Mental health issues abound on ATS

Youch Lasheic. I think therefore I am. Probably one of the most illuminating posts I have ever read.
Kudos.

[edit on 8/23/2008 by jpm1602]

[edit on 8/23/2008 by jpm1602]

reply to post by riggs2099
It does seem a lot of young people come here attention-hunting. That being said, i'd also be a young person- but i don't think interest in cyptids is unreasonable, or a bad thing.
But i also think there is a boundary. And i liked the toxicity thread linked in. The downward spiral going on now is causing a lot of mental problems- among other problems, inside and out of ATS.

where stops being genius and where starts being lunatic
who can judge about ?
I dunno : )

reply to post by riggs2099


perhaps some people do have mental health issues. however from reading your threads you seem to have a serious attitude issue, are rude and to be honest i thnk il just put you on ignore

I think there is a rise in mental illness because of things like the internet. More people are beginning to learn that we still don't know much about this world i.e. quantum mechanics or conspiracies and so begin to implement their own view which may seem crazy or more likely is just plain crazy. That's how my OCD began. It started with getting into the occult and alternative science.

It is most unfortunate so many have teeth bared to rip apart any emotionally challenged individuals.
I'd like to think more of us as community.
But what the heck do I know?
Next to nothing.

Naturally, the mentally ill will be tend to be drawn to a place where their hallucinations are confirmed.

But, also, conspirators will naturally tend to develop mind-control techniques that are disguised as mental illness, and to develop illusions disguised as sanity.

I am so glad someone finally addressed this issue on ATS. I work with patients all day, every day who have a diagnosis of paranoid psychosis or paranoid schizophrenia. My Grandfather also suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. I see SOOOOOO many members here who exhibit symptoms similar to those that I witness daily.

Every time I read that someone had a "telepathic" experience with ETs, ghosts, Satan, God, etc...I ALWAYS think to myself..."Yeah, it's called 'hearing voices.'"

However, I never bring it up to my fellow ATS members, because it's difficult to determine if they are indeed suffering from mental illness, or if their claims carry some legitimacy. I'm certain that there's a little of each.

Either way, thanks for the post.

Originally posted by optimistic skeptic
I am so glad someone finally addressed this issue on ATS. I work with patients all day, every day who have a diagnosis of paranoid psychosis or paranoid schizophrenia. My Grandfather also suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. I see SOOOOOO many members here who exhibit symptoms similar to those that I witness daily.

I worked as security in clinics and yet i don't see what you do. I see people who are out to wind up the community, i see some people who have delved into the new age ideal, i see some who are insane (a rarity) and some who report reputable news sources and realise the parallels between modern societies and dictatorships. Why is it that someone is called paranoid for pointing out the connections between the past and the present?

Originally posted by optimistic skeptic
Every time I read that someone had a "telepathic" experience with ETs, ghosts, Satan, God, etc...I ALWAYS think to myself..."Yeah, it's called 'hearing voices.'"

This i agree with. However maybe you shoudl consider that lots of people that claim this are lying and trying to make money.

Originally posted by optimistic skeptic
However, I never bring it up to my fellow ATS members, because it's difficult to determine if they are indeed suffering from mental illness, or if their claims carry some legitimacy. I'm certain that there's a little of each.

Either way, thanks for the post.

I think you must realise that lots of conmen/women are out there, be careful which story you listen to. Mathmatically alien must exist, however i doubt they have visited us. I think it more likely that government have worked out brilliant technologies with their black budgets.

reply to post by riggs2099


Wonderfull , you went to dunwichwitch thread ,and started spitting sarcastic comments , but because everyone ignored you there , you decided to create a thread , you seem to just want attention.

im pretty new but some of the more recent threads have a quantity of the "special" touch about them but i think alot of that seems to be in conjunction with a number of factors

1. Summer Break

2. American Political events (namley whos the next White House occupant)

3. Economnic Problems people arent going out so mooching around on the net finding ATS and other forums to have a bit of fun in their eyes

4. a break from the reality of mind numbing media coverage of either propoganda machine on Wars or Reality sodding TV and everything celebrity
(i swear to god its not chemtrails you need to worry about poisoning the minds of the people its Reality TV)

well that turned into a bit of a rant i apologise

Mobile Phones the last scare now we have "Tinfoil hats suspected of causing psychosis"

[edit on 23-8-2008 by Amitsumikaboshi]

[edit on 23-8-2008 by Amitsumikaboshi]

[edit on 23-8-2008 by Amitsumikaboshi]

reply to post by jaden_x


Wait a second, people come to some form of cognizance in this "awakening" by spending their honeymoon on Planet-X?

Certainly you can't even be close to serious with this logic.

