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danthareja

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cognitive-distortion

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I am a 15 year old male from Kansas that has lived a normal life except for the fact that I can’t remember the last time I was happy. There is this girl that I have been “friends” with my whole life and I started being in love with her before I even knew what love was. Everyone keeps telling me that what I am going through is completely normal and lots of people go through it, I know this but the fact remains that I have been depressed for 5 years now because I know that she couldn’t care less about me. She calls me her friend but she told me she doesn’t want me in her life. I have recently told a handful of people how I feel and I wish I could take back every word I said. I told my best friend who now thinks I am ridiculous, I told my parents who repetitively tell me to just move on, and I told the love of my life how I feel about her and she said she couldn’t care less. This has ruined my friendship, my family, and my whole life. I am a good student that makes straight A’s but I can’t focus at school because I am up till 2:00 am crying myself to sleep. I don’t eat as much, I can’t sleep, and I have randomly placed emotional breakdowns. I love my parents but I don’t think they can help, I can’t even tell them all of how I feel because I know it will hurt them too much. Just about a year ago I contemplated taking my own life, I have moved pass this and will never think that way again but I am a Christian and I still find myself praying every night for death. I don’t know what to do or where to turn. I feel worthless and unwanted, please help.

This has ruined my friendship, my family, and my whole life.

3Magnification

From a teen in the U.S.: I have been unable to find what anxiety disorder I am suffering from for years, and when I had a therapist years back, she never diagnosed me either. I’ve been able to manage it thoroughly and in a healthy manner, but I want to have an official diagnosis (or a predicted diagnosis) in order to finally replace “I have an anxiety disorder”with “I have _____”.

2No Distortion

I am a 100% straight 36 year old male, married to my wife 31 for 14 years. We are both straight, moderately attractive and successful. Early in marriage I was quite jealous of any men that would hit on my wife. I was quite insecure. The past 5 years however, I have been pushing my wife into having sex with other men. I have read about cuckolds on the net, and I am not like what I read. I am not bi-curious, and I do not want to be humilated or enjoy that. I simply get incredibly aroused thinking about my very sexy wife having sex and being open and wild with another man, particular while I watch or perhaps participate with her. Is this a disorder or something I need therapy for? Why does this fantasy fill my head whenever I have sex with her and get me incredibly aroused? My wife has agreed that she is ready to try this with a friend of ours and she is beginning to enjoy the thought of trying it. I am actually looking forward to it. Is something wrong with me?

I was quite insecure.

10Labeling

From a teen in the U.S.: Whenever I do something mildly wrong, get called an idiot, or just generally feel upset, I feel the need to have violent fantasies about being sexually, emotionally, or physically abused until I cry. The fantasies have been following the same narrative where someone severely abuses me and is justified because I did something horribly wrong to my abuser or their family member.

The fantasies have been following the same narrative where someone severely abuses me and is justified because I did something horribly wrong to my abuser or their family member.

5Personalization

Sometimes when someone does me wrong I will bring it up to them the next I see them. I’m very bold in my expression I am calm but usually I will be insulting and ask them why they did it. I’m usually quite the ass and wish them the worst luck in life. Simply because I believe that everyone should show some remorse for being rotten. Most people don’t seem to care less and say that I need professional help. I guess my question is do I? When I talk about these situations I’m not talking about simple mistakes. For example a woman I met in a online dating site 7 years ago after 3 weeks of deep conversation suddenly broke all communications and that was it. No explanation. I let it go. But today I saw her on the same site still and basically told her that it was a bs thing to do and that I’m glad she’s still struggling to find love because she didn’t even give me a chance and that’s what she gets for not even trying. She says I should seek help. It’s not normal to hold that kinda anger. Thing is I haven’t thought about her in years. Just suddenly seen her today and messaged her that simply because it would have taken 2 sentences of saying sorry not interested instead of just ignoring someone with no reason. Do I need help? Because this type of situation has happened often in my life.

I’m very bold in my expression I am calm but usually I will be insulting and ask them why they did it. I’m usually quite the ass and wish them the worst luck in life. Simply because I believe that everyone should show some remorse for being rotten.

0All-or-nothing thinking

From the U.S.: I am 28 years old, living at home with my parents and younger brother. I have been in a state of pretty severe depression for the last few months. This has been a pattern in my life since age 17 where I will be doing okay (or even well) for a while and then I go back to being depressed. I have problems with social anxiety, agoraphobia, anger, extreme moods, overeating, and feelings of emptiness as well. One thing that has compounded my problems recently (and brought on this latest depressive episode) is having tinnitus and trying to quit smoking. I have had tinnitus for 4 and 1/2 months and I quit smoking three days ago.

2No Distortion

From a teen in the U.S.: I’m very anxious all the time and I overthink things a lot. I often get so anxious that I start shaking and I’m really on edge, and I lose track of things. I’ll snap at people when I don’t mean to because I’m freaked out. I sometimes get panic attacks that cause me to miss events or bail and hide. Some of my friends have suggested I seek therapy, none of them are mental health professionals. I wonder if maybe I’m blowing my problems out of proportion, or maybe I’m just not good enough at dealing with it and I just need to get better at dealing with my problems myself. Mental health care can be expensive and I don’t wanna waste anyone’s time if I don’t actually need help.

I wonder if maybe I’m blowing my problems out of proportion, or maybe I’m just not good enough at dealing with it and I just need to get better at dealing with my problems myself.

6Should statements

I have a history of mental health issues, and they run in my family. As a child, I couldn’t access care because my parents wouldn’t allow it. I self-harmed and suffered suicidal thoughts. While my brother had his own mental health struggles and developed drug/alcohol issues and delinquent record, so he got court ordered counseling. As an adult, I’ve had unreliable food and shelter and been sexually assaulted. I can’t afford to attend college and pay for food/rent/bills even with financial aid, let alone doctors or therapy. While my brother’s criminal record has only grown, landing him in a fancy rehabilitation facility for 6 months to avoid jail. Of course I love my brother and I’m happy to see him getting the support he needs, but it’s always hurt to watch his problems being acknowledged and healed because he was violent and criminally inclined, while I struggle to even support myself and can’t even get out of bed. It seems like the only programs out there are designed for criminals or other people who have ruined their lives in some way. I don’t know how to get help. I don’t want to do the things my brother has done, I don’t want to hurt anyone, but it seems like that’s the only way to make people want to fix you. If I don’t find some drastic way to prove I’m sick, I don’t think I’ll get help. How can I fix this?

If I don’t find some drastic way to prove I’m sick, I don’t think I’ll get help.

4Fortune-telling

I have severe body dysmorphic disorder, GAD, bipolar disorder, and severe depression. BDD came around a time where I was also anorexic. I started to feel less than everyone because I was coming to terms with being gay also. Something I hate beyond words. The reason I”m contacting is that i feel I”m losing more and more grip of reality with every passing day but also have zero interest in wasting my time with therapy because there is no amount of therapy or no therapist who could convince me that it will ever get any better. To give you an idea, gay men message me all over the internet telling me I”m fat and ugly, that I can”t be gay because of it and many tell me to end my own life since it would be better since I”m too fat and ugly and look like a pig. There is not one thing ANYONE would ever convince me to like about myself and being gay isn”t a choice, I”m tired of people telling me I should consider therapy when It never worked for me and since therapists cannot change that I”m gay or that I look like this, WHY should I waste all my time and money going to therapy when there IS NOTHING, I MEAN NOTHING, they can do to make any of this any better. There is no bullshit POSITIVE thinking that”s going to not make me hate everything about myself or being gay. When you have spent almost the entire time you”ve been out (since 2007) being told that your life is worthless because of how you look means that PEOPLE will not get any better either. What should I tell people with the best ways why CBT is not effective for everyone. Not everyone also has 300 dollars sitting around to go to ONE therapy appointment that MAY OR MAY not work. Every day gets worse, but I know it won”t ever get better with how they are. Why do you feel the pressure to oversell the effectiveness of treatment at the expense of well-being of the patient? So many therapists do not care and just want money. So many use themselves as a well for people to almost figure out their own issues. I went to school for Psychology too- it”s become a joke. ALL ABOUT THE MONEY (From the USA)

The reason I”m contacting is that i feel I”m losing more and more grip of reality with every passing day but also have zero interest in wasting my time with therapy because there is no amount of therapy or no therapist who could convince me that it will ever get any better. When you have spent almost the entire time you”ve been out (since 2007) being told that your life is worthless because of how you look means that PEOPLE will not get any better either.

4Fortune-telling

I got into a relationship last February. It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced, I liked him an insane amount. I’ve never been happier in my entire life. I was getting 6 hours of sleep basically every night by staying up and messaging or video calling him since he lives across the country. I was constantly nervous, but in a good way, too nervous to eat even. Even though mentally it was probably all not good for me, it was the most amazing thing ever, and I liked him so much. But then a little less than two months later, I woke up one morning feeling no attraction nor spark towards him whatsoever, almost as if the past two months of being insanely infatuated with him never existed. This was the day that spring quarter had started, and I was very stressed about my new classes, thinking there was no way I could them even. But then 5ish days later, I felt attracted towards him again, even though the spark wasn’t there anymore. But then 5ish days later, the loving and attracted feeling was gone again, and I disliked even looking at pictures of him. Ever since then (it’s been 10 months at the time I write this) I’ve had the same cycle of my amount of attraction changing towards him. So basically every week it changes from me feeling very attracted to him, to me not being attracted to him at all. I cant even look at him when I feel unattracted to him. This is just a summary, there are many more details. But this has been hurting me so much, as well as him. I just want my feelings to go back to how they were before my feelings started to change every several days. Like I can literally feel when my feelings start to come or go. Please help me, this has been going on for way too long, I’m starting to lose him forever, I don’t know how much longer I can take this.

Even though mentally it was probably all not good for me, it was the most amazing thing ever, and I liked him so much.

6Should statements

After being denied contact with my 2 children for the past 8 years, I had all my parental rights, I recently found my now 21 yr old daughter on Instagram. Upon receiving a reply from her..I found out that her father had told her that I threatened him until he allowed me to terminate my parental rights 8 yrs ago, that I didn’t want her… only my son. That all my rights were gone, and that she & my son had been subjected to horrible stories of abuse etc during their 1st 13yrs of life with me.

