Another mental illness discussion.

Well, I have read such things as "mentally ill people tend to be self-centered", "suicide is an act of cowardice", etc. etc.

So, I am stewing, and here is why I started a new thread on this subject:

People who make insensitive comments such as those above perpetuate the stigma in this country that is associated with mental illness. Views such as these, expressed on a so called "progressive" message board, need to be slapped down, and slapped down hard.

There is a reason it is called mental ILLNESS. Because it is an illness, and it can be horrifying and terrible and destructive.

You would not diminish a diabetic's illness just because you do not have diabetes. Please do not diminish a mentally ill person's illness just because you do not have mental illness.

Really people, please try to have some sensitivity to the plight of others. Please learn about the subject, then use your voice to educate and reverse the stigma.

Just my 2 cents.

I've observed people who turn on the empathy spigot for some, but for others who have the exact same condition.

And that's the most depressing aspect of them all.

Just an observation.

Could you elaborate?

and then those same people that criticize Hypno have empathy for others.

If homophobia was part of your condition Hypno, I'd understand, but for some reason I do not think it does.

that was pretty brilliant and spot on.

Bad News Over Happy Music, really strange & stunning stuff that happens to people often causing death. the gal component of the team, 2 guys 1 gal, is always able to offer a screeching, "OMG! That's horrible." and the main smart ass guy concludes with...

"And always remember, it's not bad news until it happens to you." good times then had by all i suppose but you're right,

until it happens to some people from the midst of a charmed life perhaps, they have no relationship with such things as empathy

Let's face it, some physical disorders can be largely attributed to the individual's lifestyle choices (obesity, heart disease, lung disease). Mental Illness? Doesn't matter who you are or how healthy your habits -- it's non-negotiable.

For those who would like to read up on it or talk about it more in-depth, we have the mental health support group here at DU. We have patients and advocates over there talking about their experiences with mental illness. Just a little plug for my favorite group. Hope to see you there.

I will have to stop in there some time.

...but it does mean I have no friends.

At least I have my Sweetie.

I suppose it depends upon your definition of "illness".

It's like a person missing a leg. That person is not sick, but is not fully-functioning either.

something like depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, etc.

It is NOT an mental illness, you are right, people think about that who are perfectly sane
people have problems, we all have problems some times, that doesnt mean everytime we do
have problems we think about that.
:hug: :hi:

When I said mentally ill people are "self centered" I am not saying it as a critique. But as an known psychiatric symptom--I have several mentally ill people in my family so I have seen this. Its not an attack but a scientific observation. When people have brain chemistry problems, they literally CANNOT understand other perspectives (sociopathy is the extreme form of this).Its unhealthy in the extreme of course. Of course someone who sees things and hears things are not going to be able to understand that others aren't seeing or hearing them! Thats the hard part of mental illness...So many people do not understand how sick they are. I have a sister who cannot seem to understand this. And even though she has gotten SOME help, she still has not understood how her selfish ways have alienated most of the family.
Saying that she is selfish is not blaming her for her issues..it is however an accurate representation of the problem. For many people once they understand they ARE ILL, its the first step to recovery.

On edit: http://www.manic-depression.net/

other things. I didn't ask for any of them...mental or physical. I've tried suicide 4 times.

is just another symptom.

The inability to recognize that you need help is just another symptom.

I've been hospitalized for depression. I had an acute major depressive episode with a specific trigger.

I had no idea what was wrong. I could barely recognize that anything was wrong, despite my abnormal thoughts.

Major depression is what I can speak to, and I can tell you that I have seen most people with this illness go the opposite way that you describe by actually becoming more open and empathetic to other people.

I think that I kind of understand the point you are trying to make, but your choice of words (such as "selfish ways"), and also your implication that people with depression can necessarily recognize they are ill and and do something about it shows me that you may not have a complete understanding of what depression does to you.

Of course most mentally ill people do not understand how sick they are, that is part of the sickness, and any perceived "selfishness" due to the illness is probably just a symptom rather that the true personality of the ill person.

i think i'm pretty good at seeing things from other people's perspective. i can recognize when i'm acting selfishly and try to address it.

i can't speak for everyone with a mental illness, and i know that those traits are symptomatic of some disorders, but that's a pretty broad brush you've got there

edit: felt like i came across pretty snarky, which was not my intent

Much of what I've seen centers around mental distress resulting from a lack of love, a lack of intimacy. This is why isolation and alienation are tactics of negativity. We are much more dependent upon the welcome of others than we'd like to accept. We are far more dependent upon love than I believe most have admitted.

The emotions are rejected and do not hold the place in our awareness that they should. Read Goleman's work in books such as Emotional Intelligence.

Because much of the depression in this country is suffered in concert with physical illnesses and may actually be directly caused by physical illnesses.

The lack of love and intimacy that you mention, as well as a whole host of other emotional issues, are merely TRIGGERS of the depression.

In other words, the mental and physical illness of depression would still exist in the person whether those particular triggers were present or not.

I have seen people where positive events, such as a nice vacation, have triggered a depressive episode.

At least as far as I understand them. My experience in such things is from AA, meeting the homeless, seeing people heal (and people fall back into illness) and my own issues and studies in spirituality and healing. I know almost nothing about physical imbalances... Way for me to completely miss a huge portion of the problem, eh?

Edit: Hey Philboy! :hi:

Imbalances of brain chemicals seems to be a good thesis because they know that the proper anti-depressant will truly help people. But there are so many unanswered questions.

Why does it take some doctors years to find the right combo of meds that work on a particular person?

What is the physical connection between having acute physical depression after surviving a heart attack? What is that body to brain link?

Interestingly enough, many in the medical community believe that the high incidence of depressive episodes among diabetics may in fact be due to the thickening of the blood that occurs when glucose is too high. They feel that this actually limits blood flow into the fine brain capiliaries, therefore triggering, or perhaps even physically causing the depression.

mental illness is a physical condition in that the brain's chemistry is out of balance and things may not be firing properly.

i'm struggling a bit with how to explain this but the best i can say is that i'm 'physically' healthy in the way that most people think of it, but 'mentally' i am not (i am type II bipolar). and there was no major (or minor) medical event that triggered the onset of my condition, although, as philboy said right above me, there are instances where that is the case.

one of the major problems is that the two - physical and mental health - are still kept in separate categories. i think a lot of progress once we start looking at it as one package.

Excellent point about looking at it as a package.

"The mind lives where the body lives". :hug:

:hug:

Alcoholism has been characterized as "An allergy of the body, an obsession of the mind". I guess that I've been in surrender long enough to be forgetful of how I got here. That's not good...

It does all tie together.

Edit: "Alcoholism is an obsession of the mind that condemns one to drink and an allergy of the body that condemns one to die." -- Dr. Wm. D. Silkworth

I don't think the other poster had ill intentions. He just views things differently than someone who's been there.

I think you are exactly right. I think his heart and his intentions were where they should be.

and we shouldn't in any way diminish people whose intentions are good. We need those people on our side.

I didn't see that one. Probably just as well I didn't, because there would have been tombstones flying. Probably one aimed right at me.