Is it useful to see yourself as having a mental disorder?

Question

How can you know what thoughts and behavours originate from the disorder? How can you know where the boundaries are between a mental disorder and your "true" self?

Answer 1

It can be both useful and harmful to view yourself as having a mental disorder. Some people excuse themselves from the need to live and act as normally as possible in society. Other people continually fault themselves, feeling inadequate and "quit" life. On the useful side, it can be helpful to give you something to work toward gaining your health.

Through counseling/therapy with a mental health professional part of what happens is that you learn and discuss your particular thoughts and behaviors - learning and practicing new and more effective thoughts and behaviors, away from what isn't working for you.

As far as identifying the boundaries between mental disorder and "true" self - this is part of the learning and practicing that will be a part of your continued counseling/therapy. It is a difficult thing to know on your own. Family and friends and community around you for support and feedback are very helpful as you learn and mature in you new life patterns.

Although the case in the movie is more extreme, I recommend you see "A Beautiful Mind" I came away with great respect for someone who deals with having to exert so much energy to just be "normal". He struggles with learning to tell the difference between what is real and what is in his mind. -- And it's a true story.

Answer 2

wow this sounds sort of like me with some differences, I tend to over think things and think in a more mature way then most teenagers. I sometimes feel alone and like no one gets me because i feel like i'm on a whole different level. Not saying that in an i'm better than everyone else kind of thing, but i know i'm a little different in an odd indescribable way. I have a very low self esteem, and i don't know why. Do you ever feel that sometimes you'll go through a day talking to yourself (in your head) then talking to others out loud? Not in a creepy way or anything but just always thinking sometimes, just about pointless things and going into crazy day dreams. I know this has effected me, social i mean i have a bunch of friends but were not as close as before, sometimes i go to great lengths just to try to figure myself out and every time i get an answer it'll leave me with a thousand more questions. I dunno this may sound odd to people, it even sounds strange to me. If your in high school go to your guidance counselor talk to them, it might sound lame and everything but that's what i did, and now i have an appointment at the end of june to see a doctor.

Answer 3

THis is something that you should explore with your therapist. It is really good for you to look at where the line is between reality and unreality is in your mind.

I suspect that you are not too bad off because you are showing a pretty good sense of cognitive ability just by asking these questions.

I think that if you can find the places where your mind is lying to you, you will do very well. You sound objective and like you want to be well and those are the best ingredients to get better.

Answer 4

I suppose you draw the line when you are causing harm to your own life or people around you based on the decisions you make and the things you do.

Answer 5

No its actually bad.Alot of ppl have mental disorders bcause they start exagerating on their deficiences.

Answer 6

http://discoveries.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/04/are_school_mass.html
The answer lies within you not someone else to bill you for their never ending spiral of pain.

Answer 7

I got one already!

Answer 8

si' si'