# Anyone ever get afraid you'll lose your mind?



## take (Aug 14, 2010)

By that I mean, psychosis, losing touch with reality. I also know that my habit of researching conditions and symptoms online only feeds the anxiety but it's one of the only things I can set my mind to. I've never even been psychotic but I'm very afraid that it'll happen.


----------



## james25 (Jan 1, 2010)

I did, once, but then I banished those thoughts from my head because they started making me overly suspicious about every little sound I heard, and I got concerned that I might think myself into schizophrenia or something..


----------



## macaw (Sep 6, 2010)

Sometimes I worry. 

But then I think a small part of me would be ok with completely losing it, because at least then people wouldn't simply think I was being lazy or rude for no reason. :c


----------



## VagueResemblance (Apr 17, 2010)

Technically I already did, suffered for a while full schizophrenia symptoms, visual and auditory hallucinations, complex delusions. It seems to have burned itself out after a while.


----------



## SaGgY (Aug 3, 2005)

macaw said:


> Sometimes I worry.
> 
> But then I think a small part of me would be ok with completely losing it, because at least then people wouldn't simply think I was being lazy or rude for no reason. :c


lmao i need to put in my contacts, I read "lazy or nude" then was like what, and took a 2nd glance.

I think i may have already lost my mind though, sometimes i feel out of touch with reality


----------



## wasteddays (Jan 2, 2011)

I very often feel like I'm 'losing it'. Sometimes it seems like one small push and I'd be gone.


----------



## tookie (Dec 31, 2010)

all the time! my mama has SA & depression & the older she gets, we feel like shes losing it & im terrified of turning out like her.(i love her & shes a good person). my older sister is borderline schizophrenic & delusional. and me, SA, depression, GA. i feel normal most of the time but other times cant do nothing but cry...my biggest prob is pushing people away & my babies keep me going but there are times that i feel like im losing control. i know one day my kids will grow up & leave & i dont want 2 b alon


----------



## CeilingStarer (Dec 29, 2009)

wasteddays said:


> I very often feel like I'm 'losing it'. Sometimes it seems like one small push and I'd be gone.


Same.


----------



## Still Waters (Sep 18, 2008)

No,with the amount of stress I've been under all these years,if I was going to lose it,I would have a looooong time ago. I can however relate a bit to what a previous poster said,there's a part of me that would like to just let go and spend the rest of my life locked away. - Nothing more to worry about,idling my life away making crafty items with popsicle sticks!


----------



## vegetarian (Dec 30, 2010)

Yes many times I think im scared ill lose it. Ive never been like this before and I know sometimes the thing I think can be a little ridiculous but it doesn't just go away. The more I keep myself busy with anything the less I have those thoughts. If I have nothing to do at home ill read something or clean like crazy. Lately ive kept a book in my purse incase I start worrying about something somewhere like at school or waiting at a doc appointment


----------



## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

The fear of losing one's mind and the hypochondriasis can be part of anxiety .


----------



## wasteddays (Jan 2, 2011)

Yes. Often.


----------



## Meli24R (Dec 9, 2008)

My sister has schizophrenia and I'm afraid that it will happen to me. I know there is a bigger risk for me since it runs in my family (I had a psychotic great uncle too) She developed the illness at 14, but apparently for most women the onset is 25 which is pretty scary. Idk what I'd do if I started experiencing symptoms. Really I think it is one of the worst things that can happen to a person. I'd take an early death over severe psychosis.


----------



## sacred (May 25, 2009)

no i dont think ill ever go crazy but i do have this fear that once my parents go and other family members have moved away and broke off all contact with me i may slowly become antisocial.


----------



## GummieBear (Nov 13, 2010)

*Yes , I think I have already. I don't know how I feel about it yet because I have never known " normal " don't know if I'm missing out on something......*


----------



## lionlioncatcat (Dec 29, 2010)

I think I already am, what scares me is that I will end up being sectioned against my will.


----------



## cblack (Jul 15, 2010)

I get what u mean, im sometimes that ill turn crazy... like ill almost loose whats real.. :/


----------



## bmwfan07 (Jun 3, 2007)

This is a common fear in people with pervasive mental disorders, because they already see themselves as different and social outcasts, in a way, and think the logical next step, or possibility, is a complete loss of touch with reality. In truth, it's a completely ill-conceived worry, because psychosis is neither here nor there for the vast majority of people, even those with severe mental illnesses, and I consider social anxiety, depression, and OCD to be severe. 

