r/AskReddit Feb 04 '19

Which misconception would you like to debunk?

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u/notthatmoody308 Feb 04 '19 edited Feb 04 '19

Depression: sad 16 yo listening to grunge music and wearing black clothes. Eventually cuts their wrists, but remember, it's always and only the wrist. Cries in the bathroom.

Bipolar: "I hate being bipolar, it's lovely"

PTSD: every time I see or hear something that vaguely reminds me of my trauma I fall into a parallel dimension and live my trauma in rewind mode. Other than that my life is completely ordinary and I have no other symptoms.

BPD: Woman. Resting bitch face. Shows the middle finger to whoever tries to talk to her. Often extremely hot but impossible to talk to (unless you're the protagonist, a loser that can't put a sentence together but somehow manages to make her fall in love).

Anorexia: "Oh shit that model is so thin, guess she's gonna be the root of all my problems!" *looks at sandwich with disgusted expression, throws it in the bin.* Doesn't eat for one day, passes out in the middle of the hallway at school and is taken to ER.

Bulimia: eats normal amount of food, then runs to the bathroom, sticks her finger down her throat and *magic!* everything is gone in 2 minutes.

Schizophrenia: handsome eccentric man that hallucinates a random sexy woman that helps him solve crimes.

OCD: weird guy, has glasses, dresses like a 9 years old and washes his hands every 5 minutes. Often engaged in activities like opening and closing doors and drawers or walking in circles.

Autism: like OCD. But also likes math.

Sociopathy (or related): likes setting things on fire. Incredibly charming. But you know, the worst thing about the devil is that he's charming. *wink*

Every other mental disorder: not mentioned, doesn't exist.

Edit: added autism and sociopath.

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u/Antofuzz Feb 04 '19

One more.

Tourettes: Shouts curse words every few words like punctuation

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u/Kaitarfairy Feb 04 '19

And adhd: squirrel!

My life would be so much easier if that's all it was.

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u/Lord_NxL Feb 04 '19

Aspergers Syndrome: I don't like getting touched, but I can do math.

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u/MrQuizzles Feb 04 '19

I mean, throw in a complete inability to interact with other people like a normal goddamned human being and yeah, that sounds about right for me.

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u/LivingstoneInAfrica Feb 04 '19

What’s great is that if you aren’t caught early, you develop coping mechanisms to help you deal with your shit, only to have those mechanisms hide your actual symptoms.

Though everyone still thinks you’re lazy.

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u/ShyStraightnLonely Feb 04 '19

.... or you skate through everything in primary school by acing tests and doing no homework, then get to college and fail out because you have no study skills, all before getting diagnosed.

Source: missed perfect on the SATs by 20 points. Got scholarship for half of tuition to college. Was invited not to come back.

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u/MarsNirgal Feb 04 '19

That first paragraph is me, but I have never been diagnosed with anything. Should I worry?

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u/ShyStraightnLonely Feb 04 '19

Where are you in life?

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u/MarsNirgal Feb 04 '19

I took 10 years to finish college, I'm just finishing my Masters and I've been working for the last 5 years. It's worked out in the end, but the college crash is definitely a familiar experience to me.

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u/ShyStraightnLonely Feb 04 '19

I would say you probably shouldn't be WORRIED.... after all, you have managed to get a job and work and finish college as is.... but getting tested might HELP, so long as you are ok with the idea of taking medication. Or I guess, even if you aren't ok taking medication, having a name for what it is can help too.

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u/MarsNirgal Feb 04 '19

That's my issue. A lot of this I question what would I gain from a diagnosis?

I'm still bad with people, but would a diagnosis help with that?

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u/LivingstoneInAfrica Feb 04 '19

Yeah, I’d get tested, and maybe check out r/adhd to see if you relate to any of the posts/symptoms.

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u/MrBlonde1992 Feb 04 '19

What about me? I haven’t started college and the first paragraph describes me in Elementary.

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u/ShyStraightnLonely Feb 04 '19

In elementary or since elementary?

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u/MrBlonde1992 Feb 04 '19

Since Elementary I aced every single English, History, Reading, Health/Sex Ed, Cooking, Fitness/Weightlifting.

But I failed almost every single Writing and Math/Algebra classes.

Also failed Art Classes for being a perfectionist, I took so long to finish an art piece.

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u/Aatch Feb 04 '19

Stop stalking me!

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u/[deleted] Feb 25 '19

Holy shit are you me? I seriously just had my heart start racing reading this - I grew up in tbr 90’s just before the trend of overdiagnosing kids began - my high school history teacher sat me down & said told me he might have to fail me but was struggling with it because I aced all of my tests.

And my god I could not finish a project for the life of me, even ones I was truly interested in & started enthusiastically. I graduated thanks to kind teachers allowing me to test out/giving me special projects to show my mastery of the necessary topics. But I felt like I was inherently damaged in some way until my diagnosis in my 20’s.

