“You only lost your mind twice.”
These days I’m reading books by Mary Roach, a journalist and author who has appeared in several magazines and likes to write about odd topics like what happens to the human body after death, or what happens to the human soul after death…and is there such thing as a human soul? She works hard on her books, traveling the world to fill them with interesting perspectives and insights. And she’s really funny.
Right now I’m reading her book called, “Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife” (see below for a link) and in one chapter she finds herself in India, apologizing to her host, who escorted her into remote Indian villages to investigate stories of reincarnation. Mary Roach is apologizing because she wasn’t exactly the easiest or most patient guest. She said to her host, “I’m sorry about…I don’t know. I’m not very submissive.” He replied, “It’s okay. You only lost your mind twice.”
I love this expression! I actually think the same way when someone is apologizing to me for being “crazy.” Or I think this way when a client says, “I’m mentally ill.” I think, No, you’re mostly fine. You just freaked out for a minute there. Or if I know the client well and we have a strong therapy relationship, I’ll say, “Yeah, you’re a little crazy, but only sometimes. So am I!”
I mention all this because so many people think that “crazy”—which is a slippery, hard-to-define word—is a permanent state. Usually all it means is that you are temporarily having a hard time. Even if you’ve been diagnosed with a serious and chronic “mental illness,” such as bipolar disorder, you can enjoy a life fairly free of “crazy” experiences. (I’ve worked with clients who have a bipolar diagnosis, and let me tell you, they are sometimes a lot more calm and stable than some therapists I know!)
So, if you just lost it with your partner, or discovered that you’re freaking out at work, or feel like you’re going “crazy,” remember this kind Indian man’s reassurance of his guest: “It’s okay. You only lost your mind twice.”
And if you’re interested in Mary Roach’s books, click below.
