Can you prove your sanity?

[E-mantheseeker]

Scenario: You wake up and you're not where you usually are when you wake up. Instead you're in a psychiatric institution as a patient under a different name other than your own. You still have all your memories and knowledge of your life up to this point, and in your mind you're still sane. However, the belief in your own mind won't be enough to save you from this weird scenario, you have to convince one of the doctors of your sanity.

What can you think of to undoubtedly prove your sanity?

Note that rambling on about your "real" life won't be enough. You may well have been in work yesterday, but screaming "Call my boss! here's his number..." won't help, the point is to prove your sanity to the doctor, because until you do, he won't willingly help someone believes to be insane.

 

[scar-x-]

I have actually thought about this... I don't think there's any way to do that. For all I know, I could be locked up in an asylum having crazy delusions.

 

[El Poncho]

Well, I would act as I would ask for an interview of sorts to see if I am insane or something. If not then me acting normal for a week or so will convince them.

 

[Commissar Sae]

I'm fairly sure that if I underwent psychiatric trsting I'd be diagnosed with something. But then again, just sitting down for a series of conversations with some Docs will get me off with nothing but a handful of meds. This is assuming its not the 1930s or something.

 

[Rednog]

I think it depends exactly what they have you in there for, they just don't file people under general insanity. I'd ask what I was in there for and pretty show them that I did not have X symptoms.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

You can't.

It was shown in a study a while ago (It's far too late for me to bother digging out the details now), that onc patients had been admitted to a mental institute, even if they ceased showing all symptoms, and maintained their sanity, along with the other patients complaining that they weren't crazy, the doctors kept them in and continued to medicate them.

Basically, the attitude of the medical profesion remains, treat anyone in an insane asylum as if tey are insane. Most of their tests are designed to find what sort of insanity you have, rather than prove your sanity, and since everyone will show some signs of something on the DSM, you will be classed as insane.

 

[FactualSquirrel]

Well, thanks to the radio, I've learnt that scientists tested this by going in to a mental institution claiming of hearing voices, then just acting completely normal. They were let out at an average of 20 or so days.

Everyone in there will be saying they are sane, so there's nothing you really can do.

Also, what is sanity? A man hearing voices will seem sane to himself, as to him, he is hearing voices.

Edit:

it was shown in a study a while ago (It's far too late for me to bother digging out the details now), that onc patients had been admitted to a mental institute, even if they ceased showing all symptoms, and maintained their sanity, along with the other patients complaining that they weren't crazy, the doctors kept them in and continued to medicate them.

Stupid ninjas, always saying something that I'm about to say.

 

[Neonbob]

Pft. Screw that noise. I wanna say I'd just stick around until he drops his guard a bit, then stab him in the neck and run like fuck.

Sigh...but failing that, I'd just ask him to go through whatever tests he needs to do to confirm a solid state of mind. Hopefully, the results would be enough to convince him.

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

I'd ask to speak in front of the board in charge of who leaves and enters in order to prove my sanity, there I would do my best to persuade them to let me phone people who can help me and to convince them of who I am.

I'd take a straight-jacket though, they look fun.

 

[TheNumber1Zero]

But I am levels of insane... that's gonna make this tricky.

I act cool, level headed, and all around normal. Once I get him to lower his guard I run up behind him and put him inside a chokehold until he has fallen unconscious, at which point I steal his clothing, tie him up with my old clothing, and calmly escape in the guise of a doctor.

Or I could just act completely normal until he figures out that I don't belong in a menatl home.

 

[Kajt]

I'd just try to be a good patient while trying to warn them about the imminent doom that the fusion squirrels will bring.

 

[Toaster Hunter]

That all depends on the definition of sanity. Anyone can be sane or insane depending on perspective.

 

[AdmiralWolverineLightningbolt]

act calm and make no irrational moves, ask why they beleive me to be insane and generally just comply - make threats, raising your voice, pacing back and forth, talking about another life, that can all add up to looking insane

just dont give them anything and at the very least you'll be deemed sane enough not to require confinement or be seen as a threat to others

 

[_Janny_]

Ask to be put through those tests they usually give to patients to make sure that they're insane or not. If that fails, ink-blot test! (my psychology teacher says that the ink-blot test is actually pretty accurate in showing if a patient is off his rocker.)

 

[Xorghul]

But I am insane. So why would I want to prove I'm not?

Seriously though, I'd just act normal until they realise I'm not insane and let me out. Or I'd act batshit-crazy just for the heck of it

 

[ThePoodonkis]

If this is a delusion, I'd act even crazier, in hopes of being sedated. I have the chance of returning to this dream world that way. I like it here. Forget the "real world".

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

You always make great threads.

Honestly, I'd be stuck in there. I'm not sane, they just haven't caught me yet.

 

[BlumiereBleck]

i would jump around and scream those places give free food and fun pills

 

[BENZOOKA]

Basically just say what the deal is and answer the questions normally. These kind of situations in movies and such tend to depend on the fact that the doctor does not do his job right.