My sister is a psychologist, and whenever I talk to her, I feel like I should start therapy immediately. Then I ask myself quietly, “Are we all mentally disturbed?”
I am aware of human disorders; I have seen plenty of them for over 40 years. For several months, I dated a narcissist (narcissistic personality disorder). Of course, he didn’t tell me about it. I came to that conclusion myself—an exceedingly eye-opening and challenging experience. Psychologists are still divided; they cannot agree on whether the narcissist is aware of their problem or not. Narcissists will never acknowledge flaws, so you don’t really know if one is lying or not. Narcissism is a severe disorder, most often resulting from childhood trauma.
But what about us? Those who had a “normal childhood”?
I assume that I belong to this group. A few hills, maybe not always according to the book, but generally joy, freedom, and fun. The typical young person’s upbringing.
Life was simple until I went to college and started a stage of life where I relied solely on my own decisions. It turned out that these decisions had the most significant impact on my life.
Each of us is different. Psychology tries to label every difference. This results in hundreds of new definitions of medical conditions, behaviors, or reactions that, according to someone wise, have been defined as abnormal.
It is not my role to analyze every case. I do not have enough knowledge, education, or resources to express scientifically indisputable opinions.
According to my humble assessment, the world went crazy!
Fitting certain behaviors into drawers labeled by experts gives us a sense of peace; a belief that we can fix it, that one pill can solve the problem. Most of us are not really looking for the root of the problem. Just a prescription for a drug whose name we can’t pronounce. Maybe this name was invented to bring a sense of the recommended product’s illusory uniqueness. In the whirlwind of everyday life, we don’t have time to analyze why, from where, how to eliminate the cause. And the reason often seems trivial: lack of attention, belief that no one loves us, because we probably don’t deserve love, no one understands us, we aren’t necessary to anyone. Every madness has its cause. I don’t believe that colored pills are the treatment... They are just quieting the questions in your head.
If we stopped for a moment, in contrast to the prevailing notion of something, and assumed that MAN is the most important, how many changes could we bring to our own and someone else’s life? Sometimes it is just all about listening…
To answer my main question, I believe that we all become mentally unhinged when we lose the sense of ourselves. Sometimes amid the phones, computers, and all the hustle and bustle, we lose the need for intimacy, contact with another person. But even the most modern computer or smartphone can’t replace a friend.
Unfortunately, technology is advancing much faster than humanity’s mental evolution, so we can’t keep up with it. There is nothing wrong with technology as long as we understand that it should serve us, not the other way around.
Each of us has the right to be who we are – with our pros, cons, past traumas, and holiday memories. Everyone’s got something!
If I don’t hurt anyone, I can live as I like and be who I want. I don’t believe in labeling humans, generalizing reactions or behaviors: different experiences affect us all in completely different ways. I support humanity and I love its diversity. ’That’s the very reason why we are all so different. Humanity’s whole philosophy is that we are all crazy in our own way. And that brings out the best in us.
If you feel that you can’t handle your emotions, please get some help, seek out a psychologist, priest, or monk.
If you feel good about yourself but feel like you are not fit for the rest, I have good news: you aren’t the only one! I had never fit in. This uniqueness that honorably includes you into the circle of humanity gives a different dimension to your existence. Be proud of who you are, some will look for their identity all life.
Otherness is not to cure it! Otherness is about finding yourself!
Each of us should look within ourselves for a unique, imprinted in our soul, uncompromising and, above all else, our own identity!