2No Distortion

Hi. This is a complex issue. But essentially my husband’s family recently learned that his younger brother suffered sexual abuse from a family member 10 years ago. I was in this family 10 years ago (though not married yet), but when they met to discuss the issue, they excluded me. My husband flew across the country to learn the bad news in person, and I had to stay here waiting to hear over the phone…

2No Distortion

From a teen in Italy: i guess i have to began from the beginning,when i guess is started everything..so i was always been an introvert kid,loving nature and especially dogs. So in school they began to make fun of me because i was a bit chubby,then last year ive been recovered from anorexia,and because i love dogs(since i was a kid i always had this special bond with dogs and actually during anorexia my two dogs saved my life) anyway they torturing me and keep telling me that i was ugly,and that my life price was 0,2 cent(really low…means that the trash was more important than my life) so i start cutting,but never had suicide attempt.

2No Distortion

I was brought up in a religious home and have struggled with the belief that I am possessed. I know it sounds crazy but the feeling is very real. Since early adolescence, I am visited by an evil presence quite often while asleep. He tries to enter me and I am frozen in complete fear. He speaks to me and threatens me with things I can’t bring myself to write or tell anyone. As a child my mom would take me to church and they would pray for deliverance but it never went away even though I eventually told her it did. A few years ago, I started seeing a psychologist for anxiety. After a year and a half of therapy I finally had the courage to tell my therapist about the sexual contact I had by three men when I was between the ages of 6-15yrs. My psychologist is convinced that these possession episodes are flashbacks to those experiences. Is he telling me the truth? I want to believe him but I’m afraid. It’s been very difficult to process the memories from the childhood experiences because of the shame and guilt I feel for being so needy. I enjoyed the attention and even initiated much of the contact. I may have been a child but I knew it was wrong. I feel like God is punishing me.

It’s been very difficult to process the memories from the childhood experiences because of the shame and guilt I feel for being so needy.

5Personalization

From S. Africa: We have been in a relationship for a few months before my boyfriend ask me to marry him. I said yes. So I’m engaged for 10 months. I love him very much. We have a big religion issue now — he wants me to leave my church and go to his church but I dont want to do it, now we need come to a conclusion if we’re gonna leave each other because the church decisions because we need to be as one attending to the same church. Can you please give me advice on how or what’s best?

2No Distortion

I was abused as a child along with my 2 brothers and mother. Our relationships with each other as adults tend to be rocky. My brothers are explosive towards anyone when mad. my mother puts us against each other at times. From another marriage my mom had my youngest bro who I was the main caregiver To when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and received treatment since it was 15 I cared for my special needs bro for 11 years doing all his personal care my life has revolved around him. My parents tended to be controlling of me cause of this. Always needing me home never allowing me to have independence without some sort of threat. I ended up self-harming again those last 2 yrs in the home. I was stressed and overwhelmed. I ended up meeting a man that I now call my husband and I’m in a very healthy and happy relationship. However I made the decision to move without warning to my parents. And they reacted as I suspected my one brother cursed me out. My mother told me I was a bad sister and that I wasn’t allowed to see my brother whom I cared for. My stepdad refused to see me. And so I left. I have tried to maintain a relationship with my family. But my mother is constantly finding reasons to not talk to me or remind me that I’m bad for leaving. My special needs bro I have had no contact with as she says he misses me and only will make it worse. My other brothers are mad I left and cut off all communication. And I’m starting to feel like I should just quit trying. I want so bad to have my family. But I don’t know how to fix this? I have said sorry for hurting their feelings for a year now but we haven’t made any progress.

And I’m starting to feel like I should just quit trying.

6Should statements

Very Frightened. I am a 21 year old Female. I developed major panic attacks when I was 16 after making poor choices with cannabis. Over the years I developed techniques to cope with the anxiety that was occasionally crippling ( ie breathing, finding distractions, going for walks, talking it through).

2No Distortion

I awoke this morning to the sound of someone wearing flip flops walking into my room. The sound was very clear and distinct. My fiance has been out of town the last few weeks so I am alone in the house. After several minutes of panic, I convinced myself I was hearing things and went back to sleep.  Next, I was dreaming and then awoke to someone in bed lying next to me (spooning me) I said my fiance’s name several times and the person put their leg over mine, pinning me and grabbed my hair pulling it firmly. I laid perfectly still for awhile until I realized I no longer felt the presence and then confirmed no one was there. I thought maybe I dozed for a second and the person must have gotten up and was in the house elsewhere. It’s now a few hours later and I am still in my bedroom.  As daylight is coming I am feeling safer. I am certain I must be hallucinating but it was SO REAL. I have never done drugs in my life and I am not on any medication except for 2 days ago I took 1 Zyrtec and used flonase for the very first and only time for allergies.  I saw an allergist about a week ago because of allergies and chest pain with shortness of breath.  I tested positive for the pollen allergies and do not have asthma. I suffered from PTSD in the past due to death of a child 7 years ago. I had hallucinations at that time where I believed I had witnessed my husband getting out of bed to answer the door and talking to people before coming back to bed.  When I asked him about it the next morning he said it never happened. Again, it was so real. I may have had a very small stroke about 15 months ago as I went for several days without being able to write my name though everything else seemed ok and I eventually was able to write my name again after several days.  I never saw a Dr. regarding that incident.  I am overweight and have slightly high blood pressure but do not take any medication. (age 55, from US)

2No Distortion

I think I might have some sort of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. My mind is constantly wandering and I can never seem to pay attention to anything. When somebody asks me a question sometimes I know that I know the answer but I just can’t seem to find it and it literally feels like there’s nothing but blur in my head. I guess the bottom line is, I want to get professional help with this but I am only 14-years-old and I do not know how to approach the question with my parents. Do you have some advice?

My mind is constantly wandering and I can never seem to pay attention to anything. When somebody asks me a question sometimes I know that I know the answer but I just can’t seem to find it and it literally feels like there’s nothing but blur in my head.

3Magnification

I have a family friend, who I consider to be like an aunt. She is in her 60s and ran an art organization until her employees quit( after her negligence with bring profit and ect.). We are living with 3 other people, all in their 40s and up. When i moved in me and my ‘aunt’ were only planning on being here for a few months until we were able to save more money and get an apartment closer to where she wants to live/ where I’m transferring for college. The 3 other roommates dont clean, nor take care of their cat and almost starve and leave her waste out to stink. When I finally had enough I addressed it, and 2 of the roommates decided to move out because I was not going to compromise living with roaches or working all day and then being the only one who cleans the house. After talking among themselves they decided to stay, and thats when things went south. In response, I started working more hours and working out outside of that so that I could focus on our goal of moving out. My aunt was on board with me until the other roommates started to say mean things about me, which made me very uncomfortable because they are twice my age. One day i went to the store with ML(aunt) and I specifically asked her to not eat the food that i was buying separate (dietary issues), she agreed. The next day when I woke up for my 5am shift my lunch had been eaten! I had to hurry to work so I texted her and asked if she could please buy back what she ate. She sent angry text about me being selfish, ect. There have been many more situations like this, and it’s getting really hard to live in an environment where now everyone (all twice my age or more) pick apart even my phone conversations and yell about who they think i am. Im not sure how to respond, so I ignore it and stay focused however my stuff gets damaged, and i cant speak up without being turned into the “enemy”. Im not sure how to handle this situation, especially on a daily basis.

There have been many more situations like this, and it’s getting really hard to live in an environment where now everyone (all twice my age or more) pick apart even my phone conversations and yell about who they think i am. Im not sure how to respond, so I ignore it and stay focused however my stuff gets damaged, and i cant speak up without being turned into the “enemy”

9Mental filter

From a 14 year old in the U.S.: Hi so I’m kind of a shy-ish person. I’m not super shy, but I don’t like doing things such as performing in front of others. There is a school talent show coming up, and my mom is forcing me to perform. She thinks the audition is in December when it was actually this week. I’m not sure whether I should tell her, because I really don’t want to do it. I don’t like how she’s forcing me to do this. I feel trapped and really pressured. If I say no, she will get mad at me. And if I say yes, I will feel miserable and my classmates will all watch me and that is like my worst nightmare. Help?

2No Distortion

Alright, quick backstory here: I’m currently 17 years old and I’ve moved out of my mother’s place last year. For pretty much my entire life, I’ve witnessed my mother acting like a lunatic. My dad and her argued over nonsense and he had to move us multiple times because she thought there was something wrong with the houses we lived in. She complained about demons being in the walls or something.. I don’t know.

For pretty much my entire life, I’ve witnessed my mother acting like a lunatic.

10Labeling

Over periods in the day I feel this “brain fog” or feel very mentally drained. I usually comfortably spend a lot of time thinking, but at these times my brain feels empty. Too tired to think, and to focus takes a lot of conscious effort and energy. It’s especially apparent during conversations, when I suddenly realize I haven’t been hearing anything they’re saying. It’s not that I get distracted- I just disconnect and don’t even notice the disconnection starting. I have to consciously force my attention.

2No Distortion

I am 17, currently living in Australia. All my life I have never had any passion for anything. I do have many fleeting interests, but when I try to pursue them I tend to lose interest very quickly. I don’t have much experience with real-world issues either; I’ve never had a job, can’t drive, and never done any extracurricular activities or even had any real hobbies. Up to this point, my life has been comprised of studying and maintaining grades at school.

All my life I have never had any passion for anything.

7Overgeneralization

What sort of mental disorder is this? I’ve had an eating disorder since summer 08. I lived off vegetables and fruits and did an excessive 3-4 hrs of exercise per day. My parents kept nagging at me to eat right but I just ignored them. I lost quite a few kilos and felt good about my appearance but it felt so tough to keep up all that exercise. I found myself really tired all the time and always in need of sleep. However, when night time rolled around, instead of going to bed at the right time I would stay up watching TV. This sleeping pattern began quite a while back in high school as I was always working late to complete my assignments. So I was sleeping late and waking up early for my morning exercise. Each day I probably only managed to get 5 hrs of sleep but that had been the norm for me since I was 14.