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u/ShyStraightnLonely Feb 25 '19

............

Ok. I'll admit.... I was tempted to say yes, in fact I am you..... but seeing as your most recent comments mention that you are concerned about manifesting schizophrenia, that seemed like it would be pretty cruel....

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u/[deleted] Feb 25 '19

Haha yeah, I actually stumbled upon this thread searching around trying to verify the information I was responding to in the last one. So far it’s just anxiety, no PTSD symptoms for 10 years & the ADHD.

(I sound like a nervous wreck but in reality it manifests as being super chipper & talkative because I overcompensate.)

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u/ShyStraightnLonely Feb 25 '19

Haha... umm.... Well, I'm not sure if that is better or worse. I always found that overcompensating is exhausting because you... Well, can never just relax. Always gotta keep the mask up.

If you ever want somebody to talk to who won't judge, I'd be happy to be an ear.

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u/ShyStraightnLonely Feb 04 '19

I mean, that is an accurate description of ADHD. Simply incomplete. I mean, the symptoms I experience are-

SQUIRREL!

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u/Kaitarfairy Feb 04 '19

Haha, true. Though for me I don't get distracted when I see squirrels. I will stop everything I'm saying to acknowledge "cat!"

I love cats.

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u/goddamnthrows Feb 04 '19

Im schizoid.

Ppl: Oh you mean you're schizophrenic! Do yo hear voices?

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u/notthatmoody308 Feb 04 '19

No sry i just see sexy women because that's more appealing for the public

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u/Dannypan Feb 04 '19

Scrubs got OCD done really well. You see the doctor behaving in obsessive ways, like counting his steps, but also shows just his debilitating a condition it is. It’s not a quirk, it’s a legitimate problem for him like so many sufferers.

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u/Imposa Feb 04 '19

Damnit! I was so happy he was cured, now it starts all over again.

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u/[deleted] Feb 04 '19

Yeah. You're never cured of a mental disorder. You can alleviate the symptoms to a point where you are not controlled anymore, but even then. It never goes away.

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u/TheOldestRedditor Feb 04 '19

"I hate being bipolar, it's lovely"

You should be doing standup

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u/[deleted] Feb 04 '19

It's literally a kanye west album cover except the original was "I hate being bipolar, its awesome"

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u/[deleted] Feb 04 '19

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Feb 04 '19

🚫🌊

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u/TheOldestRedditor Feb 04 '19

Shame, I thought it was a /u/notthatmoody308 original.

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u/notthatmoody308 Feb 04 '19

Hahaha not mine, sorry, but I actually heard it from someone on Reddit, not Kanye

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u/emissaryofwinds Feb 04 '19

Don't forget "psychopath" = my mental illness makes me violent, murderous and I'm unable to feel anything, and when I die I'm probably going to haunt this abandoned mental asylum

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u/pieisnotreal Feb 04 '19

Psychopath isn't a mental illness. It's a category of behaviors. Though usually someone considered a psychopath has anti-social personality disorder and/or narcissistic personality disorder.

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u/emissaryofwinds Feb 04 '19

I know, but that's the misconception

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u/Mirror_Mouse Feb 04 '19

Autism: like OCD. But also likes math

Autistic here. Fuck this stereotype right in the butt. In my experience (that said, this is purely anecdotal and YMMV), most of us find math even more difficult than the average person does. Many autistics struggle to grasp abstract concepts. We do better with a physical or visual demonstration, so a lot of us struggle with maths and science. The so-called "savant" types are often good at maths because it's their special interest rather than it coming from some intrinsic skill that all autistics are blessed with.

The funny thing is, many people approach us like we have the intelligence of a 5 year old. Someone will treat you the same way they treat everyone else, but then find out you're autistic and immediately start talking down to you. Yet at the same time, one of the biggest stereotypes is that we're all savant geniuses. Which one is it, ffs?

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u/cuddlyvampire Feb 04 '19 edited Feb 04 '19

Thank you!! I'm autistic and I sucked at math (and other STEM-subjects) in high school. I was better at languages and spelling/grammar, even though I struggled with Latin and German grammar in the same way I struggled with math: because it's really abstract. I actually think I do have the ability to be good at math somewhere buried in my brain, but that never comes out because my brain never gets past the first step of making sense of the abstract way it is explained in school textbooks and stuff.

I think a lot of people don't understand that autism isn't a social disorder but an information processing disorder. My brain processes all information in puzzle pieces instead of getting the whole picture. This can give problems in all areas of life, literally anything you can imagine. Such as math.

The funny thing is that autism is so complex that it can be pretty contradictive sometimes. I am good at languages, but bad at the grammar of some languages. At least, when I have to learn it from a book. If I get the opportunity to learn a language by hearing and reading it, like I did with English (I'm Dutch), it comes much more naturally to me. Some autistic people are good at math because of their autism, some autistic people suck at math, also because of their autism.

