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confused
23-04-03, 09:23
can agateophobia make you insane?

nomorepanic
19-06-03, 14:31
Please can you explain what the phobia is.

Thanks

Steph
15-07-03, 16:13
Agateophobia is fear of Insanity

SD

smudga
22-07-03, 07:05
As my psychiatirst said, those who worry about going insane are the least likely to.

CYA

Joanne
22-07-03, 14:02
quote:Originally posted by smudga

As my psychiatirst said, those who worry about going insane are the least likely to.

CYA


That's good to know. I thought I was going mad for years.
Does that mean I am just dellusional now? lol

Meg
22-07-03, 18:18
Neuroses - panic and anxiety do not progress into Psychotic illnesses. It just doesn't happen that way.

As we spent a long time not understanding our anxiety properly we convince ourselves that we must be going mad as we cannot find any other reason. We then obsessively think about it which cements the thought nicely until it becomes a belief.

Energy follows thought so if we think about it enough we come to believe it even though physiologically it doesn't happen.

If you stare and think about your thumb long enough you will eventually think it looks/feels funny. [:I]

Joanne
22-07-03, 19:47
quote:Originally posted by radar



If you stare and think about your thumb long enough you will eventually think it looks/feels funny. [:I]


I've done that with words. I think about a word.... 'telephone' over and over again- then eventually the word doesn't sound familiar! It even sounds weird.[8)]

bishop
17-09-03, 17:02
hi there
i remember someone saying too me if you think your insane you cant be because a sane person would not would not ask that question.
bish

Laurie28
09-10-03, 10:43
Hiya,

I found my self looking at the fatty bit below my thumb (palm side up) and thinking it was growing big and purply and vainy
I had a panic attack because of it. I actually had to check my 6 year old sons hand to see if it was the same(it was) I had just stared at it for too long and my mind went into overdrive I think too much!!

I feel as if I am going crazy as well and have to ask people for reassurance

I suppose you are right though if you were insane u wouldn't be thinking about it!!!!

Did anyone watch coronation street last night when sarah's boyfriend said something about being scared at the top of a cliff not in case you fall but you jump. I asked my partner about that and he said he has strange thoughts all the time but doesn't dwell on them. I think the problem with anxiety sufferers is we analyse our thoughts too much instead of letting the silly ones go . Does that make any sense??

Lucky

Laurie28
09-10-03, 11:04
following from last message i also get this with tastes. I think something may taste funny and half way through it (ie juice)it does taste funny!! (or so I hink

Roxy
17-10-03, 00:47
I have agateophobia. Sometimes I actually wish I WAS insane because somehow that would make it easier??? lol

Roxy

twister
02-11-03, 19:49
When I am in a really anxious state I get really panicky in case I'll kill myself and I get my boyfriend to hide scissors and stuff. It is weird because I have no inclination to kill myself, I am just frightened I suppose because I could. My boyfriend says that he thinks the same things like when a tube train is coming out of the tunnel he thinks 'I could jump in front' but of course he doesnt want to so he doesnt - as you say anxious people just dwell on these irrational thoughts that everyone has.

Meg
02-11-03, 20:14
Dear Twister-

Everyone has these thoughts in some form or another . Anxious people dwell on them, analyse them to extremes and hold that thought and perpetuate it by continuing to think about it - this giving it energy and power

Pre anxiety we just thought it, smiled or shivered and dismissed it within seconds.


Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

Laurie28
03-11-03, 21:11
tWISTER,

I KNOW EXCTLY WHAY YOU ARE SAYING, I USED TO PUT THINGS (EG SCISSORS IN PLACES THAT WERE AWKWARD TO GET TO INCASE I WENT 'CRAZY' AND HURT SOMEONE. MY BIGGEST FEAR IS THAT I WOULD DO THINGS IN MY SLEEP AND I WAS PETRIFIEED I WAS GOING TO HURT ONE OF MY KIDS. MY BOYFRIEND WAS VERY CONFUSED AS HE KNEW I WOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT BUT MY FEAR WAS VERY REAL.

I HAVE GOT OVER THAT SPECIFIC PROBLEM NOW BUT IT IS A VERY SCARY EXPERIENCE. RE YOUR BOYFRIEND SAYING ABOUT THE TUBE MY BOYFRIEND SAYS HE HAS 'MAD' THOUGHTS ALL THE TIME BUT AS RADAR SAYS WE JUST OVER ANALYSE THEM

HORRIBLE HORRIBLE FEELING

LOL
LUCKY

uryjm
03-11-03, 23:03
Think of how many people you know who have acceptable fears - of flying, spiders, fish, deckchairs, nasal hair (ok, I'm kind of pushing it here) - and ask yourself what is sane anyway? Maybe the real fear should be about going sane, because then you may really be on your own!

