Discuss - Ep #0450

Insane people can summon the strength to do things that seem physically impossible.  I've never seen this in action, but I believe it: they don't worry about the consequences, and put their heart and nerve and sinew into whatever it is that they feel they must do.  And Millicent felt she must put up a facade of being normal - or anyway, her crackpot version of normal.

Really?   I just awakened and already I've learned  something.   Well explained too.   Adrenaline I suppose, though I never understood how that could make you stronger.

Roland-- Millicent has had a very long time to get used to feeling light-headed.

Insane people can summon the strength to do things that seem physically impossible.  I've never seen this in action, but I believe it: they don't worry about the consequences, and put their heart and nerve and sinew into whatever it is that they feel they must do.  And Millicent felt she must put up a facade of being normal - or anyway, her crackpot version of normal.

Really?   I just awakened and already I've learned  something.   Well explained too.   Adrenaline I suppose, though I never understood how that could make you stronger.

FWIU, insanity (also alcoholism, drug abuse, etc.) provide only the illusion of increased physical strength and intellectual function.  Lydia, you may be thinking about "temporary insanity" or rage which, as MT said, causes the body to release adrenaline (epinephrine) and norepinephrine.  Other hormones are released, but these in particular cause the increased physical strength and motivation, a heightened perception, and extend the person's capacity to function, plus and other symptoms.  Bipolar disorder and other conditions (can you say PMS?) can increase the potential to become enraged, but the release of epi and norepi is still in reaction to the anger or extreme stress.

Sorry for going off topic here.

Something about "not being herself".  On Dark Shadows, that phrase takes on a far wider meaning than it does in the real world.

It's "no longer herself":

1968: Ep #450 - Joshua discovers Millicent in the tower room
and quickly realizes she is no longer herself.

I didn't even take into account that could signify possession because 1) I figured everyone who's seen the episode (the captions areen't designed for anyone who hasn't) knows that within the context of the episode that isn't what the caption meant, and 2) there had been little possession on the show at the point in the show that Ep #450 ran, as opposed to what would most definitely come in subsequent storylines. But, yes, perhaps the caption should have put things a bit differently. Though in my defense I have to say that by that point, having already watched 918 episodes in 9 months (with only Christmas day off), having already narrowed down each of those episodes to only 4 captures each to hopefully encapsulate it as well as possible, and having already come up with 3665 captions before that one, it was actually a wonder that any of the captions still made sense. 

Thanks for the information, Midnite.

And MB, you know I love the slideshow, right?  I was just amused.

And MB, you know I love the slideshow, right?  I was just amused.

I do.    And even though I wrote them, I get amused by some of those captions, too.