2No Distortion

From the U.S.: I need to make a decision: My husband is depressed. I have tried to help him but he has been unwilling to help himself, although he talks about it. I am considering divorce because living with him has become very difficult for me. I’m very unhappy in our relationship, as I suspect he is also.

2No Distortion

From France: My Ex and I were getting on well, now suddenly she has told our children that she doesn’t want to see or speak to me. Three weeks ago my ex and I were meeting regularly at her apt to help with the children, we were friendly to each other and were getting on well, to the point that my children asked if we were getting back together, even though she has recently moved on.

2No Distortion

For years I’ve had trouble communicating with others. My use of language has always been overly literal and causes me to accidentally hurt the feelings of others. I might say something like “that’s irrelevant” meaning that a point a person made is irrelevant without remembering that it has negative emotional connotations attached to it. I have to remind myself to be mindful of how my words come across.

2No Distortion

My son was complaining about bullying issues and becoming very depressed in his high school (9th grade) so my husband and I decided to move him to a therapeutic school with therapy and academics.  Since doing that he is worse…..he says he is depressed and wants to kill himself/not live very often.  His psychiatrist increased his abilify to 10mg and he’s on 75mg fluvoximine.  We are on vacation together in florida and I see his fluctuating moods.  He gives us so much hassle when we want to spend time with our cousins who he has fun with.  When we get him to join us, he swims with them and plays football and is smiling and laughing.  He will then go out to dinner with us, be happy, eat well, have dessert, walk around and suddently get into a foul, disguisting, nasty, rude mood.  Part of me thinks he does this when he doesn’t want us to have fun or meet friends.  We used to leave him and his sister together if we wanted to go out for a little bit locally, but with his unstable behavior, I don’t feel comfortable doing this anymore.  I feel like we are walking on eggshells and am wondering how much his moods are possible mental issues or how much being a nasty teenager.  I feel like he may be saying he wants to die or he is going to kill himself for attention or to get what he wants at times.  Is this possible?  How do I know if he is really feeling this?  I know not to take anything like this for granted and I am praying this may be teenage angst, but it is so difficult to know what to say when he says he feels like this and can’t tell me why. (age 48, from US)

2No Distortion

I have bipolar disorder, and I am a survivor of emotional abuse. I am finding that in recent years, it has become a trend for my coworkers to begin hating me to a point where it gets me fired. I try to be positive at work, I ask how my coworkers are doing, try to be personable and I make sure to say please and thank you if I ask for assistance in my tasks. Common problems I have found are if a coworker is disrespectful or offensive, I address it as soon as I can and not in front of others so they don’t have to suffer public shaming. Often my coworkers will try to treat me like a doormat by having me do the majority of the work while they do almost nothing at all. If I say something, they’ll hate me. If I don’t say anything I continue to be a doormat. I’m starting to feel like I’ve missed learning some all important social skill that enables people to like me and treat me respectfully. I know it’s very difficult to begin to gauge the problem from a brief paragraph on the internet, but if you have any advice, I would love to hear it. Thank you!

Often my coworkers will try to treat me like a doormat by having me do the majority of the work while they do almost nothing at all. If I say something, they’ll hate me.

8Mind Reading

I have no ability to maintain self control over anything I do. Thankfully I do not enjoy acts such as smoking, or drinking. Yet, the level to which I can’t maintain self control over the things I do enjoy is debilitating, and frustrating. I am constantly on electronics, not socially though (E.g. Talking to people). I can’t seem to stop myself from playing video games, surfing the internet, etc. This is not regular either, I’m a student and I would say almost every minute I’m not eating, or attending class, I’m on my computer, or phone. This can go until 8:00AM the next day, or I’ll even just pull an all-nighter to continue doing what I’m doing on my devices.

I have no ability to maintain self control over anything I do.

7Overgeneralization

From the U.S.: My daughter, who is 14, informed me that over the course of about a year, my 16 year old son has touched her while she’s sleeping. According to my daughter, this has happened about 4 times. I asked as many questions as I could think of; the information I gathered is that it was mostly her breasts, my daughter didn’t stop him, she continued to pretend to be asleep, he doesn’t know she knows; she has begged me to not say anything to him or anyone else. I am at a loss. I don’t know what to do. I now have her sleeping in my room to make sure she’s safe. She said she feels safe, but I’m unbelievably concerned. I want to help my daughter through this, but clearly my son needs help as well. I don’t know how to approach this; get them both the help they need.

2No Distortion

I realize that around my age and older is when symptoms of schizophrenia begin to show. I am extremely concerned that I may have it. I hear voices and see things all the time. The voices in my head introduce themselves to me, and sometimes speak in different languages. I have a friend that has Schizophrenia and she said it is usually obvious, and that it looks as if I am showing early signs. I feel as if I can read other people’s minds. The voices in my head tell me things. Sometimes good, more often bad. It’s affecting my school work because they will shout things at me in Italian. I have done extensive research on schizophrenia, and I have many of the symptoms. Such as delusions and disorganized speech. So far I’ve counted 29 voices in my head. Do I need to check in to a mental hospital? Or do I not even have Schizophrenia. Please help.

2No Distortion

From the U.S.: I divorced several years ago after 18 years in an abusive marriage.  I have been dating an old friend from college for over 1 year.  This man is very gentle and kind, and does a lot of nice things for me.  He spends most of his free time with me when possible, but he lives an hour away.  He always makes the drive to see me, and comes 2-3 times a week to do things or hang out with me.

2No Distortion

I have been feeling unhappy for about two years now, but i have only just opened up to my mum about how i feel. The school have recommended i go seek help however my mum seems to be avoiding the subject of my mental health is there any way i could do something myself?

2No Distortion

Hi. I wanted to know if there could be something wrong with me, and if so, what could be causing it. For quite a while now I have been experiencing extremely intense mood swings and identity shifts that only last for a very short period of time. One minute I can feel suicidal, the next I feel euphoric, the next I am bursting with energy, the next I am rage full, and the next I feel like a rational human being. However, I have found that when I’m in these euphoric, energetic moods I can become extremely paranoid if triggered. The other night I slept over at my friend’s house in one of these moods, and the voices inside of my head said that if I didn’t throw my phone at the wall, something horrible would happen. So I struggled with it for a while, and then finally threw my phone at the wall. All my friends who were trying to go to sleep woke up. These voices are not audible they are just two voices that seem to be there and tell me to do things, but they contradict one another all the time, and often I can’t figure out who to trust. I’ve felt pretty stable for a little over a week now, except for last night when I thought that my mother was trying to poison me (lately I’ve been feeling more and more that my parents are trying to kill me). I had a small panic attack and then I got over it. I also started planning out how to kill my friend, but then changed my mind. I become very angry and murderous at times but still seem to have a capacity for intense empathy for others. The confusing thing is, whenever I switch back into my rational mode I view my past actions as ridiculous and try to forget about them. Rational mode can last for a week or so, maybe longer, and then I go back headlong into a tailspin and let everything fall apart. I know that I am not schizophrenic because these voices are not audible and I still have a pretty good grip on reality. I also know that it is not bipolar disorder because the moods change far too quickly. I am very confused, and would appreciate a little guidance. Thank you in advance!

I’ve felt pretty stable for a little over a week now, except for last night when I thought that my mother was trying to poison me (lately I’ve been feeling more and more that my parents are trying to kill me).

1Emotional Reasoning

My boyfriend of four months has invited me on a trip across Canada this summer. We have already planned out most of the itinerary and have discussed the cost of the trip. All that I needed was a yes from my parents. When I brought it up, my mom was on board, initially, but asked me to speak to my father about it. She then told me that she was less comfortable with the trip because I haven’t been with my boyfriend for long enough. When I asked my dad about it, he was initially concerned with the distance and length of the trip, because I do get anxious at times and can have panic attacks. After speaking with my dad, he seemed to be okay with the trip except for not having known my boyfriend for long enough. While I agree that this is completely reasonable, I want them to be able to see it from my perspective.

2No Distortion

I’ve been noticing that my feelings have been changing. I was hanging out with my friend last week and she said that I have no creativity and those words stuck to me. I felt a rush of sadness but it soon turned to anger, to where I just wanted to hit her. But that’s not all. Today in the store, I was with my mom and sister and for some reason after our friend left, I just let out this anger. I don’t even know what actually happened. I think my sister annoyed me but it was more than that. Whenever I get mad like that, I’ve been forgetting what I was mad about. It’s like the anger just took over me. And I’ve been really sad either before or after my anger. I want to get help but I’m too scared to talk to anyone about it because I feel like my problems aren’t important and they have better things to do than listen to me go on. I’m really nervous with how these mood swings are going to play out as the school year begins. I just want to relax, but even when I am relaxing in my room I want to hit something. But my step father makes it worse. He makes me feel like shit whenever I say something. He talks about me like I’m not in the room and it puts me down and I don’t think he gets it but it really does hurt me. Please, just help me understand what’s going on with me.

I want to get help but I’m too scared to talk to anyone about it because I feel like my problems aren’t important and they have better things to do than listen to me go on.

3Magnification

I need to clarify what it is that causes such anguish with this person. When I feel I really want or need something from my husband, if it is not mutual, it never comes about. I can ask, I can cry, I can be adamant, I can restate and explain my feelings, but there is no response.

When I feel I really want or need something from my husband, if it is not mutual, it never comes about. I can ask, I can cry, I can be adamant, I can restate and explain my feelings, but there is no response.

9Mental filter

Since I was younger, my mother always got caught being on a call with other men, even before she and my dad got divorced about 5 years ago. Now she’s the only one who pays our bills, being the single mother. After she got divorced with her second husband, she started to become the old her, receiving calls from married men, having a date with them. Maybe because of her, I’ve always being skeptical about marriage, thinking if all men will cheat–there will be no point of being married.

Maybe because of her, I’ve always being skeptical about marriage, thinking if all men will cheat–there will be no point of being married.