In fact, there's a common OCD obsession called "s-ocd"--short for schizophrenia OCD, or the fear or conviction that one will become schizophrenia or psychotic. It could probably encompass fears of other disorders too, in practice, like bipolar disorder. I've had OCD about all of these things, and when I am obsessing, I'm hyper-aware of my environment and artificially paranoid, analyzing every sound I hear, sometimes even manufacturing them. This is especially bad sometimes at night, when I'm lying in bed, thinking, or downstairs in the dark.

But, in the end, you've got to realize that the thoughts of becoming, even being, schizophrenia are totally meaningless--and harmless. They won't bring about psychosis or schizophrenia, or any other mental disorder other than what may develop naturally, but they're results of the tricks your mind and runaway thoughts play on you. The key is learning not to let them have that power over you.

OCD thoughts and worries are about 98% fantasy, 2% reality.


----------



## goodman (Oct 26, 2010)

Being afraid that you might lose your mind is a syptom of GAD and the reality is that if you actually lose your mind you wont be too aware of the situation yourself.


----------



## felula (Jan 25, 2009)

Yes, I have that too. It's just all a part of anxiety. It's not going to actually happen unless you dwell on it.


----------



## Meli24R (Dec 9, 2008)

felula said:


> It's not going to actually happen unless you dwell on it.


You don't bring on psychosis by dwelling or worrying about the possibility it may happen. If that were the case I'd certainly be psychotic by now.
It just happens to people. Extreme stress or a traumatic experience can trigger a psychotic episode. And sometimes psychosis or an illness like schizophrenia can just develop out of the blue. My sister was completely normal (and I doubt she was even aware that schizophrenia exists) before she started experiencing auditory and visual hallucinations.
This is what personally scares me, but I do try not to dwell on it because worrying only makes me feel miserable. It helps to keep the mind busy with other things.


----------



## Brightpaperwarewolf (Oct 16, 2008)

I definitely lost my mind. I had this experience, I felt like god. Drug-induced of course. Like being a conduit to all the energy around you, the music, the crowd, the lights. It definitely felt great, like you are one with everything. Guitar rift sent tingles down my body, transmitting to the crowd. When I snapped out of it, my friends were shaking me and said I was in this prayer position the entire 2nd half of the show. I don't even know why I imagined being god, or what it means. It seems pretty egotistical.


----------



## CeilingStarer (Dec 29, 2009)

Still Waters said:


> I can however relate a bit to what a previous poster said,there's a part of me that would like to just let go and spend the rest of my life locked away. - Nothing more to worry about,idling my life away making crafty items with popsicle sticks!


I can relate to this too. It almost feels like a total relief, as sad as that sounds.


----------



## KumagoroBeam (Sep 15, 2008)

It feels as if I'm barely hanging on to sanity sometimes, as if the smallest thing could push me over the edge. But realistically I know that I'm still a long way from losing my mind.


----------



## Dub16 (Feb 28, 2010)

ach, that ship sailed years ago!


----------



## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

No, never worried about that. I'm very much in touch with reality. Allow me to tell you, reality sucks, so I'm not sure losing touch would be all that bad.


----------



## facade (Oct 1, 2009)

*Darn it!!* _Now where did I put it.........???? :b_


----------



## Patron on a ship of fools (Nov 17, 2009)

Yes. When I'm in the middle of an anxiety attack, I more or less (at least temporarily) _have _lost my mind. I can't perceive things clearly, I can't think coherently, and I find myself "believing" all kinds of things that seem absurd once I get a handle on myself. If that state were permanent, I'd be a prime candidate for the looney bin.

And one of the things I often "believe" while I'm in that state is that it _is _permanent. Of course, it's never actually worked out that way. I've always come back to reality. At least so far.


----------



## zomgz (Aug 17, 2009)

Yes I'm afraid sometimes that something will make me snap and that I would be completely unstoppable.


----------



## ryobi (Jan 13, 2009)

I've become schizotypal over the past couple of years. It's awful-much worse than SA or avpd.

I've taken steps to kick it in the bum though. I think it's working.

There's always an element of reality to the thoughts though-which makes it tough. But every once in a while I realize how ridiculous and over the top my thoughts are.

It's the worse though. I feel for anyone going through the same.

Every person has the potential to lose touch with reality though-just by not sleeping every person will eventually lose touch with reality-every person.


