City of IF

sparta12 · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 2:14 pm Post subject: Out of Curiosity

I was just wondering as to how many people who visit our wonderful City of IF suffer from Mental Conditions/Disorders/Syndromes?
I myself have a Mild Case of Asperger's Syndrome.

Alegria · Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 10:47 am Post subject:

Hmmm...

Well I do not suffer from anything "officially" but I am crazy....

Black Hawk · Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:23 am Post subject:

yeah nothing official just crazy

scissorkitty · Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 5:00 pm Post subject:

I wouldn't necessarily call it suffering, though! I think all differently-brained people are suited to different situations. For example, someone obsessive-compulsive might be perfectly happy, and even incredibly suited to a job in which she oversaw stock management, or minute details that needed perfect tallys or repetition. Someone with high functioning autism, who was extremely gifted with numbers, might be awesome working with machinery, mathematics, and high speed data entry... that kind of thing. I just think some brains work differently, is all. If our society of "Givemenownownow!" were more accepting and open minded, everyone might be better able to be a part of "every day" society, instead of being labeled "disabled" or "abnormal".

Bookwizard · Joined: 07 Oct 2007 Posts: 639 Location: Gallifrey

I'm all with you Kitty, if you really look at todays society, there are many ways in which we have an unjust way of thinking. Now I am a strong believer in people keeping personal beliefs unmolested, but really, if you think about it a lot of these so called "disorders" are just another way of looking at the world. And because a few people have them and they are slightly different from the general population they are labeled as "disabled". To make it even worse commonly people of this sort end of being smarter then your average Joe as well, but their whole life they are treated as if incapable, eventually being forced into believing the lie that everyone around them believes... that they have no potential.

scissorkitty · Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:21 pm Post subject:

I don't know if I'd go quite that direction with it, but yes.. that is sort of what I mean. I just think, we're so programmed to think in black and white terms of "functional" vs "dysfunctional", that often we don't look at the true potential that each person has. Everyone is suited to something, everyone has something to offer. "Disabled" means lack of ability.. and I don't think anyone truly has that.. animals, plants, .. everything has something to offer, if only you find the niche for the ability.

I just wish there was a little more open-mindedness out there.

sparta12 · Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 2:47 am Post subject:

May I just inquire as to who clicked which answer on the survey seeing that I shared my little fact?

Yeah, I know what you guys are saying and I think scissorkitty hit the nail right on the head when she said "Some Brains Work Differently" and I have actually had a Psychologist (whom is a renowned Guru -if you will- of Asperger's Syndrome) tell me those very words.

ethereal_fauna · Joined: 16 Feb 2005 Posts: 2567 Location: USA

My son has an Asperger's diagnosis. Incredibly smart, but he does have a few social adjustments to make at school.

As for myself, I have struggled with an anxiety disorder for years, and a mild psychosis among other things (that Other category below). My head is broke and no one can fix it. :?

While I agree that some differences aren't necessarily disabling- for instance, my son and many of the PDD children he goes to school with are not disabled- for some people mental differences can truly result in functional limitations.

Our differences actually impact who we are, sometimes in negative ways. "Disabled" is an acceptable label, descriptive of certain people and conditions. There is nothing wrong with that.

sparta12 · Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 2:54 pm Post subject:

For anyone who is wondering "PDD" stands for Pervasive Developmental Disorders.
Yeah, I can relate to your son's position there Fauna. Unfortunately, I didn't receive a diagnosis until I was in the 10th Grade and as a result I've ended up blocking out the majority of Year 7+8 because of School Work/Social Stress. Most of what I remember of 2005 is actually related to just cruising around Interfable :lol:

scissorkitty · Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 6:25 pm Post subject:

ADD here, and I didn't find out until I was in my early twenties.

I appologise in regards to my comments towards the term "disabled". I didn't mean to put my own ownership onto the term. I think it's the term "learning disability" that I have more of a personal vendetta against.

As I wasn't diagnosed with ADD until adulthood, i was on my own during my school years- found my own ways to learn and retain, and recall, information as needed. I think "learning disability" is just a very strange term.. literally meaning "an inability to learn".. when really, it's just an inability, or difficulty, in learning in the more conventional manner.

Kalanna Rai · Joined: 21 Jan 2006 Posts: 3102 Location: The Frozen North

I've never been oficially diagnosed with anything but, for a very long time, my teachers were all 'suggesting' that I might be ADD/ADHD because of certain classroom habits. Namely reading obsessively to the point of ignoring pretty much everything around me and playing hand-held videogames.

That said I was also scoring the highest on every test handed out...with the exception of my Math classes and my French tests. I cannot spell in English...how the heck am I supposed to spell in French?

I may also have a mild case of dyslexia as I am very prone to doing things backwards...mostly when it comes to saying numbers outloud and typing. I just like to say that I think faster than I speak...or think faster than I type.

My little sister, however, is different. She has a Prater-Wille like syndrome and as a result is thirteen and about two years behind everyone else her age in school. That is absolutely amazing considering that mentally, she's only around the age of eight.

Lilith · Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 2:46 am Post subject:

I, like Rai, read obsessively and suck at math but docs give me the creeps so I am not diagnosed with anything except self-diagnosis of insanity. :)

Also, like Rai, I have a younger sibling with some mental problems. Little brother is adopted and so far in his young life, he's moderately mentally handicapped or developmentally delayed, however they want to classify that nowadays, slightly autistic, ADHD, and more recently bi-polar. He used to experience grand mal siezures from epilepsy, but he actually grew out of those.

All the doctors when he was younger said he'd never be able to read or anything, but he is and he's even doing some basic math stuff too. So he's proving them wrong academically, while the behavorial problems drive the rest of us nuts.