7Overgeneralization

Hello, I am a 17 years old teenager, since I was a little girl I’ve always been fragile and sensitive, and by that I mean extremely sensitive, and I cry for everything and nothing, I cry over ridiculous things and for the stupidest reasons and it seems like I can’t do anything about it, at first I thought just because I was a kid, kids cry a lot, and it will disappear eventually when I grow up, but it never went away, it grew up with me, that resulted me having social anxiety, I don’t like to talk or interact with others, because I constantly have the feeling that they would judge me and that they won’t like me, and I always have the fear of their judgement if they ever saw me crying for no reason, I also avoid social interactions because I’m afraid I would get myself in a situation where I would cry, it’s so easy to get me to cry, all it takes is few hurtful words, or seeing another person crying and I will instantly cry even if I don’t know who is that person, and generally my reaction to anything or any emotion is crying, when I am angry I cry, when I am happy I cry, when I am scared I cry… I tried hundreds of times to resist the urge to cry and stop my tears but every time it was a fail, it seems like no one really understands me, not even my family, I tried to talk about this with my family members, but it was a disaster I ended up crying and my family yelling at me and telling that what I am saying is ridiculous and that I’m weak, I considered seeing a therapist before but my family won’t let me, they think that anyone who goes to the therapist is insane, I tried different ways to avoid any situation that possibly would make me cry, like avoid certain types of movies, sad or not, or any videos that shows heartwarming situations like kind acts, I always try to watch comedy, or anything that makes me laugh, or jokes but the only thing that I can’t do anything about it is my thoughts , sometimes, without realizing it, I would imagine some scenarios, or remember some memories not necessarily sad, and I would instantly cry, at the moment I’m just using temporary solutions that doesn’t solve the problem, it just retards it, is it a mental issue? Would I ever be normal? Is there a way for me to stop crying? Or is it just that I’m weak? (From Algeria)

Hello, I am a 17 years old teenager, since I was a little girl I’ve always been fragile and sensitive, and by that I mean extremely sensitive, and I cry for everything and nothing, I cry over ridiculous things and for the stupidest reasons and it seems like I can’t do anything about it, at first I thought just because I was a kid, kids cry a lot, and it will disappear eventually when I grow up, but it never went away, it grew up with me, that resulted me having social anxiety, I don’t like to talk or interact with others, because I constantly have the feeling that they would judge me and that they won’t like me, and I always have the fear of their judgement if they ever saw me crying for no reason, I also avoid social interactions because I’m afraid I would get myself in a situation where I would cry, it’s so easy to get me to cry, all it takes is few hurtful words, or seeing another person crying and I will instantly cry even if I don’t know who is that person, and generally my reaction to anything or any emotion is crying, when I am angry I cry, when I am happy I cry, when I am scared I cry…

3Magnification

My mom and I are always fighting. She is constantly telling me how to live my life and that any choices I make are wrong. She always constantly puts down my husband and says the nastiest, most vile things about him and I. I try to talk to her about it but it always ends with her and I yelling at each other and her telling me that I am being disrespectful to her.

I try to talk to her about it but it always ends with her and I yelling at each other and her telling me that I am being disrespectful to her.

9Mental filter

Do I have an eating disorder? I’m not really sure if i do or not. My dad always thought i did in middle school because i dont put my lips to my fork when i eat i use my teeth to “rake” the food off instead and i always thought that was crazy. At the time i was about five foot six and weighed about 130 wich i thought was a bit much until i saw myself in a full length mirror. now im a senior in highschool and im five foot seven and as of this morning im 144.3 lbs. I worked my way up to 167 last year and tried to get down to 140 for prom. I diddnt succeed and i ended up eating so much i gained 10 of the 20 lbs i lost and then over summer after i got diagnose with celiacs disease i diddnt eat very much, there would be days i just skipped food all together. everyday at the pool more and more guys would look and I felt more confident. when i went to my doctor for my celiacs doctor about a month ago, she said that my weight concerned her. apparently 140 is the lowest my body can be without being unhelthy and i weighed in at 142. I still didnt feel it was enough and about 2 weeks ago i discovered that if i take my adhd medicine everyother day not only can i slack off when i really want to but i get sick and then im not hungry. I went down to 140.2 for about 4 days and i felt like a fat kid. In gym I couldnt run as fast as normal and i was out of breath in no time, when we got back i looked in the mirror and saw how gross i looked. my boyfriend thinks im self destructive in ways other that not eating because he sees me eating apples and rice bars alot and thinks its the only healthy thing i do for my body since i stopped cutting.But he dosnt understand either way and dosnt seem to notice either way so i figure hes happy about thedirection of my figure. I couldnt get my meds to make me sick anymore last week so i stopped taking them and i just ate everything with sugar or chocolate or fat and went up to 147 and it freaked me out. Christmas eve i took my meds without thinking and like usual when i take hem i diddnt eat. a few hours later i got really sick but due to a childhood surgery im unable to vomit so i just dryheave and it hurts but im used to it. I diddnt eat untill christmas morning(yesterday) and i ate all day long. then thismorning i did my usual. I got in my yogapants and a bra and ran down to weigh myself. unhappy with being almost 5 lbs above goal i got off and looked in the mirror again. poking and pulling and shaking i decided that i need to get back down but mom handed me a bowl of oatmeal that im currently avoiding and thinking about flushing even tho im starving so i think ill take my meds again tomorrow so ill be at my goal before mybirthday on the 29th and then ill beable to decide if i need to loose more or not. i realise this cant benormal. making myself sick to avoid food instead of making myself purge it and actually eating so is it really an eating dissorder if i take vitamins to get my minerals and then skip a day here and there for food but i never actually purge it?if so how do i fix myself, im too scared to tell my councellor because she thinks ive made so much progress wih everything else i dont want to dissapoint her and shed probably want me to tell mom who would make me eat at the table again so she knows im eating… I want to be in the fashion and art world and food just makes me fat… not fashionable nor artistic but disgusting and lathargic and even with crunches and dieting i cant seem to look the way i want … i also feel that im unhelthy weight already because the chart for weight is based off hight and im prety sur my chest is probably about 15 or 20 lbs of my weight wich means id be at unhelthy weight already wouldnt it? I just stil dont like the way i lok tho please help me figure this out

if so how do i fix myself, im too scared to tell my councellor because she thinks ive made so much progress wih everything else i dont want to dissapoint her and shed probably want me to tell mom who would make me eat at the table again so she knows im eating

8Mind Reading

I will try and be as brief as possible: 3.5 yrs ago I fell deeply in love with a man who is 13 years my senior. I had never felt this way and neither had he. We were together full time for 1.5 yrs however it was a long distance relationship taking up to 10 hours each way to see each other. We adored each other and wanted to make it work so made an effort to meet up every 2 weeks. The distance took its toll and when I felt ready to move in with him, he suddenly became very scared (his mum committed suicide 3 yrs before I met him and was quite abusive to him when he was a child) and took a step back which caused no end of heart ache. I knew he still loved me however it was simply impossible to continue as we were. Eventually the frustration of being apart caused us to separate. We decided to take a break- not to break up. But he went into denial and although we were in touch most days during the break, he said that he wanted to stay single. I was dying of heartache and 6 months after our so called break met another man who for the first few months became just a lovely friend, consoling me about my break and helping me, eventually the new chap and I started having a relationship although I had mentioned nothing to the first man (love of  my life) as in my head I thought he no longer wished to be together. After some time he found out and told me that he wanted to get back together by which time my trust had flown out the window. The new man was so lovely and kind and fun and all the rest of it but we lacked much sexual intimacy. Fast forward nearly 2 yrs and they are still both in my life, I am in love with both and both are in love with me. I live with the new one but I am dying inside being away from the first.  I have seen him and we both don’t understand what’s going on. Its so painful and I feel so guilty. Sex is still an issue with new man- I love him dearly rather than passionately. Help me please if you can. (From the UK)

I live with the new one but I am dying inside being away from the first.

3Magnification

From a teen in the U.S.: This year, one of my best friends has gone through a lot of issue with his other friends. He really feels like he has no one left besides me. All he ever does is work or stay at home. He rarely comes to church anymore. He deleted all of his social media accounts and now he wants to switch to online schooling. I’m really worried that he will fully isolate himself if he does that but I could also see how it would be good for him. I only want what’s best for him and I’m not sure if I should encourage him to stay in public school or do online schooling like he wants.Is this type of isolate healthy?

I’m really worried that he will fully isolate himself if he does that but I could also see how it would be good for him.

4Fortune-telling

Hi there. I am a genderqueer person in graduate school for mental health to become an LCPC. I am worried that having a gender identity that is incoherent to most others will lessen my ability to build a therapeutic alliance with a wide range of clients. I am worried I will not be effective outside of a very narrow community. I have thought about trying to live as more clearly female or male, but this idea is uncomfortable to me. I feel the answer I keep getting is that I have to be myself to create an authentic relationship, but I think that answer ignores the reality that expressing a genderqueer sense of self often confuses most people and impedes building relationships very often. Yikes. What do you think???

2No Distortion

I grew up bouncing from house to house. Sometimes with my mom, but most of the time with grandparents or having my sister look after me. My father left when I was 2 and popped his head in here and there. He and my mother are both addicts. My mother got clean when I was 15, but is still an alcoholic. Because of their addictions, I never really had a real home, let alone parents. I was never able to count on them and they were constantly letting me down. When was 17 and graduated high school I left for college and never looked back. I knew I needed to make something of myself so that I would not turn into them.

I knew I needed to make something of myself so that I would not turn into them.

4Fortune-telling

I consider myself a heterosexual male but I have often had difficulty forming romantic connections with women for one reason or another. Instead, I tend to be romantically attracted to men, even if that attraction doesn’t exactly translate into sexual attraction.

2No Distortion

From a 14 year old girl in the U.S.: I have always been a shy person. I’ve never particularly enjoyed making small talk with strangers or spending a great deal of my time around people. However, I never really saw this as a problem until now, when a lot of my schoolwork has started to depend on being able to talk to others.

