Anonymous-EmpathyAI/Distortion-Analysis-PACLIC39 huggingface dataset:
Patient question: 3 weeks ago, I went to my very first psychiatrist appointment. It was a pretty big milestone for me as I haven’t been in contact with any mental health professional since I was 15, and I was really looking forward to finally getting the help I need. The whole experience was dissatisfactory overall, from filling out forms in the waiting room, to waiting for the doctor to actually come in for hours, I had switched from anxious but hopeful to frustrated and wishing I could just get it over with. Eventually, she (the psychiatrist) called me in and we talked for no more than 5 minutes. She asked me many questions but by the end she was completely dismissive about everything I confided in her about and ushered me out the door saying “I am a psychiatrist, I deal with people who have REAL problems, which you do not have, just bad coping skills.” Ah, yes, “bad coping skills”. I left with only one question in my mind: If I don’t have any problems, what do you think those bad coping skills come from? To say I was upset upon my arrival at home would be a massive understatement. It took everything within me to not express my rage. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cut, I wanted to burn my entire house down even if it meant death to my whole family just so I could die in it – but that’s not me. I hate bringing others into my personal problems. And so, I crashed into an extreme depressive episode in which I spent the evening crying for 7 hours, didn’t get out of bed for days, didn’t eat for more than a week (I’m only recently starting to eat at least one meal a day) and spent every waking moment feeling like I need to jump off a bridge because even the thought of my own existence makes me feel incurably sick to the stomach and pained in the head. Currently, I’m doing significantly better, and aim to contact a new therapist within the next week or so, but that initial experience is something I doubt I’ll ever forget, but honestly, I just wonder what’s the purpose of it all, as my desire for escape from existence runs its course, even when I’m not in any way depressed at all. (from the USA)

Distorted part: It took everything within me to not express my rage. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cut, I wanted to burn my entire house down even if it meant death to my whole family just so I could die in it – but that’s not me.
Dominant distortion: Magnification
Patient question: From Australia: For a long time I’ve found it difficult to make friends despite trying really hard (joining many things where I have ongoing contact with the same people, local things, initiating further contact etc). Work is a difficult option given commuting distance and hierarchies I’m at the bottom of.

Dominant distortion: No Distortion
Patient question: I personally don’t think my hallucinations can be considered as a symptom of Schizophrenia, because they have decreased in both quantity and vividness over these two years after taking medication, currently I’m not taking anything and it’s rare for me to hallucinate now, only while feeling an extremely negative emotion or panicking and even then I wouldn’t call it a psychotic episode. 2 years ago it was more of shadows taking on silhouettes of humans but still a little bit blurry and a disturbing amount of violent voices in my head (which I didn’t recognize at all), but nowadays if it ever happens, I just see couple of colorful animals or shapeless blobs of color, and I only hear what I heard throughout the several days with the voices from people I have heard it from but not forming any sort of pattern or making sense.

Dominant distortion: No Distortion
Patient question: My wife (age 39) has past history of depression followed by several months’ therapy long time back. Lately once every year for the past 3 years for about a period of 2-4 months each year, she has been showing some severe behavioral responses to stressful situations. For normal people, these may not seem stressful situations usually, like house hunting, work load at college, arguments among couples, etc. But often when the stress remains for several days, especially with doing something new, she starts showing various reactions, like sadness, complete change in personality from a jovial one to a quiet depressive one, with a constant facial expression showing emotional hurt, withdrawal from normal activities, complete loss of sexual drive, aversion of eye contact, responding in frustrated way to normal questions, irregular sleep or lack of sleep, irregular eating schedules, complete lack of compassion. Taking one example, she started studying with a seemingly normal mood. She was unable to find a word for her work, which made her extremely frustrated. Even my inability to help with that word was met by seeming skepticism as if I wasn’t actually trying to help. After 3 hours, she got up with a sad expression, complete silence, averting eye contact, and saying good night in a frustrated dejected way and retiring for the day. On normal days she is a very loving person, but she is not a threat to anybody even during the bad days. However, her reactions were more severe 3 years ago, with tendencies to cry all day, sitting in the dark corner of a room, shivering, inability to talk, facial spasms. These don’t happen often and is never visible to anybody outside home. But there is always an underlying chance that any severe condition or normal arguments may trigger her reactions. Somehow, such stressful situations arose exactly once each of these 3 years, and hence that many reaction phases. However she is smart and completely aware of everything and hence not willing to see a professional. My question: What exactly is it that can be going on with her?Is there a name for this?Are there materials that I can read and show her to persuade her to take help? Is there really a treatment? Is it actually a disorder or something else? Please help. This affects daily life and normal relationships at home. (From the USA)

Dominant distortion: No Distortion
Patient question: This is causing issues w/ 2 family members both w/ diagnosed disorders. My mother is diagnosed with anxiety and is on meds for years, though it doesn’t seem to be severe (her panic attacks are rare, and she socializes quite well). She is currently living with my dad and adult brother, who have both complained in the past how she’d move/take things without informing, so we would spend time looking for things that we’d later find out were just with her. I remember her telling me she took my old cellphone “just in case” – but that was my work phone and I kept it for a reason.

