ATS and Mental Illness

If I might chime in as well...

I've been battling schizoaffective disorder (bi-polar type) for almost 15 years now, and many of the delusional episodes I experienced were so off the wall, and so compelling and prevalent in their themes that it's amazing I didn't land at ATS sooner than I did.



I came here to talk about (and work through) some things that my psychologists/psychiatrists simply didn't have the inclination to take seriously aside from medication.

No talk therapy whatsoever - they simply didn't have the understanding of where I was coming from and how to "see" underlying metaphors and recurring symbols that I kept experiencing.

Talk about isolation and repression.



At least on ATS I was able to freely talk about what I was going through, listen to the thoughts and input from a wide variety of members with not only similar experiences, but also those more grounded in reality and looking for a more scientific explanation.

I've been here roughly five years - and my condition has improved dramatically just by having a forum of wonderful people to interact with .

Does this mean I'm cured? No. I still hear voices on occassion, my therapist still refuses to talk to me about the details of my past, but I have some of the most wonderful, nonjudgmental and open-minded friends I could ever hope for onsite.





My question to you is:

Why do you think it's ethical to further socially isolate the misunderstood, those seeking answers for the unexplained regardless of their stage in the therapy process....simply because you feel they pose an personal inconvenience because of their mental illness?


It just seems like cutting off a reaching hand...




*edit - grammar police



[edit on 7/20/10 by GENERAL EYES]

reply to post by GENERAL EYES


That’s quite a interesting contradiction compared to another ATSter who posted blaming is friends psychotic breakdown on this site. Don’t get me i think in some cases it can be a good thing but in the field of treating mental health banning somebody form a website is probably one of the more ethical practices. There are a number of outlets you could use to voice you opinions on the internet and its really good that this works for you. If however you still experience paranoid delusions i would say it could be ethically justified to ban you if you were to experience a psychological brake down. I mean if ECT and the restriction of a person’s liberty can be ethically justified (i am for that, just for the record) then i think banning a person form a website is fine.

Originally posted by GENERAL EYES
Why do you think it's ethical to further socially isolate the misunderstood, those seeking answers for the unexplained regardless of their stage in the therapy process....simply because you feel they pose an personal inconvenience because of their mental illness?

What an excellent question.

There are some situations where the very need for social interaction is impacted by not only valid issues but an inability to negotiate them with a valid social structure because of the nature of the experiential dissidence.

ATS can be a bridge to that social interaction.

Ok i have a question for both of you, since you are both moderators. Would you’s ever push for grater moderation of threats that are talking about mental illness. Don’t tell me you already do, because if you do then i would say to you that you’re not going far enough.

Originally posted by kevinunknown
Ok i have a question for both of you, since you are both moderators. Would you’s ever push for grater moderation of threats that are talking about mental illness. Don’t tell me you already do, because if you do then i would say to you that you’re not going far enough.

Honestly, I think there should be stricter moderation of any thread where the OP is using an avatar of an elderly chimpanzee in a suit and tie.

Perhaps the staff should collect the IP info on any insane members here and have them institutionalized immediately, where they can be evaluated for viability and contributions to society, those who are found to be simply unproductive insane individuals may then be scheduled for humane euthanasia?

reply to post by Fractured.Facade


Thats not quite what am talking about, in fact i think it would be illegal. And be nice to my chimp.

Originally posted by kevinunknown
Ok i have a question for both of you, since you are both moderators. Would you’s ever push for grater moderation of threats that are talking about mental illness. Don’t tell me you already do, because if you do then i would say to you that you’re not going far enough.

I have...I won't go into further details than that.

reply to post by MemoryShock


Does that mean that the Mods are going to announce some new rule for mental health moderation?

reply to post by kevinunknown

No, it doesn't.

It means that any issue that seems relevant enough is taken on its' own merits.

The entire point of this board is to provide a venue for civil discussion of topics that aren't given any outlet save for standardized, and yes fallible, venues.

