Thursday, December 19, 2013

Self Delusion, or Mass Delusion.

http://deepreason.blogspot.sg/2012/04/curious-case-of-kiai-master.html

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The Curious Case of the Kiai Master

A Textbook Example of Delusion.

There are various mystical martial arts that use the idea of chi as a fighting method. Masters of such martial arts claim to be able to knock opponents unconscious with a gentle touch, or to physically hit or throw them from a distance without even touching them. You can visit such a dojo and observe that the techniques seem to be very effective - it seems like the martial artist actually has jedi-like powers.

Here’s a video of a publicised incident. A kiai master challenged doubters by offering a monetary reward to anyone who could beat him in a match. The video starts with the kiai master demonstrating his abilities on his students at his dojo - the students are unable to touch him, even attacking all at once! Then the match is shown, in which the MMA fighter quickly (but apologetically) knocks the kiai master down with ease. It’s a case study of delusion.



Same event filmed from another angle:

Here are some observations:
  1. The kiai master was genuine in his belief that he was an unbeatable fighter. He was so certain that he put his money, health, and reputation publicly on the line. That is the genuine faith of a sure man.
  2. The kiai master’s students were genuine in their belief that their master was a powerful fighter. Any one of them could have just kicked him in the gut to prove a point, to defeat their teacher in a fair match. Instead, they found themselves thrown to the mat without being touched.

There is some very interesting psychology going on here. It’s a fascinating exercise to put yourself into the shoes of those in the story. This is a textbook, real life case of the emperor’s new clothes - a mass delusion. Let’s go back to the dojo, before the kiai master was humiliated by defeat.


*****
Imagine you are the kiai master. You carry yourself with charisma and confidence. In a fight in your dojo, you spin your arms and your opponents tumble to the mat! You are unstoppable: you have seemingly magical abilities, and the evidence to prove it!
 

*****
Now imagine yourself as a student. You observe match after match where the kiai master defeats those around him without touching them! Finally, it is your turn to fight him, and you find yourself rolling on the mat just like everyone else. This kiai master is amazing!
 

*****
Finally, imagine yourself as a fresh onlooker. Are you convinced of these jedi-like powers? Can you see the bigger picture of what’s happening here? Is the emperor wearing clothes?

 

Take a minute and think about this situation. What would you say to the kiai master? What would you say to the students? What would you expect their replies to be? Remember that they have never seen the kiai master be defeated, and they can show you the videos of his magical abilities. How could you settle the difference of opinion? How could you dissent from the opinion of so many students? What arrogance, to suggest they are all deluded!

Suppose the kiai master invited you join his dojo and learn magical powers, for a reasonable fee? How would you respond?

As an aside, I’d like to mention an even more interesting aspect of the story. You would think that after the master’s humiliating defeat, the students would have left. But no, this didn’t happen. The students stayed on, found all manner of excuses for why the master was defeated, and continued to study the magical kiai powers. Their faith didn't waver, despite contrary evidence.

Now for the final reflection: think about what you’d say to the kiai students regarding their delusion. If they said the same kind of thing to you regarding one of your beliefs, could you give a better response than they can? I encourage you to seriously ponder this. Chances are, you and I both have some beliefs that aren’t true.

In other words: how do you know that some belief of yours is not a delusion like the kiai students’ delusion?


------
Update: Sam Harris wrote an article about this Kiai Master.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

There's is no right or wrong way.

