What is normal?

[enlighten me]

Lately I have seen a lot of the use of he word normal but I really don't know what normal is.

I feel that normal is banded around but it is a matter of personal perspective as to what normal is.

Is it even possible to have a person who is normal. With cluster B disorders there are 33 criteria. If we have even one of these does that mean we are not normal? With all the other clusters and criterias is there anyone on the planet that doesn't have one criteria?

I feel we get lost at times. I think rather than concentrate on whats normal we should look at whats healthy. I have a friend with by polar so he wouldn't be classed as normal but he is one of the nicest people you can meet and his behaviour is healthy.

[Reforming]

Hi Enlighten me

I think you're quite right - normal is a very subjective term that is often used to cloak a very broad variety of functional and dysfunctional behaviour.

How we see the world and how we behave is shaped by a unique blend of genetic inheritance and life experience.

Heathy is a much better term and I think that means what's healthy me, because what's healthy for one person may not work for another.

The only difficulty is see with normal debate is that some people I know use their rejection of normal as a way of avoiding doing the work to get healthy. Frequently they are often the people who would most benefit from

For example, "I don't need to see a T, the whole therapy thing is an obsession with diagnosing people and putting them into boxes."

The question I would ask is are you making the most of your life and your chance to be happy? Are there things you do that hold you back and make you unhappy? I think there's a sweet spot between self acceptance and self knowledge and a desire to learn and grow.

Reforming