Mentaly ill?

LegacyUser

At what stage do you clasify someone as mentally ill?A friend of mine has developed some worrying habits over the last year or so.At first I passed it off as simple in jokes but I think it has developed into something more serrious.He regulary jokes/talks about rape,murdering the mentally ill(mostly down syndromes),lued sex acts,mudering homosexuals,the AIDS virus,bombing abortion clinics,the list goes on.My others friends laugh it up and sometimes contribute.He's not the sort to act on any of this but was wondering could this be the early signs of schizoprenia?

black & white

Schitzophrenia is when a person hears voices and sometimes see things that are not there.

Your friend may have some mental health issues but probably not this one. Speak to your GP or local Day Hospital for some more information.

RedXIV

RWH wrote: »

At what stage do you clasify someone as mentally ill?A friend of mine has developed some worrying habits over the last year or so.At first I passed it off as simple in jokes but I think it has developed into something more serrious.He regulary jokes/talks about rape,murdering the mentally ill(mostly down syndromes),lued sex acts,mudering homosexuals,the AIDS virus,bombing abortion clinics,the list goes on.My others friends laugh it up and sometimes contribute.He's not the sort to act on any of this but was wondering could this be the early signs of schizoprenia?

Ok, i'm not going to lie to you, but it sounds like a bit like you're overreacting. you've just described about 4 of my good friends, and none of them are deep in mental issues. They like the shock value of their jokes, thats all. I wouldn't read too deep into this

bottletops

RedXIV wrote: »

Ok, i'm not going to lie to you, but it sounds like a bit like you're overreacting. you've just described about 4 of my good friends, and none of them are deep in mental issues. They like the shock value of their jokes, thats all. I wouldn't read too deep into this

I think people who can "joke" like this have to have something wrong with them..... How can we say its normal to joke on ALL these subjects?

RedXIV

bottletops wrote: »

I think people who can "joke" like this have to have something wrong with them..... How can we say its normal to joke on ALL these subjects?

As i said in another forum, either EVERYTHING is open to humour or NOTHING is. As long as it's intended as a joke and not an actual plan. i see no problem. if you start censoring stuff, you're as bad as the people who started riots because a picture of mohommed was put in a danish newspaper.

Edit: that last line was not aimed at anyone, more a general statement.

biko

RWH wrote: »

At what stage do you clasify someone as mentally ill?A friend of mine has developed some worrying habits over the last year or so.At first I passed it off as simple in jokes but I think it has developed into something more serrious.He regulary jokes/talks about rape,murdering the mentally ill(mostly down syndromes),lued sex acts,mudering homosexuals,the AIDS virus,bombing abortion clinics,the list goes on.My others friends laugh it up and sometimes contribute.He's not the sort to act on any of this but was wondering could this be the early signs of schizoprenia?

We don't give medical opinions or advice here. You need a professional for that.

How old is your friend, teens or older? He might just be trying to get attention.
Did you ask him why he talks of these things?

Duggy747

RedXIV wrote: »

Ok, i'm not going to lie to you, but it sounds like a bit like you're overreacting. you've just described about 4 of my good friends, and none of them are deep in mental issues. They like the shock value of their jokes, thats all. I wouldn't read too deep into this

+1

OP, you pretty much described me and most of my friends. It's down to the shock value of jokes and the ludicrousness of it all. Honestly, like REDXIV said, don't look too far into this. Taste in humour can change quite a lot throughout time. I got some mates who have dreadful taste in humour (as in "not funny"), sometimes I worry about their mental state :pac:

The question is, how old is he?

gogglebok

RedXIV wrote: »

Ok, i'm not going to lie to you, but it sounds like a bit like you're overreacting. you've just described about 4 of my good friends, and none of them are deep in mental issues. They like the shock value of their jokes, thats all. I wouldn't read too deep into this

Two small things worry me a little in the OP's post. One is "jokes/talks". It sounds like this friend isn't only making transgressive jokes, as many of us like to, but also talking seriously about this stuff. The other is that OP's other friends join in the comedy, but OP isn't worried about them. Why the difference, if there isn't something just a little spooky about that particular friend?

