3 ms·

If you were trapped and the only way to free yourself was to cut your arm off like that guy in 187 hours, any person could make that decision. A sane person wo

If you were trapped and the only way to free yourself was to cut your arm off like that guy in 187 hours, any person could make that decision. A sane person would verify that they are trapped, call for help, wait as long as possible in hopes of rescue, and then when it was all for naught and it came down to life or death, if they had decided they were going to live no matter what they could start cutting. An insane person might also make that decision, but might make that decision without verifying that they are trapped first. Might make that decision in response to a feeling of being trapped, an internal one with no external verifiability. The idea that psychotic people are sane people in a crazy world sounds poetic but doesn't hold up to examination. If you are trapped in a rushing river you can swim against it or give up and go with the flow, but psychotic people are trapped in the raging river of their perceptions and can only "go with the flow" under the effect of exogenous chemicals. It's not a "sane reaction to a crazy world" to go crazy, going crazy is a helpless reaction to a crazy perception of the world. It's not always forever though. I've heard of people who go crazy for a while and then return to normal, or find an outlet for it that allows them to adapt and integrate. Maybe everyone should go a little crazy every once in a while just to shake things up a bit.

denton-scratch 5y ago
Well, the terms "sane" and "insane" aren't really very helpful. "Insane" could cover almost any unusual kind of experience or behaviour. "Sane" is equally flexible in meaning. Psychosis is not a disease or condition; it's a symptom supporting the diagnosis of a wide variety of conditions, and is sometimes a direct result of childhood trauma, which can be susceptible to complete remission through therapy. So you're right - it's not always forever. Apparently some psychotherapists contend that all of those conditions characterised by psychosis are the result of childhood trauma. [citation needed]
- BizarroLand 5y ago
  I disagree that the terms aren't "very helpful" as in this case the context should have been sufficient for any adept English reader to comprehend the meaning of my post without digging into the individual etymology of the word choices I made. Also, psychosis can be the temporary or permanent result of foreign chemicals, injury, or diseases damaging the brain directly such as untreated syphilis.

denton-scratch 5y ago

Well, the terms "sane" and "insane" aren't really very helpful. "Insane" could cover almost any unusual kind of experience or behaviour. "Sane" is equally flexible in meaning. Psychosis is not a disease or condition; it's a symptom supporting the diagnosis of a wide variety of conditions, and is sometimes a direct result of childhood trauma, which can be susceptible to complete remission through therapy. So you're right - it's not always forever. Apparently some psychotherapists contend that all of those conditions characterised by psychosis are the result of childhood trauma. [citation needed]

BizarroLand 5y ago
I disagree that the terms aren't "very helpful" as in this case the context should have been sufficient for any adept English reader to comprehend the meaning of my post without digging into the individual etymology of the word choices I made. Also, psychosis can be the temporary or permanent result of foreign chemicals, injury, or diseases damaging the brain directly such as untreated syphilis.