Comments on: Midlife Schizophrenia: Who do I want to be when I grow up? http://midlifebloggers.com/2009/06/04/midlife-schizophrenia-who-do-i-want-to-be-when-i-grow-up/ Making The Most of MidLife--Together Fri, 17 Dec 2010 21:56:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 By: Ellen Besso http://midlifebloggers.com/2009/06/04/midlife-schizophrenia-who-do-i-want-to-be-when-i-grow-up/comment-page-1/#comment-3540 Ellen Besso Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:16:06 +0000 http://midlifebloggers.com/?p=1254#comment-3540 Sandy: Thanks a lot for writing. I'm glad you appreciated the spirit of the article. Interesting comment about your shallower roots now that you're older, also the roots & wings trade-off. Although I have & need my base here on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, I want to be in exotic places often - like India, SE Asia. I appreciate your suggestion & correction on the use of the word "schizophrenia". You're right, the word schizophrenia is often used incorrectly to mean Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly Multiple Personality). And schizophrenia is a devestating,lifechanging disease for those with the diagnosis & those close to them. Warm regards Ellen Sandy: Thanks a lot for writing. I’m glad you appreciated the spirit of the article.

Interesting comment about your shallower roots now that you’re older, also the roots & wings trade-off. Although I have & need my base here on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, I want to be in exotic places often – like India, SE Asia.

I appreciate your suggestion & correction on the use of the word “schizophrenia”. You’re right, the word schizophrenia is often used incorrectly to mean Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly Multiple Personality). And schizophrenia is a devestating,lifechanging disease for those with the diagnosis & those close to them.

Warm regards
Ellen

]]> By: sandy http://midlifebloggers.com/2009/06/04/midlife-schizophrenia-who-do-i-want-to-be-when-i-grow-up/comment-page-1/#comment-3535 sandy Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:58:49 +0000 http://midlifebloggers.com/?p=1254#comment-3535 Thanks, Ellen, for putting into words something that is such a constant in our lives -- a dual nature -- and the way it changes during the different stages in life. I've often thought of this as a trade-off between roots and wings. As I get older, my roots are, surprisingly, shallower! Some people I know are, well, all root. A gentle suggestion to all, though: I wish so much that writers in a position to influence people (which is all of us who write and comment on blogs and elsewhere) would consider using a word other than schizophrenia to describe the ambivalence that is part and parcel of being alive. Schizophrenia is a terrible, terrible disease with varied and awful symptoms including a split (or "schism") from reality -- not a "split personality." To use the word as a synonym for the normal multiple facets of healthy personality is to trivialize this misunderstood brain disease. Thank you for reading! Thanks, Ellen, for putting into words something that is such a constant in our lives — a dual nature — and the way it changes during the different stages in life. I’ve often thought of this as a trade-off between roots and wings. As I get older, my roots are, surprisingly, shallower! Some people I know are, well, all root.

A gentle suggestion to all, though: I wish so much that writers in a position to influence people (which is all of us who write and comment on blogs and elsewhere) would consider using a word other than schizophrenia to describe the ambivalence that is part and parcel of being alive.

Schizophrenia is a terrible, terrible disease with varied and awful symptoms including a split (or “schism”) from reality — not a “split personality.” To use the word as a synonym for the normal multiple facets of healthy personality is to trivialize this misunderstood brain disease. Thank you for reading!

]]> By: Ellen Besso http://midlifebloggers.com/2009/06/04/midlife-schizophrenia-who-do-i-want-to-be-when-i-grow-up/comment-page-1/#comment-3318 Ellen Besso Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:17:43 +0000 http://midlifebloggers.com/?p=1254#comment-3318 Hi Gina: Thanks for writing & glad you found the post helpful. Pacing makes our midlife lives feel so different, so much more flowing and peaceful, and rewarding too, doesn't it? But it's a major challenge for most of us I think, in our 'doing' world. After all, who wants to feel out-of-step by 'being'rather than doing? Take care. Ellen Hi Gina: Thanks for writing & glad you found the post helpful.
Pacing makes our midlife lives feel so different, so much more flowing and peaceful, and rewarding too, doesn’t it? But it’s a major challenge for most of us I think, in our ‘doing’ world. After all, who wants to feel out-of-step by ‘being’rather than doing?

Take care.