AB1

I think it goes without saying that there are members here with mental issues. I think that is true in the general society at large as well. The difference is that in real world face to face, people do not talk about these beliefs and experiences. You see them as what defines normal because they never speak of these things.

In the end, ATS is what it is. I doubt the originator even realized what it would eventually develop into. We all have the option to either read or not read threads. ATS is so diverse one could spend plenty of time here and still find new topics of interest.

Is not what you are truly saying that you don't feel comfortable being on a board with people you would deem insane? You are here anonymously so what does it matter? Ignore the posts that bother you and participate in the ones that don't. It's that simple I think.

Yep ATS is nuttier than an old Christmas fruit cake.


But where else can you meet and interact with such a diverse group of personalities? I believe that there truly is a fine line between insanity and genius, it is all relative to who is asking.


I really dont think most people who post here are unstable so much as there are just a lot of extremely tense and frightened/confused individuals looking for answers. The majority seem to be just normal people who are searching for guidance in a screwed up world.



Then again, there was that one kid who swore up and down that his dog was telepathically asking him to mate with it.


He may be the exception to the rule

reply to post by riggs2099


To the OP. I respect your opinion, as it's highly possible. Rather, it's impossible that some of the members on ATS aren't suffering from some sort of mental illness. I'm sure a few are, I'm sure another few are and do not even know it. But, with all due respect sir...your post reeks of dis-info.

Thank you...and good bye.

Originally posted by sdrawkcabII
reply to post by riggs2099

 

To the OP. I respect your opinion, as it's highly possible. Rather, it's impossible that some of the members on ATS aren't suffering from some sort of mental illness. I'm sure a few are, I'm sure another few are and do not even know it. But, with all due respect sir...your post reeks of dis-info.

Thank you...and good bye.

That and I guess much trolling for points because he is in the negative. I guess I should have never even argued my point.

reply to post by sdrawkcabII


I believe the (1) thing we all have to remember here is NOT TO JUDGE anyone or the same rules we apply to that judgment will be used against us.

Regardless if the folks here post with something we don't necessarily agree with, we should respect their right to their opinion, even if we don't agree with it. We did not get to this point in life by not collaborating or the sharing of different ideas and opinions.

We need to move "forward" and to do so means that we are going to have leave our "petty" behaviors behind. I hope that you all can do that or are at least willing to do your best to do that.

I believe we can be better than ourselves. We can be more than we are.
It is time to prove that we can be. It is time to make the comittment to be that which we are now not.

Not to judge. Could not have put it any better E. It is so easy to shred someone here.
Not so hard to have some compassion.

reply to post by jpm1602


Oh yes compassion. We all cannot get enough of it. Probably on my top five for human abilities. If it was not for compassion, I am not sure how any of us would be alive today.

Sympathy and Empathy is not to shabby either.

reply to post by Evisscerator

Regardless if the folks here post with something we don't necessarily agree with, we should respect their right to their opinion, even if we don't agree with it.

I agree that every poster should be allowed their freedom to form their own opinions. As a wise man once said:

"Anyone who denies another person of this right, makes himself a slave to his own opinion, because he prevents himself from being able to change it."

However, that being said, if I'm of the opinion that a fellow poster's opinion sucks, shouldn't I have the right to criticize or refute it? To deny this right to the community would equally enslave the opinion holder to his opinion as it prevents them from hearing opposition and thus, potential reasons to change their opinion. It would be one thing if the moderators were actively shutting down threads in an attempt to limit the expression of opinion regardless of whether or not it violated the TOS. Dog piling on someone who's opinion is contrary to the majority isn't suppression, as it doesn't stop the poster from expressing said opinion. What it does is let the opinion holder know why others refute their opinion, in which case he must refine and redefine his opinion to clarify and present it to the forum. In this process, he may learn something or come to a realization that they did not before which may alter or change their opinion.

Just because you respect the right of others to have their own opinions does not mean you have to, or should, respect the actual opinion being presented.

I often see people here parade around the fact that they have an "open mind" to all opinions. I don't necessarily think this is such a good thing as people would like to promote. The popular analogy of a mind and a parachute (it only works when open) is faulty, IMO. Or rather, incomplete. A better analogy would be that the mind is like a window. This window allows in light and fresh air into your room (mind). However, most windows come equipped with a screen to keep out the bugs and other nasties. This screen is called reason, and it helps keeps your open mind from being polluted by misconceptions, fear mongering, superstitions, lies, and paranoid delusional fantasies.

It's of my opinion that reason should be exercised here more often, especially when I all too often see mere beliefs being passed off as facts and truths.

[edit on 23-8-2008 by Lasheic]