Dominant distortion: No Distortion
Patient question: Please help me with advice. I am disabled and on social benefit. Am 28 years old. I have no one in my life and even though my main diagnosis is paranoid schizophrenia I have sadly these incurable, negative symptoms. My family is in ruins. Father is in prison and blocking rest of us life. My mother’s health is getting weaker and my brother is going his own way. My mother can’t sell our properties since father disputes over them. Court might take for expenses our properties. My father isn’t cooperating and I have no one in life. Toxic mother and brother who doesn’t communicate with me anymore. I wanted to make my mother happy so she isn’t alone so I helped her find her lover over dating sites. This man is also financially helping us. But I am always either alone or with my mother (sometimes with her lover). I have no one and no love. She says we will live after their (parents) death. I can inherit as disabled survivors pension only after their death. I can star t life after their death. I can’t sleep for days, I have tremors and I barely eat. I constantly cry because I have girl from Philippines which I love. She is only light I have. But knowing I won’t be able to be with her many many years is killing me. I can’t stop crying and with her I burst in tears. I am falling apart. She is comforting me and I consider suicide, but she doesn’t allow me. Pain is too much. I promised her to be with her and marry her next year. But it may be longer… All the way until first parent dies. I can’t work since my work capability is revoked. If I start working I loose right to inherit survivors pension which is around 1000$. I would never earn that much by work and part time doesn’t exist. Competition ran over me in freelancing. I can’t do anything but wait. Wait what will they decide. But pain and tears never stop. It’s bitter cold loneliness. I simply hold onto my promise to be with her. I will wait, no matter how ill I get in age when I would finally be with her. She is only reason for me to keep living and not doing suicide. I simply am so afraid to lose her. (From Croatia)

Distorted part: I have no one in my life and even though my main diagnosis is paranoid schizophrenia I have sadly these incurable, negative symptoms.
Dominant distortion: Overgeneralization
Patient question: When with others I like to be device-free. Knowing I have no control over the connectivity of others, I am inevitably presented with someone’s phone in my face as people I am with want to show me a photo or something on Facebook (which I deliberately took myself off of), this repels me but I don’t want to be rude or self-righteous, it makes me not want to be around friends/loved ones, it also depresses me, I am seeking strategies to deal with this.

Distorted part: Knowing I have no control over the connectivity of others, I am inevitably presented with someone’s phone in my face as people I am with want to show me a photo or something on Facebook (which I deliberately took myself off of), this repels me but I don’t want to be rude or self-righteous, it makes me not want to be around friends/loved ones, it also depresses me, I am seeking strategies to deal with this.
Dominant distortion: Magnification
Patient question: From a teen in the U.S.: So whenever I start to like someone and they begin to actually get close to me I begin to dislike them or find flaws and then everything they do becomes annoying and I can’t stand to be around them. This happens to people I have crushes on. This person I liked admitted they had feelings for me and I thought I had feelings for them but I just began to feel annoyed. Please help, what’s wrong with me

Distorted part: This person I liked admitted they had feelings for me and I thought I had feelings for them but I just began to feel annoyed.
Dominant distortion: All-or-nothing thinking
Patient question: I know that traumatic childhood experiences can influence sexual desires in adulthood. I was spanked as a child, probably to the point of abuse. But, I was never docile about it; I never accepted it as being normal or beneficial in anyway. I had a deep sense of embarrassment about it. It caused me to hate my parents, and instead of being sorry for anything, it always made me more hateful and revenge-seeking. I still don’t completely trust my parents. I became suicidal when I was 14, trying to deal with growing up, their ‘authority’, and my distrust of them. I moved out when I was 15, and in with my elderly grandmother to help her out around the house. After 6 high schools (all by choice), I decided I had had enough. I tested out when I was 16 and started college.

Distorted part: It caused me to hate my parents, and instead of being sorry for anything, it always made me more hateful and revenge-seeking.
Dominant distortion: Magnification
Patient question: From a teen in the U.S.: I have an issue where whenever I do something stupid or wrong I hear my voice in my head telling me bad things about myself. For example, earlier today I had to stop drawing because my voice was telling me “You can’t do anything right.” “You should just go cut(or)kill yourself.”. I don’t know if it’s just my depression or a part of having dissociative identity disorder. I just want it to stop because it really effects my already low esteem.

