I’ve spent a few weeks in a psych ward and a few years in a work rehab program for the mentally ill, which is how I ended up with my current employer. While in work rehab, I lived in varoius group homes for people in that program and other mental health programs in the area.
One other guy in that housing program was paranoid & bi-polar and had not been on the right meds yet.
I used to work at a state mental hospital in the criminally insane ward, does that count?
My college roommate had been treated in the past, and developed psychosis and tried to kill me. But I kinda cut him some slack - he had strong feelings for me and I was leaving to go to a different school so he was kinda stressed out.
Those are the ones off the top of my head. I’m sure I could come up with more if I thought about it.
I’ve known a couple bi-polar people. One committed suicide and the other refuses medical treatment. In the latter case, it’s been heart-breaking to see how a very intelligent and talented person has become a mess over the years.
Yep, lots. ( refer to screen name). The really tragic thing is that in order to save tax dollars the government shut down or greatly reduced the number of available beds at state psychiatric hospitals nation wide. There were literally people who had no idea how to care for themselves, get or take their medications dumped onto the streets. It’s only gotten worse since then. There are so many people out there that need help that the mental health system has been over run. Then came insurance reform and it got even tougher. I can give you a great example. The hospital I worked at many years ago had a teenager brought in by the police. He had been found by a relative with a loaded gun and said relative had to call the cops to get it away from him. He was a great kid, good grades, community service, etc… Things had just fallen apart in his life and he didn’t know how to handle them. I asked him what would happen if I let him go home that night and he said he would try it Again. The kid had every diagnostic criteria for major depression. I called his insurance company to get him precertified and the first thing I was asked after telling them the whole story was where the gun was. I told the chick I figured the cops had it to which she replied that if he no longer had access to the gun he could go home and see a therapist out patient. I was so angry that I said "sure I mean there are no trees and ropes or bridges or moving vehicles anywhere he could use. She finally gave us 2 days in patient for him. I got wrote up for “being unprofessional” on the phone because the insurance company complained about my attitude. So yeah, people with mental issues can be troublesome and even scary at times but it isn’t always their fault and getting the help they need and deserve isn’t a picnic for them either. Put yourself in their confused, angry, and frightened shoes. You just might find yourself thinking a bit differently the next time you encounter one.
I have always contended that this is gigantic whole in our society - how we deal with people with mental issues. We are all set up to deal with physical problems, but not mental problems.
For instance - if you fall off a ladder and break you leg, call an ambulance, go to the hospital. If you get in a car wreck, call an ambulance, go to the hospital. If you have a heart attack, call an ambulance, go to the hospital. If you have a psychotic episode and act out, call…hmmm, maybe the cops? And depending on the cops training and the specifics of their encounter with the person, they may end up shooting them dead.
Yeah, we as a society need to come up with something better.
As a police officer of course I have. Often the same ones over and over. And over.
I did this wrong and I’ll apologize to the OP. There is an on-going internet meme which tries to update the “Gas Light” approach of subtly accusing first-hand reports and reporters as crazy. Its manipulative, dishonest and has no redeeming social value.
I was hoping to make a ‘bad example’ so it would become quickly obvious to readers in future threads whenever (or if ever) the “Gas Light” approach is used in future threads.
I know that you are sure, because you’ve posted passionately about it. I apologize for the side track and I believe that your assessment seems about right.
My only point was that we need to be careful whenever we open the door to calling people ‘crazy’ if only because of the people who seem considered ‘sane’ who would use that to their financial, social, or reputation advantage.
Have I ever been around any crazy people? OH, yeah. Never mind Texas, Thailand attracts them like a magnet.
But the most spectacular was probably this South African lady. I’d rather not go into particulars, but 18 years ago I participated, along with a South African diplomat and a couple of Bangkok police, in snatching her off the street on Khao San Road and delivering her to the psychiatric ward of Siriraj Hospital across the river.
