| p>Craziness as used here refers to those | | | | week or so." |
| experiences when we are not in touch with reality. | | | | Now somewhat confused I asked, "What will be |
| Craziness as used in this topic refers to us responding | | | | cleared up in about a week?" |
| to things that are not present or do not even exist, as | | | | He patiently explained, "The mucus from your sinuses |
| if they were present or as if they actually existed in | | | | collected in your lung and gave the appearance of a |
| reality. | | | | tumor. The mucus is almost gone now and should be |
| There are ways that we can be out of touch with | | | | completely cleared up in another week or so." |
| reality that have been officially identified by | | | | This time I heard what he said. Instantly my chest |
| psychologists and psychiatrists. Schizophrenia and | | | | stopped hurting. The room even became brighter. My |
| paranoia are just two examples of such official | | | | imaginary blood and scars from the surgery |
| craziness. Please note this topic is not about such | | | | disappeared in a flash. |
| official craziness. It is about unofficial craziness, a | | | | And for my longest ten days ever, I was unofficially |
| phase I have used for over 25 years now. | | | | crazy. I was suffering from something that did not |
| With unofficial craziness, others may not think it is | | | | exist and that never would happen ... as if it had |
| unusual or strange, and may not even try to get us | | | | already happened. No other spots have ever been |
| help because they do not see us as being sick, even | | | | found on my lungs. |
| though we are responding to things that do not exist | | | | The nature of unofficial craziness and what tends to |
| and we are actually out-of-touch-with-reality crazy. | | | | keep it hanging around is that others often do not see |
| Here is an example. Several years ago, a few days | | | | it as being crazy and out of touch with reality at all. But |
| before a scheduled business flight, I developed a chest | | | | I will tell you during those ten days I was just as out of |
| cold and stuffy nose. My doctor did a routine chest | | | | touch with reality and just as crazy as any person |
| x-ray to be sure I did not have pneumonia before I | | | | who has been given an official diagnosis and |
| took off on the trip. The x-ray turned out to show an | | | | hospitalized in a locked ward for treatment of a |
| unusual spot on my right lung. A follow up CAT scan | | | | serious mental illness. |
| was ordered for the next day. | | | | Usually such unofficial craziness passes in time and is |
| When on the next day I was informed by the | | | | forgotten. However the underlying dysfunctional |
| technician that the CAT scan confirmed the mass in | | | | processes and the beliefs that produced the craziness |
| my lung, my anxiety went through the roof. As I drove | | | | continue to be present in the background. This |
| home, I kept seeing the concerned look on that | | | | unofficial craziness raises its ugly head again and again |
| technician's face. My doctor called and referred me to | | | | through out our lives. It is the cause of the vast |
| a thoracic surgeon, but I could not see him for a week. | | | | majority of needless suffering of human beings. |
| Instantly I could "see" this tumor in my lung. I saw my | | | | And, anyone can suffer from unofficial craziness. I |
| chest cut open in surgery. The pain was terrible. I | | | | have seen it in mental health professionals, in family |
| suffered that whole week with difficulty concentrating, | | | | and friends, in judges, doctors, powerful business |
| nightmares, daytime cold sweats and terrible chest | | | | executives, television stars and ministers. No one is |
| pains. Family and friends offered me sympathy and | | | | exempt because of the common design of our minds |
| understanding. | | | | that allows this to happen. Every human being is |
| When I finally did see the surgeon, he listened to my | | | | subject to experiencing the needless stress and |
| chest and ordered another x-ray. I had to wait for that | | | | suffering that can be caused by unofficial craziness. |
| x-ray to be developed. During this waiting time, I even | | | | Now what is the antidote to this self induced suffering? |
| imagined how I would look when I would enter this | | | | This will be discussed more fully in future topics, but |
| waiting room again after my surgery, if I was lucky | | | | basically the antidote is to learn to be where your feet |
| enough to survive the surgery, my surgery. | | | | are in the moment rather than stuck in the fantasy in |
| The nurse finally directed me to the surgeon's office | | | | your head and suffering as if that fantasy were reality, |
| where he was holding the new x-ray in his hand. My | | | | as I was doing with my lung tumor. That is, be present |
| heart sank. | | | | now, to what is real now. When you can do this, you |
| Calmly he said, "Well, I think it will all be cleared up in a | | | | will find it is the best form of stress management there |
| week or so." | | | | is. |
| I said, "What? Can I really recover from surgery that | | | | Sometimes this is much easier said than done, but all |
| quickly?" | | | | of us can learn to react in a better way. |
| Surprised, the surgeon asked, "What are you talking | | | | Psychotherapy is sometimes needed to reduce the |
| about, Paul?" | | | | anxiety created by unofficial craziness before we can |
| I paused and then sheepishly asked, "What did you just | | | | then let it go and get on about out lives. Cognitive |
| say?" | | | | behavioral therapy can be especially helpful. |
| He repeated, "I think it will all be cleared up in about a | | | | |