Distorted part: I have an issue where whenever I do something stupid or wrong I hear my voice in my head telling me bad things about myself. For example, earlier today I had to stop drawing because my voice was telling me “You can’t do anything right.” “You should just go cut(or)kill yourself.”
Dominant distortion: Personalization
Patient question: From a teen in the U.S.: I wake up, I’m fine, someone does literally anything that I don’t agree with or approve of then I get angry as hell. Like for example, I’m unpacking my lunchbox and I got warm fruit cups that I want to put in the fridge, my mother is closest to the fridge so I ask her to take care of it, she says no. That is infuriating, like I have all these people who just f’in lie and s–t like its some sort of game.

Distorted part: I wake up, I’m fine, someone does literally anything that I don’t agree with or approve of then I get angry as hell.
Dominant distortion: All-or-nothing thinking
Secondary distortion: Magnification
Patient question: I have never been a ‘feelings person’ and I rarely feel or show strong emotion. I am a teenaged girl so I expected to get a bit teary or whatever. I feel like a lot of the time I only respond to things because I know I am supposed to. like crying a funeral or showing remorse if I did something wrong. But it is strange because I have a natural ability to sense people’s emotions and I have been told I give good advice and I really seem to understand other people’s feelings unless I am personally involved in the situation.

Distorted part: I feel like a lot of the time I only respond to things because I know I am supposed to.
Dominant distortion: Should statements
Patient question: My sister is a married, 32 year-old woman with a college degree. When she was in high school she was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and she has never been the same since. She constantly struggles with energy issues, brain fog, depression, anxiety, etc. She holds down a job, but just barely.

Dominant distortion: No Distortion
Patient question: From the U.S.: I get stuck for hours daydreaming or mentally processing unimportant thoughts. It feels like the world through my perspective is more or less a screensaver for my mind. I typically don’t notice when my fingers or arms get cold or when blisters start to form on my feet. I walk from place to place during a normal day staring at the floor, thinking of untold numbers of inane thoughts or ideas.

Dominant distortion: No Distortion
Patient question: Hi, In the past month my girlfriend experienced something strange four times. She was in a manipulative/emotionally abusive relationship that lasted 9 years, and ended recently. She’s been struggling because of it, and I’ve been helping her. She self-harmed, had suicidal thoughts, and attempted suicide. When things got overly stressful, she had anxiety attacks where she would convulse(?)–still conscious, barely being able to talk, but her entire body tensed up and standing still, especially her feet and hands. They lasted around 10 minutes, and she’d feel sore afterwards. She’s been getting better, being happier as time passes and able to deal with things better. But just recently, when something that reminds her of traumatic experiences happened, she’d go in a “trance.” For example, I accidentally said something her ex would say, and she took it the wrong way, as if it was manipulative and blaming her for something I did. She started staring into nothingness. When trying to talk to her, she’d either not react, or barely say anything. When trying to touch her, she’d look very scared and pull away, telling me not to touch her. When asking her to tell me my name, she’d say her ex’s name. When doing nothing, she’d just stare into nothing, staying still. When getting too close, she’d react rashly to get away and tell me to stay away. After a while of trying to snap her out of it, she’d walk away into another room, often the bedroom. Last time, she went to the washing machine, then the bedroom, and told me to stop asking her what my name was, that I always do that, even though it was the first time during that “trance” that I asked. So she’s at least minimally aware of her surroundings, and the trances may be connected? During those four times, she was unconscious, seemed extremely traumatized, and thought I was her ex. It lasts 15-20 minutes. She snaps back (once after I made her say my actual name a few times, another after I kept telling her I loved her she shed a tear and snap back, the last one after she fell asleep for a couple of minutes) and doesn’t remember anything whatsoever. She feels empty, but in an okay mood, like nothing happened. I’d like to now what’s happening, and if it’s dangerous in any way. Thanks for your time.

Distorted part: For example, I accidentally said something her ex would say, and she took it the wrong way, as if it was manipulative and blaming her for something I did.
Dominant distortion: Mind Reading
Patient question: I’ve been extremely sad, disoriented, confused, upset, bored, and sensitive over the past few months. i’ve anonomyously talked to various psychiatrist, and many of them tell me i suffer from manic and major depression. i often have severe headaches, and pain in my side. i’ve been extremely irritable and mean, no matter how hard i try to be nice. i cant stop crying. i’ve started cutting myself and hitting myself. i want to stop, but something just wont let me. i cant seem to concentrate on or enjoy anything anymore. i stay up late, often until 5 am or later. sometimes i have a big appetite, and other times i cant get myself to eat at all. i love my family and friends, but i cant seem to relate to them anymore. i’ve done research, and i think i show signs of depression. how do i tell my parents i may be depressed? how do i know they wont be mad at me? is there anyone else i could have do it for me?

