Descent into madness

April 28, 2008, 10:40 AM

How would you know if you were insane? I mean from a personal view would you ever realise your mad or would you subconsiously run from the truth? Would the realisation that you had lost your mind cause a warped sense of reality? If you did realise you were insane would you find help? And if so how?

Also what actually defines insanity/madness?

Is it an idea that is vastly different to the confines of social convention? (E.G. Deviant sexual practices such as S&M) Or something that defies morality but adheres wholeheartedly to logic and the prospect of survival? (E.G. Cannibalism)

DISCUSS.

April 28, 2008, 10:47 AM

I think if you really ARE insane then you don't know you are. I think I'm insane all the time but I know I'm not...at least, I hope I'm not O_o

If was WAS then, I'd like to think I'd get some psychological help, but then if I'm crackers and in no frame of mind to think then I might REFUSE help because I think I'm normal

I couldn't say what defines it, I wouldn't say a bizarre sexual preference was insanity though

April 28, 2008, 11:06 AM

I'm studying King Lear atm, and insanity is a major part of that.

Firstly, I think you need to define insane, because to me neither of those options is insanity. S&M is a little different, but not insane. Cannibalism for the sake of survival is perfectly justifiable.
Insanity is such a general term, do you believe schizophrenia is insanity?

If we are talking about Batshit Insane then I don't think people would realise they were insane. Or perhaps they would realsie they were insane, but they are unable to control their actions at all.

April 28, 2008, 6:35 PM

Hmm, well I'm currently studying two books in which the idea of madness is looked at. In one of them, the woman suffers from some kind of nervous breakdown so her husband makes her stay in the one room all the time, and she becomes obsessed with the wallpaper in her room and starts to believe that there is a woman trapped behind it trying to get out. By the end, she has herself convinced that it is her behind the paper, and tears it all down, 'freeing' herself. The point is, the woman was clearly mad in the book, yet at no point did she say to herself 'oh god, i'm so insane!'. No, she thought that her actions were perfectly rational. She knew she was a bit ill at the start but never seemed to notice as her mental state deteriorated.

In the other book, in contrast, a man *claims* to be mentally ill, but we never know whether his claims are true or not, as there is the high possibility that he is just saying that to get away with.. well, murder, as he kills three people in the book. It is also a possibility as the character has a habit of repeating things that he had heard before, and when he was younger a boy said that he was schizophrenic so that he could get away with bullying the other boys.

Anyway, you can take from that what you like, tbh. I don't really know, I guess nobody does unless you experience it first-hand.

May 3, 2008, 7:57 PM

I've just been thinking about the nature of madness and insanity lately since the very definition of what insane is, means different things to so many different people.

I mean before we can realise if we are "insane" or "mad" we need to define it and know what to look for.

May 4, 2008, 12:46 PM

Bah, we already discussed this in Psychology this year. Basically, insane people don't see themselves as insane. Their views on the world are warped with their damaged psyche, and they most likely see everyone else as weird or different with them being the only "sane" one. This perspective doesn't exactly define insanity. I don't remember what my teacher said, but insanity is something about not meeting the social norm of something something something and how the brain functions or whatever.

There are visible symptoms for the different kinds of insanity, but one can't be sure without some sort of test by a licensed psychologist/psychiatrist/doctor.

It's kind of confusing now that I think on it.

May 5, 2008, 1:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Romeo

Hmm, well I'm currently studying two books in which the idea of madness is looked at. In one of them, the woman suffers from some kind of nervous breakdown so her husband makes her stay in the one room all the time, and she becomes obsessed with the wallpaper in her room and starts to believe that there is a woman trapped behind it trying to get out. By the end, she has herself convinced that it is her behind the paper, and tears it all down, 'freeing' herself. The point is, the woman was clearly mad in the book, yet at no point did she say to herself 'oh god, i'm so insane!'. No, she thought that her actions were perfectly rational. She knew she was a bit ill at the start but never seemed to notice as her mental state deteriorated.

That's a pretty common piece used for students in the study of insanity. My opinion is her husband caused her to go insane from overprotection.

Insane people are incapable of rational thought which is why "insane" people can get away with murder. The lady in that story didn't necessarily believe what she was doing was rational, but couldn't control herself in the act.

Like I said, you're not capable of rational thought if you're insane. Therefore, I believe it isn't possible to realize you're insane because if you do, you're forming a rational thought, therefore you're not insane. Trippy, eh?

May 5, 2008, 7:27 AM

Yeah, insane people don't know their insane. This makes me think of the movie A Beautiful Mind...

May 5, 2008, 8:58 AM

Quote:

It is also a possibility as the character has a habit of repeating things that he had heard before

What do you mean by this? Repeating things he had 'heard' before?

Insanity is a title to those who are different to the norm. The title can be defined in many different ways depending on the situation. Someone insane could be talented and gifted; they don't have to act irrational and weird. Some people who are different, are what makes them great and famous.

May 5, 2008, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oblivion

What do you mean by this? Repeating things he had 'heard' before?

Insanity is a title to those who are different to the norm. The title can be defined in many different ways depending on the situation. Someone insane could be talented and gifted; they don't have to act irrational and weird. Some people who are different, are what makes them great and famous.

I think a better word for what you're saying is eccentric, maybe? Insanity is certainly not just a term given to people who are "different to the norm" it's a serious psychological/chemical ordeal. I do agree though that for some people who are "different" it is what makes them great.