http://tinybuddha.com/blog/sometimes-there-is-no-right-way/

Sometimes There Is No Right Way


“You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.” ~Friedrich Nietzsche 
I was raised in a home where a very common phrase was, “There’s a right way and a wrong way.”
The right way was the way my parents wanted things done. There were a great many rules surrounding the right way for nearly everything, in an attempt to ensure that we got it right, and, when the rules weren’t enough to enforce the rightness of our behavior, there were punishments, harsh words, and sometimes very public humiliation.
I’ve spent most of my adult life learning to deal with the fallout of this type of ingrained thinking, once important for emotional survival and physical safety, but no longer useful.
I work, now, to examine the precepts I live by, and whether they are helping me toward my goal of living a peaceful and conscious life. But there can still be some pretty huge blind spots in my view of things—places where I, myself, still expect those around me to conform to my concept of what is right. 
Three years ago, when I began to practice the base principles of radical unschooling, I fell headlong into one of these traps. It caused a great deal of pain, and nearly cost me my oldest and dearest friend.
We altered the way in which we interacted with our children from an authoritarian style to a partnership model. And I decided I would be a missionary for every other family who showed a glimmer of dissension (as all families, even mine, do, sometimes).
I had found a piece that was missing from the puzzle of my own life, and I was awed by the rapid and wonderful changes I saw within my family once I placed it.
I hadn’t yet learned that zeal and epiphanies in our lives can also be pitfalls; that not everyone will benefit from what benefits us. I was certain my way was perfect and even necessary—for everyone.
It can be easy to believe, when we find the answer to our life’s dilemmas, that they will solve everyone else’s problems, too—that we have found the one and only “right way.”
We may come from a place of positive intent, but we are no less invading another’s life or suggesting that they might not find their way, without us. We do not trust them to find their own answers, and that awareness can sting with unintended fierceness.
I believe now that these deeply rooted judgmental places may be within all of us who grew up judged, and dependent on the verdict of that judgment for safety or survival. 
What once helped us to survive the harsher places in our own childhoods can become a heavy and cumbersome burden, once we are grown.
It can hinder our relationships and our ability to create or maintain close connections, because, in insisting that we know what is right, we are also saying that the other is wrong.
I’ve never believed the phrase  “the ends justify the means.”
It seems so unfeeling of the harm, perhaps irreparable, that can be done to other beings, and to our relationships with those beings. And yet, I inflicted just this type of behavior on my dear friend, as though her life, and her ideas of right, must echo my own, else she would be forever wrong in my eyes.
I realize, now, that I was being invasive; I was thrusting myself and my brand-new “right way” upon another who had not asked for my judgment.
I didn’t stop to think, at the time, that my goals left no room for her to learn and grow at her own pace, in her own way, and for her own reasons.
I didn’t consider that my insistence upon my own version of the right way might bring her more hurt thanhealing; nor that my right way, which works such magic in our lives, might be absolutely wrong for her and her family—and that even if it was right, only they could judge that.
Now, I’ve learned (I hope, for the last time), that I can’t make others believe or live as I do; that I might cause irreparable harm to relationships when I react to their choices as though I had the “one true path.”
My friend and I needed to step away from each other’s lives in order to heal the damage I had done with my insistence and certainty about the right way and the wrong way. This freed her to find her own way, like mine in some aspects, and very unlike in others, but not ever mine to judge.
I have come to understand that she would not have had this certainty without making the journey she was called to make, with the obstacles and vistas she encountered along the way.
She always had the strength to make it; she was making it, in her own fashion, even while I was so forcefully urging her toward my right path. The true problem was not with her, but with my inability to see that.
Each of us makes decisions based on personality, beliefs, values, circumstances, ability, and many other factors that are diverse and variable.
None of us can see clearly enough into the life of another to see all the hows and whys of their living.
Any time I find myself thinking that I can, it has become a warning beacon alerting me to ingrained andunwanted attitudes.
Maybe the true value of these moments is in giving us yet another chance to ferret out those ingrained, black-and-white patterns so that we can see each other as-is, and to give others the space to determine for themselves their course in those nebulous areas that are neither right or wrong. 
Each time I remember to do this, I find that my own life opens up with possibilities I might have considered wrong, and so dismissed without even noticing them. My mind opens also to the reality that there are as many right ways as there are people and circumstances.
Letting go of judgments about right and wrong helps my relationship with my friend and others with whom I do not always agree; and it helps me to keep my awareness framed in possibilities rather than limitations.
So, these days, whether I agree with your way or not, I acknowledge that it is your way, and not mine.  
I will tend to making the choices and choosing the path that leads my way; you may have yours, and, perhaps, we will meet at some point along the journey, greet each other, and share the way for a while.
When our paths diverge again, I will bid you well for the portions of the journey we cannot share.
Photo by Damian Gadal

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

I am a Buddhist. Yet I don't believe if Buddha exist.

http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/sutra/level4_deepening_understanding_path/interferences/fourteen_questions_which_buddha_rem.html

The Fourteen Questions to Which Buddha Remained Silent

Alexander Berzin
February 2007
There are fourteen unspecified points (lung-du ma-bstan-pa bcu-bzhi), which are points about which Buddha did not specify an answer when asked. Often this set of fourteen is referred to as the “fourteen questions to which Buddha remained silent.” 

The Mahayana Version

To those who believe in a true findably existent “me” or “self” (bdag, Skt. atman) and a true findably existent universe, Buddha did not answer when they asked are the “I” or the “self” and the universe:
  • eternal,
  • not eternal, since they undergo gross impermanence at thetime of their destruction,
  • as both, in the sense that some beings and their environments, like the Creator Brahma and his heaven, are eternal; while all else, such as his creations, are not eternal and end at the time of their destruction,
  • neither, since it is impossible to  know? 
Are “I’s” or “selves” and the universe:
  • finite,
  • infinite,
  • both finite and infinite, in the sense that limited beings(sentient beings) are infinite in number, but the universe is finite in size,
  • neither, since it is impossible to know? 
Does the “I” or the “self” of a Buddha:
  • continue to exist after death,
  • not continue after death,
  • both, in the sense that the body does not continue, but the life-force (srog) does,
  • neither? 
Buddha did not answer these because there is no such thing as a true findably existent “me” or “ self” for either limited beings (sentient beings) or a Buddha, and no such thing as a true findably existent universe. Therefore, there can be no question whether such things are eternal or not eternal, or finite or infinite. It is like asking do rabbit-horns, turtle-hair or chicken-lips last forever or only a limited time. If Buddha said the “me,” and so on are eternal, these people would fall to the position of eternalism. If he said they are not eternal, they would fall to the position of nihilism, since they would not understand his answer. Therefore, it was more skillful not to specify an answer at all. 
To those who believe in a true findably existent body and life-force, Buddha did not answer when they asked are the body and life-force:
  • the same entity,
  • totally separate and different entities? 
He remained silent for a similar reason, since they would only misunderstand anything he said. 

