Mental Illness

[Andrew, Jr.]

Bringchange2mind.org is a website that is being endorsed by Glenn Close. Her sister was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in her 40's. Glenn Close is also producing psa's for tv, radio, and the print media. One of the statistics being said is that 1 in 6 people are mentally ill. I had no idea.

I thought this thread would be a great place to talk about mental illness.

Namaste,
Andrew

[Darth Denkay]

Hi Andrew,

I must say, I am a bit curious about your motivation to start this thread. From your post I can't tell what experience you have with mental illness - if any. For people who live with mental illness - themselves, with those they love, or in their line of work, it is a very personal thing, and not one which is necessarily easy to talk about. It's a discussion that needs to feel very safe. How do you conceptualize this thread?

Respectfully,

Wicket

Originally Posted by Andrew, Jr.

Bringchange2mind.org is a website that is being endorsed by Glenn Close. Her sister was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in her 40's. Glenn Close is also producing psa's for tv, radio, and the print media. One of the statistics being said is that 1 in 6 people are mentally ill. I had no idea.

I thought this thread would be a great place to talk about mental illness.

Namaste,
Andrew

[Andrew, Jr.]

I just saw some of the psa's that Glenn Close and her sister, Jessica (sp?) had done. I was very moved by them. Nobody should be ashamed of whatever it is they suffer from. The negative stigma should and needs to stop.

My motive really is to bring compassion to those who are suffering, and for those who care for those who are mentally ill. There is a guy at my Church who is close to 60 yo, and is Autistic, and Schizophrenic. He lives in a small apartment that the Church pays for. His family is all dead, and have left him with nothing (money, land, cars, etc.). There is a group of members who go and cook meals for him and clean his apartment, take him to the doctors, dentist, buy him clothes, and help him survive. Without anyone helping him, he would be homeless or dead.

Mental illness is personal. It is just something I feel strongly about. Anyone can join this thread. Nobody is holding a gun to anyone's head. I just thought it would be a connection for those of us in the bf community.

I think that pretty much summs up my motive. It is all about being accountable for our fellow human beings.

[friskyfemme]

I work with persons with physical, emotional,and mental disabilities. We, as a society, tend to turn away, ignore, or belittle those who represent our own fears. Those fears include: not be able to provide and protect for ouselves and our love ones, dying, and feeling that no one else knows or cares to know that we are suffering in some way. However, the truth is that most of us do care and would offer support and comfort to those who are suffering. We just need to get beyond our fears. The best way to reduce and/or eliminate fear is knowledge. Knowledge is gained by educating ourselves and others by sharing information, experiences, and expressing our feelings.
I have family members with ADHD, AAHD, Schizophernia, and Bipolar. I understand the reservations people have talking about these subjects but it is very helpful for everyone.

[Andrew, Jr.]

I have neurological disorders from a head injury since infancy. I am very slow. My biological family is ashamed of me because of this. All of my siblings are successful in my parents eyes. I am a disappointment. I can barely read and write, and am close to 50 yo. Instead of finding goodness in the qualities I have, they just find my faults.

Same goes with online people too. They have no clue as to what it is to walk in my shoes. I think if they could see me, and spend time with me, they would understand. I am harmless, and am a good person. I have never meant anything evil or nasty towards anyone. Ask Linus. I met him last month to smoke a cigar at Cross Street Cigar Shop then to Rope Walk for dinner. I had a ball!

What is in my mind never comes out. It is trapped. What you read and see, is just an ounce of my being.

[BellaOctober1]

This is going to sound twilight zone, but I have 2 sisters who both have severe personality disorders and have been diagnosed as bipolar.

Our Mother had severe problems, but back then there were too many labels cociety placed on women who asked for help, so she was never officially diagnosed. I am the oldest of us three sisters, and I can look back and easily say my mother had some major mental problems.

I heard about Glen Close and her sister through the media. She also has a site on Facebook. I take any opportunity I can to learn about Bipolar. I've had a real problem with patience, for both sisters, for any length of time, and I'd like to change that through understanding.