Many years ago, I worked in an office with a woman who clearly had some kind of mental disorder, and she was convinced that a man in our department was “looking at her butt”, so she would wrap herself in a blanket before coming into work - and this was in 100-degree summer heat. She was also very averse to eye contact, so she paper-clipped paper towels to the sides of her head, to make blinders. She accused me of “looking at her face” and my response was, “What am I supposed to look at, her butt?” 
She was eventually dismissed; I’m pretty sure it was because she threatened the man I mentioned a few sentences ago. I hope she got whatever help she desperately needed.
I also had a friend with whom I had to cut ties because her life hadn’t quite turned out the way she wanted, and as a result, she developed what I think was very severe depression and became incredibly bitter, and was also a hoarder. I still see her around town at garage sales, flea markets, etc. She’s about 70 years old, and I was very surprised to find out she was able to retire, because I figured she just plain old had no savings. Interestingly, one of the things she was so bitter about was that a man we used to work with wasn’t interested in dating women like her. Yes, the man looked like a Greek god, but he was also a cheating, pot-smoking, coke-snorting batterer who is probably bisexual, if not a closeted gay man. If you want someone like that, you are welcome to have him. :smack:
I’m sure I can come up with others.
They do this to me too. Bastards.
Ditto that, 23 years’ worth.
Guess I should mention my mother. Among other things, she would do the family’s grocery shopping in parts of town where she didn’t know anybody because she believed that big crowds of people were following her around at the neighborhood store and laughing at her. 
I’ve heard about other women who believed this too. I worked at a grocery store for 3 years, and Target for 4 years before that, and NEVER witnessed ANYTHING like this. Any activities with us kids, even things like haircuts or going out for fast food, were done the same way, presumably because she didn’t want to be seen with us in public. :dubious: She would also keep track of all the neighbors’ comings and goings, and would throw a fit any time she saw people carrying anything into their house other than groceries, or see people getting into a car at mealtime. After all, we couldn’t afford to do that; why should anybody else, KWIM?
Where’s the sign up sheet?
Yes, a coworker and friend. She began as an intelligent, creative, fun-loving person, until she was in a car accident. She moved back in with her parents, and gradually began to lose it, mentally. She ultimately committed suicide.
I actually work in a psych facility’s business office/admissions. So, yes, I have had extensive experience with “odd behaviored” people. Very intersting and never boring!
Grew up with them. Addiction, depression, bi-polar, OCD, senility, etc. run in my family.
I used to be a registered psychiatric nurse, so one or two.
When I was in college, I worked at a restaurant with a woman who was a walking Miranda warning, as in “Anything you say can and will be used against you.” Among other things, she thought it was very funny to make mocking, personal attacks against people. Management found a reason to fire her when people who were scheduled to work small parties with her would call in sick so they wouldn’t have to be around her. :eek: And I later found out that she sued that restaurant, claiming (among other things) that certain employees had “harassed” her. :rolleyes:
All of this, my whole family’s nuts and I probably count. But in terms of balls-out crazy, my late uncle wins. He had schizoaffective disorder (think bipolar + paranoid psychosis.) It is a tragic disorder but as a family we tried to see the comedy in it. He complained that his cigarettes were spiked with everything from cheesecake to dead cats. He mailed me pages and pages of nicotine-stained nonsensical poetry. He worried that someone laced his Bengals cassette with LSD. He saw aliens and heard voices. This is the kind of person that you meet on the street and you know right away that they are not in touch with reality at all.
He had a violent temper and was prone to destroying property, which got him thrown out of a lot of apartments. The only reason he avoided homelessness is my grandparents were always trying to smooth things over. He didn’t believe he was mentally ill and it was very difficult to get him to take medication consistently.
The hardest part of this post was having to go back and change present tense to past tense. He passed away about a month ago. He may have been weird, but he was part of our family. Ever since I was a little girl his suffering has been a hole in my heart. Growing up, I wanted to be a psychologist so I could help him. I’m sorry I couldn’t help.
I have long wondered why they call it a “persecution complex”. What is complicated about it? Sure seems straightforward to me.