The Theravada Version

An earlier, abbreviated list of ten unspecified points appears in the Pali canon in the Sutta of Shorter (Instructions) to Malunkya (Pali: Cula-Malunkyovada Sutta, within the The Collection of Middle-Length Discourses (Pali: Majjhima Nikaya). In this version, the monk Malunkyaputta was continuously distracted by metaphysical speculation during hismeditation. In order to turn him back to his intensive meditation practice, Buddha remained silent when Malunkyaputta asked whether:
  • the universe is eternal,
  • the universe is not eternal,
  • the universe is finite,
  • the universe is infinite,
  • after death, a Buddha continues to exist,
  • after death, a Buddha does not continue to exist,
  • after death, a Buddha both continues to exist and not to exist,
  • after death, a Buddha neither continues to exist or not to exist,
  • the body and the “self” are the same entity,
  • the body and the “self” are totally separate and different entities.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Depression really brings out negative old memories for whatever things we met or see

So I decided to blow some air con at the fairprice at hougang since I came for a haircut, but the queue was too long, before going to William house to fix his laptop. Upon entering, sadness and loneliness came into me, having the feeling of loneliness while during Uni days in hall studying, going to fairprice and shopping for my war suppliers alone.... what the shit, it's not supposed to be that bad, why did scumbag brain made it feel so bad...

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Talk to no one at home, like seriously, forever

You have already concluded that letting know about, literally anything, is just going to make them do things that irritate you and make your own condition worst. Why even bother to feel that there's a chance that they will understand seriously anything?

Screw them. SCREW THEM ALL.

Live your own life from now on. Forget filial piety all whatever crap. Just give them money and bring them out next time, AND SHUT YOUR OWN CRAP AND TELL THEM NOTHING ELSE.


Monday, November 11, 2013

Bipolar Disorder - The experience

So I had too many things to do, and was down with luck too, with things going wrong one after another; things that shouldn't go wrong, went wrong and more to come.

Previously, I already understood the situation about my mum so well, that I have already concluded a fact, that I mustn't tell her anything bad about my business, or she will just bother me with stupid reminders like these, and it will definitely make me go berserk as I have already explained it millions times through these 2 years, and she keep forgetting and misunderstanding, a endless loop to madness. So here's a archive.

- 不要接那么多生意。- as if I have a lot of business to start off with. And work is agreed on mostly months in advance. How will I know I will be stressed out by certain few clients then? I only have 2 years of full time experience. She should just go out and work and meet bosses and all.

- 不可以早一点睡?自己当老板当到这样。  Client say by tonight 11pm pls pls pls. Nearer to deadline still say things are not right, watermark not nice, wrong place, can change this can change that, can send this, can send that, is that all the photos you have got? It's not the shots I want, please help to scan your photos more?

So what? Sleep and ignore all these? Mind you, it's just 1 client described above. Enough to burn the days off after a half day shoot.

Who's the boss?

And there's so many dumb stuff that the mum will keep rattling on and on (endless loop), shall stop it here and continue what I wanted to say.

I did the wrong move (AGAIN) to tell her that I am very stress, and because she always keep rattling off nonsense which I have explained to her so many times, so can she PLEASE don't disturb me for today.

Then she went into the first killer line for 2 times, so I went berserk, because from the past experience, this will only be the start, and she will went off again and again the whole day, up till weeks. The whole traumatic past activtated, and my mood was fast forwarded to berserk mode, with the following reactions.

- couldn't make good logic.
- just wanted to destroy everything, including my life, but I can't, so I had to find ways to finish off certain things too, then it's added stress, and the whole thing will snowball until I fill up the stress gauge.
- humanly rules to make me a good person are all inverted. Meaning, if a person is bad to me, I may end up killing that person. This is a very dangerous thing, because as a person went into depression, he/she will do weird things like stoning on the street, on some main road (the brain's natural shutdown reaction towards people, and wanting to gain attention to themselves, hoping that someone will help them in anyway). For those who don't understand their weird behaviours, may end up scolding him or worst case, bullying them if they look like a mess. This will thus activate their berserker mode to give off steam, and they will be killed in the worst possible way; it's like their TOTAL inverted self, which is a hard to understand fact for those who haven't experience it themselves. (yes now I am beginning to understand what bipolar is).