2No Distortion

My heart stopped feeling and my life has not been the same since then. I am an 18-year-old girl. Earlier this year I broke up with my boyfriend that I was with since I was 14. This break up came as a great shock and I went through a lot of pain. Two months later my godson of only 10 months dies. His death hit me hard because he is the first close family member I’ve lost to death. He was my pillar of strength and the reason that I kept going even though I was broken into pieces so when he left everything changed. My heart shut down and I became spiritually confused. I haven’t cried in 5 months now and I don’t remember the last time I felt something genuinely. I hate who I’ve become even though in a way it saved me from any pain. How do I become okay again? And if I do will the feelings for my ex still be there because I never really got over him? And what happens if I’m stuck like this forever? (From Namibia, South Africa)

Earlier this year I broke up with my boyfriend that I was with since I was 14. This break up came as a great shock and I went through a lot of pain. Two months later my godson of only 10 months dies. His death hit me hard because he is the first close family member I’ve lost to death. He was my pillar of strength and the reason that I kept going even though I was broken into pieces so when he left everything changed.

9Mental filter

I recently moved out on my ex-roommate because she has a history of psyche problems (anorexia/bulimia, borderline personality disorder) and was displaying some disturbing and problematic symptoms; I and my family were worried about my safety. She was starting to act paranoid, if my cat knocked something over and broke it she would accuse me of doing it to mess with her, stuff like that but then one day she got in my face and started screaming at me and threatened to hit me and that was when I moved out.

2No Distortion

I was in a relationship for two years throughout high school. It was my first “real” relationship and I fell in love with him. I thought we were going to try to make it work through college even though it would be hard because we loved each other so much. However, he randomly broke up with me before the summer even started. He wouldn’t tell me why or what had gone so wrong. Naturally, I was absolutely devastated. He just dropped out of my life completely.

2No Distortion

Well I don’ know where to begin. I grew up in a family that I believe was very critical and rarely encouraging. When I was 17 my parents were separated for a year (the year I was trying to get into college which has a huge test in my country and it is a very big deal!) and after they got back together my father was diagnosed with mesotelioma and passed away in just three months when I was 19.

2No Distortion

From a teen in the United Arab Emirates: my gf is 18 years old and we live in dubai and the issue is she cheated with 3 of my friends and and they have bigger dicks than me sorry for the words im using, and i cant get over it because i never had such past like getting sex or any of that but other than that she lost her virginity to me and i lost it to her..anyways i cant get over it and its making a huge deal and its been 2years like that and i dont know what to do so please help me

anyways i cant get over it and its making a huge deal and its been 2years like that and i dont know what to do so please help me

4Fortune-telling

From a young woman in the U.S.: I feel disgusted when I’m around my mom.  I can’t stand be close with her, I don’t feel “safe” around her, I feel like she’s strange person. I don’t want to talk with her, I don’t want to her touch me or anything like that. So basically I just want be far from her.

I can’t stand be close with her, I don’t feel “safe” around her, I feel like she’s strange person.

10Labeling

One of my good friends recently got diagnosed with depression. I’ve been trying to help her and be supportive but recently, my anxiety has been bad. From self-harming to feeling suicidal, things have been way, WAY better for me. I want to be there for my friend but every time she talks about something negative, I can just feel a part of me breaking away. I don’t know why it’s happening and I tried telling her to try to talk about other things but she just told me that talking about depression helps her. I feel so bad because I’m an awful friend for wanting to drop her but I just don’t want to talk about mental illness. Another important detail that I think was important: I told her I needed space but she told me to help her instead of herself. She later apologized but I’ve just never really forgiven her for it even though I said I did. I don’t know what to do. I feel so conflicted and broken.

I feel so bad because I’m an awful friend for wanting to drop her but I just don’t want to talk about mental illness.

10Labeling

Today my future husband told me a story of his family. His grandmother is an alcoholic. The problem is his mother thinks that she is a descendent of The Romanovs (the royal family that was killed in Russia in 1918). It was happening to her gradually. She was okay till 2002, then she started to reproach her husband by saying that she is of the royal blood and so on. Now she has a strong feeling of paranoia as she thinks that everybody (especially doctors) wants to kill her. She also thinks that her husband doesn’t work and the government gives him money so he could support her and their children. They always fight.

2No Distortion

I am 15 and I feel like I might have some signs of being a psychopath. I tell lies every day, either to get attention or to get out of trouble and I feel no guilt about it. I can turn my charm on and off to get what I want, and I can be very good at getting people to do what I want. I feel some empathy like I feel sorry for people, but I have very little time for other people’s problems and emotions. I don’t like hurting people and I don’t do it, however, I feel very little guilt about hurting people’s feelings. When people try to tell me their problems I get bored easily and even annoyed. I like having power over people and I also feel like I can act very childish at times. I know I’m not a full-blown psychopath, but I feel like I show some signs and I need to know what to do. (From Scotland)

I know I’m not a full-blown psychopath, but I feel like I show some signs and I need to know what to do.

1Emotional Reasoning

I am a college focused girl and to others, it may seem that the only troubles in my life are balancing Advances Placement classes. In the past year, however, I have been encountering many signs of Borderline Personality Disorder in my behavior which seem to be rapidly growing in frequency and magnitude.

I am a college focused girl and to others, it may seem that the only troubles in my life are balancing Advances Placement classes.

8Mind Reading

My husband and I have been together for 4 years. We have 2 sons and I have a daughter from previous relationship. He is her dad, has been the only dad she has known. Last summer we were separated and I left out of town leaving my daughter with family. A week before I came home, my daughter went back home. My husband wasn’t coping well with the thought of losing his family and I don’t think he was thinking clearly. He sexually abused my 7 yr old daughter for 2 nights. He rubbed his parts against hers until he finished. The 2nd night he had her get into shower and kissed her down there. After that it stopped, a few days later I returned. She told me and I took her to the doctor, no signs of penetration. I left him for a few weeks and ended up going back. I know that he is sorry and he says he doesn’t know why he did it. It hasn’t happened again and we all sat down and talked about what happened and I continue to talk with her about how she is feeling and if she wants to stay with dad or not. She says she forgives him, her behavior hasn’t changed. She seems fine, for now. DO you think it is possible to move on past this and be a family or do I just run for the hills? Could it have been his state of mind at the time? I’m so confused whether or not to try to make this work. Am I stupid for staying or is there a chance to save our family.

My husband wasn’t coping well with the thought of losing his family and I don’t think he was thinking clearly.

8Mind Reading

My boyfriend and I met when his Uncle and my mother got married. We have known each other for years and recently him and I have grown closer and have started dating. We have been dating for 7 months now and my parents will not approve. We have tried sitting them down and talking to them and each of us talking to them individually and they just don’t want to hear it. It has gotten to the point where I have had to move out because of the way that they treat me. My mother can’t even look at me the same way.

We have been dating for 7 months now and my parents will not approve.

4Fortune-telling

What are these behaviors I get from my boyfriend? Never answer a direct question, instead would say “here is what I will do”, silent treatment a lot, would always change the subject of discussion often by criticizing me, circular conversations, would interrupt & lose his temper when I was calm & logical, reason would not work, would say ‘I don’t care if I am illogical’, would get angry when I wouldn’t, would pay me back money in small increments dragging it out, I cancelled a date saying I was tired he said he would be tired the whole next week, said I wasn’t good because I didn’t encourage him to eat better, said I must see him 3 times a week no less, he would tell me how to say things what to say, would compare me to previous girlfriends,word play, like telling me that ‘accusing’, ‘texting’, ‘saying’, ‘meaning’, were all ‘different’, changed his Facebook status to single after we had been intimate & denied it even tho he knew I looked at his page, did it to anger me, demanded long periods of avoidance after losing temper.

changed his Facebook status to single after we had been intimate & denied it even tho he knew I looked at his page, did it to anger me,

8Mind Reading

Im 17 years old. ive lied about having an eating disorder and have been hospitalized many times. ive lied about trauma and have been hospitalized for it as well.

i live a normal life otherwise but i just lie so much i don’t know what’s wrong with me or why i do it and im too far in to stop now.

5Personalization

From a teen in the U.S.: Lately (and right now) I’ve been having these moments where all I want to do is be alone and do nothing all day. I’m not necessarily sad unless somebody wants to do something with me or just talk which is sort of strange because I’m generally an open person. (For instance, if my family and friends all went on a week long vacation I would be a happy girl).

2No Distortion

Six months ago I met the man of my dreams – except there is one catch – he has a 2 year old daughter. I am 24 and he is 34, we have been dating for 6 months and are now living together. I am finding it very very challenging to accept his daughter into my life. He was not previously married to his daughter’ mother, in fact she accidently got pregrant in there 2-3 week dating period. They tried to make it work when they found out about the pregnancy but could not. My partner is extremely committed to his daughter and has promised to always be there for her. I am feeling very resentful of him and his past mistake. I am angry at him for having a daughter and get physically ill often when she is around as it makes me think of him and her mother. I often think about what it will mean to accept his daughter as a permanent part of our lives when we get married and worry that I will always hold resentment towards her. I am hurt, frustrated, sad, angry and overwhelmed with how this is effecting me emotionally. My partner is extremely supportive and listens with an open heart to all of my ridiculousness constanly. We are constantly working together to find solutions to our dillema. I know I am hurting him though and that he wishes I felt differently. I wish that I could accept his daughter with open arms and be much more understanding however i am constantly angry!

am feeling very resentful of him and his past mistake. I am angry at him for having a daughter and get physically ill often when she is around as it makes me think of him and her mother.

