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Ask HN: How can you tell if you are insane?

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Re: Ask HN: How can you tell if you are insane?

#81

Post by keefe »

qwertyFish wrote: post #73
beeboop wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Over the course of a day, if you've been taking it for years, it doesn't seem like much. I have heard of doctors prescribing 30mg (20 morning, 10 at noon) for people brand new to it.

my doctor prescribed me 40mgs, first time. I have been on it ~4 months. I take 20 in the morning and 20 in the afternoon. I don't think it is a totally massive amount, but I am posting in my own thread about whether or not I am insane. I am going to try and cut my dosage in half though, because that seems like quite a bit.

' I take aderall (40mg) daily, slightly more recently' paranoia is a frequent side effect from amphetamines, which is what adderall is. It's very easy to slip on it and you state yourself that you are taking more than your prescribed dose. I'd recommend getting off this junk as soon as possible, I've watched the side effects first hand. You're not crazy (most likely, based on the evidence so far). If you must take a stimulant, have you talked to your doc about modafinil instead? Please, be aware of the impact a psychostimulant has on your reasoning - it's easy to convince yourself it's not the problem. I wish you well and also please make sure to sleep properly and don't take any late in the day, sleep deprivation leads to paranoia as well.

Re: Ask HN: How can you tell if you are insane?

#82

Post by DanBC »

subliminalzen wrote: post #79
Supraperplex wrote: post #28

How is your "nature usage" going? What I mean is how often are you outside? I mean in the woods, not the city. At the beach, you know, nature. The stimulation our brains get by beeing in nature is very important for us. When you are outside and all the little, tiny millions of natural information tidbits that are coming from everywhere, they are important for our mental health in general. Outside, look at the waves,…

Why is this comment getting downvoted? I'd say of all the recommendations in this thread, getting out into nature is by far the most sensible. I second this advice.

Q:"I have found a small hard lump in my arm pit. What should I do?"

A:"Go for a walk in the woods."

Q:"I've come up in a rash. What should I do?"

A:"Go for a walk in the woods."

Q:"I need to pee all the time. I'm very thirsty. And I sleep a lot."

A:"Go for a walk in the woods".

It's an inappropriate response to the situation. The question was not "What things can I do which will protect my mental health?" but "I think I have a mental health problem, what should I do?" ("See a professional" should be the answer)

Re: Ask HN: How can you tell if you are insane?

#83

Post by meesterdude »

> How can I evaluate my mental condition objectively?

You can't. You need a third party (such as a psychologist) to definitively tell you what's what. It's super easy to fool and mislead ones self.

I once thought my girlfriend hacked into my computer and corrupted it somehow; I lost everything. In hindsight, that was a crazy thing to think, but at the time it made sense given who she was and what was technically capable and all that.

What one must do, is separate what is possible (being hacked) from what is likely (computer crash) from what is absurd (girlfriend did it). This is not always easy, and not always straightforward, and not always something you can and should do by yourself.

Also... stress is a biggie. aderall likely won't help things either. People have lapses, behave irrationally or quite insanely as result of temporary outside factors. So, Its not something to worry about in that sense, but its certainly something to identify the cause of and take action against and monitor.

best of luck!

Re: Ask HN: How can you tell if you are insane?

#85

Post by works_remote_ »

codeonfire wrote: post #57
allworknoplay wrote: post #48

Go talk to a doctor. Strangers on the internet with anecdotes are not qualified for this. Never be embarrassed if you think you might be having a temporary psychotic break or experiencing heretofore unknown symptoms of schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder. It will do no good sitting around and wondering. Getting help is the only thing that will help you regain confidence in yourself. And maybe it's nothing an…

Doctors are not always helpful for stuff like this. I wouldn't go to a doctor unless I am bleeding or immobile from pain or for scheduled checkups. They see far worse that a little paranoia every day, and will probably just prescribe some random pills. Doctors don't care about un-treatable problems and "i'm afraid of my phone" isn't a treatable problem. Yes, they can refer a mental health specialist. That specialist…

When you have a doctor that you feel doesn't care about your problem -- no matter how small -- you find a different doctor. Not all doctors are good.

Re: Ask HN: How can you tell if you are insane?

#86

Post by works_remote_ »

I've never dealt with something like this before, but I have personally had to tackle recurrent depression. It wasn't until my late-20s did I finally notice what was going on and got the help that I needed. In the meantime, I nearly lost it all -- my family, job and life.

