How has 'disorder' benefited you?

[Snow Turtle]

Well, I'll start with low self-esteem and how it has been a blessing. It might seem odd for somebody to say this, but I believe that my low self-esteem has definitely made me become more introspective and understanding of myself, even though I'm constantly battling thoughts that I recgonise as untrue.

I told my counsellor this, and she basically said: While it's true that I'd like to improve my esteem. I am also resistant to changing because of the advantanges I might lose while doing so. It's all interesting to me, especially with the discovery of depressive realism. Interesting, that these people aren't subjected to as much self-serving bias. Having said that, it's always possible that they over-attribute things that they aren't responsible for to themselves, so in that sense it'd still be an inaccurate view of the world.

Anyhow, I'm wondering if anybody else also views states that they have experienced or experiencing as a good thing in some twisted ways.

 

[sofmarhof]

I do sometimes find myself feeling glad that I was so horribly bullied/abused by my classmates as a child, because it made me more questioning and in a word, smarter. However I only say this now, after having rebuilt my self esteem—I think very highly of myself now, in fact. Maybe I'm not exactly glad, because if I had had a happier childhood, I certainly wouldn't complain about it, but I would be an entirely different person; I wouldn't be able to recognize myself.

 

[Halla74]

OCD = Super Organized, negates bad aspects of being a Strong "P" to some degree, and helps with bodybuilding.

ADHD = Creative, always in good mood, physically inexhaustible, unconventional, uses outbursts as needed.

Uniopolar Mania = Can be leveraged to achieve the impossible...even if it is just going to the grocery store.

Narcissism = If re-directed can result in positive self esteem and a pre-dispostion to engage in pro-health, self preserving behaviours...like, exercise, good hygeine, eating right, and masturbation.

 

[vince]

What the hell are you ?

to the OP : I relate to depressive realism. People don't want to know what an indifferent stinkhole the universe really is because it contradicts with our own usually fortunate lifestyle (my own included). Thanks for posting that link. I had no idea there's a name for it. I used to look for disorder descriptions that fit me, but now figured for a long time that I'm actually the sane one.
I have no idea how that benefits me, other than the fact that I'm pessimistic, realistic & paranoid enough for my own survival.

 

[Halla74]

What the hell are you ?

I am what I am.
What the hell are you?

 

[Gerbah]

You could also look at it another way. That experience is just experience, without a good or bad judgment about it because it involves difficulty or suffering. In that sense, pretty much any experience can be taken in a good way.

 

[MrStombles]

I got labeled chronic depressive, borderline personality disorder with traits of avoidant personality disorder. Umm the depressive thing can be boiled down to just indulging certain parts of my personality too much, to the point where it takes over completely. The borderline is just having no emotional skin, but thankfully it works both ways. I see for the most part things that just upset me or send me spiraling down, but one little thing in my day where I feel like I connected with somebody could make me feel indescribably awesome. To be honest it's neither good or bad, it just kind of is

 

[FDG]

I'm European, I don't have any made-up disorder.

 

[NewEra]

I'm European, I don't have any made-up disorder.

Because you're European?

 

[proximo]

Because you're European?

I think he's referring to the idea that on this side of the Atlantic, there's perceived to be, in the USA, a general tendency towards labelling just about any modus operandi that isn't ratfied as "normal" by a private, profit-making medical industry, as some disorder or other.

Hence, where an American is likely to say "I have X disorder, I need professional (expensive) counselling", a European's more likely to say "sometimes I'm a bit of an ass, I'll have a talk with my close family and friends about it and listen to their feedback, and see what I can do to work on that". It seems to us sometimes that with you guys, "X" could be anything from "being obnoxious due to lack of self-control and being a generally spoilt brat" to "full blown Parkinsons's disease".

I make no comment as to whether I agree with this perception - I'm just saying it's there.

Kai - I don't suffer from low self-esteem and I'm an extravert to boot, yet I'm most definitely an introspective person. It's difficult to say whether you'd have developed certain good points through more positive means, had you not experienced other bad ones - it's very "coulda, shoulda, woulda", theoretical alternative past/future scenarios... nothing can be proven or even conclusively argued. I agree that adversity can and does build character and teach important qualities, but I don't think I'd go as far as to say that the level of adversity that it takes to produce a personality disorder, or the disorder itself, should be viewed as good or indispensible to a person's development.

I've been through some pretty severe times myself, and I'm aware that through some of those things I've learned good qualities... but then, I also know people who've not had to suffer anywhere like I have, and yet they still seem to have managed to grow into good people.

 

[FDG]

Because you're European?

Eheh, no, the genes are of course the same, it's just a matter of culture, as proximo says.