4 ms·
My thoughts and experience exactly. But then: Do we know that everybody else can manage that level of self-insight? I have had prolonged and very close contact
by interfixus 9y ago
My thoughts and experience exactly. But then: Do we know that everybody else can manage that level of self-insight? I have had prolonged and very close contact with severely affected bipolars. None of them seemed capable in any way whatsoever to take that crucial step backwards and look at themselves from a somewhat more external vantage point. My feeling - nothing else - tells me that that failure was part and parcel of their illness.
- bcarlyle 9y agoI agree completely. It seems that the ability to think about thinking and having an outside view of yourself is the big difference between sanity and insanity. The sane man knows himself to be a fool while the insane man believes himself to be sane.
- alikoneko 9y agoI have bipolar 1. What I do is "go meta" and think over the situation and discuss it, how I feel, and how I perceive the situation with a friend or counselor to sanity check. There are times when this fails (co-morbid anxiety disorders), but I find being able to talk through a situation helps immensely. Most of the time, I can even reason out of an anxiety attack or panic attack if I have support close by.