What do conspiracy theories have to do with mental illness anyway?
The connection is perhaps stronger than you think
If you’ve suffered with a mental illness for long enough, chances are that at some point you’ll begin to recognise patterns to your health. When I am well, I am enthusiastic about the world. I like the world. I like myself, sort of. And I especially like going to the park and feeding the ducks. Bloody love ducks, me.
When I’m not, I fear my extensive knowledge of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 would not be a hit at parties, even if I felt well enough to attend them.
I’ve learned that the moment I watch more than three episodes in a row of Ancient Aliens, I need to stop and force myself to go feed the ducks.
I’ve seen friends lost to this stuff. I’ve seen many otherwise empathetic, wise and rational people lost too - anyone who spends any amount on Twitter has. During the worst period of OCD I’ve ever had – a morning in 1999, I wake up, I ‘decide’ that I am HIV positive, nothing can convince me otherwise, this will be my life for twelve terrible months, months that irrevocably changed the direction of the life that followed – I found myself looking for answers in all the wrong places.
I’ve come to wonder whether there’s a link between the two states of mind.
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