Mental Illness & Daily Life...

Having a Mental Illness is not an ordinary thing in the confined structure of our society. It still has a long way to go as well as eradicating the stigma that stems from mental illness. A day in the life of someone suffering from some mental disorder is an ongoing ordeal. Life has to be strictly regimented with therapy and medication. One without the other will not do. I know and have seen too many people who cannot do without some form of medication, without it they cannot adjust and live within the normal frame of our "well looked upon" -"socio-economic society". The research on Mental Illness has still yet to be fully understood by our medical Dr's and Scientists.

Updated statistics often reveal that it is a hereditary condition. Research of old also claims it has to do with upbringing and "environmental factors", however of late, it seems to be it is a "Genetic" condition rather than the former said of "Environmental" conditions. Though I think it could very well be of both, thus being well developed if the genetic composure is of predisposition in the first place.

[edit on 19-9-2009 by catalyst2466]

Please represent your honest thoughts and any experiences that you may wish to share, this would hopefully raise "Awareness" and encouragement for those that are in need of help and advice.

Contrary to the popular perception of toddlers as "carefree," a new study shows that chronic depression can affect children as young as three. Critics, however, worried that the findings will cause excessive use of antidepressants among toddlers.

jezebel.com...

Maybe if the parents paid a little more attention to them instead of pumping them full of drugs we would see this problem wither to almost nonexistant.
Not to derail your thread but, I think mental illness is WAY OVER-DIAGNOSED in this and other Western countries. What the hell happened to being a parent? To my knowledge they have not synthesized a pill for that yet.......but im sure they're on it.

reply to post by Remixtup


I think it is misdiagnosed, not over diagnosed. As many many people are walking around who really need treatment. But yes, you do have the case of hyperactive children who have parents who have too or decide to work who can't deal with them. But under normal village settings where they have space and plenty of friends and family to watch them, they are normal children.

reply to post by Remixtup


Well unless you have a mental disorder you could never really understand. I dont think they are over diagnosed but misdiagnosed....


To the OP~ I myself am bi-polar/manic depressive with OCD tendencies. I do not take any medication and I stopped therapy. I felt they were masking the issue not helping it. Other problems manifested from my meds and psychiatrist. I now take natural remedies and completely changed a lot around me. I learned how to deal with it and it sounds silly but it really does help to count to 10 If I am having a manic episode (which I havent had in about a year) I meditate or do something I enjoy like read or watch a show I enjoy. For me it has helped. My Dr. really wanted me on my meds but I didnt like the side effects from them. They made me depressed not happy! I take valerian root to help my sleep, which I dont always use since it bothers my stomach but I do use it. I know many people who need to be on meds but for me finding other ways to deal with it was important. I didnt want to rely on something that I may not always have access to.

I was diagnosed schizoaffective bi-polar type with Borderline Personality Disorder in my early 20's.

I have been in more inpatient centers than I can count, seen upwards of 15 doctors and heavens knows how many therapists - and have had absolutely NO help outside of perscription medications for my experiences.

An average inpatient stay of one week runs about $7000 for little more than what feels like a throwback to Kindergarden. It's insane and ridiculous.

The past five years I've noticed an increasing trend in lumping mental patients in with drug addicts and the "therapy" is nothing more than "so, how do you feel today?" and then television, old magazines and other trivial distractions.

I honestly don't know how I'm suppossed to learn any coping skills by painting a birdhouse.

My current therapist treats our $100 an hours sessions as nothing more than a social hour, and she frequently eats her lunch during the session.

I can't afford an alternative.

Tough subject. My own course started in my pre-teens. Actually I was exhibiting signs of serious depression for as long as I can remember. When puberty hit, things went pretty haywire. At the time most didn't seem to think what I exhibited were psychological difficulties but simply behavior problems, at least what they noticed. At around the age of 26 what I had been able to cover up for years came loose and it was a long way down. Years of misdiagnoses and prescribed medications that didn't work since they really didn't know what the problem was lead to self-therapy and finally research on my own that lead to a more appropriate diagnosis and a doctor who listened, thankfully, along with a lot of what I would call personal work finally helped get me back from where I was.

In my case the facts are that personal effort made all the difference in my recovery, BUT, I wasn't able to make those efforts until I had proper medications. Medications serve one purpose and that is to help correct chemical imbalances. These imbalances cause the brain to function differently and so simply telling someone with these issues to cope better or just get over it is not only USELESS but also HARMFUL. I know because I heard it enough.

