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I’m bipolar I’ve spent several lifetimes(1) studying humanity. For many neurotyoical people I’ve interacted with, non-neurotyoical people are an outside contex

I’m bipolar I’ve spent several lifetimes(1) studying humanity. For many neurotyoical people I’ve interacted with, non-neurotyoical people are an outside context problem. As an asexual person, sexuality is an outside context problem that goes in both directions. Human brains are pattern matching machines. When we interact with other people, we have a mental model for how they think (or should think). That model is built from our internal experience. Without shared internal experience or enough data to imagine it, there will not be true understanding of another’s internal experience. As a result, while I am fortunate to often be accepted for who I am, many people do not understand. Fortunately, I’ve found complete understanding is not required if the other people simply takes what you say at face value. The problem comes in when other people decide they don’t trust you and apply their belief of how you should think instead. Edit 1. For some fun context. :) When I say several lifetimes, I do mean this quite literally. Mania lets one live at a greatly accelerated rate. Mood swings frequently bring extremes of emotion that are experienced only rarely by the average person. It often gives me a deep understanding of how people work. It’s also a curse I’d be very happy trade for ignorance.

narag 4y ago
The problem comes in when other people decide they don’t trust you and apply their belief of how you should think instead. That is certainly a shared experience.
Dracophoenix 4y ago
> Human brains are pattern matching machines. When we interact with other people, we have a mental model for how they think (or should think). That model is built from our internal experience. Without shared internal experience or enough data to imagine it, there will not be true understanding of another’s internal experience. As a result, while I am fortunate to often be accepted for who I am, many people do not understand. Fortunately, I’ve found complete understanding is not required if the other people simply takes what you say at face value. Doesn't taking people at face value usually result in these misunderstandings in the first place? Many people use language as a signifier of their emotional states rather than as a tool to express objective assessments of reality.
- kayodelycaon 4y ago
  I should have been more specific. It’s about making assumptions. If you don’t have the context to understand the other person’s motivations, treating them as if they think like you causes problems. The biggest example of this is telling someone with ADHD they are lazy and just need to try harder.
mikrl 4y ago
>Mania lets one live at a greatly accelerated rate...It often gives me a deep understanding of how people work My friend experienced this for the first time recently and can relate, although she does not think it helped her understand people better. However, the burst of confidence, creative (and sexual) energy did lead her to more prosocial behaviours but in retrospect she was as awkward as ever, without the usual stabilizers of self-consciousness and social anxiety. My friend did some silly things, has regrets and may have overwhelmed people, but she does not think it was necessarily pathological. My friend got really scared of herself when she realized what she was doing. She felt like she was experiencing the energy of a stimulant high for a few weeks, despite being sober. My friend is not sure if it was worth it, nor did she prefer it to being depressed, because of that fear of herself.
- nvrspyx 4y ago
  Mania is often accompanied by quite a few negative aspects: - Irrational, grandiose ideas (i.e., delusions) - Increased susceptibility to believe ideas (e.g., more likely to fall for a spam marketing scheme) - Hallucinations - Impulsive and/or risky behaviors - Easily distracted - Difficulty sustaining attention I imagine the parent commenter more likely experiences hypomania associated with bipolar II disorder rather than the mania associated with bipolar I disorder. The former is much less likely to exhibit the listed negative symptoms and general disinhibition tends to be lesser as well.
  - kayodelycaon 4y ago
    I’m pretty firmly diagnosed Type 1. My psychiatrist said I’m “high functioning”. I’ve had many manic episodes lasting 9 months, with a least two psychotic breaks. The latest lasting 4 months. Still managed to work in an office as a developer throughout it. You can read about that one on my blog: https://kayode.co/blog/4106/living-with-psychosis/ https://kayode.co/blog/4106/living-with-psychosis/
    - MarcoZavala 4y ago

narag 4y ago

The problem comes in when other people decide they don’t trust you and apply their belief of how you should think instead. That is certainly a shared experience.

Dracophoenix 4y ago

> Human brains are pattern matching machines. When we interact with other people, we have a mental model for how they think (or should think). That model is built from our internal experience. Without shared internal experience or enough data to imagine it, there will not be true understanding of another’s internal experience. As a result, while I am fortunate to often be accepted for who I am, many people do not understand. Fortunately, I’ve found complete understanding is not required if the other people simply takes what you say at face value. Doesn't taking people at face value usually result in these misunderstandings in the first place? Many people use language as a signifier of their emotional states rather than as a tool to express objective assessments of reality.

kayodelycaon 4y ago
I should have been more specific. It’s about making assumptions. If you don’t have the context to understand the other person’s motivations, treating them as if they think like you causes problems. The biggest example of this is telling someone with ADHD they are lazy and just need to try harder.

mikrl 4y ago

>Mania lets one live at a greatly accelerated rate...It often gives me a deep understanding of how people work My friend experienced this for the first time recently and can relate, although she does not think it helped her understand people better. However, the burst of confidence, creative (and sexual) energy did lead her to more prosocial behaviours but in retrospect she was as awkward as ever, without the usual stabilizers of self-consciousness and social anxiety. My friend did some silly things, has regrets and may have overwhelmed people, but she does not think it was necessarily pathological. My friend got really scared of herself when she realized what she was doing. She felt like she was experiencing the energy of a stimulant high for a few weeks, despite being sober. My friend is not sure if it was worth it, nor did she prefer it to being depressed, because of that fear of herself.

nvrspyx 4y ago
Mania is often accompanied by quite a few negative aspects: - Irrational, grandiose ideas (i.e., delusions) - Increased susceptibility to believe ideas (e.g., more likely to fall for a spam marketing scheme) - Hallucinations - Impulsive and/or risky behaviors - Easily distracted - Difficulty sustaining attention I imagine the parent commenter more likely experiences hypomania associated with bipolar II disorder rather than the mania associated with bipolar I disorder. The former is much less likely to exhibit the listed negative symptoms and general disinhibition tends to be lesser as well.
- kayodelycaon 4y ago
  I’m pretty firmly diagnosed Type 1. My psychiatrist said I’m “high functioning”. I’ve had many manic episodes lasting 9 months, with a least two psychotic breaks. The latest lasting 4 months. Still managed to work in an office as a developer throughout it. You can read about that one on my blog: https://kayode.co/blog/4106/living-with-psychosis/ https://kayode.co/blog/4106/living-with-psychosis/
  - MarcoZavala 4y ago