reify_null
I skimmed through this thing and found no way to define clocked feedback circuits. This was something I was conceptually struggling with that at the time. The pipelined combination of timing definitions seems straightforward enough as its just adding integers together. Maybe someone who is actually up to date can correct me or provide some more info.
I suspect the first case causes more competitiveness issues, general aggressiveness (or toxic masculinity if you will, though the term is somewhat problematic) The latter more issues with trusting women, intimacy, etc. Not believing in long term relationships might be more likely if one of the parents is completely out of the picture, not so much gender related. This is from a male perspective, perhaps from a female perspective the two cases can simply be flipped.
There probably is some research into these things, but I wouldn't know where to start.
Unfortunately, like you experienced too, part of the healthcare industry still has a parent-child relationship between doctor and patient. I notice that the doctors which worked out, never really had that aspect, but treated me as someone with valid input. Especially for me, I like to understand things, dive into them, see what the mechanics of medication, disease and diagnosis are all about. It doesn't really work well with a doctor that just wants to prescribe whatever they think is right. I'm sure you can relate to that.
Thanks for the well wishes. I can say that I've been pretty much completely symptom free for a year now, and it does feel like I've only now started to really explore myself, and find out what I want out of life. All the best to you as well.
This is actually what I'm afraid of. I haven't confirmed it yet, I'm still on my medication now. I might be developing some kidney problems (VPA is hard on kidneys and liver), so who knows. Based on your experience, and what others have mentioned, I might look for a psychiatrist I trust as an out-patient and see what my options are. I'm still not convinced the medication is stopping any psychosis either, but I'd rather not find that out the hard way.
I am lucky in that I'm on a low dose of not too strong medication (valproate acid, 600mg slow release daily). If I go off (I've weaned off it myself before) nothing really extreme seems to happen. Hope you are doing well with your medication.
I currently see my illness as existing of two components; genetic and environmental triggers. Stress and drugs, together with past trauma interact with my genetic disposition towards psychosis/mania.
Drinking less coffee, sticking to a routine, no drugs (particularly psychedelics), and sorting through my internal web of views with a psychologist, it looks liek that's the solution for me. Medication is part of it, mainly to provide some stabilization while I sort things out. It doesn't really jive well with how psychiatrists go about things though, in my experience, since they seem to think I have to be on it til the end of time. I would love to have contact with a psychiatrist I trust, so I could make some sense out of the medication part of my healing process.
The first part of the article is spot on, really. Even medical professionals have strong biases that are pretty visible even when you're institutionalized. Mentioning drug use is almost guaranteed to put you in a certain classification bucket. What's more, once a history is taken, while being psychotic or (hypo)manic, you are once again put into some kind of classification bucket, despite not being well enough to frame things properly.
I don't mean to be completely negative here. Once you are institutionalized, this is needed to get things back on track, start some kind of medication or figure out some first line treatment. However, the stigma afterwards is very real. GP's, psychologists, even surgeons take in this information after the fact, and its almost factual. And the effects the author mentions are very much there; imagined or not, they are there for the ill person. Being extra careful not to seem overly rash, overly emotional, too impulsive around doctors. Just because they have your best interests at heart, doesn't mean they're free from bias.
Except now, I think what is most likely the case is that we use/learned to use words like depression in a context based fashion, like mapping a set of contextual behaviors to a word. The actual experience of depression is sort of non-existent. The usage of the word and the contexts in which it is applicable changes as society changes its interpretation of emotional health and the behaviors or mannerisms that go with it. I think how we use depression in popular culture isn't indicative of anything fixed, it depends on the zeitgeist in a way. I'm sure this is different from a clinical standpoint, I'm not at all qualified to comment on that. But then again, most people don't use it in clinical terms anyway. Still, I think this is distinctly different from 'sad', as in, the context is different for the two states.
The book 'How emotions are made' by Lisa Feldman Barrett might be interesting to you, it goes exactly into this sort of phenomenon.
I've seen the same as you, in myself and others. It might not be true for all people, but at least a significant, noticeable subset of the people who use psychedelics do fall into that 'category'. Like minds unraveling themselves, almost becoming ghosts in their vague perceptions of themselves and others.
And I think your perspective is justified, just by listening to the stories people tell about the experience itself, not by doing statistical analysis per se. Users tend to speak about feeling one with their surroundings. In group settings, boundaries disappearing between people. People becoming more sensitive to ideas and 'vibes'. Do it often enough, and you'll become more and more biased towards the things you surround yourself with while under the influence.
But here's the thing.. that stuff will pull you under if you're not careful.
From my personal view, there is no comparison to 'that' and getting my every day perspective closer to it. I think psychedelics can be interesting to see that change is possible, that things are not set in stone, least of all your mind, but it's ultimately proven to be no real solution (for me :) )
That being said, I like the idea of using these kind of tools in a controlled setting for treating certain psychological issues. I hope they're careful in not getting too many people zonked out on newly created mental constructions. Though I suppose its better to be happy than depressed, regardless of the conditions surrounding it.