Are you normal?
I have a rather large collection of non-fiction
books. Well over a thousand.
Many fall in the self-help, psychology, personal growth categories.
Every once in a while, as I’m sitting on the chair that’s parked in front of
the bookshelf containing the self-help collection, I glance through the books.
That’s how I rediscovered John Ratey’s "Shadow Syndromes."
Ratey, a medical doctor and researcher in neurophysiology, has written a
compelling book about "normal craziness". His thesis is that
many of us, maybe you, experience mild forms of severe mental illness. And,
that in some cases these "shadow syndromes" actually enhance one’s
creative ability.
Let’s take a look at the 6 he examines:
- The Difficult Personality – Folks who
suffer from mild depression are often irritable and always critical of
themselves and others. But, they are the most accurate observers of
life. They also have a very strong sense of self. - The Hypomanic Personality – Folks who
suffer from what is properly called Bipolar Affective Disorder II are
charming, seductive people, full of energy and enthusiasms, who gain
insights from their deep lows — and are both elated and grounded as a
result.T - The Explosive Personality — Folks who
suffer from a mild form of Intermittent Rage Disorder can be calm one
minute and blazing the next. The explosive emotional makeup of these
people often brings great precision and passion to their work and
destruction to their intimate relationships - The Hyper Personality — Folks who suffer
from a mild form of Attention Deficit Disorder can be impulsive,
distracted, and hyperactive. On the bright side this Shadow Syndrome
grants high energy, high enthusiasm, and hyper focus — think of the
traders on the stock exchange. - The Social Misfit — Folks who suffer from
mild autism suffers a deficit in their ability to form and sustain
relationships and are often seen as the “odd duckâ€, geek, nerd, or wonk.
But, they can often be very skilled at jobs and careers require solitary
focus – such as computing – and have an inability to lie. - The Scanners –
Folks who suffer from mild Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are anxious sorts
who may also suffer from addiction. They are granted with the gift of “scanningâ€, the ability to observe
themselves and others at very fine and discrete levels.
Why pay attention to
Shadow Syndromes?
Because, if you saw
yourself in any of these descriptions, you may find comfort in knowing that
your seeming non-normality is in fact normal — and may grant you strengths you
didn’t know you had.
