Therapy Stories: How I Put My Craziness To Profitable Use

My entire world turned bleak when my psychiatrist diagnosed me with psychosis.

I had these delusions and hallucinations for a few months, so I decided to seek a mental health diagnosis. I already knew it could be psychosis, but I did not want to accept it until the doctor confirmed it. After all, being psychotic does not sound good.

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You see, as part of my movie therapy sessions, I had watched many horror movies in my entire life to know that many of the crazy killers had psychosis. They would do it at all costs if they decided to end someone’s life. They would make many elaborate plans to ensure they would get their way in the end. I did not want to be associated with those people, whether they were make-believe or not.

My psychiatrist tried to console me by saying that psychosis was treatable or its significant symptoms. She said, “Many clients who came to my office were so out of touch with reality that their families almost wanted to give up on them and send them to a mental health facility. However, I would never recommend that unless they posed a danger to everyone, including themselves. In most cases, online therapy for trauma healing is possible and helpful for psychotic individuals, so I would also recommend that to you.

In that same week, I met my therapist. She was technically a cognitive-behavioral therapist who explained that this treatment would allow me to talk about everything – from my daily life to my hallucinations to my delusions. There was no wrong answer; I just had to be as open as possible.

Of course, I did as asked because I had never dreamed of living in a mental health facility. I had many life goals to fulfill, and my psychosis should not get in that way.

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After almost a year in therapy, I was finally glad to be done with it. I knew it did not cure my psychosis as the symptoms lurked in my mind. Despite that, therapy helped me keep them from poisoning my thoughts and giving me hallucinations again.

Making Lemonades Out Of My Crazy Lemon

I tried to apply for a job after my therapy sessions. The HR staff would always be sweet when they would see me for the first time. But once they flipped through my psychological evaluation documents and saw my diagnosis, they would immediately tell me to wait for their call. We all know what that means.

I called my therapist for guidance when I felt lost. She said, “No one can change others’ perceptions. All you can do is figure out how to use your experience for the better.”

And so I did. I tapped into my psychotic side to be laser-focused on creating a startup business. I also found a few people with the same condition as me, and they excelled in their fields by allowing themselves to be crazy sometimes.

Below are some of the benefits of putting my psychosis to good use:

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You Have A Plan For Everything

I used to fear becoming as detailed as the killers in those horror movies I mentioned above. But when I embraced that, I realized how awesome it could be for a non-lethal application.

I got to make a plan for everything. I thought of every possible ending for my company and developed multiple contingency plans. Was it too much? Perhaps, but it was never wrong to prepare for anything.

You Only Keep Deserving People Around

Ever since I got diagnosed with psychosis, I knew I was less empathic than others. I used to be ashamed to admit it, but I stopped pretending to care when I became a boss.

I was not mean or disrespectful to people; I just refused to hire applicants who did not have the skills and characteristics needed for the job(s). For some reason, I knew that they would be a waste of money and effort.

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You Always Win

The business world could be an arena for ruthless and endless competition. Everyone could be out to destroy you at every corner, and you had to be vigilant all the time.

In my case, I used my killer instinct to assess my problems and beat every company that tried to challenge me. I did not care if I met the owner at a seminar – I would merely go in for the kill.

Final Thoughts

When I look back on my life, I still cannot fathom how I have managed to make something out of myself. Imagine, getting diagnosed with psychosis was akin to a death sentence for many people. But it honestly helped turn my life around for the better.

I would never wish for anyone to deal with the same mental disorder, but if you are, please know that your world would not have to be bleak forever if you don’t let the problem get the best of you. If you know someone who is struggling with mental health, encourage them to try therapy with professional guidance. There are a lot of types of therapy out there such as humor therapy, movie therapy, and many more than can help.