Comments on: There’s no such thing as “normal” http://www.anxiousliving.com/2006/07/28/theres-no-such-thing-as-normal/ An Exploration into Social Anxiety Sun, 13 Jun 2010 05:14:32 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Ryan Oelke http://www.anxiousliving.com/2006/07/28/theres-no-such-thing-as-normal/comment-page-1/#comment-294 Ryan Oelke Mon, 04 Sep 2006 22:53:49 +0000 http://www.anxiousliving.com/2006/07/28/theres-no-such-thing-as-normal/#comment-294 great post, Duff. So strange, particulary when during childhood and adolesence I had a desire to be more "normal" and yet, like you, noticed that the only examples of "normal" I saw weren't all that "normal"! I didn't have the realization of "what's normal anyways?!!" until grad school, but it's interesting to notice that we don't want to become "normal" just to experience the world differently, as ourselves. Part of me wishes I had worked with my SAD experience a long time ago, yet I'm glad it was only a year ago because I understood so much more about what it means to work with my emoitions and relationships, and what change really means. In my counseling grad program we made a t-shirt with our top ten phrases. One of these was "Normal is a setting on a washing machine.":) great post, Duff. So strange, particulary when during childhood and adolesence I had a desire to be more “normal” and yet, like you, noticed that the only examples of “normal” I saw weren’t all that “normal”! I didn’t have the realization of “what’s normal anyways?!!” until grad school, but it’s interesting to notice that we don’t want to become “normal” just to experience the world differently, as ourselves. Part of me wishes I had worked with my SAD experience a long time ago, yet I’m glad it was only a year ago because I understood so much more about what it means to work with my emoitions and relationships, and what change really means.

In my counseling grad program we made a t-shirt with our top ten phrases. One of these was “Normal is a setting on a washing machine.”:)

]]> By: Cynthia Blue http://www.anxiousliving.com/2006/07/28/theres-no-such-thing-as-normal/comment-page-1/#comment-71 Cynthia Blue Fri, 18 Aug 2006 17:11:33 +0000 http://www.anxiousliving.com/2006/07/28/theres-no-such-thing-as-normal/#comment-71 I think I never really wanted to be 'normal'. Shows like Harry Potter have always appealed to me, or X-Men, where the mutants were the cool ones. I always wanted to extra special like that. Different, magical.. whatever. Stand out. I never was able to stand out though. Not in a good way. Intead I was the nerd, the geek, the idiot. I felt like I stood out in those ways. And Dreamer, yes, once you wake up and see the sky, you can't go back to living in a cave anymore. I have had that revelation a number of times in my life. First one really twisted my world around back in 1992. Now I am better at handling them, and I actually welcome them. I like being awake. I want to be awake.. I MUST be awake. Dammit! :) I wonder, though, what I'm still blind too. And what will happen when I finally see the light. I think I never really wanted to be ‘normal’. Shows like Harry Potter have always appealed to me, or X-Men, where the mutants were the cool ones. I always wanted to extra special like that. Different, magical.. whatever. Stand out. I never was able to stand out though. Not in a good way. Intead I was the nerd, the geek, the idiot. I felt like I stood out in those ways.

And Dreamer, yes, once you wake up and see the sky, you can’t go back to living in a cave anymore. I have had that revelation a number of times in my life. First one really twisted my world around back in 1992. Now I am better at handling them, and I actually welcome them. I like being awake. I want to be awake.. I MUST be awake. Dammit! :) I wonder, though, what I’m still blind too. And what will happen when I finally see the light.

]]> By: duff http://www.anxiousliving.com/2006/07/28/theres-no-such-thing-as-normal/comment-page-1/#comment-65 duff Sat, 12 Aug 2006 17:45:19 +0000 http://www.anxiousliving.com/2006/07/28/theres-no-such-thing-as-normal/#comment-65 Yea Dreamer!! You sound like you are kickin' butt at this anxiety thing. In my experience it takes that kind of passion and persistence to make a dent, but anybody can do it! Yea Dreamer!! You sound like you are kickin’ butt at this anxiety thing. In my experience it takes that kind of passion and persistence to make a dent, but anybody can do it!

]]> By: Dreamer http://www.anxiousliving.com/2006/07/28/theres-no-such-thing-as-normal/comment-page-1/#comment-61 Dreamer Tue, 08 Aug 2006 12:43:16 +0000 http://www.anxiousliving.com/2006/07/28/theres-no-such-thing-as-normal/#comment-61 amen... nicely put, i totally agree. This is big, i have the greatest respect to people stepping up and facing these fears. to some people this might be weird and they might think ''well thats not very courageous'' but what they fail to see is that this particular thing were adressing might not be fearfull to him, but to us its our greatest fear.. and were stepping up and looking it in the eye. That takes a lot of balls, determination and courage. I had to laugh about the normal ''myth'' truth is most people are zombies.. and once you begin to get real progression in this anxiety thing, you dont ever wanna be a zombie again. its like your awake and you discovered you have a choice.. and you can never go back to just accepting fears and unproductive emotions and just live in reaction. Were fighters and il take this to hell and back !! i declared war 2 years ago and i fell many times, but i always got up ! this journey has brought up my true character and strength and i really begin to wonder if not all this is somekinda test, maybe its even a good experience, i dont think i would trade it. It has made me the person i am right now. and hell if there wasnt a social anxiety and the low self esteemstuff i had, well i wouldve had some other problem im sure. thanks for an exellent peace of writing, i enjoyed reading it. -Dreamer amen…

nicely put,

i totally agree.
This is big, i have the greatest respect to people stepping up and facing these fears.
to some people this might be weird and they might think ”well thats not very courageous”

but what they fail to see is that this particular thing were adressing might not be fearfull to him, but to us its our greatest fear.. and were stepping up and looking it in the eye.

That takes a lot of balls, determination and courage.
I had to laugh about the normal ”myth”
truth is most people are zombies..

and once you begin to get real progression in this anxiety thing, you dont ever wanna be a zombie again. its like your awake and you discovered you have a choice.. and you can never go back to just accepting fears and unproductive emotions and just live in reaction.

Were fighters and il take this to hell and back !! i declared war 2 years ago and i fell many times, but i always got up ! this journey has brought up my true character and strength and i really begin to wonder if not all this is somekinda test,

maybe its even a good experience, i dont think i would trade it. It has made me the person i am right now. and hell if there wasnt a social anxiety and the low self esteemstuff i had, well i wouldve had some other problem im sure.

thanks for an exellent peace of writing, i enjoyed reading it.

-Dreamer

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