Ellen

]]> By: Gina Lazenby http://midlifebloggers.com/2009/06/04/midlife-schizophrenia-who-do-i-want-to-be-when-i-grow-up/comment-page-1/#comment-3317 Gina Lazenby Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:57:11 +0000 http://midlifebloggers.com/?p=1254#comment-3317 Great read, especially from where I am now - propped up in bed. Physical changes have meant that my body demanded a week here. Nothing wrong with my mind except now I am tired from a week of moving between resisting being here and allowing myself to be here - just because I NEEDED to be. I had to go with that need. So after a 'rocking chair' week in bed I am hoping to go-and-get next week as I obviously have stuff to do. But there are so many changes to the major systems in the world that I believe my body and psyche are simply catching up and processing STUFF which I don't even know about, in order to gear me up for the next phase of go-getting and go-giving. Apart from reading yours, I also had time to do some work on my own blog this week so that is good too. Great stuff. Gina Great read, especially from where I am now – propped up in bed. Physical changes have meant that my body demanded a week here. Nothing wrong with my mind except now I am tired from a week of moving between resisting being here and allowing myself to be here – just because I NEEDED to be. I had to go with that need. So after a ‘rocking chair’ week in bed I am hoping to go-and-get next week as I obviously have stuff to do. But there are so many changes to the major systems in the world that I believe my body and psyche are simply catching up and processing STUFF which I don’t even know about, in order to gear me up for the next phase of go-getting and go-giving. Apart from reading yours, I also had time to do some work on my own blog this week so that is good too.
Great stuff. Gina

]]> By: Ellen Besso http://midlifebloggers.com/2009/06/04/midlife-schizophrenia-who-do-i-want-to-be-when-i-grow-up/comment-page-1/#comment-3314 Ellen Besso Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:31:32 +0000 http://midlifebloggers.com/?p=1254#comment-3314 Hi Elaine: Thanks for taking the time to write a comment. Sounds like you're 'in the flow' now. Many of us blossom later in life. We always kid our daughter that we're late bloomers, having started businesses in our fifties! Cheers Ellen Hi Elaine: Thanks for taking the time to write a comment. Sounds like you’re ‘in the flow’ now. Many of us blossom later in life. We always kid our daughter that we’re late bloomers, having started businesses in our fifties!

Cheers
Ellen

]]> By: Ellen Besso http://midlifebloggers.com/2009/06/04/midlife-schizophrenia-who-do-i-want-to-be-when-i-grow-up/comment-page-1/#comment-3313 Ellen Besso Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:29:39 +0000 http://midlifebloggers.com/?p=1254#comment-3313 Hi Jane: Thanks for your comment. I guess we all live in our minds a lot in our society. Just took 2 days of Tibetan budhist teachings this weekend - but even that was all about thinking & analyzing too! (teachings not meditation. But the energy of the Rinpoche was incredible & I was privileged to have a short 1:1 with him before the weekend began. Cheers Ellen Hi Jane: Thanks for your comment. I guess we all live in our minds a lot in our society. Just took 2 days of Tibetan budhist teachings this weekend – but even that was all about thinking & analyzing too! (teachings not meditation. But the energy of the Rinpoche was incredible & I was privileged to have a short 1:1 with him before the weekend began.

Cheers
Ellen

]]> By: Ellen Besso http://midlifebloggers.com/2009/06/04/midlife-schizophrenia-who-do-i-want-to-be-when-i-grow-up/comment-page-1/#comment-3312 Ellen Besso Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:27:44 +0000 http://midlifebloggers.com/?p=1254#comment-3312 Hi Duchess: Thanks for your great comment to the Rocking Chair blog. You sound a bit like me. I agree that we have to be ruthless - it's time to do for us - whatever that may be or look like. Good on ya for sticking to your truth!! Cheers Ellen Hi Duchess: Thanks for your great comment to the Rocking Chair blog. You sound a bit like me. I agree that we have to be ruthless – it’s time to do for us – whatever that may be or look like. Good on ya for sticking to your truth!!

Cheers
Ellen

]]> By: Ellen Besso http://midlifebloggers.com/2009/06/04/midlife-schizophrenia-who-do-i-want-to-be-when-i-grow-up/comment-page-1/#comment-3311 Ellen Besso Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:26:42 +0000 http://midlifebloggers.com/?p=1254#comment-3311 Hi Joanna: Yes, our intuition is pretty all-knowing. Perhaps sometimes other things are in the way of us 'seeing' clearly & then it doesn't work as well. Thanks for writing. Cheers Ellen Hi Joanna: Yes, our intuition is pretty all-knowing. Perhaps sometimes other things are in the way of us ‘seeing’ clearly & then it doesn’t work as well.

Thanks for writing.

Cheers
Ellen

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