But, meh, little brothers. Made to drive big sisters crazy.

D-Lotus · Joined: 21 Oct 2004 Posts: 4123 Location: Hollywood, USA

I had no idea so many people here have mental conditions. I guess it's somewhat eye-opening, since I would have never suspected anything of the sort.

scissorkitty · Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 6:50 pm Post subject:

D- really? I mean... really??! *lol*

solus.serpen · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Posts: 608 Location: UK

I clicked 'other'.
Never been officially diagnosed - my family seem to have an unspoken motto of 'deal with it yourself' so the last time I went to the doctors was to get a jab - not sure what it was for.
After a traumatic event I became depressed - didn't feel like I could talk to anyone and, because of this, I retreated into myself. A voice in my head documented my actions which developed into teling me what to do and speaking directly to me or to someone else. Aparently this is Schizophrenia - which ties into another symptom I have of surpressed ability to feel emotions.
This was mostly cleared up a year ago, although I still get bouts of depression I rarely hear any voices. Some days I slip into a bi-polar 'routine' but it isn't lasting so I'm not really bothered by it.
Anyway, that's a simplified version since you asked.
~Solus. ;)

sparta12 · Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 4:03 am Post subject:

Thanks for the details solus.serpen. ;)

Chinaren · Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 4:13 am Post subject:

You're all a bunch of weirdo's*. I'm going to have to re-evaluate my advertising** methods.

And why is there no: "funk*** no, I'm as sane as a Chinaren option on the poll? We're not all loonies here you know. ;)

*Not that's a bad thing of course, though if anyone could define 'normal' that would also help.
**Different demographics and all that, in Marketing language.
***'cos people don't like 'bad' language on here apparently. Sheesh.

sparta12 · Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 4:17 am Post subject:

If you have not been diagnosed with a Mental Condition or do not have reason to believe that you do have one?

scissorkitty · Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 7:33 am Post subject:

I agree, Cren. This poll was sorely lacking a "sociopathic, orange fuzzy wuzzy mind-tricks" option. I feel your pain.

:) :P

Alegria · Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 10:55 am Post subject:

Am I seriously the only Nuerotypical person here?

I mean I know I'm a little off, but not enough to be diagnosed with anything...

I'm embarrassed for my sanity. :oops:

D-Lotus · Joined: 21 Oct 2004 Posts: 4123 Location: Hollywood, USA

scissorkitty wrote: D- really? I mean... really??! *lol*

What? I meant everyone here is so brilliant, I would have never considered anyone 'dysfunctional'. Although, then again, we're in the city of if, I should have suspected the genius had some sort of bizarre source.

sparta12 · Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 3:44 pm Post subject:

Alegria wrote: Am I seriously the only Nuerotypical person here?

I mean I know I'm a little off, but not enough to be diagnosed with anything...

I'm embarrassed for my sanity. :oops:

I'm sure there are other neurotypical *cough* AVERAGE *cough* people on the forum as well bu they're probably just not visiting this thread :lol:

Phang · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 9:30 am Post subject:

I voted neurotypical to make Alegria feel better.

Novelest_Ninjagirl · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 10:32 am Post subject:

*blink, barely understanding most of this* I'm not offically anything. . .but everyone I've ever met has told me I'm ocd. Or as I say it, CDO, in alphabetical order, the way it should be. lol

sparta12 · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 3:48 pm Post subject:

By the way, Bob The Apedog was here twice.

Alegria · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:14 pm Post subject:

Quote: I voted neurotypical to make Alegria feel better.

Great, I'm in the same league as Phang...

Just kidding.[/quote]

D-Lotus · Joined: 21 Oct 2004 Posts: 4123 Location: Hollywood, USA

In the end, we're all in the same league. Namely, humanity. We're all gonna end up in the same box after the game is done, regardless of whether we're kings or pawns or sane or looney.

Reiso · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 3:19 am Post subject:

I've had ADHD all of my life, and was diagnosed with childhood Tourettes when I was six or something, which I guess can develop into Schizophrenia I've heard? Or something like that. Anyway, I was lucky in that that did not happen, and I have always been doubtful of the Tourettes diagnosis, because it was diagnosed by a psychiatrist, not a psychologist, and the majority of those guys just like to fit their patients into labels they can throw medication at.

I suspect I also had very slight and mild autistic tendencies as a child, because I now know someone with an autistic child, and recognize certain behaviors and behavior patterns that the only explanation for is his autism, which are very similar to things I did. That isn't even a part of my life anymore though, and hasn't been since way back around sometime during puberty, so now my only problem is the ADHD.

Well, I may have some co-dependency issues too, but I am very psychologically aware of myself because I have always been fascinated by psychology. My only real problem then, becomes apathy regarding action towards positive change. Which is compounded by a further apathy regarding caring about being apathetic.

The Meaning Of Fear · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 1:27 pm Post subject:

So far I haven't been diagnosed with anything (Not that I've ever seen a psychiatrist, so that might be why) but I think I might have some sort of ADD. Or maybe I'm just someone who tends to space out.

Or maybe I'm normal? :?

I voted neurotypical. I don't like that word. It makes me feel generic.

Gallant · Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 7:32 am Post subject:

I'm nice guy but I have been diagnosed with sociopathic behaviour in violent situations. Basically I don't think about what's going to happen I just think about what's happening and how best to deal with it then. My mates tell me I have no fear, but that's a lie. It just gets ignored. :P

Honestly though, think about it this way. Where I live, (Scotland) it's a bit rough. Loads of people have some sort of head problem but it largely goes unnoticed. Say you encountered someone with schizophrenia. No one would think you have multiple personalities, you're just regarded as a bit of a character. :P

No one thinks I'm mentally unstable, they just think I'm hard, which is fine by me.