So I went off the house, slightly keeping my cameras violently since I couldn't control my emotions to DESTROY everything in my way. Hope it didn't damage anything, but I am already having trouble. The family won't understand and listen to my words to help me back; another characteristics reason why people end up in depression (no one listens to them). Had tried my best to control the anger beast, warning myself that if I really destroyed anything in accordance to the brain's plea to "gather attention" to my own words through a certain adnormal reaction (cos I don't get angry often, and I don't like to anyway). I palm myself violently on the head multiple times, clap my hand together violently as a result from controlling myself to do damages which are "irreversible". If I didn't control, it could become more serious, and things like punching off the cupboard door, throwing the camera out of the windows, burning down the whole house, killing the whole family and committing suicide are all highly possible options (in fact, all these could be done). I know this, because it actually went through my mind! Am glad that with my years of learning meditation and Emotional Intelligence, I manage to contain it to just some ways to "let off steam", but resulting in temporary pain by hitting myself. I hope I don't end up cutting off my own hand or something.

So I keep the camera, unfortunately letting 1 of the camera (d600 with 11-16mm fixed on) roll off my kneeling position. I went even more angry with myself for damaging things, so I screamed nonsense and words that I want people to understand, but I know they won't, getting into the endless loop to madness since the more I think about this, the more depressed (and angry of my life) I will be. Finally, packing the laptop into my luggage bag.

Before I went off, the logical me knew that mum will be worried, so I told her I need to be alone to do soem work, be back at 11pm.

Took my trolley camera bag, went off.

Then an episode of depression came.
I went on to wait at the traffic for 7-10 rounds of crossing. Standing there like a weird person in his own world. Some people I knew saw me I guess, but only 1 greeted me (friend's mum), and I gave very short answers to her questions. Am sure she could tell that I am not my normal self. Since I only look at the floor, my own hands, back bending, appearing to curl up the top body while standing. Looked at no other person at all, except to stay in my own world, emotionless, not even wondering about anything beside trying to do weird things I won't do normally.

My breath became very short. I noticed I didn't inhale much. Another part of me is telling me, that I had to make myself breathe, if not, I am afraid that with the lack of oxygen, the mental condition will only get worse.

Totally ignored the world, as the brain just want to shutdown itself completely from anyone, with no rules governing the person. No regards given to what will happen to what other people will think about us in future, don't care if we become a nuisance to others, don't care about anything that we have always cared about... normally, saving lives and making the world a better place to live in, is my top rule in life. But I actually don't care (at all) if I let off my steam and try killing a bird on the grass patch by going full force into chasing it; The brain just feels like expending out ALL ounce of energy to destroy everything.

So the final twist came in.. I prayed to Buddha out of no reason, and continue to be depressed. Other adnormal thoughts came in (as this brain that I am using is trained to be creative in work and daily life to solve daily problems).  End up squatting down, leaning my head onto the luggage.

After 5 mins, suddenly an image came into my mind.

I remember seeing another girl who are well dressed up at the Park Mall busstop, but she was sitting down on the floor with the seat just behind her. At that time I had wanted to talk to her to show some concern, hoping I could help her ease her problems. Some other lady came up to ask if she is ok before I did, she immediately seemed ok, and went back up the seat. I guess a part of the conscious just want someone to show just a little concern for the self, and she would feel much much better.

Then this helpful Jiahe self took over the mind. Jiahe just wanted to help jiahe, and he immediately knew that in order to ease the stress, the only way is to finish the load of work, and not let little jiahe spiral further into depression. Then Jiahe took over the consciousness. Immediately, positive energy came back into the body, the mind feels energetic, so I didn't some quick stretches to increase blood flow to the brain,  and Jiahe went on to have his meal, and came here to archive down this findings.

It just feels like a complete different self a sec ago. As my awareness of my own "self" is trained, I noticed that the energy just filled up within 2-3 seconds, life came back. It's a amazing feeling, and I haven't heard or read of such experiences of others before. Somehow, I feel that this may be related to how Bipolar disorder occur. For worse case, 2 separately characters may appear with very different behaviours in an individual, somehow the "stronger" self appearing to save the weaker self (as learnt from a Hong Kong TV serial 读心神探 ,starting from about episode 17 to the end 20  http://www.youku.com/show_page/id_z9736a0382cec11df97c0.html)

Lucky I wasn't bullied till it become serious, so I was able to gain back control over the whole things without causing some serious repercussions.

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/bipolar_disorder_symptoms_treatment.htm


And this feeling, suddenly it's like the time when I got depression, and I went to the hostel to stay with the kind hearted Jenn Bing, and lived emotionless for the next 3-4 days. Sleeping in complete dreamless nights, and working emotionless with maximum efficiency; a weird adnormal way for the body to behave since it's not suppose to be even "able" to perform this way.


Ending off with a few new found fact (a theory that I believed that it's true).

- person with high EQ, would have in some ways, suffered from bad traumatic experiences which they are lucky to have recovered from.

- The happier a person is, the sadder they must have felt before in some parts of their lives, so the amount of sadness and happiness one can portrait in life is a direct balanced reflection of the other.


Now, I just wish Jiahe and jiahe all the best.... In the end, am glad that I still manage to find Jiahe somehow to save the day. Hope I can do more work now then.... become stronger and help future people.


2.03pm updates......
after reading through the updated link above.. I realised I was actually with bipolar... -__-
Details are below, for complete future references.... read under "Common symptoms of bipolar depression include:".. my heighten energy is a result of being in "Mania" state.......

___________________________________

Details from the link above.

