Not even I am immune to the warm fuzzy feeling that accompanies Christmas Day. Happy holidays everyone! Congratulations on surviving the stress of the days leading up to this joyous holiday. Thank god it only happens once a year.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Mental instability and the stigma associated with it.
Is the stigma associated with mental disorders warranted? It's a question I ask myself often. Approximately half of North America's population has been diagnosed with some form of mental disorder. These disorders range from anxiety, to bipolar disorder, to schizophrenia. It was only after I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder myself that I learned just how many personality disorders exist. In a day and age where nothing is sacred and few topics are taboo, the mention of any sort of mental instability still makes people cringe. Admitting to anyone but your close friends and immediate family that you suffer from schizophrenia essentially means social death. You could be the most likable person in the world, but if the general public finds out that you don't have all your ducks in a row, you are effectively fucked.
A bad stigma is born from three things: ignorance, intolerance, and fear. Are these stigmas ever warranted? There are times when it seems like it. You see paranoid schizophrenics on the street, and if one of your family members or close friends gets diagnosed with it, you can't help but cringe and pray that it's not really happening. The same goes for bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and any number of other mental "illnesses". Some people go so far as to go into a state of denial when such a diagnosis is made so that they can just ignore whatever difficulties the people they claim to love may be experiencing. It never ceases to amaze me how far people will go to avoid dealing with problems. Granted, I can't really blame people in some cases. Many people with bipolar disorder can be verbally or even physically abusive when experiencing mania or depression. People with OCD can be just plain impossible to live with at times. When you meet a person who has been diagnosed with multiple disorders, you can't help but cringe a little.
What a lot of people don't seem to realize is that people with mental "illnesses" are often some of the most brilliant, creative people you'll ever meet. Robin Williams exhibits all the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Albert Einstein showed many symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome. I know of someone who suffers from both bipolar and obsessive compulsive disorder, and not only is he one of the most intelligent people I know, he is without a doubt one of the most likable people I've ever met. I like him a lot better than many of my "stable" aquaintances. It is instances like these that make me question the validity of the general fear of people whose brains are wired differently.
There are two sides to every coin. There is a silver lining behind every cloud. Before you judge someone, I recommend you take a while to get to know him without letting whatever challenges he may have to deal with affect your opinion of him. You may just be pleasantly surprised. Hell, he may end up being your best friend.
A bad stigma is born from three things: ignorance, intolerance, and fear. Are these stigmas ever warranted? There are times when it seems like it. You see paranoid schizophrenics on the street, and if one of your family members or close friends gets diagnosed with it, you can't help but cringe and pray that it's not really happening. The same goes for bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and any number of other mental "illnesses". Some people go so far as to go into a state of denial when such a diagnosis is made so that they can just ignore whatever difficulties the people they claim to love may be experiencing. It never ceases to amaze me how far people will go to avoid dealing with problems. Granted, I can't really blame people in some cases. Many people with bipolar disorder can be verbally or even physically abusive when experiencing mania or depression. People with OCD can be just plain impossible to live with at times. When you meet a person who has been diagnosed with multiple disorders, you can't help but cringe a little.
What a lot of people don't seem to realize is that people with mental "illnesses" are often some of the most brilliant, creative people you'll ever meet. Robin Williams exhibits all the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Albert Einstein showed many symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome. I know of someone who suffers from both bipolar and obsessive compulsive disorder, and not only is he one of the most intelligent people I know, he is without a doubt one of the most likable people I've ever met. I like him a lot better than many of my "stable" aquaintances. It is instances like these that make me question the validity of the general fear of people whose brains are wired differently.
There are two sides to every coin. There is a silver lining behind every cloud. Before you judge someone, I recommend you take a while to get to know him without letting whatever challenges he may have to deal with affect your opinion of him. You may just be pleasantly surprised. Hell, he may end up being your best friend.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Lies and head games
...do you really think you're doing anyone any favours by lying?
This morning when I logged on I came across this article. This man's death was completely avoidable. If everyone involved had just been honest from the start, Barret would still be alive. There are few things that piss me off more than stories like this. Regardless of whether or not there is face to face contact, people still develop real feelings for the people they associate with online. Most of the time those feelings are purely platonic, but when an individual develops romantic feelings for someone online, those feelings are every bit as strong as feelings for a person they might know in real life.
I am by no means condoning what Montgomery did, but to some extent I feel sorry for him. He had fallen in love with this woman only to find out that not only was she also involved with someone else, but she wasn't even who she claimed to be. Granted, this guy is obviously as nutty as a fruit-cake, but there are plenty of less extreme cases very similar to this where real people develop real feelings, only to learn that they have been lied to.
The most frustrating thing is, things like this don't just happen on the internet. You get sent on a blind date with what seems to be a charming person, only to find out that all they're after is a roll in the sack or a meal ticket. What people don't seem to realize is that nine times out of ten, when you lie through your teeth to a potential lover, sooner or later the shit hits the fan.
Men: If you are cheating on your wife, sooner or later she WILL find out, she WILL be angry, and if she was a shrewish bitch before, wait 'till you see how she acts when she finds out about your affair.
Women: You play with the hearts of men, sooner or later word is going to get out, the men you're jerking around are going to find out and you are going to end up alone.
Seriously, people. You really think you're such a good liar that your S.O. isn't going to be suspicious when you come home with love-bites on your bottom? Think again!
This morning when I logged on I came across this article. This man's death was completely avoidable. If everyone involved had just been honest from the start, Barret would still be alive. There are few things that piss me off more than stories like this. Regardless of whether or not there is face to face contact, people still develop real feelings for the people they associate with online. Most of the time those feelings are purely platonic, but when an individual develops romantic feelings for someone online, those feelings are every bit as strong as feelings for a person they might know in real life.
I am by no means condoning what Montgomery did, but to some extent I feel sorry for him. He had fallen in love with this woman only to find out that not only was she also involved with someone else, but she wasn't even who she claimed to be. Granted, this guy is obviously as nutty as a fruit-cake, but there are plenty of less extreme cases very similar to this where real people develop real feelings, only to learn that they have been lied to.
The most frustrating thing is, things like this don't just happen on the internet. You get sent on a blind date with what seems to be a charming person, only to find out that all they're after is a roll in the sack or a meal ticket. What people don't seem to realize is that nine times out of ten, when you lie through your teeth to a potential lover, sooner or later the shit hits the fan.
Men: If you are cheating on your wife, sooner or later she WILL find out, she WILL be angry, and if she was a shrewish bitch before, wait 'till you see how she acts when she finds out about your affair.
Women: You play with the hearts of men, sooner or later word is going to get out, the men you're jerking around are going to find out and you are going to end up alone.
Seriously, people. You really think you're such a good liar that your S.O. isn't going to be suspicious when you come home with love-bites on your bottom? Think again!
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