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Whiteknight
Senior Contributor

Extreme concepts for clarity

We often struggle to make sense of things. We cant visualise why things are they way they are because the human brain mostly isnt mechanical in operation. Mechanical is when one item mobes and another moves and so on. The mind is  very complex.

 

Take social  anxiety. An extreme  can  be used to pinpoint the core of the issue- people

If suddenly you were the only person on earth...would your social anxiety drift  away? Likely,  maybe replaced with loneliness etc but it would go away. 

 

Another example- one of my issues is injustice. As a worker in law enforcement  (not police) I couldnt swallow anything not lawful. Where I became unstuck in the 1980's was insisting children  ride thei bike on the road. A colleague  pointed out that forcing a 4yo child to ride on a busy highway was stupid. It was. So in that case the law was wrong. Eventually the law was changed. Under 12yo can now ride on footpaths. Now, my therapist at the time said "when are you going to stop saving the world" and.."being black and white when the world is made up of billions of grey people doesnt work".

 

With medication we can also find ourselves knee jerking from using medication , feeling side effects or losing effectiveness to going off them altogether. For some reason many of us dont consider "reasonable change" as part of the solution. If we are reminded of how the symptoms of our illness is without medication, the extreme, we can be wiser and a/ask our GP or b/ if permitted, reduce  a little. Again thinking the consequences of extreme effect can bring clarity of what can be a more sensible decision. 

 

Relationships are another good example. When in dispute how many  of us can keep our cool? It's only when faced with what can develop like separation, that we turn back towards our loved one. With a little more wisdom we can think of that earlier, the consequences, then sit and have  a cuppa. ..calm resolve through extreme thought projection .

 

Using extremes can  put things into perspective so we arrive  at a better outcome.

 

Do you have any extremes you use?

WK

 

 

7 REPLIES 7

Re: Extreme concepts for clarity

@Whiteknight gaol or long term hospitalization are my extremes which keep me taking my medication. I hate it but it is true and I know by taking them it benefits my family so it is a all round winner. Still there is a rebellious part of me that screams like a wolf or a wild cat that screams at night to let everything go and fall where it may.

Re: Extreme concepts for clarity

An honest answer @greenpea

 

We need boundaries and you acknowledge them. Thats good. 

We should realise that people without mental illness also need boundaries often not kept to. They are  human as well as us and have the same rebellious tendencies. Just our boundaries are extra limits of most  importance. 

 

Re: Extreme concepts for clarity

@Whiteknight'.  The comment about black and white thinking, resonated with me. I do this and have been told so by my psychologist. But if I truly believe I'm right about an issue, I find it hard to step back and accept others opinions.

Re: Extreme concepts for clarity

That isn't uncommon @utopia

Nor is it abnormal. That's really important for you to absorb. If you think you are right on some topics then that is partly not only your right to make such a decision but it is also what most people do. Most people = normal, common, the majority.

 

Where it becomes abnormal is not to ever have a middle ground. In law enforcement, it becomes a big problem. EG If a person's child is chocking and they drive to the hospital and park in a no standing zone they then get booked. The guy takes the ticket to that council and tells them of the situation. The council, if they treat everyone equally, points out that the parking sign didn't stipulate "no standing (unless in an emergency" it just said "no standing". When the matter comes before council then council can and would, dismiss the ticket under being reasonable and fair.

 

So, the law is black and white but with a degree of flexibility. Hence we must be flexible also. There is no harm in being black and white providing we a/ are willing to admit error if found wrong and b/ if we accept wholeheartedly that other people have their own views other than ours. This lack of confidence is the actual issue and in some people some stubbornness. However stubborness is not such an issue, its everywhere. Ultra stubborness is just impossible to live with (I'm living proof- ex wife).

 

So, Utopia, try to feel confident that your stance on topics is ok with the proviso's above.

WK

 

 

 

Re: Extreme concepts for clarity

@Whiteknight. Others can have a different opinion from mine. But if they refuse to be educated on a topic e.g: believing schizophrenics are dangerous murderers. Then I think they should keep their mouths shut and their (wrong) opinions to themselves.

Yes I can be very stubborn at times. But I also think my occasional black/white thinking is 'normal'.

Or, maybe I'm Delusional, and the psychiatrist got my Major Depression diagnosis wrong.

Re: Extreme concepts for clarity

What   is difficult  for everyone is dividing personality  with  mental illness @utopia .

Being outspoken when someone unfairly, inconsiderately and wrongly links any person to terrible crimes could be very normal- you can be right!

 If we assess ourselves as too stubborn or outspoken on such topics in a critical manner  when all along we have been very patient with fools, we could be linking our reactions to our  mental condition when it hasn't anything to do with it.

Eg my last defacto wife kept telling people that my anger with her enjoying an alcoholic drink every night was a reflection of my bipolar mood. In fact she was an alcoholic. I had every right to be frustrated and moody over her downing so much booze.

Does this make sense? 

 

Re: Extreme concepts for clarity

That makes a lot of sense @Whiteknight. Thank you

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