Bipolar Disorder Signs & Symptoms

Recognizing Mania, Hypomania and Bipolar Depression

Bipolar Disorder: Signs, Symptoms, and Causes of Manic Depression
We all have our ups and downs, but, with bipolar disorder, these peaks and valleys are more severe. The symptoms of bipolar disorder can hurt your job and school performance, damage your relationships, and disrupt your daily life. And although it’s treatable, many people don’t recognize the warning signs and get the help they need. Since bipolar disorder tends to worsen without treatment, it’s important to learn what the symptoms look like. Recognizing the problem is the first step to getting better.

What is bipolar disorder?

You can help yourself feel better!

Bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression) causes serious shifts in mood, energy, thinking, and behavior—from the highs of mania on one extreme, to the lows of depression on the other. More than just a fleeting good or bad mood, the cycles of bipolar disorder last for days, weeks, or months. And unlike ordinary mood swings, the mood changes of bipolar disorder are so intense that they interfere with your ability to function.
During a manic episode, a person might impulsively quit a job, charge up huge amounts on credit cards, or feel rested after sleeping two hours. During a depressive episode, the same person might be too tired to get out of bed and full of self-loathing and hopelessness over being unemployed and in debt.
The causes of bipolar disorder aren’t completely understood, but it often runs in families. The first manic or depressive episode of bipolar disorder usually occurs in the teenage years or early adulthood. The symptoms can be subtle and confusing, so many people with bipolar disorder are overlooked or misdiagnosed—resulting in unnecessary suffering. But with proper treatment and support, you can lead a rich and fulfilling life.

Myths and Facts About Bipolar Disorder

Myth: People with bipolar disorder can’t get better or lead a normal life.
Fact: Many people with bipolar disorder have successful careers, happy family lives, and satisfying relationships. Living with bipolar disorder is challenging. But with treatment, healthy coping skills, and a solid support system, you can live fully while managing your symptoms.
Myth: People with bipolar disorder swing back and forth between mania and depression.
Fact: Some people alternate between extreme episodes of mania and depression, but most are depressed more often than they are manic. Mania may also be so mild that it goes unrecognized. People with bipolar disorder can also go for long stretches without symptoms.
Myth: Bipolar disorder only affects mood.
Fact: Bipolar disorder also affects your energy level, judgment, memory, concentration, appetite, sleep patterns, sex drive, and self-esteem. Additionally, bipolar disorder has been linked to anxiety, substance abuse, and health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, migraines, and high blood pressure.
Myth: Aside from taking medication, there is nothing you can do to control bipolar disorder.
Fact: While medication is the foundation of bipolar disorder treatment, therapy and self-help strategies also play important roles. You can help control your symptoms by exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, eating right, monitoring your moods, keeping stress to a minimum, and surrounding yourself with supportive people.

Signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder

mood episodes
Source: NIMH
Bipolar disorder can look very different in different people. The symptoms vary widely in their pattern, severity, and frequency. Some people are more prone to either mania or depression, while others alternate equally between the two types of episodes. Some have frequent mood disruptions, while others experience only a few over a lifetime.
There are four types of mood episodes in bipolar disorder: mania, hypomania, depression, and mixed episodes. Each type of bipolar disorder mood episode has a unique set of symptoms.

Signs and symptoms of mania

In the manic phase of bipolar disorder, feelings of heightened energy, creativity, and euphoria are common. People experiencing a manic episode often talk a mile a minute, sleep very little, and are hyperactive. They may also feel like they’re all-powerful, invincible, or destined for greatness.
But while mania feels good at first, it has a tendency to spiral out of control. People often behave recklessly during a manic episode: gambling away savings, engaging in inappropriate sexual activity, or making foolish business investments, for example. They may also become angry, irritable, and aggressive—picking fights, lashing out when others don’t go along with their plans, and blaming anyone who criticizes their behavior. Some people even become delusional or start hearing voices.

Hypomania symptoms

Hypomania is a less severe form of mania. People in a hypomanic state feel euphoric, energetic, and productive, but they are able to carry on with their day-to-day lives and they never lose touch with reality. To others, it may seem as if people with hypomania are merely in an unusually good mood. However, hypomania can result in bad decisions that harm relationships, careers, and reputations. In addition, hypomania often escalates to full-blown mania or is followed by a major depressive episode.
Common signs and symptoms of mania include:
  • Feeling unusually “high” and optimistic OR extremely irritable
  • Unrealistic, grandiose beliefs about one’s abilities or powers
  • Sleeping very little, but feeling extremely energetic
  • Talking so rapidly that others can’t keep up
  • Racing thoughts; jumping quickly from one idea to the next
  • Highly distractible, unable to concentrate
  • Impaired judgment and impulsiveness
  • Acting recklessly without thinking about the consequences
  • Delusions and hallucinations (in severe cases)