Jim

Babylon's Burning With Anxiety

Laurie28
04-11-03, 10:02
GOOD POINT JIM

rajju077
25-11-05, 04:05
I suffer from agateophobia too, a few times i actually wake up and feel that i have gone insane. but i am a medical student myself, and given the psychiatry exam, i have made alot of medical histories, and actualy insane people dont realise they are insane, they just slip into it and dont complain, they think they are fine.
Anyway my neurologist also assured me, i wont die or become insane. Its just a fear, like other fears. Only that anxiety heightens the fear.
And some crazy websites say that fear of madness is indeed being mad, and that is not true at all. Undoubtedly they are dumb and have no experience or knowledge about these phobias.

Bond
01-12-07, 11:20
Yes, I have Agateophobia as well. I didn't know so many others had these symptoms. Reading all your stories has made me feel better.

And for the record. My psychiatrist told me the same thing. "People that fear going insane are the least likely to"

Best,
Bond

Alyssa
18-03-09, 17:14
I was hoping that some people with experience in this could help me? I don't know if what I have could be classed as agateophobia.

I think about going insane all the time, every thought that I have gets automatically processed in my mind and diagnosed to the many different mental illnesses and disorders that I have pathologically researched on the internet. I also find my self doing things and saying things even, going so far as to force my self to think things that I think my 'condition' of the moment would make me do, all of which I don't realise I'm doing until a while afterwards.

The only problem is that this doesn't scare me so to speak. I don't have panic attacks over it and though by many aspects I am rather anxious by nature this isn't one of the many things I personally consider to be a fear. Infact most of the time I wish it was true becouse then at least it would be clear to me what is going on in my head. It is really less of a phobia to me than an obsession, one that I don't want. The thought of losing everything in my life to a mental illness doesn't appeal to me but in certin scary moments I just don't think I care that much and sometimes I also think that this is a fear the symptoms of wich I have just numbed my self to.

Is this agateophobia or am I infact crazy?

jam_olive
25-03-09, 16:35
Hi all,

Reading everyone's messages has been very helpful for me. I suffer from this and often think that I am going to lose control in a public situation, that I am going to go 'insane'. Seeing people in day-to-day life who look bit 'down-and-out', so to speak, or talking to the drunk in the pub who seems a bit off-his-rocker has become very ditressing for me, mainly out of new-found empathy but, if i'm honest, it is also out of fear for a similar fate. But I did have an inkling that it might just be another case of my obssesive nature covertly attacking me again in one of it guises. I hope people believe that they can conquer these fears. What works for me is to tell myself that I am not going to let my life be taken over, that I must be strong.

My friend had a similar experience to what others have mentioned, whereby he kept dwelling on the thought that he wanted to stab his girlfriend whenever he was holding a sharp object. This ditressed him a great deal, as he loves his gf very much, and anyway the thought of stabbing anyone or anything was very upsetting for him. The doc told him that everyone thinks these thoughts, but that he was dwelling on it due to his obsessive nature. He overcame it.

I think that, eventually, being an anxious person makes you a more caring, loving human being. It also can strengthen your intelligence because you think outside of the normal way of things.

Thanks again people

jam_olive
25-03-09, 16:39
ps i espicially find comforting the idea that those who are worried about going insane are the least likely to actually go insane! although it does lead me to wonder what is better, happy but mad, or contantly distressed but sane... lol

NoPoet
25-03-09, 17:28
Being scared of spiders doesn't make you grow eight legs and live inside a car wing mirror. If you were insane, you wouldn't be posting about it here, let's put it that way. :D

Insanity doesn't just come on, you need to be born with some kind of serious brain problem or major personality defect which you would have struggled with from an early age. Or a severe brain injury could possibly cause it.

Stress and anxiety can make you feel like you're going mad, but you are not going mad. You can't.

andrewsameuls
11-04-10, 20:00
I know its been a long time but hope I might help, especially people reading the post..
I too have agateophobia, in my case to be specific the fear of developing schizophrenia.
it all started a few years ago when i tried to smoke weed/pot and i had a bad trip, ...
An example i used to LISTEN out for voices, until i found the source of the sound in most cases just a TV from a different room. I would read about schizophrenia symptoms, then try to develop them.. ie i would think "what if...John tried to kill me, i jumped and killed myself, etc." because i was so convinced i was developing it.

