Does 20 years of emotional abuse and mental illness give you a totally different perspective of the world?

Question

I am 23 right now, and I was pretty much emotionally abused by my family and friends all my life.

To top it off i have had to deal with ADHD and ODD all my life and recently was diagnosed with bipolar type 1. As well as social anxiety disorder.

Maybe a personality disorder is causing me to feel this way, but its like I see the world differently. Like I understand the relationships of the world, and how we humans behave and do what we do. Through observations its like I know how to deal with each type of person.

For example, through experience, I can almost always tell when someone is lying now. My friends always say that i am the only person who no one can fool and that i keep it real. For some reason i can basically relate with everyone, the beauty queens, the jocks, the popular people, the gangsters, the nerds, potheads, etc, and in adulthood, their respective evolutions. The bad thing about this is, I would always figure out someone's weakness really quick, and use that to my advantage.

2 years ago, I used be very manipulative, only in terms of money though. I was dirt broke, and i just manipulated people into letting me borrow money. I started making a lot of money recently (yes i paid everyone back) and don't feel the need to be manipulative anymore.

This wasn't like that till I was about 18 and my bipolar symptoms starting showing (the mania moreso). Before this I was a lonely individual, couldn't figure out where i'd fit in, couldn't relate to anyone, had my own little world.

Now im sitting in the middle of a crowd.....would this have happened if I didn't experience the emotional abuse and mental illnesses?

Or perhaps i have some personality disorder?

Answer 1

No...I don't think so that you have that kind of personality disorder. You were very clear with your explainations in your statements..You are blessed with that kind of gift that everyone doesn't really have..And usually those kind of people undergo great trials to manifest their own natural abilities. That so, you should just go on and master ahead this life that was bestowed upon you with such important purpose. You have a clear mind as you stated all your feelings and situation. This only means you have undergone these unbearable trials to enhance your blessed gifts..to endure it as you may emerge as a greater being than yourself!

Good Luck!! Just go on and be strong!

The hurt will pass in time, just feel aware about what's life trying to teach you....and you'll see.

Answer 2

Yes, anything that have happened to anyone that makes a physiological scar will make your lookout on life different.

Answer 3

I'm like that too. Sometimes I feel like I understand relationships and everything like that too well. I can understand everyone, and can deal with them too, but they don't seem to be able to deal with me. I am still lonely person and I don't fit in anywhere. I live in my own little world all by myself. But I understand people and see and understand how people interact together,  I just don't seem to be like them at all. I'm different, so people don't accept me.  

Answer 4

I'm sorry you had such a horrible experience growing up.  Being emotionally abused by the ones who are supposed to love you is like being a hostage, like living with terrorists.  I think that you have had to learn how to survive and cope with many different kinds of experiences and be ready for any situation.  I think this is what has made you so aware of your surroundings and you get what the people you meet are about right away, again, for survival.  Although things were not so good years ago, it sounds like you have some good experience behind you to get you through your life now.  It's not a bad thing to be cynical about people or a little bit cautious, manipulative, is another story as I know you understand that. If you are going to a doc and they put you on meds for the mania stuff, try it, and let them help you with the right doses.  You will probably feel a lot better in your own skin.  Good luck and make sure to keep lots of good people around you.