Get the Support You Need

Learn from thousands of users who have made their way through our courses. Need help getting started? Watch this short video.

today's top discussions:

logo

Fibre

Ashley -> Health Educator

2024-05-06 9:05 PM

Healthy Weight Community

logo

Challenging Worry

Ashley -> Health Educator

2024-04-20 11:42 PM

Depression Community

logo

Hello

Linda Q

2024-04-11 5:06 AM

Anxiety Community

This Month’s Leaders:

Most Supportive

Browse through 411.750 posts in 47.055 threads.

160,542 Members

Please welcome our newest members: MBERNICE ASTRID, SLOVELY MAE, BXAMUELLE CHRISTIEN, Heinz57, eggmegrolf

What is normal like?


15 years ago 0 3043 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
that is why i like the washing maching reference ... like in washing waying of the self to conform to society.
brain-washing.  personality-washing.
15 years ago 0 185 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Normal.. uhm.. we are not robots. even them sometimes go abnormal :)
I'm just me and I can't adjust to the society. I wold like to make my own decisions without being judged by some social low.... Why I should have a career? Why I should be the best of? Why I cannot be sad or happy? I'm not looking for the others normality definition. Normal should be simply to do the best for us and to feel good as a person. The rest for me is a nonsese.

15 years ago 0 3043 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
I'm making a sign or finding a sign for my office  - normal is a cycle on a washing machine!  Awesome - totally awesome.  I don't need to worry about what normal is for anyone but me!  And I can appreciate that it is just the cycle on my washing machine!  totally inspiring Wildcat - Thank you!
Goofy

15 years ago 0 538 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
I do not beleive in the word normal! I try not to use it. Anyway, what is normal. Considering almost half the north american population will suffer from one form of mental illness or another during their lifetime, isn't mental illness as "normal" as not? Normal is an idea we made up in our heads. It is based on what society defines as acceptable or not. Lol I think wildcat's comment sums it up for me. I love that: Normal is a cycle on a washing machine!
15 years ago 0 1153 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Goofy,
Thanks for bumping this post up.
Members, 
What does normal mean to you?

Brenna, Bilingual Health Educator
15 years ago 0 3043 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
I found a tote bag that said ... normal is a cycle on a washing machine!!!
 
too much!
15 years ago 0 142 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
hello lovelybones,
normal is everything wildcat said and the ability to go through life in a stable mood from day to day. the ability to take things in stride. they don't have agony phases (antidepressants can help you with those). how will you know when you are no longer depressed? that is a great question! yeah, i wish they sold normal in a bottle i would buy it. but, i'm also getting better at telling myself it's ok not to be normal. abnormal doesn't bother me...but weird or strange or difficult - that hurts. 
15 years ago 0 3043 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
I think normal is a figment of our imagination.  We are normal, we are all unique, we are special, we are who we are some of us with more challenges than others.  Normal is as unique as we are. Now if I could get that in my head - wouldn't I have it made!

15 years ago 0 3043 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Haha!  I sympathize with this question.  But it's a really good question to ask yourself.  My counsellor asked me today "how will you know when
you are no longer depressed"?  I have had chronic depression (although it fluctuated from major to mild) for years!  I really had to pause
and think about that one!  And even then, I couldn't give an answer!  I will definitely be thinking about that.
 
Kitty
16 years ago 0 101 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Normal is when you are happy and sad in response to life's ups and downs. I wonder if anyone ever gets "cured" of depression. I seem to cycle between what I would call normal happy and normal sad then genuine depression then agony, can't stand the pain, want to curl into fetal position, drowning can't breathe. The meds make the depths shorter. The CBT helps to understand some of the sad and really depressed phases and can make them a little better but nothing seems to help the agony phase. Drugs, alcohol, anything to take away the pain just make things worse long term. I finally went to my doctor with a partially filled in referral form to a mood disorder clinic. She referred me, but who knows how long it will take? Anyhow if it works, I will tell you what normal is.

Reading this thread: