The Menace Of Coincidence

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Have you ever felt like the universe was conspiring against you through an eerie sequence of events? That's what we're unpacking today, as I, Diana Dirkby, share my personal confrontations with coincidence and its particularly intense effects on those of us with paranoid schizophrenia. The ever-present challenge of discerning reality from paranoia becomes even more complex when ordinary occurrences take on a sinister hue. I'm peeling back the layers on how I navigate the treacherous waters of coincidence, offering insights on keeping paranoia at bay, especially when life's misfortunes, like fraud, strike more than once or when social media provides an overwhelming sense of false importance.

My journey reveals the delicate balance of engaging with the world while protecting one's mental health—whether it's through hobbies or measured interactions on social media. Without a guest to distract us, this episode is an intimate deep dive into my lived experiences, strategies to block paranoia, and the continuous pursuit of understanding. I extend not just stories of my trials, but also a beacon of hope and advice for fellow travelers on this intricate path. Join me for a candid look into managing schizophrenia, mitigating symptoms, and the ongoing quest to outsmart the mind's deceptive games.

Pastime With Good Company by King Henry VIII, played by The Chestnut Brass Company 

Pastime With Good Company, composed by King Henry VIII, played by The Chestnut Brass Company

Episode Transcript

Diana Dirkby (00:00):
Hello, my name is Diana Dirkby and I live with
paranoid schizophrenia.
You are listening to my podcast"Schizophrenia as I Live it
Today.
In this episode, I'm going tobe talking about the menace of
coincidence for those livingwith paranoid schizophrenia.
Often, as part of a paranoidepisode, a train of thought can

(00:27):
start with an understandable andrealistic reaction.
However, it may begin to goastray if similar circumstances
reoccur, establishing what mayfeel like a pattern but may just
be a coincidence.
The coincidence battle is nastywhen I am having a

(00:54):
schizophrenic episode and it maybe uncomfortable even when I am
managing my schizophreniasymptoms well.
I describe incidents such asthis for the character Sarah who
narrates my fiction novel, 'TheOverlife A Tale of
Schizophrenia,' by Diana Dirkby,my pen name.

(01:15):
At the moment, I am managing myschizophrenia symptoms well.

However, an example of (01:21):
"is it a coincidence or is it a plot
against me occurred recently.
At the end of January of thisyear, I was the genuine victim
of fraud.
As the firm through which thescam operated verified.

(01:52):
I could not recover my lostmoney, but it wasn't a lot
anyway.
I was another fraud victim inMay of this year through a
different firm.
Again, the firm through whichthe scam operated agreed.
This time the firm refunded meall the money I had lost to the
scam.
You may think that theoccurrence of two scams in close

(02:13):
succession in my life made mefeel disproportionately
victimized.
I did have a short episode ofparanoia, but not for that
reason.
I know scams are ubiquitous atthe moment and to fall victim to
two of them was also my faultfor being gullible and sloppy.

(02:33):
By contrast, paranoia wentthrough me like a knife because
one of the scammers who spoke tome over the phone at the end of
January sounded precisely likeone of the people trying to help
me with the May scam.

(02:54):
His attitude even felt the same.
A few people are out to get mefor sure, I felt, but not in
terms of anything broader thanseveral persons.
I knew the danger of a widerparanoia creeping in and stopped

(03:15):
.
I rested and distracted myselfwith things I liked to do until
I felt better.
The remaining people I spokewith about the May scam were
extremely kind.
The firm returned my lost money.
By then I was over the threatof my paranoid moment ballooning

(03:35):
.
In my case, it isn't only thecoincidence of bad events in my
life that gives rise to paranoia, as I describe in my book the
Overlife.
Sometimes a psychotic breakfollows things that are too good
, with many happy coincidencesto back them up.

(03:56):
For example, I may suddenlyfeel I am essential politically
due to the attention I get onsocial media when I post an
opinion.
Then on social media I feelmany people may be supported by
my new place of importance.
For this reason I use socialmedia lightly compared to many

(04:19):
other people, which works muchbetter for me and helps to avoid
runaway thoughts going down thewrong track.
Also, I now avoid violenttopics like politics.
Sometimes you simply cannot runaway from coincidences, which

(04:39):
may merely arise as the patternsof repetition we all face in
our lives and when we interactwith others.
Dealing with coincidences whenyou live with paranoid
schizophrenia is a work alwaysin progress.
My advice is to try to keepthings low-key, even when they
are important to you.
Slow and steady wins the raceand you can pace your life so

(05:05):
that false coincidences are leftto suffocate because you don't
give them air.
So that's it for today.
I thank you very much forlistening and hope you tune in
next time.
Bye-bye.