Posted by Deneb on July 27, 2005, at 21:59:09
I would like to meet some people here IRL to help me dispel any myths I may still have of mentally ill people.
Working in a mall, I see lots of "strange" people now. Everyone just assume that they are "crazy." Somehow this also seems to mean that they don't understand things or can be violent etc. I don't fear violence from these people. I find it amusing to interact with them.
Once I spoke to a delusional man in the library. At first I didn't know he was delusional, but it was pretty clear that he was after speaking with him. I was drawn to him because he went to the library everyday. There are some pretty strange "regulars" in the public library downtown...I guess I was becoming one of them! (I was in a strange anxiety ridden time and I took my plush animal with me everywhere and thought he was my friend...I even took him to the movies with me...I must have seemed a little "crazy" myself!)
He seemed to be studying very hard. I found it strange that he wore a surgical mask all the time. He told me that he was studying to be a neurosurgeon (he couldn't even spell neurosurgeon). He had a strange way of communicating...he would write things down on a piece of napkin because he stuttered too much. He was looking at a human anatomy textbook and his notes did not make sense...he was just copying down terms. He then proceeded to tell me about how he was a prince in his country and a bunch of other stuff that made no sense. It was very interesting. I went along with his delusion, I didn't challenge him and he seemed to like talking to me.
There's also this man who walks around the mall where I work everything. I'm not sure if he is homeless, but he seems to have some money to buy things with and he doesn't carry everything with him. I wonder if it is a good idea to talk to him one day. Hmmm...maybe he isn't even "crazy"...maybe he just likes to walk around in the mall.
Now that I think about it, it must seem pretty "crazy" to ride the bus all day pointlessly. I did that for a while and I don't consider myself "crazy."
What does it mean to be "crazy" anyways? Does it mean psychotic? Not being in touch with reality? I just wonder if many of us seem obviously "different" to other people...I mean, sometimes one can sense that someone is not quite "right".
I don't know where I'm going with this anymore. I just know I want to understand people with mental illness more. You all seem normal enough, yet some people have some pretty serious diagnoses.
Deneb
poster:Deneb
thread:534528
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20050726/msgs/534528.html