5Personalization

My husband’s uncle has great financial means however spends extremely little money on entertainment. He showed up unannounced for years often at supper hour and whenever he liked. After his girlfriend broke up with him his intrusions worsened. We repeatedly asked him to call before he came, but he would show up anyway and say “If you are busy I just go.” If we say we are busy he argues. Visits are often and prolonged. Finally, after waking us up one morning I firmly told him that he was asked to call and repeatedly violates our request. His first response was “You don’t like me.” I am also sick with Lupus and when this first big argument came I was caring for several children. He didn’t come unannounced nor even when invited for about 6 months and then out of the blue he started again. Then came the argument followed by absence then another 6 months all would start again. This cycle has been going on for about 5 years now. My husband and I explained why we needed him to call and he nodded his head as though he understood. After these talks I made sure to invite him over so that he would know he would be able to visit. His response is usually the same. “I may come, not sure what I am doing yet.” That ends up tying up our night as we don’t know if he is coming or not. If we invite others to play cards we may not be able to if he just shows up. Hubby feels guilty telling him that we are not up for company. It is badly straining our marriage as I can’t even rely on having a peaceful night. Hubby is stressed because he doesn’t want him doing it either but would put up with it if I didn’t complain. He also is extremely rude to us and other guests. He says and does mean things when he perceives an injustice towards him. Everything mean thing he does (which is often) seems to be calculated to send a message. The last 7 out of 8 invites we gave he caused issues. A pharmacist friend of mine told me to read “Controlling People” and I was shocked at how much scenarios in the book resembled this relative. How can I help my husband not feel guilty about insisting his uncle respect boundaries? My husband tries, then his uncles manipulates him and my husband yells at me as to why he can’t come over when he wants. (From Canada)

2No Distortion

My son is now 13 and had been diagnosed ED / ADHD since he was 3.  I was a single mom the first 4 years of his life, and married when he was four.  I now have two other boys, 2 and 4, and my husband and I are struggling to deal with the oldest’s behaviors.  It is actually causing me to be very depressed at times and it is straining our marriage.  I’m not sure what I can do, to help him and us.  I feel like I’m going to literally lose my mind on a daily basis. I end up snapping at everyone or not dealing with normal issues, because I feel so overwhelmed.

I’m not sure what I can do, to help him and us. I feel like I’m going to literally lose my mind on a daily basis. I end up snapping at everyone or not dealing with normal issues, because I feel so overwhelmed.

3Magnification

Hello, What brought me here is that I believe I am a pedophile, I am shocked and anxious about it and disgusted by myself. I’ve been diagnosed with OCD (relationships OCD) 3 years ago and for the past 1,5 years I’ve been struggling with thoughts/fantasies about my gender and possible homosexuality. 6 months ago the worst was added to the roaster – I started to think that I am a pedophile when I felt something that I believe is attraction to a 12 year old girl. It got me panicking and later on I think that my feelings were exaggerated due to anxiety and there was nothing sexual there. But for the past months I’ve been struggling: I do definitely find teenager girls attractive (16 and up mostly) and as far as my research goes there is nothing biologically wrong with it (it’s a grey area in terms of social and legal issues though), plus research shows that many men respond with arousal to teenagers, they just don’t pay as much attention to it as I do due to fears of being a pedophile.

It got me panicking and later on I think that my feelings were exaggerated due to anxiety and there was nothing sexual there.

3Magnification

I have been going to weekly therapy for a year and half, as well as group therapy for the past year (with the same therapist). I am very comfortable with him and feel that we have a good rapport. It was difficult in the beginning because I have a lot of difficulty recognizing and expressing my emotions, but now I think that I have come to trust him. My issues included anxiety, depression, childhood trauma (bullying, divorce, isolation), and a medical condition I have with psychosomatic causes (scarring alopecia). The therapy is not very goal oriented and I don’t have any clear idea on when it might be completed. Though I have gained insight into the way I function and the causes of my distress through much introspection, I can’t say that my issues have gotten much better. I want to believe in him and our relationship…that it can truly help me to form better relationships and minimize some of my depression and anxiety. However, I know I also have to think rationally and evaluate the changes that have been made in the past 18 months.

However, I know I also have to think rationally and evaluate the changes that have been made in the past 18 months.

6Should statements

I have feelings for my school counselor. I know this is completely inappropriate, and I want to get passed it. However, I am not really sure how to go about doing this. I am currently in therapy, and have been for over a year. I completely trust my therapist, but am so embarrassed and scared of this situation that I don’t know how to approach it. The attraction is somewhat sexual in nature, but I think it may be related to past trauma. I have sort of created three of this counselor in my mind; the one that’s just normal, the one I have sexual feelings for, and the one I just want to be emotionally and physically close with. I have had similar feelings toward other people that I am not supposed to feel that about, but never anything on this level. Does this sound like a somewhat typical response to trauma? How do I go about addressing it, so that I don’t feel this way anymore?

I know this is completely inappropriate, and I want to get passed it.

6Should statements

Hi, I have been feeling depressed for a long time now (I am not officially diagnosed, but I identify with a lot of the symptoms) and it is affecting my studies. i think university (stress, having no passion towards my degree, feelings of inadequacy) is a very huge trigger. I had sought help in the student services department, and my advisor had said that whatever I am feeling was circumstantial, that it would get better once I am graduate.

i think university (stress, having no passion towards my degree, feelings of inadequacy) is a very huge trigger.

3Magnification

From a teen in Switzerland: I want to live my life without all of the negative thoughts and worries. I want to enjoy life again rather than thinking of it as “just having to get through it”. I have avoided going out with friends because I feel like it does’t matter if I go anyways, like nothing is missing if I’m not there because nobody seems to have noticed.

I want to live my life without all of the negative thoughts and worries. I want to enjoy life again rather than thinking of it as “just having to get through it”.

0All-or-nothing thinking

From the Phillipines: Since when I was young I started talking to myself and do pretend conversation but in mute voice. I pretend to be a character that I knew or have a conversation with other T.V. personalities. Until now I am still doing it. I don’t remember well how it this talking to myself started. I just wanted to know if this is a mental disorder or this connected to my poor memory because now I can’t quite remember some of my past. How can I stop doing this? Thank you very much.

2No Distortion

My sister (27) is diagnosed with schizophrenia but I don’t find her symptoms matching. In my view, she is more likely to have borderline personality disorder (or possibly antisocial personality disorder) which possibly goes with bipolar disorder. I would be very grateful to get your opinion.

2No Distortion

My best friend is turning 21 and she’s got a pretty scarred childhood what with being raped by her adopted, iron fist, controlling, Christian father and her father’s priest friend as a child, then again later by someone else. Her family by the way has legally disowned her because she’s not Christian. Like wtf!? Overkill much? Then not to mention being beaten senseless by a group of guys she knows not long ago, but won’t tell me their names because she knows I’d make them eat out of straws. She loves to have fun and drinks quite a lot, but she’s extremely hard on herself, and struggles with accepting failure. She’s also a bit of a bad luck magnet too. And she almost seems to like having her boyfriend never say a single nice thing to her or ever complement her. So she effects this seemingly tough/strong persona on a daily basis. But she, at an increasingly number amount of times, likes to harm herself with thumbtacks. Legs, arms, face, she doesn’t care. And she tells me, “It’s fine I do it all the time, don’t worry about it, I’m fine”. And it’s because she wants to, “feel something”. When drunk, she often cries and then constantly pleads “don’t hit me”, even to me! As well as just today I found out she’s into BDSM and has a couple of whips, a gag ball, and I think some leather cuffs or something? Also, she continuously claims that no one cares about her and that her funeral would be empty. And so my main concern is that she has now been thinking about suicide because she feels as though she is unstable, or “fucked” as she put it. She may be right. And I feel as though she simply can’t grasp the fact that, I at least care about her. But aside from that, I’m really just wanting to know what to do, because I am honestly the only person in her life that truly loves and cares about her. And also because she refuses to see or talk to anyone about how she’s been feeling except for me. So pretty much how do I keep my best and only friend, alive and happy? Anything would be much appreciated. Thank you.

And I feel as though she simply can’t grasp the fact that, I at least care about her.

8Mind Reading

The relationship with my mom has worsened due to a lie I told back in February, which I took full responsibility for and I am aware that hiding my depression from her and the fact that I was seeing a physiologist without her knowing was not okay, but I felt as if she wouldn’t understand, because she’s always told me I make a big deal out of everything and that I want to make it seem like I’m a victim when I cry, so I was ashamed to tell her and face her criticism. As of lately I have returned with my ex-boyfriend, we separated previously about a month ago because I wanted time to focus on myself and When we argued it was very hard on me because I was at a vulnerable stage, Due to me being sensitive my mother would see me cry and she would immediately assume that my boyfriend was at fault, she assumes it was because of him that I fell depressed and she assumed that because of him I chose to take a break from school to better my mental health.

The relationship with my mom has worsened due to a lie I told back in February, which I took full responsibility for and I am aware that hiding my depression from her and the fact that I was seeing a physiologist without her knowing was not okay, but I felt as if she wouldn’t understand, because she’s always told me I make a big deal out of everything and that I want to make it seem like I’m a victim when I cry, so I was ashamed to tell her and face her criticism.

5Personalization

I’ve been with my boyfriend for a year, and the past few months he’s been acting distant and stressed. He admitted he was depressed when I asked. He says he loves me, but that he doesn’t know why he’s unhappy and he doesn’t know what he wants. I want him to be happy, and if that means breaking up with me that’s fine, but I don’t think that breaking up will make him any happier, because he cries at the thought of it and hasn’t made any motion to dump me yet..

I want him to be happy, and if that means breaking up with me that’s fine, but I don’t think that breaking up will make him any happier, because he cries at the thought of it and hasn’t made any motion to dump me yet..

4Fortune-telling

My husband of 18 years left a year ago, with no warning. He had demonstrated some strange behaviour during this time, but he is very secretive and deceitful and can hide things very well. Within a week of leaving his family of five children he lost his job. Prior to this he had been very successful in work. The past five years however he has changed jobs many times, although I don’t think I have been told the real reason. He now doesn’t see his children at all — one of these is a tiny baby and was less than three months when he left. Before this, he was a loving father. Since leaving he has not paid any financial support for his children although he is adamant that he has. He tells so many lies it is difficult to keep track. I believe that he believes his lies as he is so convincing. He tells lies that serve no purpose and are easily proven to be lies, yet he seems convinced they are true. He is also completely paranoid and accuses people of being out to get him. He comes from a family with an alcoholic father, which has never been acknowledged. My problem is that because we have split up, I have no influence over him at all. His family won’t acknowledge that there is a problem, even though his behavior is completely out of character. I risk looking like a bitter ex wife, even though I am extremely worried about him and I know something has happened to trigger this behavior. He has gone from being a well respected father and family man to not seeing any of his children or his old friends. He has tattooed himself which he would never have done and he has run up huge debts. I am worried he will end up arrested. He has had violent out bursts, but only towards me, as far as I know. Does it sound like he has a mental health problem? I truly believe he is delusional.