Signs and symptoms of bipolar depression

In the past, bipolar depression was lumped in with regular depression. But a growing body of research suggests that there are significant differences between the two, especially when it comes to recommended treatments. Most people with bipolar depression are not helped by antidepressants. In fact, there is a risk that antidepressants can make bipolar disorder worse—triggering mania or hypomania, causing rapid cycling between mood states, or interfering with other mood stabilizing drugs.
Despite many similarities, certain symptoms are more common in bipolar depression than in regular depression. For example, bipolar depression is more likely to involve irritability, guilt, unpredictable mood swings, and feelings of restlessness. People with bipolar depression also tend to move and speak slowly, sleep a lot, and gain weight. In addition, they are more likely to develop psychotic depression—a condition in which they’ve lost contact with reality—and to experience major disability in work and social functioning.
Common symptoms of bipolar depression include:
  • Feeling hopeless, sad, or empty.
  • Irritability
  • Inability to experience pleasure
  • Fatigue or loss of energy
  • Physical and mental sluggishness
  • Appetite or weight changes
  • Sleep problems
  • Concentration and memory problems
  • Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
  • Thoughts of death or suicide

Signs and symptoms of a mixed episode

A mixed episode of bipolar disorder features symptoms of both mania or hypomania and depression. Common signs of a mixed episode include depression combined with agitation, irritability, anxiety, insomnia, distractibility, and racing thoughts. This combination of high energy and low mood makes for a particularly high risk of suicide.

The different faces of bipolar disorder

  • Bipolar I Disorder (mania or a mixed episode) – The classic manic-depressive form of the illness, characterized by at least one manic episode or mixed episode. Usually—but not always—Bipolar I Disorder also involves at least one episode of depression.
  • Bipolar II Disorder (hypomania and depression) – In Bipolar II disorder, the person doesn’t experience full-blown manic episodes. Instead, the illness involves episodes of hypomania and severe depression.
  • Cyclothymia (hypomania and mild depression) – Cyclothymia is a milder form of bipolar disorder. It consists of cyclical mood swings. However, the symptoms are less severe than full-blown mania or depression.

Treatment for bipolar disorder

If you spot the symptoms of bipolar depression in yourself or someone else, don’t wait to get help. Ignoring the problem won’t make it go away; in fact, it will almost certainly get worse. Living with untreated bipolar disorder can lead to problems in everything from your career to your relationships to your health. Diagnosing the problem as early as possible and getting into treatment can help prevent these complications.
If you’re reluctant to seek treatment because you like the way you feel when you’re manic, remember that the energy and euphoria come with a price. Mania and hypomania often turn destructive, hurting you and the people around you.

Basics of bipolar disorder treatment

  • Bipolar disorder requires long-term treatment. Since bipolar disorder is a chronic, relapsing illness, it’s important to continue treatment even when you’re feeling better. Most people with bipolar disorder need medication to prevent new episodes and stay symptom-free.
  • There is more to treatment than medication. Medication alone is usually not enough to fully control the symptoms of bipolar disorder. The most effective treatment strategy for bipolar disorder involves a combination of medication, therapy, lifestyle changes, and social support.
  • It’s best to work with an experienced psychiatrist. Bipolar disorder is a complex condition. Diagnosis can be tricky and treatment is often difficult. For safety reasons, medication should be closely monitored. A psychiatrist who is skilled in bipolar disorder treatment can help you navigate these twists and turns.

Self-help for bipolar disorder

While dealing with bipolar disorder isn’t always easy, it doesn’t have to run your life. But in order to successfully manage bipolar disorder, you have to make smart choices. Your lifestyle and daily habits have a significant impact on your moods. Read on for ways to help yourself:
  • Get educated. Learn as much as you can about bipolar disorder. The more you know, the better you’ll be at assisting your own recovery.
  • Keep stress in check. Avoid high-stress situations, maintain a healthy work-life balance, and try relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing.
  • Seek support. It’s important to have people you can turn to for help and encouragement. Try joining a support group or talking to a trusted friend.
  • Make healthy choices. Healthy sleeping, eating, and exercising habits can help stabilize your moods. Keeping a regular sleep schedule is particularly important.
  • Monitor your moods. Keep track of your symptoms and watch for signs that your moods are swinging out of control so you can stop the problem before it starts.

Bipolar disorder and suicide

The depressive phase of bipolar disorder is often very severe, and suicide is a major risk factor. In fact, people suffering from bipolar disorder are more likely to attempt suicide than those suffering from regular depression. Furthermore, their suicide attempts tend to be more lethal.
The risk of suicide is even higher in people with bipolar disorder who have frequent depressive episodes, mixed episodes, a history of alcohol or drug abuse, a family history of suicide, or an early onset of the disease.

The warning signs of suicide include:

  • Talking about death, self-harm, or suicide
  • Feeling hopeless or helpless
  • Feeling worthless or like a burden to others
  • Acting recklessly, as if one has a “death wish”
  • Putting affairs in order or saying goodbye
  • Seeking out weapons or pills that could be used to commit suicide

Important

It’s very important to take any thoughts or talk of suicide seriously. If you or someone you care about is suicidal, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the U.S. at 1-800-273-TALK or visit Befrienders Worldwide to find a helpline in your country.