So for those who fear going insane, mainly to thoses that fear developing schizophrenia.
They are 3 main types of schizophrenia Paranoid, Delusional and Catanoic. All the other types are interconnected to thoses 3 types.
Paranoid is caused by hallucinating i.e hearing voices, seeing things, feeling things, basically distorted senses, which in turn causes anxiety, paranoa etc.
Even though its the worst (IMO) its actually fairly treatable/controlled and most people survive and have good happy normal lives.

Delusional is basically thinking you have greater powers eg thinking you can fly, are an FBI agent, you can only save the world (note this is different from being ambititousness..)etc.. Often interconnected with paranoid.

Then catanoic is your thinking doesnt making sense, your speech doesnt make sense and you have no feeling for anything (this is the rarest btw..). Basically you dont know why you did something... This often leads to a vegetative state. Its rare, genetic and dont know about treatability, but i think that person cant feel it.
Often most types of schizophrenia are a mixture of the 3.
Another thing is schizophrenia takes few months from symptoms to onset, therefore having agateophobia which stays with you for years is also a strong indicator you don not have schizophrenia.

Having understood that, you can see that agateophobia is fairly OFF the "insane" mark.
It more likely most of you are highly intelligent, and its your braining utilizing you highly active imaginations.

Another thing is if you can rationalise your action/thoughts without external influencing such as voices or delusions, then you are "normal/sane". E.g a nice looking girl, saying i got a little scarred because i got into the car turn left, then right then right but this car kept on following me is rational... than an engineering student saying i got into a fight because John is part of a team trying to control me and take over my powers...

i.e i have theses weird thoughts because something happened, and im scared of going insane and i keep on OBSESSING over it, which in turn makes me scared because im not functioning normal, i need help, it's taking over my life, is indeed a NORMAL thought.
Why; because most people can understand it....

I still have a phobia about reading about schizophrenia.
I lived with agateophobia for about 4 yrs, but i'm seeing a therapist who has helped my a LOT in a fairly short amount of time...
My suggestions is see a therapist because agateophobia is easily treatable but has the potential to take over our lives if left alone.

Hope it helps to anyone...

PanchoGoz
27-05-10, 16:29
Aren't our minds amazing! Nothing makes me happier than someone saying they have noticed or thought or felt like me. Then we both go "YEAH I GET THAT FEELING TOO!" or "I WAS THINKING EXACTLY THE SAME THING!"
As for the "think-about-something-to-change-it-to-that-thought" idea, yes, I get this if I think about someone I havn't spoken to in a while, then I wander if they were ever actually real...
Insanity has been my main thought recently, so this is all very reassuring.

PanchoGoz
27-05-10, 16:31
Also, I never knew this was a phobia!

ahhhh
28-10-12, 12:58
But I've heard that some insane people actually know they have illusion..they just cannot control themselves during those periods

PanchoGoz
28-10-12, 13:05
But I've heard that some insane people actually know they have illusion..they just cannot control themselves during those periods

Yes but they don't get them because they are scared of them. The difference is you are scared you will go mad, not that you have noticed yourself doing something very unexplainable. The insecurity came first, then the trigger, then the OCD.

ahhhh
29-10-12, 01:10
Yes but they don't get them because they are scared of them. The difference is you are scared you will go mad, not that you have noticed yourself doing something very unexplainable. The insecurity came first, then the trigger, then the OCD.

Thanks a loot!
So intense fear and anxiety won't lead to insanity?i don't know anything about it but I'm thinking about chemical changes in brain blablabla..some people say that extreme fear can lead to some brain disorder and I'm kindda scared..

and im told that the way to get rid of OCD is not to give the thoughts any attention.as long as you don't care about them they won't come too often.but I'm also told that as long as you are scared of the thoughts of hurting people you won't....what if one day I'm not scared of the thoughts of hurting people?does that mean I'm getting better or loosing my mind...?

PanchoGoz
29-10-12, 01:32
Thanks a loot!
So intense fear and anxiety won't lead to insanity?i don't know anything about it but I'm thinking about chemical changes in brain blablabla..some people say that extreme fear can lead to some brain disorder and I'm kindda scared..

and im told that the way to get rid of OCD is not to give the thoughts any attention.as long as you don't care about them they won't come too often.but I'm also told that as long as you are scared of the thoughts of hurting people you won't....what if one day I'm not scared of the thoughts of hurting people?does that mean I'm getting better or loosing my mind...?

An interesting post - the first part, fear has not been proven to change the brain in any way except for lowering serotonin which causes depression. What those people have told you is not true.

