SoulPancake / Conversations / How do you tell if you are mentally insane?

Jump into a Conversation about Life's' Big Questions

Arjuna

- 3 years ago

Feature
0
Like
Follow

How do you tell if you are mentally insane?

Throughout my life I have had my quirks and eccentricities, and while that usually hasn't been a problem I have occasionally thought that I was mentally insane. I know that at the very least I am extremely hypersensitive. For example, whenever I am near an argument I feel a shockwave of grief, anger, stress, and other emotions. For example, several years ago during the holiday season my family is shopping for gifts in a toy store. My Mom needs to go to the restroom so she goes while I'm with my sisters. The two of them start to argue for whatever reason and soon I notice than in reaction to this I am jumping up and down. I wasn't even conscious of this at first! I was even in therapy for a little bit because of my nervousness or whatever it is that's part of me. How can I tell if I'm insane and how to fix this?

Recent Discussed Liked

First level responses second level responses

The definition of insanity that seems to work the best in my opinion is when someone loses touch with reality. In your case, it looks as if you may have had a moment of strangeness but Im not sure if I could classify that as insanity. Unless this is a reoccurring event and the so called "insane-spells" are getting longer in duration, I can't see anything being wrong with you. Everyone deals with stress and anxiety differently and if your method of coping is to jump up and down, then hell at least it's good exercise! ;)

It sounds as though you may have an anxiety disorder. I think you should be screened by your GP and get a referral to a psychiatrist.

Maybe time to let go of the fact that you jumped up and down in a shopping mall several years ago and to this day wonder if it might be a proof that you are insane. I was out with a friend several years ago and in one of our busiest streets I found myself getting down on my knees and howling like a wolf to the sky, and I am sane as sane can be....ask any of the hobgoblins in my closet. I heard a good definition of insanity, here goes: Insanity is when we repeat the same thing over and over always expecting a different outcome. Might not be everyones idea of insanity but it works for me and by that measure I get into the insane club on a few counts myself but shhhh please don't tell anybody. A good way to deal with hypersensitivity is to put the story you are telling yourself on hold while you take a few moments to breathe. Count the breath in 1-5. Hold. Count the breath out 1-5.We then cut off from it. Now without saying this is a bad way to feel just feel the flutters, the movement of the energies in your body. Don't label them. Keep aware of them as you breathe.This is called sanity and meets the common definition for it which is :clear mind.Be sane and do not worry.Thanks for sharing with me.

(In)Sanity is a question of degrees. We go to therapy if we are suffering and seek help to stop it. If we dont even realize that we are suffering, and/or we make others suffer and dont see it - THEN we have a problem which verges on or is a part of insanity. My mother has borderline personality disorder and my father had narcissistic personality disorder and both are considered SEVERE personality disorders. Many of their emotional rationalizations result in a distorted view of reality. The movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo`s Nest" is an example of this. The nurse was caring for people who were considered insane- but suffering from narcissistic personality disorder herself, she was in no position to be a caretaker of others, because her need for power and control as well as the absence of compassion made her only able to see her own rationalized reality, and a candidate for therapy herself.

If you were truly insane you wouldn't be asking the question. If you were truly insane you would believe your thoughts were completely sane and rational and everyone else had the problem. We all have quirks and eccentricities, our places of extreme sensitivity--and our places of numbness. These things all work together to make us who they are, and given the right circumstances, they can be tremendous gifts.

I am with nenamatahari

Insanity is something a group of people wanted to put a name to. we all are insane at times if it becomes a problem for you or others then it becomes an "ilness" according to those people. my advice is if you think your insane and its not a problem that is noticed by others and you can live with it, dont tell anyone because, your not.

Everyone has their ups and downs. Everyone has their issues and whatnot. You needn't beat yourself up. ;)

To answer the question at hand, I don't think you're crazy atleast not any more so then the rest of us. Although I do have to say everyone can benifit from a little "couch time", crazy or not. If there's something about you or your emotions that's troubling you then don't be ashamed to talk to a professional. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is an awsome movie by the way.

I'm quite sure you can get tests to figure that out :)

i'm very hypersensitive. it could be a mix of things with you. for me it was the fact that most females in my family have bad menstrual cycles. so it came as no surprise when it started happening to me too. i have pdd and hormonal inbalances. it also came to be known that i am anemic. so it is very easy for me to become fatigued and then oversensitive/irritated. just go to the doctor and explain your situation. you are more than likely not crazy. i thought i was too, it was just a group of things all adding up to make me sick.

sounds to me like ur just sensitive to energies. i am too. then again, maybe i too am insane. i dunno. i'm comfortable with it. meh.

@Arjuna

Follow Message

More Conversations from Arjuna

What is the best way to tell a story? 15 Responses How do you fight cold feet? 11 Responses Proving that Haifa is safe 8 Responses How do you know what to do in an area of gray? 7 Responses Is anyone here a Shia LaBeouf fan? 9 Responses

Show More ↓

SoulPancake

Arjuna

How do you tell if you are mentally insane?

dr_eww

zamfir

It sounds as though you may have an anxiety disorder. I think you should be screened by your GP and get a referral to a psychiatrist.

Dali

chantarella

BlueCrayon

robt

I am with nenamatahari

robt

nenamatahari

Everyone has their ups and downs. Everyone has their issues and whatnot. You needn't beat yourself up. ;)

Mistral

labordaychild

I'm quite sure you can get tests to figure that out :)

brittneyjustis

ninjamu

sounds to me like ur just sensitive to energies. i am too. then again, maybe i too am insane. i dunno. i'm comfortable with it. meh.

How do you tell if you are mentally insane?

It sounds as though you may have an anxiety disorder. I think you should be screened by your GP and get a referral to a psychiatrist.

I am with nenamatahari

Everyone has their ups and downs. Everyone has their issues and whatnot. You needn't beat yourself up. ;)

I'm quite sure you can get tests to figure that out :)

sounds to me like ur just sensitive to energies. i am too. then again, maybe i too am insane. i dunno. i'm comfortable with it. meh.

What's Next?