Comments on: Coming Out of the Crazy Closet

By: therioshamanism

therioshamanism — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 02:42:41 +0000

Thank you for your kind support

By: Niniann Lacasse

Niniann Lacasse — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 01:22:29 +0000

After 63 years in this lifetime I have decided we all have some physical , mental, emotional or spiritual problem. It’s the folks that can’t face it, and won’t or can’t try to work on it that are the really sick ones. This was very brave for you to write, and I think it will help many people to read this. Wishing you peace.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 20:59:03 +0000

Thank you for this post. It was especially refreshing for me to read because just a day or two ago I was reading some very disturbing stuff online making mental illness sound cool, how mentally ill people are actually “god-touched”, and shouldn’t seek treatment but instead are called to be spirit-workers and so on and so forth.

Thank you for debunking that. I have clinical depression, and my mental illness is a great hindrance to me, spiritually (just like it is in every other aspect of my life). It really makes me mad to think there are people out there who might refuse to seek treatment because they think their illness is some sort of gift from the gods.

Good luck with your healing!

By: Lisa

Lisa — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 11:45:53 +0000

This is so beautifully communicated Lupa, and I realize the bravery it took to make such a post! Interestingly, I have also read your 2013 Witches’ Companion articles and while I myself would never think of banning someone on the grounds of a diagnosed (or undiagnosed) mental condition, I didn’t think that type of thing happened in an alternative spiritual community that is supposedly open-minded and tolerant. Now please allow me to clarify that I may find certain behaviors unacceptable around me personally, but that is nothing against the person. They are either capable of acceptable behavior around me or they are not, and honestly, I have a HUGE range of acceptable since I so highly value the individual (and that means strong opinions too, as long as they are respectful). So by my holding onto a choice of what I wish for as behavior around me, I then see it as their choice if anything not within that very broad boundary is done. And I would not randomly apply something like this to a group level either, since I value all individuality too much (and due to this, I find it easier to not work with groups with a “collective” mindset, which most groups are, on any topic, and I often find this means my work is solitary). On the topic of mental (or perhaps emotional) illness? None of us are perfect, even those who would be considered by society mentally well. Part of the Human condition lies in its varying experience of imperfection but it is also the same thing that brings diversity which brings out ultimately qualities of the individual. While I see spiritually that we all are from source (whatever that is) and have compassion, I think we are all here to purify in a way, to reach for whatever is important. I admire you greatly because I see you walking your talk every step of the way – you actually do the work. On those grounds, I would say you are mentally more well than swarms of an asleep and/or lazy population, and I am thinking GAD is at its core just an oversensitivity issue. I would also strive for cure in your shoes and I do hope you find it sooner rather than later – that would be frustrating to me too! Thanks for a dose of pure awesomeness once again – I look forward to many more of your gems!

By: foxdreams

foxdreams — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:01:47 +0000

I hear you, so so hard. I suffered positively debilitating panic attacks and suffer from bouts of hypochondria. This shit sucks and it’s so hard to talk to somebody that doesn’t understand where you’re coming from with it. But thank you for sharing.

By: therioshamanism

therioshamanism — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 18:28:54 +0000

Generally, my journeying is pretty steady, though I make sure I’m in a healthy state of mind before going in. In fact, journeying is one of the few places where anxiety really doesn’t come into play; while I’m far from the biggest, baddest thing out there, I feel more capable of shifting things in my favor there.

By: Hazel

Hazel — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 17:35:33 +0000

Can I ask? (Well I suppose I can, but you don’t have to answer, do you? ) Does your anxiety affect your shamanic journeying? I haven’t been diagnosed with GAD specifically, though I have had several episodes of depression in the past, and I probably have C-PTSD from a nasty childhood (which actually sounds very similar to your experience that being bullied long-term rewired your brain). I am very much trained to fear pretty much everything. It can be difficult to tell sometimes on a journey what is really dangerous or scary, and what are just phantoms thrown up by my anxiety (because of course I bring it with me). My primary spirit guide and daimon, an old friend, says I need to learn to ‘separate the wheat fears from the chaff fears.’

By: therioshamanism

therioshamanism — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 03:01:12 +0000

You are most welcome, and thank you! I think perhaps your steering metaphor would be a good thing for me to think about more.

The problem is that my anxiety interferes with my ability to function at times, and additionally is over unlikely occurrences. I can trace it back to defense mechanisms that kicked in when being systematically bullied for over a decade when I was in private and public schools; my brain basically wired itself during those formative years into a semi-permanently heightened state of awareness and stress.

Email me at whishthound@gmail.com ; I miss you, too.

By: Dale Small

Dale Small — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 00:59:33 +0000

An awesome and inspiring post! Thank you for your courage.

I have long thought that all of us are somewhere on the “craziness” curve. I know that I myself am deeply flawed. I guess I’m lucky because a big part of my crazy is that I tend to edit myself out of the picture; it isn’t about me (even if it is). I just enjoy the ride and try to steer in interesting directions.

So how is GAD a disorder if there actually are plenty of reasons to be generally anxious? Perhaps YOU are the one that is more “sane”. The world is in terrible shape and seems to be getting worse in many respects; climate change, rampant ignorance and hate, the rich taking over everything and buying our government and so forth. I will stop, no sense in bringing up more reasons for all of us to become more anxious.

BTW, I’ve missed you. I’ve been really busy with my herds, my prison ministry and my full time town job. I need to get up to Portland more but part of my crazy is that I tend to stick to the farm when I have time off. Also my eyes have gotten worse as I age and I hate driving. (Getting new glasses at the end of the month, so that should improve.)

Are you still making the antler rune and ogham sets? I’ve had some of my inmates asking.

Hang in there and continue in strength. You’re one of the strongest women I know, even if you ARE crazy.

By: Virginia Carper

Virginia Carper — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 10:34:59 +0000

I see my injury as a part of me. If I deny that part, then I deny myself. It is that basic. Thanks for letting me know that I inspired you. You are brave too!