2No Distortion

From Brazil: I read a ton of articles about this subject, but my case doesn’t fit any of those. My girlfriend is 31 years old (I’m 24) and we’ve been together for a little over a year. I love here as deeply as I possibly could and I wanna build my life with her.

2No Distortion

I’ve seen my current T for a year and we have managed to build a good and trustworthy relationship. Now he started his summer vacation,I last met him 3 days ago. Our next appt. will be in 6,5 weeks. This is really hard cos we met thrice a week, which I feel isn’t enough.I have no one else to turn to. I am so weak and broken, traumatized and beaten up. No one understands. I’ve seen a psychologist at the psych. outpatient clinic but he just hurt me more.T is everything, and the only thing that helps.

I have no one else to turn to. I am so weak and broken, traumatized and beaten up.

3Magnification

I have been in a relationship with a man in his mid-40’s for over a year, and as a couple without outside influences we have a supportive, loving and kind relationship, and rarely a disagreement. We moved around the corner from his mum but the last 6 months it appears she has tried to manipulatively break us up. I’ll give you some examples. She came into our home and placed photos of him as a child on our fridge and around the house. We only ever socialise with her, friends her age, and while we are at those occasions she superficially talks up her son’s talents, and looks, and how special he is. My partner lovingly tries to talk about things me or my family are also doing, and every single time she changes the subject, or worse, talks about someone she distantly knows that did the same thing or better. My partner tries to enable me to be proud of myself and my family too, but it’s always to no avail. She has completely shattered my confidence, that I don’t speak much anymore. We’ve been trying for a baby for over a year and she told me when she found out that he can’t afford to have a child because he needs her permission because he owes her money (he doesn’t owe her much). She then tried to convince me to break up with him and go out with my best friend. They have told me for some time the family does not celebrate birthdays, but recently for my partner’s 45th all her friends starting saying his mum was organising a dinner. He said my mother won’t decide for me who I spend my birthday with. I want to spend my day with you.. Next thing, a motorcyclist had bumped the side of her car, no one was injured but he said his mum was in a catatonic state. He then told her she could organise her dinner because she wanted to. We got there, and she had pulled out of her catatonic state pretty brilliantly, with balloons you’d see at 12 year olds party and her two closest friends. I couldn’t get a word in much at this dinner, but one of her friends said she was looking for a husband, and his mum said, darling you should marry her. It’s all caused me so much pain. (From Australia)

She has completely shattered my confidence, that I don’t speak much anymore.

3Magnification

I’m 17 now and should be off to university next year, but I’m so scared I don’t know if I should. I have a history of depression, really bad self-esteem, and I know I show many symptoms of OCD and anxiety, specifically GAD. The thought of going to university at this point terrifies me as I am worrying that all of my problems will get worse and worse to the point that I can’t cope anymore. In fact the only reason I think I’m dealing at the moment is because I have friends to talk to when things are getting tough, but I won’t have them when I go to uni. I just really do not know what to do at this point. I keep changing my mind between definitely not wanting to go (like now) and thinking that it wouldn’t be too bad. I admit I have spent most of my time in the not wanting to go category though. I have applied to go and got a couple of places so far, but even applying took a lot of convincing. I’m just so stuck and panicked. (age 17, from UK)

I’m 17 now and should be off to university next year, but I’m so scared I don’t know if I should. I have a history of depression, really bad self-esteem, and I know I show many symptoms of OCD and anxiety, specifically GAD. The thought of going to university at this point terrifies me as I am worrying that all of my problems will get worse and worse to the point that I can’t cope anymore.

6Should statements

So recently, I’ve been having a lot of intrusive thoughts. It started when I started having thoughts about suicide, but that ended quickly, and didn’t bother me as much. Then I began to fear that I would end up hurting my mother after reading it was one of the symptoms of OCD. Now, for some reason, my mind thinks everything is somehow a threat to me. Like recently, I was watching an Asian YouTuber, and all of the sudden my mind went, “Oh, it’s an Asian guy. You should hate him.” But I don’t really know why? But now I feel as if I should avoid anything that has to do with Asians, like the games and the things they’ve invented. Though I really don’t know why. These are feelings and thoughts I can’t seem to get rid of and it’s really scary. Is this anxiety? Depression? Panic attacks? All I know is all this started when I started getting intrusive thoughts when a kid was talking about suicide and I started thinking about it too. Almost obsessing over it. It’s something that I can’t really get rid of no matter how hard I try. I don’t like these thoughts because I know none of the things my brain is telling me to fear/get irritated by/hate is going to harm me, so why do I feel this way about certain things for no absolute reason? I feel tired all the time, my head feels heavy, I have trouble concentrating. I’ve been told I have iron deficiency. Could that be the cause of it? But I have been taking pills but it doesn’t quite seem to be helping with my mental state. Please help and try to get back ASAP.

Now, for some reason, my mind thinks everything is somehow a threat to me.

9Mental filter

Hello there…I am a 15 year old female…I just started high school in my country and here for the past 5 months I have been dealing with a serious problem…You see I tend to hear voices every single day. It wasn’t that much of a problem before..But it sure is now…I hear them INSIDE of my head although sometimes I can HEAR them with my ears. But only a few words such as “never” “die” “kill” or even a yell. Most of the time though they tend to be internal.I repeat they are NOT my voice. They consist of a female voice with a british accent,who I call Mary, and a male voice I call Adonis. Adonis is really aggressive and mean to me and others. He tells me I’m a worthless person who was sent by him to kill as many as possible. I don’t listen to him of course. But it makes it really difficult for me to trust anyone. Mary is appearing much less than Adonis but she can make everything shake. It feels like the earth is moving, I tend to twitch my body parts (etc: head,palms) and have an extreme anger for no reason at all. They say I got to do what they tell me in order to survive. Adonis says he will hurt me and Mary tells me she’ll possess me. Sometimes I tend to see Mary walk around in reflections of almost anything and even get a glimpse of her in the corner of my eye. I often tend to confuse what’s real and what’s not..I feel lost. I have also never done drugs or have I ever done alcohol abuse. I just want help and answers…I am also scared of my parents finding out. The voices tell me that they’ll hurt me and that they put someone to watch me. Spy on me. And kill me. I know they aren’t real.But I can’t take it anymore. Please please help me.

It feels like the earth is moving, I tend to twitch my body parts (etc: head,palms) and have an extreme anger for no reason at all.

1Emotional Reasoning

I’ve been dating my boyfriend for 14 months now. During our relationship we’ve been back and forth a lot, mainly because it’s his first relationship (even though he’s in his late 20’s) and had a lot of insecurities. He broke it off once with me because we had been fighting a lot, mainly because I created arguments because I didn’t feel like he was in the relationship like he was supposed to be. He told me he wasn’t 100% sure that he was in love, and he said that he wasn’t whole heartedly in the relationship anymore. 3 weeks after we broke up he came back and said that he was sure about how he felt about me, and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me because he was miserable when we were apart. Since then we’ve had a good relationship up until recently. He lost his job and is very stressed out and nervous because of it. He is always moody, snaps easily, and has no understanding for my wanting to talk things out and be understood when arguments come up. When I try to peace things out in a caring and loving manner he gets angry and says that he hates how we have to drag things out all the time. I try to explain to him that I want reassurance that he really wants to be here this time and the conversations become longer because I’m waiting to hear something reassuring from him while all he does it get angry and try to brush me off. He tells me he wants me to be his wife one day, that he wants to have a family with me and that he’s in love with me, yet I don’t feel it. I don’t know if it’s just from his moods or not, but I am scared that he is only saying this because he’s afraid to hurt me again. When he is in a good mood he is more loving and caring, but that almost never happens anymore. When he got angry yesterday he said that our arguments makes him doubt whether he wants to do this for the rest of his life, and it broke my heart. Should I leave him be when he gets in his moods or am I right in wanting to be reassured without having him get mad?

He broke it off once with me because we had been fighting a lot, mainly because I created arguments because I didn’t feel like he was in the relationship like he was supposed to be.

6Should statements

From the U.S.: For the past few years, I have dealt with increasing anxiety and depression… Lately, it has turned into OCD characterized by intrusive thoughts of guilt and shame over many things. I have often wondered if there is a memory that I have long-suppressed from my childhood that has been a root cause for my issues. Until tonight, I had never been able to recall anything significant at all.

Lately, it has turned into OCD characterized by intrusive thoughts of guilt and shame over many things. I have often wondered if there is a memory that I have long-suppressed from my childhood that has been a root cause for my issues.

5Personalization

Hi, so last holiday I went to visit my cousin in countryside for a week and there she told me about all her problem. She told me that her parents are often fighting and both are abusive. Her mom seems to cheat on her father. She told me that her mom even told her to prepare for not having a mom. She said she’s depressed and stressed that she harm herself. She showed me her wounds she made and a knife she use. She save all her dried blood on tissue and write the date she harm self on it. She told me she used to passed out in her room without no one knowing and sometimes think about suicide. She said she couldn’t trust anyone else but me. It feels hard to think I’m the only one who can save her and lead her to the right path, moreover I also struggle with self-harm although it’s not as bad as her. (From Thailand)

2No Distortion

My mother is always telling me she hates me and I was a mistake and she always calls me names, like bitch and dumb shit. She seems to hate on me more than my other siblings (I’m the oldest). She snoops through my stuff at night, picks out my clothes for school, doesn’t let me do afterschool stuff, and she acts like she’s king of the world. She hits me and once when I was younger, she choked me and she always yells and hits me. Whenever she comes home from work, I have to double-check my room to make sure it’s perfect cuz she gets mad at the tiniest things. I’m always anxious and scared around the time she comes home from work because I know she’s either gonna scream or beat me for something small and totally ridiculous. I’ve tried to stand up for myself but it justs makes her more mad. She’s noticed that I’ve become more quiet but she doesn’t really care that much. I hide in my room and try to do my own stuff, but she just yells at me to come downstairs and not to spend too much time in my room. I mean, why would I WANT to come downstairs? What it there to look forwards to besides her beating and yelling at me? Even my siblings are mean to me and call me names as well. I think the only person who cares about the me the most is my father, but it doesn’t actually seem like love. I can’t really explain it. I feel like I’m a waste of life and that I should just leave so I’d be out of their way. I bet nobody would miss me either. I feel unloved and I want to talk to someone about it but I’m really scared. I used to be a cheerful, excited person at school but now I’ve become quiet and shy. And during my period and getting acne she hasn’t even supported me {mom} she’s just told me I look ugly with pimples and when I got my period she just yelled at me and said okay go get a pad stupid don’t show it to me. I’ve lost my self confidence and I feel lost, depressed and unwanted.

feel like I’m a waste of life and that I should just leave so I’d be out of their way. I bet nobody would miss me either.