There really are some issues with stigma associated with mental illness in the professional world and as well an unquantifiable difference in education in both professional and layman arenas.

As well, and I am not saying it is the case for all I have run across, there are some very real manipulations going on in this world, whether it be based in an imposition of belief systems or even overt and surreptitious influences.

I think, as a rational mindset, it would be disingenuous to label all potentialities as a bannable offense. It's much preferable to take it on a case by case standard (and don't misinterpret that to mean that we are in the habit of diagnosing over the boards; such is certainly not the case).

Originally posted by kevinunknown
reply to post by Unit541

 

No I only think members who have been diagnosed with a severe mental illness that causes paranoid delusions should be banned. Some people live with extreme depression its a very real mental illness, some people with depression will turn to alcohol and others might turn to a rope with a noose. If a pill can be taken to stop that pain, what’s wrong with that? Yes you can walk into a doctor’s office and spot off a whole list of symptoms you read about on Google to get some meds and he’ll give you some pills but that is your fault and not the doctors.

OK, you obviously missed the point of my entire post. Just being a member here, is sufficient evidence that you yourself suffer from paranoid delusions.

You're right, people do get depressed. Depression is a condition, a state of mentality. Depression is not an "illness". You don't "catch" it from someone else, and it doesn't happen for no reason. Pills are nothing but a bandage. They treat the symptoms of depression, not the cause of depression. Why not take the pills? Because they don't correct the problem. They just help you ignore the problem, allowing the situation to degrade even further. I ask you this, why not fix the problem? Why not search for the cause of the depression, and remedy that? Medicating a depressed person merely isolates them from their senses and dulls their emotions. Not to mention the societal burden created by flooding the health care system with a bunch of people who are only suffering from being human.

Difficult situations, getting over loss, etc. are all part of the human experience. Dealing with these emotions in constructive ways are how we grow, mature and advance as a species. Granted, some people need help, but mindlessly popping pills isn't helping them. It is however, an effective method of "shelving" people and their problems. Putting them in a state of suspension, sweeping them under the rug... however you want to verbalize it. What is doesn't do however, is actually solve anyone's problems. This method has the opposite affect, and over time, strips an individual of their natural ability to deal with the the roller coaster of emotion that is the human psyche. It puts them in a rut, and makes them happy to be there, making them just the same as any other addict out there, with the exception that they're coddled, rather than shunned by society.

reply to post by MemoryShock


So that was a no, mods would not support any move to introduce a system of special monitoring practices for threads specifically about mental illness as a matter of corporate responsibility.

The banning thing is just something i would like to see happen but I know that it’s never going to however I think it is feasible for a monitoring system to be introduced. You have to admit any post that is saying “your meds are bad for you” or “you’re not mentally ill, your just able to hear things other’s can like God” cannot be good for a person in a venerable state of mind. As such i think as a matter of corporate responsibility it would be prudent that ATS at least monitors these threads and posts as it does with the 9/11 forum.

I do appreciate your responses


[edit on 20-7-2010 by kevinunknown]

50% of the people at least on this board have mental illness ...

just look at the topics created

half at least are talking to god or aliens

the other half cant change their minds

its hard but there is nothing we can do, since most of this people believe its real and they probably werent diagnosed with anything yet, since they think its a conspiracy

First off all the idea of bannig a person is a very small part of my main thread. What i am saying is that if a person admits to having a severe mental illness were symptoms include paranoid delusions then that person i think should be banned.

When a person is being treated for depression it is usually done case by case. Pills are only one part of a care package usually CBT will also be done and they will attend social groups. There are some people who are depressed who are so depressed they think can never get out of it without medication.

Originally posted by kevinunknown
You have to admit any post that is saying “your meds are bad for you” or “you’re not mentally ill, your just able to hear things other’s can like God” cannot be good for a person in a venerable state of mind.

I actually don't have to admit that...

