It's a mental illness

[The Hammer]

Some people never recover from something like this. Supporting the recovery, is the right thing to do.

I'm not discouraging his recovery.

 

[dybmh]

I'm not discouraging his recovery.

Gratefully Ed is very strong.

 

[Eddi]

Sure,

Let's say a Dr figures out how to plant a tiny wire in your brain, that can somehow make you think you are in pain, and turns it on. Now it doesn't cause any actual harm to you, just makes you think your hurting.

Are you really in pain or not?

I don't think it really matters whether it's simulated pain or real pain, if you are feeling it then it is real to you.

The qualia would be the same

But the false experience of being hurt would be a non-authentic experience

The experience may be identical

But one would be real and the other an illusion

 

[The Hammer]

The qualia would be the same

But the false experience of being hurt would be a non-authentic experience

The experience may be identical

But one would be real and the other an illusion

Qualia is all that matters imo. Keep up the good work.

Apparently people think I'm trying to discourage your recovery so I'm bowing out.

 

[Brian2]

I cannot remember the exact time it all began.....

I used to think it was the secret service

Then I thought it was God

Then I thought reality was a computer simulation and that it was The Computer God

Then I thought it was an evil demon sent by Satan

Now I know it is all in my head

Inexplicable, perplexing, bewildering things have happened to me

I have been way beyond the frontiers of sanity and of what is normal

Crazy things have happened to me, very memorable crazy things

But I have now returned

It isn't the secret service

It isn't God

It isn't The Computer God

It's not a demon

It's a mental illness

I am mentally ill

That's the reality of my situation, I realise that now

I revoke all claims I've ever made to the contrary

Half the battle is to see and acknowledge that you have a mental illness.
If you don't see and acknowledge that you will continue on thinking you are right.
We probably all have those areas in our thinking that need some light so we can see what they really are.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

I cannot remember the exact time it all began.....

I used to think it was the secret service

Then I thought it was God

Then I thought reality was a computer simulation and that it was The Computer God

Then I thought it was an evil demon sent by Satan

Now I know it is all in my head

Inexplicable, perplexing, bewildering things have happened to me

I have been way beyond the frontiers of sanity and of what is normal

Crazy things have happened to me, very memorable crazy things

But I have now returned

It isn't the secret service

It isn't God

It isn't The Computer God

It's not a demon

It's a mental illness

I am mentally ill

That's the reality of my situation, I realise that now

I revoke all claims I've ever made to the contrary

Nobody here can have anything to say to you about this issue. None of us can help you. All advice you get in response to this post, I hope you will ignore.

But we can like you -- we can hope you find the help you need, because all illnesses have hope for cure or remission. Please, @Eddi, if you believe what you said in your OP -- find the help that can make it better, because that help exists. But it is not here, in RF.

 

[Aštra’el]

You have a very creative spirituality. There is a lot you can achieve with that.

 

[Eddi]

Nobody here can have anything to say to you about this issue. None of us can help you. All advice you get in response to this post, I hope you will ignore.

But we can like you -- we can hope you find the help you need, because all illnesses have hope for cure or remission. Please, @Eddi, if you believe what you said in your OP -- find the help that can make it better, because that help exists. But it is not here, in RF.

I'm not seeking help here

I don't know where you got that idea from

And I have plenty of support away from the internet

I'm making a journal entry and sharing something about myself with an online community of which I am a part

Which has been super helpful to me

But thanks for your concern

 

[Heyo]

There's a lot of it about. Whatever else you are, you are, to me, also a very intelligent, articulate, perceptive and coherent being.

@Eddi is crazy - that doesn't mean that he's stupid!

 

[Eddi]

@Eddi is crazy - that doesn't mean that he's stupid!

I'm also thick skinned

I don't let things bother me

They simply bounce off me

I am impervious

They don't bother me

 

[Brian2]

I'm also thick skinned

I don't let things bother me

They simply bounce off me

I am impervious

They don't bother me

You need to be thick skinned around here sometimes.

 

[Koldo]

I cannot remember the exact time it all began.....

I used to think it was the secret service

Then I thought it was God

Then I thought reality was a computer simulation and that it was The Computer God

Then I thought it was an evil demon sent by Satan

Now I know it is all in my head

Inexplicable, perplexing, bewildering things have happened to me

I have been way beyond the frontiers of sanity and of what is normal

Crazy things have happened to me, very memorable crazy things

But I have now returned

It isn't the secret service

It isn't God

It isn't The Computer God

It's not a demon

It's a mental illness

I am mentally ill

That's the reality of my situation, I realise that now

I revoke all claims I've ever made to the contrary

I am happy that you have figured this out. This is huge. Congrats!

 

[RabbiO]

I'm not seeking help here

I don't know where you got that idea from

And I have plenty of support away from the internet

I'm making a journal entry and sharing something about myself with an online community of which I am a part

Which has been super helpful to me

But thanks for your concern

Whether you were seeking help and support or not from this online community that has been the type of response that some in this community have offered.

@Evangelicalhumanist was simply reminding you of the limits to the type of support this community can realistically offer you, that some of the wisdom that has been offered in the past, and may be offered in the future, well intentioned though it may be, is really not very wise at all. I think I’ve said something similar in the past.

 

[Eddi]

that has been the type of response that some in this community have offered.

And I have been very grateful to receive such kind responses

@Evangelicalhumanist was simply reminding you of the limits to the type of support this community can realistically offer you, that some of the wisdom that has been offered in the past, and may be offered in the future, well intentioned though it may be, is really not very wise at all. I think I’ve said something similar in the past.

Yes, I'm aware that I need to be vigilant about unwise advice

But I am confident in my skills to discern what is and is not wise

I know this may sound daft coming from me, but I do believe I am actually quite a sensible person

 

[Kathryn]

I have a brother who is seriously mentally ill (schizophrenia) and our mother was also seriously mentally ill (bipolar I). My brother has accepted this, and accepted help, but our mother never did. I personally believe it's a physical illness, hereditary, passed down via DNA. I just drew the lucky card and my brother drew the unlucky card. Neither of us asked for our lot in regard to the DNA we inherited. Anyway, good luck, OP. Seven years after my brother's mental health crisis, he is doing well. Hope you will be able to say the same. When I say he's "doing well," I mean he's staying on his medication as far as I can tell. He is not able to work but he's also on disability. He lost everything but he seems to be fine with that now and he seems to have rebuilt his life.