Yes, OCD goes if you give it no thought as it is the fear of it that keeps it going, although it's not my area of expertise, I had panic and GAD. The fact that you are scared of them does mean that they are not true, but you've got it the wrong way round slightly - it's not that the fear thats stopping you from hurting people, if you stop fearing it it doesnt mean you will suddenly be able to do these go berzerk. We know you are fine because you fear it - thats the kind of person you are. It's hard to explain, but if you get better it does not mean you will automatically become a schitzoid. You have a moral compass and you know right from wrong, but not only that, People would have told you by now if there was anything wrong with you. It's your actions, not your thoughts that make you who you are. I hope that helps :)

ahhhh
29-10-12, 04:20
An interesting post - the first part, fear has not been proven to change the brain in any way except for lowering serotonin which causes depression. What those people have told you is not true.

Yes, OCD goes if you give it no thought as it is the fear of it that keeps it going, although it's not my area of expertise, I had panic and GAD. The fact that you are scared of them does mean that they are not true, but you've got it the wrong way round slightly - it's not that the fear thats stopping you from hurting people, if you stop fearing it it doesnt mean you will suddenly be able to do these go berzerk. We know you are fine because you fear it - thats the kind of person you are. It's hard to explain, but if you get better it does not mean you will automatically become a schitzoid. You have a moral compass and you know right from wrong, but not only that, People would have told you by now if there was anything wrong with you. It's your actions, not your thoughts that make you who you are. I hope that helps :)


thanks this sure helps =)
is it impossible to get rid of OCD/GAD/panic entirely?i've seen so many people with these problems for years and i'm trying to figure out why people get this problems...(maybe stupid since i'm no expert =-= but i'm really thinking about it.)personally i don't believe that we get these problems out of no reason..it might be related to some of our habits..and there are some old traditional chinese medical theory about this..but it is impolite to ask people about their habits right..?i don't know the rules here..sorry if this sounds insulting or something..really trying to help all of us..

PanchoGoz
29-10-12, 12:12
thanks this sure helps =)
is it impossible to get rid of OCD/GAD/panic entirely?i've seen so many people with these problems for years and i'm trying to figure out why people get this problems...(maybe stupid since i'm no expert =-= but i'm really thinking about it.)personally i don't believe that we get these problems out of no reason..it might be related to some of our habits..and there are some old traditional chinese medical theory about this..but it is impolite to ask people about their habits right..?i don't know the rules here..sorry if this sounds insulting or something..really trying to help all of us..

It's not impossible to get rid of any anxiety disorder, lots of people have recovered including myself. One of the reasons recovered is slowed is actively looking for the reason for it first. Just work on getting better and you will find the cause along the way!
It could be related to habits, disposition, personality traits, external factors, trauma and trauma at a young age, soft genetic links, basically there is looads of stuff that can cause you this disorder in the first place, so many reasons that yes, it is unlikely it would come out of nowhere.
I would steer away from chinese medicine or they'll try to sell you bottles of rubbish for 20 plus pounds - unless you are referring to feng shui? This is the art of adjusting you environment to improve your wellbeing and may help some people.
Don't worry I love a good interrogation! Work on helping yourself first then one day you will be able to help al of us :) Anything else we can help you with?

---------- Post added at 11:12 ---------- Previous post was at 11:09 ----------

I would like to add, for clarification, that the cause of an anxiety disorder is different for everyone, and there isn't one big cause behind it for everyone that will get found one day and we will all be better - that's all a new sufferrer could hope for I know because I wished for something along those lines but you will soon find out there isn't anything that can just be solved with a click of the fingers, you have to put effort in to slowly change yourself and get better.

ahhhh
29-10-12, 13:30
[QUOTE=PanchoGoz;1064520]It's not impossible to get rid of any anxiety disorder, lots of people have recovered including myself. One of the reasons recovered is slowed is actively looking for the reason for it first. Just work on getting better and you will find the cause along the way!
It could be related to habits, disposition, personality traits, external factors, trauma and trauma at a young age, soft genetic links, basically there is looads of stuff that can cause you this disorder in the first place, so many reasons that yes, it is unlikely it would come out of nowhere.
I would steer away from chinese medicine or they'll try to sell you bottles of rubbish for 20 plus pounds - unless you are referring to feng shui? This is the art of adjusting you environment to improve your wellbeing and may help some people.
Don't worry I love a good interrogation! Work on helping yourself first then one day you will be able to help al of us :) Anything else we can help you with?



