Schizophrenia, Paranoia and the NSA

"I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded. That is not something I am willing to support or live under." - Edward Snowden

The recent revelations by Edward Snowden as to the extent of American spying, is the closest most people will get to experiencing schizophrenic paranoia. The idea that everything you do on your computer is being stored and analyzed by algorithms for use by the state would give anyone the creeps. For a person who suffers from intense paranoia, it only increases the discomfort ten-fold.

Years ago, when my symptoms first manifested themselves, I believed that everything I did was being tracked, analyzed and recorded by the government. Fifteen years later, after extensive medication and treatment, I no longer believed that the government had interest in spying on everyday citizens. My symptoms resurfaced some after reading an article in The Guardian about the sophistication and breadth of NSA's spying capabilities. It seemed like definitive proof that the government is, in fact, spying on everyone.

I wrote a poem to commemorate the paranoia the NSA has caused me:

The NSA
By Dan Hoeweler

I once had a vision
That the government was spying on me
And had tapped my computer
And monitored my phone calls
While tracking my whereabouts

I had a vision
Of nefarious government officials
Tracking
Remembering
And following
Everyone
Everywhere
All the time

I had a vision
And it ended up being true
Now that reality has seeped in
Everyone is schizophrenic
Welcome to my world
My newfound friend