To those who advocate 'natural' therapies, I'm with you too. It works. For some. My own doctor recommended at one point that I try buttermilk and fish oil (Seriously, there is research to back it up). But gagging down a glass of something that tasted vaguely like cottage cheese and six pills the size of chihuahua testicles wasn't for me. I know what you may be thinking, they don't seem that big until you try to swallow them whole. No questions please

My personal work stemmed from my sense of spirituality. One cultivated despite my church going, bible thumping, guilt laden upbringing. One based on personal knowledge and experience. And I found it vital. And I didn't/don't need a church, a book, a federally recognized faith, a particular prayer, song or symbol. The only thing needed is to find the way I best understand and appreciate the world/universe around me. That's how I got in touch with God/Spirit/Creation. Without that, I wouldn't be typing this now. But don't take my word for it. I'm crazy, right?

Best to all of you and to myself as we make our way.

To GENERAL EYES: I'm separating this as another post so that if you don't read the above, you might pick this up and hopefully find something helpful.

I understand your distress. I had a variety of therapists and found most of them useless to my recovery. Why? I don't like being patronized, I don't like being talked down to and perhaps I'm too smart for my own good.

I'd like to encourage you to talk to your current therapist and express your issues, or seek another therapist. I'd recommend talking first and if she gives you any crap about it, walk out (I've had to do it). It's your time, your mind that needs caring for, not her ego. I understand it may be very stressful to even consider, but my main reason for believing that talking to her is the best first step is that it may help overcome what can become a pattern.

I have that pattern. Sometimes still. I'm easily intimidated by figures of authority. Perhaps you aren't, I'm just working to relate. But if you do, remember you have a right to speak your mind and get the best effort your money is paying for.

If I sound harsh, it's only from my experiences. Likely she'll be understanding and work towards molding the sessions to fit your needs. And if she isn't there are others who will.

Having said that, there's something anyone seeking therapy should keep in mind, that it is a two-way street. A therapist's job is, as best it can be described, to help the individual pinpoint core issues that may have lead to patterns of behavior in our life. Otherwise, they can only offer suggestions on possible coping skills. The rest is up to us. That means being honest and forthright, if not with them then with ourselves.

Truth is, when it comes to the 'work' to be done, it's ours to do, no one else can do it for us. Not a doctor nor a therapist. And we, each and every one of us, has an undeniable right to feel good about who are. We deserve to feel better. I found that an important revelation.

Depression and paranoia here:

I've overcome these by thinking positively and living positively.

It was a hard journey, but i've come from being homeless, jobless and suicidal to happy, care free and loving life.

I recently achieved a dsitinction and then a merit in my musical studies and now with that behind me - i love the challenge of life. I crawled my way out of my dark place and now bathe in the sunlight that freely shines upon us all.

For me it's perspective and outlook.

If anyone suffers from depression feel free to u2u me as i know how difficult life can be.

One love

MR L

I suffered from depression for many years and it got worse as I got older. I finally broke down when I was about 37 years old and went on antidepressants and was on them for 7 years.

Then I found out while doing research that most of the time, depression is caused by toxins in the food and the absence of proper nutrition that the brain needs to be healthy.

Since I wasn't into cooking, most of my diet consisted of microwaveable meals, easy processed foods or fast food and restaurant food. So I cleaned up my diet, switched to organic and natural foods, tossed out all the processed toxic junk, microwave meals (and the microwave) and learned how to cook and prepare REAL food.

It totally changed my life. I was able to get off the medication and although it has left some permanent damage, I'm now healthy and no longer suffer from depression (unless I eat processed food at someone else's house or restaurant food... then it returns temporarily but goes away after a few days).

So in my opinion, depression is a scam. Not necessarily all mental illness but generalized anxiety disorder and depression is a scam. It's an assault on society that really shouldn't be tolerated. But most people prefer to believe their doctor and what they hear on TV and take the meds and keep eating the toxic junk that causes their illness in the first place. MSG is in over 90% of foods in the supermarket and it's not advertised on the label... it's hidden in other ingredients such as 'yeast extract' and 'spices'.

I learned how to read the labels and avoid the food that causes depression and anxiety. Even Whole Foods Market carries these toxic foods so you really have to learn how to read the labels. I even took the time to learn about GMO ingredients and what items to stay away from... canola oil is genetically modified and should be avoided at all costs. There's plenty of other items that contain GMO ingredients that should always be avoided. I keep my Non-GMO shopping guide with me all the time until I have memorized it.

Even products like soaps, shampoos and deodorants contain neurotoxins that cause brain damage. I ditched all that stuff and switched to non-toxic, eco-friendly products. Even my hair and skin look much healthier now.

