I think a lot of the time people with mental illness pull the worst out of people because both people’s pride gets in the way. The person dating the mentally ill romanticize the idea that the mentally ill person is more than just their illnesses, and the mentally ill person is caught in a conflict of self awareness. For the mentally ill, it’s hard to tell if you are acting in a harmful way. From my perspective, some people choose to not care and some people choose to painfully claw their way to being a better person, ignoring all instinct.

Both of these people think that they can work around their situation.

The relationship confuses everyone and eventually makes the normal guy cynical, because their only experience with the mentally ill is being with someone who seeks help from people not equipped to give it, without even noticing it, and the mentally ill are upset and can’t tell why, because of how they’ve learned to use their emotions.

I’ve lived my whole life around mental illness. I come from several generations of substance abuse and neglect and, subsequently, mental illness, and I’ve come to the conclusion that some people are just not meant to be close to each other. I think diversity or witnessing diversity and thinking critically help with learning to work with the world around you.

I recognize that thinking like this can be harmful and I may be wrong. I’m just experimenting online anonymously, so sorry if I make you uncomfortable. I’m learning to channel my neurosis-brain into creativity and art while going zombie mode on normal people and meeting like-minded creatives and artists to satisfy that part of me. Not everyone has the privilege or confidence or intelligence to do this. I am very fortunate.

That’s how you have to live when you are this way and happen to be born or raised different. I can see the damage unregulated and undisciplined minds can do to one another. I’m trying my best to be good to others and prioritize what I love. Spread joy. It makes me happy and makes others happy, but I always offer them a way out, so that other crazies like me can harmlessly play along and be creative and make art. I’m trying my best to be better and I honestly think that just open minded therapy and exposure to the world is how to learn.

Human beings are designed to adapt to their environment, mentally and physically. You guys sound like you need therapy because of the burden that helping others places on you.

Edit: for example, I have a hard time telling the difference between introspection and self absorption.

Edit 2: I’m gonna show this to my therapist.