OP, obviously you're not qualified to make a diagnosis, and neither are any of us. Schizophrenia is certainly a big leap for a layman to make. But have you talked to your friend calmly about his conversational choices? Sounded him out about his real feelings about all these groups?

Beetlebum

Completely agree with REDXIV.

I have a very dark sense of humour and I'm a girl. I just think that seedier, dirtier, more perverse jokes are funnier. I laugh at jokes and stories about racism, rape etc and I don't find these things funny in reality, plus I'm not racist.

It's like in SouthPark, Iaasac (sp?) Hayes aka Chef ended up quitting the show due to an episode ridiculing scientology because he's a scientologist. however, he was willing to laugh at retarded children, the war on terror, rape etc.
It's hypocritical, if you're willing to laugh at one thing, you need to be willing to laugh at everything. You can't be exculsive just because something doesn't affect you directly.

My view anyway.

RedXIV

gogglebok wrote: »

Two small things worry me a little in the OP's post. One is "jokes/talks". It sounds like this friend isn't only making transgressive jokes, as many of us like to, but also talking seriously about this stuff.

Depends on what he thinks is funny. Believe me, some of the things my mates say would probably turn people here's stomachs. Thats what they aim for with their humour.

gogglebok wrote: »

The other is that OP's other friends join in the comedy, but OP isn't worried about them. Why the difference, if there isn't something just a little spooky about that particular friend?

You'll notice in all groups of friends, there's generally a "leader", i presume this friend is it.


I honestly wouldn't worry about it. See how he treats these individuals in person and you'll have a better idea

gogglebok

Beetlebum wrote: »

Completely agree with REDXIV.

Absolutely. Everything is fair game for comedy. There's just a hint in the post that OP's friend isn't always joking. That would concern me.

spinandscribble

your friend sounds more like a attention seeking "i'm so hard and bad" little boy. yeah the odd outragerously wrong joke is funny but repeatively saying things like that is just not funny.

Lockstep

I sound the same as your friend, maybe I have schizophrenia.

Davei141

kickoutthejams wrote: »

I sound the same as your friend, maybe I have schizophrenia.

Going by the OP i would say half of Ireland has schizophrenia..

LegacyUser

bottletops wrote: »

I think people who can "joke" like this have to have something wrong with them..... How can we say its normal to joke on ALL these subjects?

1). what is the Definition of normal?

2). All these people are doing is going outside the socially excepted domain of topics to joke about. As long as there behavior doesn't give reason to believe that they are more then joking then there isn't really and issue here.

personally i would not consider some of the topics mentioned funny but respect the fact that it is "outside the box" humor. who's to say what can and cannot be joked about?

Oryx

RWH wrote: »

At what stage do you clasify someone as mentally ill?A friend of mine has developed some worrying habits over the last year or so.At first I passed it off as simple in jokes but I think it has developed into something more serrious.He regulary jokes/talks about rape,murdering the mentally ill(mostly down syndromes),lued sex acts,mudering homosexuals,the AIDS virus,bombing abortion clinics,the list goes on.My others friends laugh it up and sometimes contribute.He's not the sort to act on any of this but was wondering could this be the early signs of schizoprenia?

What does your friend do when someone doesnt laugh along, but challenges his 'jokes'?

aislingm137

well they are not good topics for anyone to be thinking about or talking or worse is joking about. Maybe your friend is just trying to be someone he is not for what ever reasons like trying to shock you so he can get attention with as many others as he wants? maybe if you dont listen to those topics he is talking or laughing about then he will stop it because he is not getting attention from anyone. u should know people with down syndrome are not mentally ill and not all people who suffer from schizophrenia do not have criminal thoughts and intents.