Perspective

When I was in graduate school, learning to diagnose different mental diseases as delineated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the DSM), I harbored the secret concern that I, in fact, had almost everything that book described. One day, in the university cafeteria, a group of us were chatting about some assignment, and a fellow student said that very fear out loud, except he made it sound funny somehow. The relief-laughter around the table was unanimous. I am told that physicians have a similar experience during their training.

So, yes. I can relate to what it's like to be depressed, manic, disassociate from specific moments (especially when I'm bored). And yes, I also have weird thoughts that come out of nowhere. I can even relate to autism, persisting in an idiosyncratic behavior that only makes sense to me (e.g., making sure my calendar is filled up, so I can make sure I make as much difference as I possibly can – a crazy-maker of a belief, resulting in a form of mania). All of the above is a "normal crazy."

It's a matter of perspective, taking into account the degree of addiction – longevity, acuteness, frequency of occurence.

The commonness of our humanity is relieving, uniting, accepting, forgiving, connecting. The important bit is how much latitude I allow my automatic, habitual mind to take over my life. Conversely, how much will I focus on honoring the best in myself and others, respecting my own and everyone else's journey, and loving this adventure of many experiences called Life As It IS.