If you have the slightest inclination that something isn't right, I suggest seeing a doctor who cares. I waited way too long even after realizing that perhaps there is a problem (trying to avoid the stigma) and learned that mental health is no joke.

Re: Ask HN: How can you tell if you are insane?

#87

Post by jenkstom »

qwertyFish wrote: post #65
teraflop wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a much more similar case from a few weeks back: https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3iycro/fl_i_am... The poster thought they were being spied on by law enforcement, and that a drone was entering their house and moving around the iPad they had set up to monitor the premises (!). They posted some of the clips to YouTube but none of the commenters saw anything suspicious. It turned out to be a parano…

hahaha I don't think I am insane, I think it was just a temporary episode and am resolving to try and be less stressed, sleep more, and take less adderall and caffeine. That being said, as someone who is/was insane, I was able to checkle a bit when I clicked on the video and it said "this video does not exist". The CO one scared me, especially because a few fir alarms went off in my house a few days ago, but my fathe…

In the US, at least, you can call the gas company if you suspect a carbon monoxide leak. If you have reason to suspect a real emergency, you might also consider calling the fire department or emergency services.

Most fire departments also have a non-emergency line that you can just call for advice, they may even send somebody by non-emergent to check your house out and you as well. Some EMS providers (in the US most fire departments have EMS on staff also) have the ability to check for carbon monoxide in your blood.

During my time as an EMT, I saw plenty of people go crazy for various reasons from schizophrenia to completely unrelated physical issues such as diabetes, migraines, epilepsy and rhabdomyolysis. I AM NOT A DOCTOR, but you should consider consulting one. It may not be that you are not "crazy", but you may have some other medical condition affecting your mental status.

Best of luck.

Re: Ask HN: How can you tell if you are insane?

#88

Post by mobiuscog »

Eduard wrote: post #45
rorykoehler wrote: post #35

Why are you taking Adderall? I just read the symptoms of ADHD and that is not something worth medicating for especially with amphetamines. You're a human. We're all different and some of us have more energy than others. It's ok to be hyperactive and not be able to concentrate if that's who you are. Try cutting sugar from your diet and meditating instead of cramming yourself full of Adderall. Anyone would go crazy pum…

Better don't tell people on medication to stop taking them for a week or two, and if it doesn't work go to a professional.

Well, it depends on why they're taking the medication. You're correct if it's prescribed, but if they're taking it off their own back, it makes sense to suggest they ease off it.

Re: Ask HN: How can you tell if you are insane?

#89

Post by codeonfire »

works_remote_ wrote: post #85
codeonfire wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doctors are not always helpful for stuff like this. I wouldn't go to a doctor unless I am bleeding or immobile from pain or for scheduled checkups. They see far worse that a little paranoia every day, and will probably just prescribe some random pills. Doctors don't care about un-treatable problems and "i'm afraid of my phone" isn't a treatable problem. Yes, they can refer a mental health specialist. That specialist…

When you have a doctor that you feel doesn't care about your problem -- no matter how small -- you find a different doctor. Not all doctors are good.

That is called doctor shopping and doctors hate it. They will just assume you are trying to get drugs. Doctors don't care about your problems any more than a veterinarian cares about a dog or cat.

Re: Ask HN: How can you tell if you are insane?

#90

Post by codeonfire »

allworknoplay wrote: post #63
codeonfire wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doctors are not always helpful for stuff like this. I wouldn't go to a doctor unless I am bleeding or immobile from pain or for scheduled checkups. They see far worse that a little paranoia every day, and will probably just prescribe some random pills. Doctors don't care about un-treatable problems and "i'm afraid of my phone" isn't a treatable problem. Yes, they can refer a mental health specialist. That specialist…

This is absurd. Qualified psychiatrists are the only way to diagnose and deal with an actual mental illness, and the only way to be sure you're not having a break or don't have a problem if you don't. Always helpful? Sure, nothing's always helpful. Doing nothing when OP thinks he's "going crazy" is a terrible strategy.

No, what you said is absurd. You're feeble straw man argument is pathetic. Nowhere did I state the person should do nothing. Mental illness of the kind that is described here can be dealt with in other ways such as living with a trusted family member, focus on sleep hours, or stop taking Adderall if it isn't prescribed.
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