Distorted part: i love my family and friends, but i cant seem to relate to them anymore.
Dominant distortion: Overgeneralization
Patient question: I have a close friend who is also a colleague; we spend a lot of time together. She shares a lot of her feelings with me, and a while ago I found that her low moods were causing my mood to drop as well. I made an effort and have had success separating my mood from hers and protecting myself from “catching” how she feels.

Dominant distortion: No Distortion
Patient question: I am very unhappy with my life and myself. I feel like I don’t know what a normal life is. I am not capable of running my life the way I need to lead a normal life in this society, or of running my life the way I want to. But I don’t know why it is like this which makes it impossible for me to change my situation. I don’t really know who I am. I don’t know what things I am good at. I don’t even know what I want. I feel like I missed some important experiences in life, you need to make. I am extremely overwhelmed with my everyday tasks and my responsibilities. I basically don’t do anything throughout the day anymore because I just don’t have life energy anymore. And it is also unhealthy because I don’t get any exercise. I am a student at a University, but currently I don’t get anything done anymore. I don’t know how to cope with my studies anymore. And doing nothing also leads to losing more and more skills. And I also don’t have any other skills. I spend all my life only with working for school. I didn’t have any activities in my leisure time, or any other responsibilities where I could have developed any other skills. I am disgusted by the way I look. Since I was a teenager, I started to have severe acne in my face. And now, my face is full of acne scars. I also developed a skin picking disorder, which makes me destroy my face even more. I hardly had any friends my whole life. I have been bullied since I was a child, my only friends left me without telling the reason. I have a lot of trouble with my family lately. I wouldn’t even say we’re a family anymore. It is like everyone hates each other. I can’t talk to my parents about my problems because they wouldn’t take it serious or don’t care. I often said I want to end my life in front of my parents. The only thing they answered was that if I did it all the other people would blame my parents for doing something wrong and so my parents would be seen as the bad ones even if they weren’t. I don’t want to kill myself but I deeply wish I could end my life and start all over again. (From Germany)

Distorted part: I am not capable of running my life the way I need to lead a normal life in this society, or of running my life the way I want to.
Dominant distortion: Personalization
Patient question: From a teen in Belgium: Hi Doctor, In the past I saw many many scenes from many movies that I mustn’t to see it like the death of someone or shocking scenes…etc that we also called (spoilers) . Before I have no problem about it, but now I regret seeing all these scenes because it ruins the movie enjoyment and feeling. I have a bad depression when I think of it I can’t sleeping well, I feel bad, I feel sad and many other problems.

Distorted part: Before I have no problem about it, but now I regret seeing all these scenes because it ruins the movie enjoyment and feeling. I have a bad depression when I think of it I can’t sleeping well, I feel bad, I feel sad and many other problems.
Dominant distortion: Magnification
Patient question: From Australia: My sister in law, who currently lives in Canada, has been diagnosed with a psychological disorder. She seems to have been tipped into delusional thinking 12 months ago when her ex husband filed divorce proceedings. She has always had OCD and paranoid tendencies but never delusional as she is now.

Dominant distortion: No Distortion
Patient question: From the U.S.: I am not in a hurry to marry or start a family, and I have not tried as hard as I probably could have to keep a girlfriend, considering that I view my education as my highest priority, but I have always had an interest in romantic relationships.

Dominant distortion: No Distortion
Patient question: When I was 4 years old I was diagnosed with ODD and a high functioning autism also known as Aspergers. And later, I was 5-6 I was diagnosed with ADHD. Growing up I didn’t have very many friends, and the ones I did have emotionally abused me in the relationship from 3rd grade all the way up to 6th grade. My father was very emotionally neglectful and never gave me his approval. When I was 9 years old I had my first dream of killing someone, but I don’t remember the dream as a negative, I remember being more fascinated. Theses dream accrued now and again through the passing years. I have been also diagnosed with depression and severe anxiety. I only really have one or two friends at a time because I have a very hard time trusting new people and are very suspicious of them at the beginning of a relationship. And somebody can only screw me over If I let them, by either trusting them or letting down my guard. Pity the fool who decides to earn my trust and screw me, they will know what it feels like to hurt. If I don’t destroy them in that instant, I will keep my enemy close until I have everything I need to bring him all the way down to nothing. And ever since I was young I have been able to make anybody feel any emotion I want them to feel. I can go from happy to cry just by choice if I choose to do so. I feel disconnected with my emotions and they are more something I use to fit in. Around 6th grade, I learned that retaining appearance was very important to my future with relationships. So I started paying attention to other people’s emotions and listening to others to understand and see what pain, regret, shame, confidence, etc look like. Since that point, I have had no problem obtaining a relationship if I want one.

Dominant distortion: No Distortion