Tue Sep 06, 2005 11:04 pm   Reply with quote      

Let's create a hypothetical situation:
The kid that gets bullied a lot a school, for example, may either rise above his situation, or crumble beneath it. Perhaps his home situation is also far from ideal, for instance, and he has no friends at all.
Girls forever laugh at him, and he's not the brightest, so his impatient teacher makes him stand in the corner most of the time. His siblings always pick on him, and family friends completely ignore him.

Will his social situation perhaps drive him to be a nervous wreck, withdraw, perhaps act a little funny? Or would this situation perhaps give him a "mental disease"?

Wed Sep 07, 2005 4:43 am   Reply with quote      

Potentially, but not necessarily.

Wed Sep 07, 2005 4:01 pm   Reply with quote      

But which of the two would you think would be a more likely outcome?

Wed Sep 07, 2005 6:21 pm   Reply with quote      

I think he'll end up being very bitter, angry, hateful, and not trusting of anyone....(rightfully so) seems like he's been failed by everyone he comes into contact with.

Wed Sep 07, 2005 7:06 pm   Reply with quote      

How would he appear to an outside observer? Normal?

Fri Sep 09, 2005 12:03 am   Reply with quote      

It depends, he can put on a fake show like so many people do, and appear normal if he wants to. A lot of people that appear normal, are not. Then again, nobody is normal these days, we're all crazy:D

But, if he doesn't want to fake it, then the way he feels on the inside will shine through the way he presents himself to the public.

Fri Sep 09, 2005 6:21 pm   Reply with quote      

So if he puts on a fake show, then it's really only a matter of time before this will show up? If not, then it's already showing then.

If he was chronically affected by his past, then could he appear mentally ill? Or "not normal" as you said?

Sat Sep 10, 2005 3:49 am   Reply with quote      

Yes, and it could already be showing up in certain parts of his life. For instance, he could be the cool, 'normal' guy at work, but at home, he can be a total demon.

The 2nd question, he could definitely appear & become 'mentally ill', though, there are so many levels of mental illness....I think we all may fit in there from time to time.

Sat Sep 10, 2005 4:21 am   Reply with quote      

So in other words, years of social interaction (or non-interaction) can create a disease then? A mental disease ???

I feel that every mental disease is rather a psychological proplem rather than a disease or illness, and in some extents the mind may go into a state of "fight or flight" as a subconscious fight for survival.

The mind can take quite an incredible amount of punishment, as can the body, but everything has a breaking-point.
I don't believe a mental illness is something that apparently "miraculously happens", like catching a cold - it's not a virus, nor a bacteria in the majority of "cases" that's the underlying cause of the odd behaviour, and therefore not a disease, but rather a product of society.

What do you think?

Sat Sep 10, 2005 9:18 pm   Reply with quote      

I actually think that mental illness can be caused by some physical damage such as damage done on your brain after years of drug abuse.