The best thing is to educate yourself and just learn how to live healthy.

Good luck to everyone.

Thanks for all of your comments. A healthy diet I agree is a must when it comes to a Well balanced mind and a a healthy balanced life. Alcohol is the biggest leading cause of depressive disorders.

Thanks for your honest opinions on therapy and experiences. It would do to move on to another therapist if its of little use in treatment.

Meditation and Spiritual self help groups are a bonus in working through issues, as well as personal growth and self discovery.

Medication I think is up to the individual, be informed as much as you can in the pros and cons of all medical treatments. Having a medical Dr who you can talk to as well is of optimum choice. Good Luck!






[edit on 20-9-2009 by catalyst2466]

reply to post by mblahnikluver


Then your doctor didn't prescribe you the right medications. I have several family members with bipolar disorder. It is not uncommon for the bpers to go off medications saying that they are not helping. And they usually end up divorced and losing their shirts and families.

Many doctors are inept at medicating bpd. And it can take YEARS to get the right cocktail.

There are also different levels of bp. There are those who have it slightly and can compensate, to those who are on outright disability and can't even drive without attacks.

So suggesting that herbal medicines may be the only answer for someone with such a serious disorder is just downright dangerous. Because an unmedicated bper is very dangerous. I know, I have about 10k in legal bills saying so.

But no matter what, I do agree that healthy diet and exercise is imperative. But it is hard to convince someone with mental illness to take care of themselves.

reply to post by TravelerintheDark


I am laugning about the chihuahua testickles. My husband tried to the fish oil supplement thing. And not only did he gag them down but ended up with fish burps. So he quit taking it. Not that I blame them. He has enough digestive issues without fish burps.

reply to post by nixie_nox


You can get more quality supplements that don't have that side effect. One of the better fish oil supplements is Krill Oil. The pills are tiny (not horse pills) and they have more of the omegas than the others. I get them at Whole Foods Market.

Also keep in mind that taking supplements while consuming a bad diet may limit the effects of the supplement. It's like eating fresh veggies and then drinking arsenic. You might be getting your veggies but you're still gonna die. You really have to change your whole diet... not just pieces of it.

Another thing I found is that processed foods cause stomach upset. Your body cannot digest the chemicals. People then listen to the doctors advice and take really bad meds like Prilosec or Pepsid and they don't realize that those drugs cause the body to stop producing acid in the stomach when you actually need your stomach acids to digest food. No acid to digest food means the food rots in your stomach and then you get ulcers and much worse problems then you started with.

So it's much better to just eliminate the toxins and let your body operate like it's supposed to.

Sorry to get off topic.

Some of what passes for mental illness is the result of thyroid problems and brain tumours. Niether condition is improved by antidepressants and psychiatric drugs; in fact people with those conditions become much worse off when treated with antidepressants and psychiatric drugs. Thyroid problems are on the increase because of environmental contaminants (bad food, bad water, bad air, bad soil). Giving people with muddy thinking the wrong medicine is worse than giving no medicine at all.

I can add my ten cents to this discussion. I am diagnosed bipolar 1 and ADHD. Without meds for both I cannot function propperly. It was years before I got my current doctor who is the best doctor I have ever had. Virtually all of my other mental health experiences have been bad or worse because I have found that most agencies treat me like some sort of baby.

I now get treatment that is grownup and respective of my 137 iq. To date I can say that I must have very strong meds in order to function because I get major depression every day. I am also an ultra fast cycler, cycling 5 times a day on bad days. This causes so much brain damage that I must have the medicine to prevent me from becoming a vegetable.

reply to post by nixie_nox


"But it is hard to convince someone with mental illness to take care of themselves. "

