last names, and not much longer until those of other groups.
Ex-cops, ex-FBI, an ex-Marine, an ex-CSI photographer - these people don't take drugs that a doctor did not prescribe.
Mine was ~60 former military. There's no way he was using them himself based on the sheer quantity he took in. I'd bet he doubled his paycheck. :D
The police, the parole/probation officers, the lawyers, the doctors, the programs, Social Services, Social Security - well, they all know one another, and that is to be expected, since their work brings them together daily. But what is interesting is how cozy their relationships are.
They've all found a mid-level position in a bureaucracy that suits them, allowing (most/some of) them to escape the Peter Principle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Principle

It sounds like you have as well, just lower in the bureaucracy lol.
Now, I am not "mandated" to attend my program; my attendance is voluntary. However, the majority of people at the program are there under some sort of compulsion, whether the courts, their parole/probation officers, their housing rules, etc. Fail to show up for program in the morning, and have the police knocking on your door by lunch - and, then, if they do not find you right away, you're tagged in the system, so that your EBT cash and food stamps are cut off, and a marshal comes to put a special kind of lock on your front door - w/a notice that lists the dire consequences of entering the property. I myself applied for a county ID card - and got one. On the back, there was my diagnosis: Asperger's Syndrome. Point is - I did not tell the sheriff that I had Asperger's - it's just in the system, which means that I won't be able to buy that elephant gun that WalMart has on sale! The schizophrenics have a point - we are being watched! ... Not caring and not hiding anything is the only logical response.
So once you're in the system you're permanently labeled a detriment to society and are thus subjected to arbitrary restrictions placed on your freedom... I wonder what the effect on the community would be if a screening of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was shown to the population (well, to those who could sit through the screening at least)...

How often do you have escapees?
 

loveofreason

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The sane are ill because they can cope with the intolerable. Who besides a normal person could possibly stand up to the rigors of the American Dream?

- Mark

Verily.

And 'therapy' is the process by which the intolerable is rendered and maintained acceptable.
 

Hermitude1963

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I've alwayas been like that too. If I got a room of my own, I tend to be happy. My mind is normal though, and got the papers to prove it. But I do like those who are out of their mind. Probably the contrast. Drags me out of my too comfy comfort zone. Hope you like it here. I find there is a lot to be learned from those with unconventional minds(as is my definition of insanity).

My latest chat with my psycologist yesterday, was that she couldn't help me. And wanted to write we out. I managed to have her keep me, just in case. So got 6 months more. But not good when they feel they can't do nothing for me. Quite sure they could if they put their back into it.

Try a different psychologist! - or make up stuff ... "I didn't want to sleep with my mother, oh, heavens no. I wanted to sleep with my grandmothers - yes, both of them."

- Mark
 

Hermitude1963

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A T, eh? Well, one can be hopeful...

That's how it was with us, but nothing was a very well kept secret. Within a month you knew everyone in your group's last names, and not much longer until those of other groups.

Mine was ~60 former military. There's no way he was using them himself based on the sheer quantity he took in. I'd bet he doubled his paycheck. :D

They've all found a mid-level position in a bureaucracy that suits them, allowing (most/some of) them to escape the Peter Principle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Principle

It sounds like you have as well, just lower in the bureaucracy lol.

So once you're in the system you're permanently labeled a detriment to society and are thus subjected to arbitrary restrictions placed on your freedom... I wonder what the effect on the community would be if a screening of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was shown to the population (well, to those who could sit through the screening at least)...

How often do you have escapees?

Funny - I thought that I had replied to this ... Maybe I did - what do you think?

Well - yes - for most at the program, that is true. They not only get to know each other's last name, many of them start to have sex, which is always a mistake: Don't s%#t where you eat!

You must not have told anyone at the program about your trading enterprise; if you had the whole place would have known by noon. At our program, the Director's door actually has grooves in it from all the snitches knocking on it.

"The Peter Principle" - I like that. But, if people remained at their competence level, then nobody would ever move up - not that too many people are competent to start with. I don't really expect competence - expecting that is rather like expecting employees not to steal. Besides, if people actually did their work and did it well, 85% of the work force could be fired. That would not help the economy.

They showed us "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" at the program. I like that movie - except for the ending ... I got them to show one of the movies that I love, "Harold and Maude." I'm bringing in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" What could be better than an afternoon with George and Martha?

- Mark
 
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