Posted by Solstice on November 30, 2011, at 21:22:59
In reply to Re: What if I recovered from narcissism?, posted by Christ_empowered on November 30, 2011, at 7:55:10
> Hey, Solstice.
>
> I don't think you'll ever quite know how helpful your input was to me.Well.. I'm honored to have had the privilege of being helpful to you... and I'm warmed to hear what it meant to you.
> I think part of the problem is that some "mental health professionals" saw fit to break confidentiality, so my diagnosis was talk of the town for a good 2 years. Imagine, if you will, being in a bar or at work and hearing people talk about your "narcissism." I wasn't hallucinating, either.Know what, CE? When I hear you talk about the voices that plague you, I keep wondering if it's not that you are hallucinating 'voices,' as much as it is that you've walked a tough road, and there are a number of situational factors that have created an environment for you that has you ultra-sensitive to what others think and say about you. If we get an abundance of negative feedback socially, then it becomes 'natural' for us to perceive others as not liking us, of being critical of us, of rushing to judgment about us, of falsely accusing us. You've talked about youthful indiscretions that seem to have left you feeling a lot of shame. Plus, being gay, you've likely been bullied and faced some social rejection - or at least fear of rejection. Then there are the obstacles to independence created by having mental health issues... and the icing on the cake is the betrayal by mental health professionals. Considering all you've had to cope with, I am amazed at your ability to sustain a genuine and open-hearted spirit... someone who strikes me as being without guile. You bear your hurts with courage and maturity. So I don't know, CE, but when I read your descriptions of the voices, what I 'hear' is a sensitive soul who is pained by hearing the tapes of so many critical voices from the past being replayed in his head - as opposed to someone who 'hears voices' in a way that we think of when someone is psychotic. I realize I could be completely wrong - I'm just sharing my impressions based on what I 'see' of you here.
>
> So thank you. I guess now its just a matter of recognizing that mental health "professionals" aren't always that professional, and that being a gay dude in the South with mental problems probably set me up for some terrible problems with labeling and misdiagnosis.And maybe it's not just the narcissism diagnosis that's off? Maybe you experienced a break of some kind due to the enormously complicated and painful things you've experienced, but maybe you really aren't as 'psychotic' as you've been encouraged to believe?
Solstice
poster:Solstice
thread:1003892
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20111017/msgs/1004031.html