It is hard to get a LOT of people to "take care of themselves", not just people with a mental illness. I have been diagnosed with everything from Borderline Personality, (as a rebellious teenager in the early 80's) to the most recent, BPD. I was SEVERELY abused as a child....beatings til I lost control of my bodily functions, daily ridicule, being burned with cigs, sexually abused....you name it...both my brother and I were diagnosed with some kind of "mental illness"at some times in our lives. I cannot speak for my brother because he is dead now (he died at age 38 from mixing alcohol with his BP medication...but sometimes I think he MEANT to do this to escape...), but I can say that I may have my weird times at certain points in my life, but I am certainly not CRAZY and in need of constant medication. I am the result of my upbringing. The mental health "community", in my opinion, is all about the almighty dollar and keeping people "hooked" on themselves and their illness. Am I completely "normal? (what IS that exactly?) probably not....after my hysterectomy in 2005, I have had to be hospitalized very year since...is it because I am "crazy?" (I was diagnoses with a "mental illness" for the 1st time at age 16 and never had a "breakdown" or had to be hospitalized until I started to have GYN surgeries at age 32) or could it be that I have a hormone imbalance now and THAT might be the reason why I can no longer "handle" myself like I used to, (to this day, because of the lingering endometrial implants in my body, I cannot take the dosage of estrogen I need to maintain "sanity")....I may NEVER know the true answer to my question...but I CAN guarantee that I do NOT need an overpaid doctor who never saw any of the things I have seen or experienced being beaten by the person who is supposed to NURTURE them tell ME that I need to take this over-priced, WORTHLESS medication, (with TONS of side-effects) to be "better" and to attend "therapy" sessions where all that is accomplished is that the doctor looks at his or her watch every 15 minutes and then charges FOR THAT PRIVILEGE! (sorry, I get a little passionate about this subject at times).
Just to be clear, I hold a job in medicine (give eye exams) and have been married to the same man for 10 years now....ALL without medication or expensive therapy. When I DO get those, I seem to get worse and NOT be myself AT ALL.....

(pant, pant...whew, got THAT off my chest....)

Peace, Ya'll d(-_-)b

reply to post by catalyst2466


Oh please.....

Mental illness is nothing but a form of a made up condition, made up by doctors (some of them are not real medical doctors) for there pharmaceutical drugs and we as a society being there guinea pigs.
As it stands now, everyone - everyone has a serious mental health condition. There is also a mental health drug to help with the symptoms of that made up mental health condition. No cures for if there was a cure they could not sell more of there drugs to society.
If we all bowed down to the mental health world we would still be in the early part of the 1900's seeing patients in the mental health wards for nothing more then pms. By the way that really did happen. At one point in America's history they put orphans in asylums as well. They had no where else for these children to go, look it up all American history. Horrible dreadful things happened in these mental wards (asylums), though there are laws now, but abuse and violence still goes on to day by the same people who are supposed to help and take care of the so called mentally unhealthy.

As it stands now, who does not have some kind of mind altering drug in there home?? Legal or illegal?? These drugs are as common as the coffee we drink in the morning. As common as the "health" drink we buy by the truck loads.....

We are such a drug induced society no wonder there are so many "serious" mental health conditions today...... your smart, well here is a pill to make you "normal", you have problems having sex, here is a pill. You don't conform to societies made up rules here is a pill so and and so on.

So , since the door was open - what is your diagnoses??

I smell someone trying to manipulate the so called "mentally ill" people here.

I am sorry that you feel this way, and I am certainly not trying to manipulate anything, I am only saying that there are many people who do use medication for what ever condition they have and some don't at all but still need to have some sort of therapy or help with they're problems.

This is a very touchy subject, i can understand that. I am someone who has gone through the whole deal of mental illness, in fact I am lucky to be alive today. So PLEASE - do not place your anger of (I'm not sure what in this case)! I take medication myself, without it, I wouldn't be able to cope like "Normal People". Even then I still have my moments.

This whole thread was just to talk and spread awareness, and that goes both ways whether you take medication or not. It is to share and speak of what your experiences are in an Open and Careing and "Non Hostile" manner. May you find peace within.

Originally posted by mcgrower
Oh please.....

Mental illness is nothing but a form of a made up condition, made up by doctors (some of them are not real medical doctors) for there pharmaceutical drugs and we as a society being there guinea pigs.

This is simply one of the most ignorant posts I've read in a while. And in the true spirit of this site I can point to one simple reason why this makes zero sense.

Mental illness is not a modern invention. The mentally ill have been recognized in one form or another by every culture we have record of. How they were perceived and their value are what has largely changed.

Personally, being one of the 'guinea pigs' you refer to I can say that I find your post to be grossly insensitive and largely uninformed opinion, which is fine, but maybe you should try getting of your horse and walking a mile in my shoes or someone like me before making such judgments.

Furthermore, the largest population trying to 'manipulate' the mentally ill are those who proclaim the entire idea is simply a 'fantasy'. I've heard that garbage from people most of my life. Which is ridiculous because the argument is mostly self-defeating not only to the problem, but to to my self-esteem.

The fact is not everyone needs medication, but there are those who do. Some need it temporarily, some for a lifetime. Some simply need therapy (i.e. someone to talk to), some benefit from dietary changes. I fit into most of the above. The point being, not everyone is the same, not every problem is the same. We all have our path and should be free to choose what works for us without the disgruntled judgments of the embittered.

My apologies for the tirade, but I have little patience anymore for this type of attitude.