----------



## zebra00 (Dec 28, 2010)

take said:


> By that I mean, psychosis, losing touch with reality. I also know that my habit of researching conditions and symptoms online only feeds the anxiety but it's one of the only things I can set my mind to. I've never even been psychotic but I'm very afraid that it'll happen.


yea im the same i think i have mild schizophrenia or early warning signs it could just be my anxiety making me think im going crazy i dont know my psychiatrist told me it was just anxiety but i dont really believe him cause it feels worse than anxiety what makes it worse is my older brother has full blown psychosis so there is a good chance ill get it too i haven't lost touch with reality yet i dont think people are out after me or i dont think people can read my mind or anything like that im emotionally numb do the faces i make are restricted or they are blank they are all signs of schizophrenia but they are signs of depression and anxiety too so i dont know which i have


----------



## CabecitaSilenciosa (Jun 8, 2010)

I sure do, especially when I am accused of being paranoid, which lately, has been happening a lot more than usual. I talk to my sister about it all of the time. I don't really think I will ever become that way, but a lot of times I feel like I will.


----------



## BlackTiger (Jan 10, 2011)

i have, it scary because u can't think straight, i ended up breaking an entire wooden structure in my back yard and scared the crap out of my family. i was in my backyard thinking about everything then i lost it, i dont even remember what happen just that my knuckles were broken and there were splinters everywhere and my mom was crying, im afraid if i lose it again i might hurt somebody i care about.


----------



## Duke of Prunes (Jul 20, 2009)

It doesn't worry me. I wouldn't like to experience psychosis/mania (I've had a manic episode before), but I'd like to go on some kinda hypomanic speed binge and just stay up for a week having fun with no SA. I guess that's only one step away from losing your mind.


----------



## bmwfan07 (Jun 3, 2007)

Duke of Prunes said:


> It doesn't worry me. I wouldn't like to experience psychosis/mania (I've had a manic episode before), but I'd like to go on some kinda hypomanic speed binge and just stay up for a week having fun with no SA. I guess that's only one step away from losing your mind.


I don't personally consider hypomania anywhere close to "losing your mind." Mania and any form of psychosis definitely qualify. Also, many hypomanias don't last more than a day or two, unfortunately (or fortunately, if one has a dysphoric or irritable manifestation).


----------



## JayDontCareEh (Jul 16, 2007)

Patron on a ship of fools said:


> Yes. When I'm in the middle of an anxiety attack, I more or less (at least temporarily) _have _lost my mind. I can't perceive things clearly, I can't think coherently, and I find myself "believing" all kinds of things that seem absurd once I get a handle on myself. If that state were permanent, I'd be a prime candidate for the looney bin.
> 
> And one of the things I often "believe" while I'm in that state is that it _is _permanent. Of course, it's never actually worked out that way. I've always come back to reality. At least so far.


Yeah, same. At one point I had convinced myself that my panic attacks were the precursor to insanity. Sometimes I still get caught up in those 'what if I don't ever snap of this' type of thoughts.

Scary stuff.


----------



## Monroee (Aug 26, 2009)

I don't dwell on "losing my mind" though I'd rather not have it happen again. A few years back I suffered a year long delusion about this one kid. We were becoming kinda close to one another and I suddenly started believing he was going to kill me, hire his friend to kill me or rape me, and shoot up the school. I had unbearable anxiety and nightmares. It took awhile before I regained reality and realized that it was a delusion. And yes, my doctors know about this and deemed it as such. 

Apparently it relates to Borderline PD and splitting. Although I have a hard time finding anyone else with a similar experience that is also BPD.


----------



## foodie (Apr 27, 2010)

.


----------



## artsybetty (Jan 18, 2011)

yes lately ive been worryign about that, that one day sooner or later ill just be preoccupied with what i thinkk rather than whats real totally.


----------



## That guy over there (Jan 18, 2011)

Yea I kind of have this fear that I will lose my mind if im not careful. I once went though a phase where I did lose my mind it was crazy and i cant explain it. I seriously thought I had bipolar or somthing. I remember having a feeling of doom like everything was out to get me even objects and i was alone. I remember literally hitting my head trying to make it normal again it was madness. Im so glad its over and I hope i dont go though it again:afr


----------



## Devil (Apr 25, 2011)

I've lost my mind multiple times, and I look back and I cringe since I know it's bound to happen again...I'd do anything to fix it and lately I get kind of trapped in an odd state of mind....so yeah I am afraid.


----------



## Deathinmusic (Jun 5, 2009)

I'm not afraid of it, I never have been. I think I'm already as f'd up as I ever will be. And it's quite f'd up, believe me. I have never been prone to hallucinations or any kind of psychotic breakdowns so I don't fear it. Maybe it would be a refreshing new thing to experience something like that?

I feel like my grasp on reality is too strong to ever lose touch with it. That reality is just so very depressing and punishing, always. I admit, maybe the way I see things isn't _exactly_ realistic because I see myself in such a negative light but I don't think I'm generally delusional. Even drugs and alcohol haven't taken away my grasp on reality. In fact I believe I have something very wrong with my brain to NOT be able to drift away like that.


----------