There is no way to discern how one will interpret a post on a message board and there are some good/sound replies to such admissions.

There isn't a forum, necessarily for these types of threads. They happen sporadically and throughout many a forum.

Besides, the very act of posting an admission is implicitly a sign of someone reaching out...which, in my opinion, implies a certain amount of cognition. And of course, extreme cases are noted...

reply to post by MemoryShock


True you never and i understand where you are coming form. That said however i would still like to see stricter moderation on any thread concerned with mental illness (including this one but hey i think we’ve got that lol )

reply to post by kevinunknown

Fair enough and duly noted...

So, since this is a conspiracy site everyone of us could be considered mentally ill, depending on who u ask. There are people who would think you're paranoid for your '10 ways they track us' thread. People have been put in hospitals for less.
Who's going to judge who's 'too crazy' to post here? Where would the line begin or end? It would be up to you to decide whats 'too crazy' for u. You cant and shouldnt make that decision for everyone here as our ideas differ greatly on whats nuts and whats not. If you think someones overboard then dont participate in the thread, or ban them so you dont have to deal with it all. I think it's be a shame for you to limit yourself in such a way tho. Theres not a person on the face of this earth that you cant learn something from. What you take away from it and what lesson you learn is up to you.
Some of the most wonderful people I know have mental illness's and sometimes lapse. it's not their fault so why punish and ostrasize them. This may be their only release and You'd be okay with keeping that from them?
I hate putting myself out there like this bcuz I do get judged unfairly. I'm looked down upon as less of a person and judged harshly, even by family. I feel you need to see that mental illness' come in many forms and differ in severity. I feel ashamed and embarrassed for something I have no control over. I'm bi-polar and take meds on a daily basis. I've never heard voices or had hallucinations but it's affected my life greatly and never in a positive manner. See, the thing is despite my 'illness' I'm one of the most genuine, accepting people you could ever meet. I'm kind and loving and feel being bi-polar has made me a more empathic person. I'm a productive member of society. I'm highly involved with my childrens schooling and extracurricular activities. I'm far from the 'soccer mom' but I provide a safe and warm home for my kids and their friends. I run my own bakery and am in the process of expanding greatly. If it were up to someone else I'd might be banned and wrongly so.
I feel to exclude me or others would qualify as an 'ism'. I feel it's our obligation to support and help one another if possible, and if you choose not to, there's that 'ignore' button.

All of these ppl have the same thing in common. can u guess what it is?

Buzz Aldren, Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Allen Poe, VanGogh, Robin Williams, Mark Twain, Sting, Jimi Hendrix, Beethoven, Schumann, Mahier. All of these are brilliant pple who changed the world in 1 way or another. You shouldnt exclude or dismiss a person because You think they have nothing to offer you bcuz you could very well be wrong.

Kim.

I believe I've actually seen some websites whose T&Cs had disclaimers about not being responsible for people with mental illness who came to the site, and if I remember correctly once a person proven to have mental illness was banned from one of the sites. I remember thinking that some lawyer somewhere must have had them put it in, and it all makes more sense now.

reply to post by kevinunknown


Your moniker "it's all in your head" and your calling for banning all diagnosed psychiatric cases on ATS is rather ... discriminatory.

I see 99% of ATS members as mentally afflicted! Some may have been diagnosed and simply haven't declared such publically on ATS. Others need help and probably have never seen a 'shrink'. Others have minor personality disorders. You'd have them banned in your sweeping generalized suggestion too!

The few who admit that they are 'afflicted' have a lot more guts admitting such; than those who call for banning them because of it!

My spouse is a bi-polar sociopath. I have seen first hand; the BAD effects of psychiatric drugs, and their life threatening and life altering side effects as well. I've also seen what happens when the drugs are unavailable and missed. Either way, it's all bad news.

I vote NO!

reply to post by Fractured.Facade

Honestly, I think there should be stricter moderation of any thread where the OP is using an avatar of an elderly chimpanzee in a suit and tie.