Bipolar disorder causes and triggers

Bipolar disorder has no single cause. It appears that certain people are genetically predisposed to bipolar disorder. Yet not everyone with an inherited vulnerability develops the illness, indicating that genes are not the only cause. Some brain imaging studies show physical changes in the brains of people with bipolar disorder. Other research points to neurotransmitter imbalances, abnormal thyroid function, circadian rhythm disturbances, and high levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
External environmental and psychological factors are also believed to be involved in the development of bipolar disorder. These external factors are called triggers. Triggers can set off new episodes of mania or depression or make existing symptoms worse. However, many bipolar disorder episodes occur without an obvious trigger.
  • Stress – Stressful life events can trigger bipolar disorder in someone with a genetic vulnerability. These events tend to involve drastic or sudden changes—either good or bad—such as getting married, going away to college, losing a loved one, getting fired, or moving.
  • Substance Abuse – While substance abuse doesn’t cause bipolar disorder, it can bring on an episode and worsen the course of the disease. Drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy, and amphetamines can trigger mania, while alcohol and tranquilizers can trigger depression.
  • Medication – Certain medications, most notably antidepressant drugs, can trigger mania. Other drugs that can cause mania include over-the-counter cold medicine, appetite suppressants, caffeine, corticosteroids, and thyroid medication.
  • Seasonal Changes – Episodes of mania and depression often follow a seasonal pattern. Manic episodes are more common during the summer, and depressive episodes more common during the fall, winter, and spring.
  • Sleep Deprivation – Loss of sleep—even as little as skipping a few hours of rest—can trigger an episode of mania.
Addon details and statistics (more for understanding at wikipedia link): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_disorder 

Sunday, October 6, 2013

So the most unexpected thing just came out of nowhere.

They say Love is the most unpredictable thing. It can come from any time, any where. Just when I didn't expect it to come the way that I am going to write it down... it just happened. Seriously...this way!? :P

Shall just keep it short (as always the aim, which will fail eventually.. but who cares, it works for me and I am happy to read it after that anyway :P)

So.. this is how it happens.

There's this girl whom I saw (and that's all, no proper conversations before), for the second time, at this Fo Guan Shan Intervasity Camp 2013 that I am going to helped out, as a Team Leader. I can remember her from the previous 2012 camp that I attended 1 year back.. totally, didn't have memory of talking to her at all then.

So this year, because she's rather unique, and hids behind the scene in a room, looking intelligent, I noticed her presence. First day, I saw her doing some admin work all by herself in the room, distributing logistics to the earlier helpers, which is the committee members, and the team leaders. I just have a deep impression of her, as this is the area of work which will totally bored me to death, and before death, actually living a life worst than death while trying to make sense of things I may confused and missed out (due to the weak brain sadly...).

So the first words is something like: 这件小红,给你 (passing me a red shirt).
2nd sentence of the day: "这件黄色,M size 的,给你。记得放回来这个箱“。

This is where the 2nd admiration comes... if it's me, i will confirm forget about this things as I am quite sure my brain cannot be trusted for such stuff.... SADLY again. Of course I don't just leave it to fate like that, I will have measures to make sure that it will work within the range of 95-100%, with the goal as 110% confidences level, so if anything messed up, I will sure have some backup plans to eventually make it a 100% whole.. keep it short, it means I will work hard at it to make sure it works out. Human brain replaced with a computer brain.

Last sentence (3rd) of the day: 我已经给你黄色的衣服是吧。。?
Took me 5 seconds to dig out the fact from my half asleep brain: eh.. 是的。。
Then another 5 seconds.. "谢谢“
Leaving the room with a awkward dumb smile as I realised that she can remember this better than myself (she have to remember so many people, and I can't even remember my own -__-")

She smiled too. I remember this one... cos I a bit paiseh~


So this is the start of the interesting part.

This girl calls herself 花田露 on Facebook(玉露 is her real name)
People call her 阿花。

So this Monday, after the DBS gathering, I decided that I do have time to continue meeting this group of FGS friends at Marina Square, 爱情海餐厅。since I am nearby (at Raffles Place). So after the whole thing, as usual, I will be making people happy with their group photos and all. Then 阿花 surprized me with a

"你帮我们拍很多照, 我可以跟你一起拍张照吗?“

"当然可以! :)" was my standard reply to people, be it any gender.

And from my point of view, a photo keeps the intention of preserving the memory which will last eternally (hopefully). So this "instance" people tend to treasure the photo as much as they wanted it to be. Am always using photos to guess the relationship and intention between boys and girls, also to judge the comfort zones of people. And with a series of photos, the whole personality profile can actually generated. Of course it's not very accurate in some case (as people can choose how they want to be portrayed on social media, self filtering "naughty" shots etc). But generally, I do trust my skills after trying so hard in training myself in this "psychology" segment.

So the photo ended up like this which was unexpected...
First series of shot.





































Judging from the movement from first burst to last, there's a movement nearer to me. That's definitely an indication hahaha.



2nd series of the shots (as I am blocking the whole thing behind, of course it's not intentional, I don't know about it).


























