How do I know?

@Former-Member Hi Kirin my psychiatrist said I was an individualist. It is very much like that experiment :

Imagine you are standing beside some tram tracks. In the distance, you spot a runaway trolley hurtling down the tracks towards five workers who cannot hear it coming. Even if they do spot it, they won’t be able to move out of the way in time.

As this disaster looms, you glance down and see a lever connected to the tracks. You realise that if you pull the lever, the tram will be diverted down a second set of tracks away from the five unsuspecting workers.

However, down this side track is one lone worker, just as oblivious as his colleagues.

So, would you pull the lever, leading to one death but saving five? I chose not diverting the trolley because I do not believe in saving 5 over 1. Most people would say they would divert to save the many over the few ... What would you choose?

Do you go with the group over the individual ... individual for me everytime. Groups tend to be rather stupid in any case they play follow the leader where the lone wolf tends to be more intelligent. Sounds to me you are a lone wolf.It isn't easy but I think there are lots of lone wolves on this board, a family of lone wolves against the majority who just don't get us but thats okay because we dont get them either and dont want to.

I am a lone wolf @Bunniekins and you captured it beautifully.

@Former-Member I'm there with you Kirin.

@frog and my gorgeous froggy too 😄

Hi @Former-Member @Bunniekins @frog

Well said, I am a lone wolf too...there's alot of stuff I just don't get, but don't want to get.

Hi @Former-Member,

I really enjoyed reading your post. How do you know they are right? You don't. Personally, I don't subscribe to the medical model of what society calls "mental illness." I believe that most (note I say most, not all) "mental illness" is due to trauma. Thus I do not see it as an "illness" but as a normal reaction to a very abnormal situation.

The medical model is simply one framework within which to understand the challenges and difficulties that we face - it just happens to be the dominant model in Western society at this point in history. I believe that based on advances in neuroscience and with the help of a few amazing forward thinking mental health professionals, sociey will gradually move away from the medical model and towards a trauma-based model. Alas, I fear this shift will not happen fast enough for most of us.

@Phoenix_Rising, you've hit the nail on the head. Alot of so-called mental illnesses, especially depression and high-anxiety, go hand-in-hand with any sort of trauma. And yes, depression and and high-anxiety are reactions to not-normal situations. Well said.

Hi @Former-Member and @Phoenix_Rising

For me,

• I'd been in counselling for a couple of weeks in relation to dealing with husband's ongoing health issues, as well as his changing and challenging moods and behaviours, and strategies for looking after myself in the carer's role (I could go on for hours about other people), when the counsellor changed tack and asked me how I was doing and what things were like for me, and, here's me with HUGE trust issues blurting out that I was a survivor of multi-childhood trauma, something that had remained buried inside me for over 40? 50? years, and that I hadn't thought about.
• It was like Pandora's box opened and EVERYTHING was fighting to get out at once: the issues were HUGE but the window of tolerance was small. Anyway, since then, 18 months, maybe more, I've been triggered on and off, but I've had so much wonderful support. I don't know if I'll ever properly heal (whatever that means) but I'm blessed to have that support, especially from people on the forums.