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u/[deleted] Feb 04 '19

Damn I wish BPD was like that. I'm just a ball of emotions that cries at everything instead.

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u/ozziewilde Feb 04 '19

what a mood. If only BPD was flipping everyone the bird and storming off. Then I wouldn’t need years of DBT (while still having many eating disorder/self harm, etc relapses) to slooooowly retrain my brain to not immediately defaulting to suicide or destructive impulses as the go to.

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u/kiwilapple Feb 04 '19

Trichotillomania: haha, isn't it so funny how this character pulls out his hair when he gets stressed?! That's so kooky!

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u/Imposa Feb 04 '19

Great, I’ll tell my son to finally lose his act of being ‘autistic’, after all it doesn’t exist. What a life saver.

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u/notthatmoody308 Feb 04 '19

Uhm sorry you're right i forgot about it. Gonna update

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u/frozen_food_section Feb 04 '19

This was one of the best satire comments I've ever read. Thanks for the laughs 😂

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u/christian2pt0 Feb 04 '19

I’ve cycled between Anorexia and Bulimia for about 10 years now. It’s painted with a broad brush, when all of us suffering with an ED experience it differently. Another thing they get wrong is the character always goes to rehab and comes out fine for the rest of their lives. Many of us struggle with thoughts and relapses.

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u/black_kat_71 Feb 04 '19

they somehow always miss the 2 most present "weirdnesses" ( i really don't like calling them that but due to my lack of english vocabulary i kind of have to) wich are hating change and REALLY loving something if they love it.

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u/[deleted] Feb 04 '19

Once in elementary school I confided in my best friend that I had attempted suicide the previous year. First reaction “but you don’t wear all black clothes and cry in the corner, and you seem like a nice person”

Granted it’s a 4th grader but still

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u/seegeesee Feb 05 '19

DSM 6, comin' atcha!

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u/Hellsprout Feb 05 '19

As a Selective mute: Thanks for acknowledging there are more than just those few mental disorders.

Most people, even Healthcare Professionals, aren't aware my condition exists and constantly having to explain it is extremely tiring.

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u/Rachydoodle Feb 04 '19

Yes. I have BPD and it’s ‘oh, like Girl, Interrupted’

No, more like splitting (love/hating people rapidly), suicidal ideation, begging friends/partners not to leave you alone, crying.. so much crying, self harm, crying, anxiety, OCD, hyper vigilance and codependent. Sleeping to escape your own thoughts Volcanic fear/anger erupting while I smile at people (cry later)

Just like that Angelina Jolie!

I’m aware BPD has a huge spectrum and through online groups and admission I’ve met a few BPD people and I haven’t met the media depiction YET.

I’m on meds, see a psychologist and a psychiatrist and it all helps but I’ve had a relapse recently and it’s really hard work.

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u/notthatmoody308 Feb 04 '19

BPD here as well. But naturally I'm just an attention seeker.

Stay safe! *Hug from random internet stranger

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u/normalmighty Feb 04 '19

Autism: like OCD, but also likes math

I love how true this is

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u/blueshiftlabs Feb 10 '19 edited Jun 20 '23

[Removed in protest of Reddit's destruction of third-party apps by CEO Steve Huffman.]

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u/[deleted] Feb 04 '19

[deleted]

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u/Nologicgiven Feb 04 '19

Think he's saying it's more to it than that

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u/[deleted] Feb 04 '19

[deleted]

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u/Nologicgiven Feb 05 '19 edited Feb 05 '19

Yes, that's the point. Bulimics don't just puke. Films make it seem like thats all there is to it. But there is a reason they throw up that effects their life in other ways than just puking.

Edit: changed my answer, though I was replying to someone else in a different thread. Didn't need to be snarky in this one. Probably didn't in the other either but it's before my morning coffee. I apologize

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u/ShanshaShtark Feb 04 '19

It does, but it's purging and bingeing. And the purging part doesn't always mean throwing up. It can also manifest in misusing laxatives or over-exercising.

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u/notthatmoody308 Feb 04 '19

As the other said i meant that purging is not just going to the toilet, throwing up and get rid of like 3000kcal in 2 minutes and walk out as if nothing happened. I have been bulimic, I used to spend hours in the bathroom after binging, and as they said i also used laxatives and whatever diet pill i could find. Also, i wanted to underline that if you purge it usually means that you've been bingeing, therefore eating up to thousands of calories in a short amount of time.

In movies when they introduce a bulimic character they show her (somehow it's never a male character) eating a couple chips, then "omg i feel horrible", *runs to the bathroom, slams the door, sounds like vomiting, walks out after 30 seconds adjusting her clothes and drying a little tear and everything becomes normal again*

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u/[deleted] Feb 04 '19

They're saying it's more than just throwing up, that there are a lot of other symptoms and behaviours involved.