Of course on my side, I tried to bend my knees, lower my height. Another part of me does knows that my face will be nearer to her now, but logic overrides me usually, since I am good with Emotional Control, it's not the time to show "shyness" since in this photo, I am suppose to make sure I won't block the signboard again.

Yes it failed again (not deliberate I can promise myself again!). So leading to the final series....


3rd series - with 小亭子's "靠近一点,靠近一点“











Last shot... almost touching already.... I only realised it after seeing the camera...... didn't expect this photo taking to tell me so much.

Anyway, I can tell that she's someone who really knows the situation well, and definitely in control as well, with each steps meaning something for the others to "detect".

After that, we talked a bit while we go home, since I get the hint. So I tried to know her better, and it seems that she have noticed me for a while already (as usual, people remembers me as the friendly photographer)

ok, sure end it like this. Definitely too long but.. effort la.

As for the rest of the stories on FB, this is how we chat.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151677231721443&set=a.10151677226546443.1073741922.598681442&type=3&theater

________________________________________________

2nd time I meet her: Pioneer supper - Reason: I just want her to have her 2nd meal of the day...


yup, logic override, it's not that I am already attracted to her, but I would really like to know her better too. And making her eat more food is definitely the right way to go, so I made her come out to eat.

So this is the summary..

She came over to study with a scholarship by a company, after working X years (forgot zzzz), she realised this is not what she wanted to do, as the planning team behind setting up businesses like 口福, with the whole messy team of people). Work include planning the marketing, banner design, stalls, layout.. everything to set it all up. Definitely doesn't sounds like a fun thing to discuss with lots of people.

So she broke the bond, nice director, so she is able to give back $1k every month to repay for the scholarship bond breaking. Also a $5k bonus from going back there to work, helped her to repay a big portion of it.

So now, happily working for the 3rd year in the production side for Metals, she is thankful to the Director who treats her like a daughter. She have went thru 3 rotations, finally ending up here (I forgot the first 2 rotation, but she did say that after she setup a certain process workflow in her previous department, she was switched over here, and she's quite stressed about this decision too since she's just starting to get comfortable at her role.

Anyway, family side - same mess as mine. Parents are the same. Dad is a MCP, mum is a housewife, but part time nanny. Home is in Muar.

2 brothers, 3 sisters. They are spread out around Singapore, Johor, KL.

Now staying in her god brother's place, where he met at work place. It's been 3 months already, and she just goes to work and come back home only. Never explore the neighbourhood at all. Every week, he will happen to meet her over work, 2 times a week. Have wife, who also tries to take good care of her meals, and scold her if she doesn't eats.

Last time staying in... Toh Guan road is it!? -_- (memory fail again la zzzZ)

So, every now and then during lunch time, the uncles will drive her to NTU to work. Her work place last time is in Tuas, and now working in..... Tuas also is it -_____- (zzz)

Anyway, the director is nice to her, when the 2 manager beside her tries to control her, the director shielded her, so she already remove the red tape of reporting to "useless" people for useless stuff. Nowadays, they are travelling around for work trips, so they don't get to see her too.

Her work place is super noisy with all the Hokkien speaking uncles. She wears ear phones to work as she enjoys her peacetime, anyway, she can't work with all the noise and discussions in front of her desk too. It's just cubicals, and she have been allocated right in the centre.

Director always pulls her along for meeting, so it seems like the director wants her to learn more stuff so that she can do BIG things in future for him..? Most probably managerial role I guess. She's not simple, actually very strong in the mind.

She mentioned that she is a more active person in the mind. Not physically. So I guess she should be really a smart person. Anyway, before I complete my sentences, I see that she's already nodding, so she can have a rather good guess at where I am going.

Does play bowling and badminton as company bonding session.

She is a strong person at home with strong personalities to control situations at home. So mum usually calls her up to tell her sob stories. When she goes home, she's the only one who can talk logic and wins the dad.
 - Definitely a strong personalitied person, am guessing her dharma and human logic is really strong... if our is not in the same frequency, definitely a big problem... but we have buddha to guide us.. so should not go too far off :P

It's already an amazing feat how I can remember so much stuff about the conversation from just now.. the power of love..? Actually, to update 1 final weird thing about this encounter...

I actually don't feel physically attracted to her, the so called "chemistry" thing that people fall in love. Don't know if there's an explanation for this, but she's suppose to look quite attracting to the normal person.. so am I abnormal? But I thought it's quite a good thing to happen to me actually... it actually enables me to think through things really clearly, as I am not under the effects of the "Love Potion" as all the negative things are disregarded (and most probably resurface to haunt the couple later on).. And it seems like she is the same too, with no sense of "shyness" and those to do with first love etc.... either she is a super pro, or she also have super high level of EQ... I don't know why in this situation, I also have the ability to act the same way... which I didn't thought it possible too...

Maybe Buddha is trying to help me too haha.. so I don't go the wrong way and waste most of my time doing the things I didn't set out to do in the first place....

I just want all Sentient Beings to be happy as well.
:)