Can you prove your sanity?

[Earthmonger]

Sanity, like reality, is purely subjective. As long as we are individuals, there cannot be one truth. If I'm in another institution, it isn't because I'm sane or insane; it is because I violated some law or other. But anyway....

I would not even attempt to prove my sanity. I would prove the doctor's insanity, and hope his sense of logic would hold the argument up.

 

[jamesworkshop]

just acting normally unless you are a danger to yourself or others then they wouldn't keep you anyway

 

[Guy32]

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.

Basically this.

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

Can I prove my sanity?... No.
But by lack on insane activity, I can prove I am not insane, and therefore, either sane, or messed up.
I suppose acting civil will help much towards proving one's sanity.

 

[Julianking93]

I don't think there's a concrete way of proving your sanity.

Same with trying to prove your own existence. I feel therefore I am.

I don't hear voices in my head nor do I kill people, therefore I am sane.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

I think that it is impossible. The only practical definition that I know of sanity is that you can function in society. You can't prove that you can function in society while inside an institution and the longer you stay there the harder it would be for you to function in society. The only real way to prove your sanity would be to quickly escape and live a life that conforms to all the societal norms of the day which would be an utterly crazy way to live. Catch 22.

 

[Lexodus]

If I was ever locked up in an insane asylum, I'd probably deserve it, but, for the sake of the thread:

I'd just start talking about ghosts or cracking jokes. Any doctor who knew his shit would let me out straight away.

The explanation, courtesy of J. Deaver:

1): Ghosts.
Ghosts are one of the classic hallucinations that people use to try and convince others that they're insane. Ghosts and spirits seem like the products of delusional minds, but, in fact, they're complex metaphysical concepts that someone who's really insane wouldn't understand. No, true psychotics believe the real person is there, speaking to them. They think Napoleon or Hitler or Marilyn Monroe are actually in the room with them. They wouldn't claim they were speaking to their ghosts, they'd have actually heard them.

2): Jokes.
Psychiatric literature defines humour as ironic juxtaposition of concepts based on experience, which is completely contrary to the mental processes of psychotics.

TL;DR: No ghosts, and crazy people don't make jokes.

 

[kingpin44]

Sane?! who wants to be sane. i dont suffer from insanity i enjoy every moment of its awsomeness

 

[E-mantheseeker]

Well, with proof like that I would either think that I'm being framed by someone with impressive resources, or that I'm in my own mind fighting from the inside to convince myself that I'm sane, but of course if my mind is unstable enough to put me in that scenario I might just be insane... or not. The concept of insanity/sanity is not simple, which is why it interests me so.

See that's a difficulty - do you be paranoid but trust yourself and so deny the evidence of the outside world, or do you accept it? Would you consider acting the part of the person the world is telling you that you are in an effort for release, or would you try to convince them of your sanity in your remembered character? How long would it take for them to convince you that who you think you are isn't actually you, if they could ever achieve it? I find the whole insane asylum concept very scary for those who have some touch with them - even for much less extravagant problems (for example Billy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest).

Well if I continue trying to convince them of my true self, (who I believe myself to be) they'll only be more convinced I am insane. Also the more in depth I am about my memories of my "true self" the more developed my mental illness will seem to them. I can know every detail of a fictional character, but it wouldn't help convince anyone that I am that person if they truly believe and have "proof" that I am someone else.

However, playing as who they believe me to be would only serve to me being less of a hassle to the doctors, it wouldn't help me much because the person they believe me to be is insane to them in the first place.

In my own mind I could never doubt the life I remember having, so I guess the only solution would be to retain my own identity in my own mind while pretending to accept the identity of the person the doctors believe me to be, while trying to convince them of my sanity as that person. That way I may satisfy the doctors enough to let them release me, on the other hand, if it was truly a test from my own mind, retaining my true identity in my own mind while pretending to be someone else should be enough to prove my sanity to my own self and escape from my own "mind asylum". Hopefully this post makes as much sense as I think it does.

 

[AdmiralMemo]

Well, if you could give me a computer and a Net connection, along with books and sci-fi videos, I'd be perfectly happy to stay there, as long as they're not jabbing needles into me all the time.

 

[Ph33nix]

no. if asked to prove it I would disprove it

 

[Evil the White]

Catch-22. It's not possible.

 

[Zacharine]

Not by myself, no.

I'd need the doctors help. I would need to ask him/her how I could convince him/her that I'm sane and get an honest answer back.

Because if it's his/her opinion that matters, I have no way of convincing him by myself until I know how his/her opinion could be changed.

So, in the end, it falls down to the doctor, the test or evaluation I'm assigned and the doctors honesty and willingness to believe the results of that test they deviced.

 

[fix-the-spade]

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.

Easy this one. I ask for a phone call, dial home then ask my mum to bring my wallet, driver's licence, a copy of my birth certificate and passport, also any embaressing baby photos/stories she may have and my Dad.

A few hours later, they arrive, the whole thing gets cleared up and I leave. On the way home we alert the police that a local psychiatric unit is apparently taking people in and locking them up with no basis for doing so. Police turn up, crazy locks up people and calls them insane Doctor gets arrested.

 

[RavingPenguin]

In order to be normal, first normalcy must be established. Without a standard, one cannot be deemed safe. Since normal has yet to be determined, what you ask is a nigh impossible task.

 

[Monkfish Acc.]

I wouldn't.
I'd kick up a rucus for no good reason and enjoy the sweet embrace of tranquilizer induced sleep.

Mmm. Tranquilizer.
That's good paralysis.

 

[Ninja Tank]

Right now I'm so tired sanity is just a figment of my imagination as a green penguin walks by my room. Be right back I'm going to chase that penguin.

edit: Back the penguin was just my neighbor, why he was wearing a green penguin suit I don't know really.

 

[jpakaferrari]

As a few people said there have been several studies into this and psychiatrists are quick to admit patients who even show a few symptoms. The best thing you can do is attempt to take any measures or assessments you are give and answer them in a way that is honest to who the psychiatrists think you are not who you claim.

 

[ninjapenguin981]

Well I can probably prove my insanity more easily hehe...