great.so you don't have any of those annoying symptoms anymore?i'm about to start college next year.really afaid OCD/panic will hinder my study.
well maybe there are no real chinese doctors in uk..we don't have bottle of meds here..the doctor took your pulse and give you the combination of herbs..it's different for different people based on your own body condition.
i've seen a doctor before he didnt ask me anything just took my pulse and said pretty much all my symptoms..still i don't 100% believe in this..just wanna share my idea.. i've looked up depression and anxious in huangdi neijin(an ancient Chinese medical text)..it is said it has something to do with QI-BLOOD..=-=. (ignore this if u are not interested~)
sorry if i've been annoying..anyway i'm still struggling myself..hope one day i could help~

thanks sooo much panchogoz..

PanchoGoz
29-10-12, 14:37
great.so you don't have any of those annoying symptoms anymore?i'm about to start college next year.really afaid OCD/panic will hinder my study.
well maybe there are no real chinese doctors in uk..we don't have bottle of meds here..the doctor took your pulse and give you the combination of herbs..it's different for different people based on your own body condition.
i've seen a doctor before he didnt ask me anything just took my pulse and said pretty much all my symptoms..still i don't 100% believe in this..just wanna share my idea.. i've looked up depression and anxious in huangdi neijin(an ancient Chinese medical text)..it is said it has something to do with QI-BLOOD..=-=. (ignore this if u are not interested~)
sorry if i've been annoying..anyway i'm still struggling myself..hope one day i could help~

thanks sooo much panchogoz..

Im here to help its fine, yes I dont really get any symptoms anymore unless I'm stressed or am having a bad period :blush:, and that I don't consider is related to my old GAD. That's not say I'm no longer a sensitive person though, things still scare me and upset me like anyone else. Qi is the lifeforce I seem to remember, it's like the Chinese alterantive to a soul, or the Bhuddist karma. If you are interested in this you might want to try some chakra meditation or similar. I've not met anyone cured of anxiety disorders (or anything for that matter) by Chinese Medicine, although it's a really interesting field of study and by all means look into it but I myself went through so many alternative therapies and medicines until I realized the anxiety came from me and it was me alone that could cure it. All I needed was the knowlege I got from CBT and mindfulness (there's a very good online course you might want to look into called CBT4PANIC) and some help from an internet article by a recovered person who used to be on this forum - the links to info on both of these is in my signiture under the pasty bit.

Good luck for college - I loved it and I didn't have any trouble starting off. Most likely you will have so many distractions you will settle in forgetting you even had OCD. By the way you have been diagnosed and referred by a GP have you? If not that should really be your next port of call.
I went through my worst patch during my AS levels but that was also the start of my recovery so althogh my first year was bad, I ended up recovering this year and did my A2 levels with no problems and passed with a good grade. College will be a good distraction and you never know, it might just take it off your mind and let you forget about it. Or it will come back and then you need to tackle it.

ahhhh
30-10-12, 00:47
Im here to help its fine, yes I dont really get any symptoms anymore unless I'm stressed or am having a bad period :blush:, and that I don't consider is related to my old GAD. That's not say I'm no longer a sensitive person though, things still scare me and upset me like anyone else. Qi is the lifeforce I seem to remember, it's like the Chinese alterantive to a soul, or the Bhuddist karma. If you are interested in this you might want to try some chakra meditation or similar. I've not met anyone cured of anxiety disorders (or anything for that matter) by Chinese Medicine, although it's a really interesting field of study and by all means look into it but I myself went through so many alternative therapies and medicines until I realized the anxiety came from me and it was me alone that could cure it. All I needed was the knowlege I got from CBT and mindfulness (there's a very good online course you might want to look into called CBT4PANIC) and some help from an internet article by a recovered person who used to be on this forum - the links to info on both of these is in my signiture under the pasty bit.

Good luck for college - I loved it and I didn't have any trouble starting off. Most likely you will have so many distractions you will settle in forgetting you even had OCD. By the way you have been diagnosed and referred by a GP have you? If not that should really be your next port of call.
I went through my worst patch during my AS levels but that was also the start of my recovery so althogh my first year was bad, I ended up recovering this year and did my A2 levels with no problems and passed with a good grade. College will be a good distraction and you never know, it might just take it off your mind and let you forget about it. Or it will come back and then you need to tackle it.

=-=。I don't know what a gp is..we fall behind for like decades years of study in this field..I went to a doctor once she asked me all my symptoms and three questions:are you happy do u wanna die do u have no fun living,and gave me medicine..I don't really dare take them..that's why I'm here..