8Mind Reading

My boyfriend has lied to me about his going out with another girl. they went to the movies together but what he told me was he was alone shopping for electronics. several people saw them together but he didn’t tell me about the girl or that they went out. i only figured out when a mutual friend confessed to me about it and when i confronted my boyfriend he confirmed it but said that there was nothing between them. a couple of weeks away from him, i decided to give him another chance but a month later, he told me that he invited the girl to his church and told me he wanted to be honest and that there are no feelings involved. i am confused on why he is still communicating with the girl knowing what i might feel. i am really confused if i should just let this go because i know i don’t deserve to feel this way or if i should give him another chance. (From the Philippines)

i am confused on why he is still communicating with the girl knowing what i might feel.

8Mind Reading

From the Czech Republic: I am 18 and about to go to university, I have been dating my boyfriend for more than half a year and I am his first girlfriend. We want to continue our relationship in university however his mother is a big problem in our relationship.

2No Distortion

Hi I’m a 14 year old girl who’s been suffering from anxiety for as long as I can remember, and I’d like to bring up a new fear that has been bothering me nonstop recently, On Friday I had some friends over for the weekend to hang out, and they suggested we watch a scary movie. I was a little reluctant about the idea, but I did it anyway. Well I really REALLY wish I hadn’t. Ever since then I’ve been afraid (I know it sounds ridiculous) I’ve been afraid of being possessed and hearing voices. There was no fear around this topic until they mentioned watching the movie, so I’m most likely sure that’s how it started, although this is a fear I’ve had in the past, I don’t recall it being this bad. This fear turned into not only the fear of being possessed, but the fear of hearing voices and becoming schizophrenic. It seems like no matter what family tells me I can never seem to believe that everything I’m afraid of are just thoughts. I want to learn how to not doubt that all of my anxiety is really JUST anxiety. It’s been so scary to go to sleep at night, because I’ve been afraid of not waking up in the morning. I’m afraid (not meaning to be graphic) but I’m afraid that I’m going to be possessed and hurt myself in my sleep. I’m almost done with my freshman year of high school, I want to be able to enjoy my life again. My heart is racing just writing this. This morning I started thinking and although I normally have intrusive thoughts, this morning my thoughts didn’t sound like my voice, it was still in my head, but it still terrified me. I’m absolutely terrified, I’m afraid that I’m going to die or develop some kind of psychosis. Please help and respond quickly, I don’t know what I can do. I’m afraid to no end.

It’s been so scary to go to sleep at night, because I’ve been afraid of not waking up in the morning. I’m afraid (not meaning to be graphic) but I’m afraid that I’m going to be possessed and hurt myself in my sleep. I’m absolutely terrified, I’m afraid that I’m going to die or develop some kind of psychosis.

1Emotional Reasoning

My mom introduced me to this really nice man. He wined me and dined me like no one has. We went to dinner and parties and seem to be getting close. He told me he was diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic.( i dont know anything about this disorder) But he acted so normal to me and I immediately fell in love with him. My main reason was because he was going to school to become a minister. He prayed and read his bible faithfully. Then he told my mom he was falling in love with me. I have had a lot of bad relationships so I thought god finally answered my prayers. I WAS WRONG. We had an the worst argument I ever had with anyone! I had some out of town friends to come and he went into this jealous rage. He accuse me of sleeping with people who are like family to me. He then said they were touching me right of him…

I have had a lot of bad relationships so I thought god finally answered my prayers. I WAS WRONG. We had an the worst argument I ever had with anyone!

0All-or-nothing thinking

From a middle schooler in the U.S.: There are some reasons why I think I might be possibly a sociopath. One is, I know I lack a lot of empathy. A lot of people that know me tell me this. An example is, one time I made my friend upset (she was crying a lot) and I didn’t care at all. I knew how she was feeling but I didn’t really care. I didn’t feel any remorse.

One is, I know I lack a lot of empathy. A lot of people that know me tell me this. An example is, one time I made my friend upset (she was crying a lot) and I didn’t care at all. I knew how she was feeling but I didn’t really care. I didn’t feel any remorse.

7Overgeneralization

Lately I have found myself to be wanting to kill people at night. I don’t feel like this in the day but as soon as the sun sets, sure enough, I get an urge to kill someone. I don’t feel like I need to kill myself although I have already had suicidal thoughts. I start plotting ways to kill people and planning things like this in detail. I also have started reading crime novels and books to do with death. I told my friend about this and she recommended I find help. It scares me to think that i’m only 13 and I am having these types of dark thoughts. I’m not sure what to do about this, but if you could help, that would be great. Thanks.

2No Distortion

I have Borderline Personality Disorder & Bipolar Disorder Type II, with transient psychotic episodes. I was prescribed a brand new anti-psychotic, Invega (3 mgs.) about two & a half weeks ago for: distorted thinking, amplified emotions, & daily crying spells. As opposed to the same class of more recent anti-psychotics, such as Seroquel, I am tolerating this one very well — with the exception of weight gain. I have been dieting & exercising in an effort to eliminate or decrease this side effect, but have still already gained 5 pounds! I’d like to know if this side effect will subside as my body gets acclimated to it, or with time. I discontinued the others because this is the one side effect which I will not withstand. I discontinued the others due to this reason. If the answer is no, then should I try the older anti-psychotics, such a Haldol? Do they cause weight gain, too? Will the other drugs help my symptoms? I’d appreciate your opinion. My psychiatrist says he isn’t sure about my concern, since the medication is so new. Thanks in advance.

2No Distortion

Hi there, I’ve been in a relationship for 6 months with my boyfriend and honestly this is my first  real relationship. I know I have room to grow but what he has expressed to me is that I have inappropriate emotional dependent relationships with my friends. I disagree and of course I get upset with him if he says harsh things about them which then he counters that I am not loyal to him and I should just accept his brash, rude remarks (because he’s right?). For example he says all my friends are stupid, and they are going nowhere. Most of my friends are actors and like me we are figuring it out, the business is not easy. I tell him if that if he respected me he would not talk about the people I care about that way- which then he counters that I’m more emotionally invested in them. Furthermore we’ve fought about me having gay guy friends, he says its not because they are gay but because they don’t stand for what we are trying to build together. He then just recently said it’s because they are male and I shouldn’t have any male friends, that he should be the only man in my life. I’m not so attached to my guy friends but him saying all this makes me uncomfortable. I don’t see why if my relationships are strictly platonic that I have to cut them off. My bottom line fear is that he’s being controlling. I KNOW he loves me very much and out of respect to me he would cut any of his friends off if I did not like them but I would never do that! (unless extreme circumstances) And he does not see any of his girl friends any more. I’m scared to talk to him about this again because he will think I care more about my friends then him (something he is always saying) and end the relationship. I don’t want it to end over some guys friends I have but I don’t think it’s fair I have to cut them off. What should I do? (From the US)

I KNOW he loves me very much and out of respect to me he would cut any of his friends off if I did not like them but I would never do that!

8Mind Reading

For the past two years my mom has been talking to this guy, A LOT! My dad has had his suspicion about them, but he is able to convince himself that it isn’t true and he denies it is happening. I was looking through her cell phone and saw what some of the messages were to him, and let’s just say they weren’t messages you are supposed to send to a man when you have a husband. My mom also goes on travel a lot with her “job” but I believe she is really going to see him! Plus, I eaves dropped on their conversation and she was telling him that she loved him, that she couldn’t wait to see him, and even worse, at the end of the conversation she said “I love you.” I just can not look at her the same way, I want to scream, tells someone, but I’m afraid she will lie. People will probably believe her over me, because, lately I’ve been going through some trust issues with my dad.

I just can not look at her the same way, I want to scream, tells someone, but I’m afraid she will lie. People will probably believe her over me, because, lately I’ve been going through some trust issues with my dad.

4Fortune-telling

From a teen in the U.S.: I’m 16 and this year was the worst for me. My parents got divorced, but I knew there was no bad blood between each other and me and them. Yet, it still sucked knowing they”re divorced now. I understand why it happened and I know it’s a necessary evil. However, it affected my school work so bad.

I’m 16 and this year was the worst for me.

9Mental filter

First I will give you some background on myself. I am female, 25, married, stay at home mom to my two kids, who are ages 5 and 2. I have an issue, and I hope you can give me some information as to why this might be happening. Ever since I was 16, I’ve talked to myself. I will literally create scenarios and HAVE to act them out, even speaking out loud. I will create other individuals in the scenarios with me. Sometimes these individuals can be famous people and sometimes they are people from my past. Most scenarios are situations that aren’t something that would actually happen in my real life, such as me being an actress. These scenarios can last anywhere from a few minutes up to an hour. And once the scenarios / talking begins, I become occupied by it and it comes first on my list at that time. I’ll even put it before my daily chores. I’ve tried researching this and haven’t had any luck. I hope you can help. Thanks!

2No Distortion

Hello, I am a 16 years old boy, and attending my second last year of school. Time management has always been a problem for me, but my grades never showed this as I was gifted as a student. Things started changing at the beginning of the year, my grades were dropping because I was not putting in the effort. I used to play games, and this may have contributed somewhat.

2No Distortion