[Andrew, Jr.]

There are many famous celebrities who have mental illnesses. Let me list some:

President Abe Lincoln - Depression

Virginia Woolf - Depression

Lionel Aldridge - Greenbay Packers Player in the 60's and 70's & played in 2 Super Bowls - Paranoid Schizophrenia; Was homeless for over 2 years;

Ernest Hemmingway - Clinical Depression & Suicided

Sylvia Plath - Clinical Depression

Jimmy Piersall - Boston Red Socks player - Bipolar

Patty Duke - Manic Depression


Mental illness can happen to anyone at any time. And nobody is an island. As much as some would like to think this, it is not true.

[Apocalipstic]

I have struggled with clinical depression my whole life. Also, I have been diagnosed recently as having some neurological differences. Thank you for this thread Andrew!!

The holidays are always when I have the most difficult time. My routines are all disrupted and I have to deal with situations I would just rather avoid. Way more social interaction than I enjoy.

Thank you Kayden for saying that some people may not want to discuss.
I think its important for those of us who are past all that to come on out and talk about these difficult issues so it does not seem so scary. I wish when I was younger someone other than just poor Patty Duke would have spoken out

[Andrew, Jr.]

Apocalystic,

I have a head injury since infancy called tbi (traumatic brain injury = neurologist's term). That injury has lead to major neurological issues for me, and the after-effects including seizures, migrains, and depression. Nothing will ever change it. It is very isolating. What happens in real time is not what happens online. We spoke years ago about our situations, and we both know the pit of hell we are in. I have no other words to describe it other than that.

Have you seen any of the psa's Glen Close has done? They just bring tears to my eyes. I love them all. Look them up at...utube or whatever that site is that everyone goes too. One of the reasons Glen Close is participating in the psa's is because not too many celebrities are outting themselves in the mental illness areana. The stigma is too great (negative). It shouldn't be.

Love,
Andrew

[Darth Denkay]

Hi Friskyfemme,

I may be reading too much into this, but I wondered if you read my post as implying that I don't think it's okay to talk about this stuff, which is definitely not the case. I will say when I read the original post the tone didn't really sound serious to me, in my mind it came across more like a fluffy topic. When Andrew shared in the third post his/her own personal experiences that made a very big difference for me, changed the tone of the thread.

Believe me, I very much value talking, sharing regarding mental illness. I think I deal with it in about every possible way that I could. I live with clinical depression, diagnosed 21 years, and likely a life-time anti-depressant taker. I manage it well, medication always, therapy when needed. My mother also lives with depression, also well managed. My partner struggles with depression. And I work as a therapist (soon-to-be-psychologist. You are absolutely right - society does tend to ignore folks with any sort of disability - I think it's generally seen as a personal weakness. In particular I don't think some people take mental illness seriously - we could get over it if we really tried. We need safe places to share with other folks who get us and support us, and threads like this can certainly provide that.

-Wicket

Originally Posted by friskyfemme

I work with persons with physical, emotional,and mental disabilities. We, as a society, tend to turn away, ignore, or belittle those who represent our own fears. Those fears include: not be able to provide and protect for ouselves and our love ones, dying, and feeling that no one else knows or cares to know that we are suffering in some way. However, the truth is that most of us do care and would offer support and comfort to those who are suffering. We just need to get beyond our fears. The best way to reduce and/or eliminate fear is knowledge. Knowledge is gained by educating ourselves and others by sharing information, experiences, and expressing our feelings.
I have family members with ADHD, AAHD, Schizophernia, and Bipolar. I understand the reservations people have talking about these subjects but it is very helpful for everyone.

[Inuus]

I have worked in the mental health field for roughly 23 years. I have seen first hand how people with mental illness and/or mental challenges are treated. People with MI especially have stigmas and stereotypes others attach to their illnesses, making it often painful and difficult to talk about.
Education is the key so I am all for discussions on the subject, however I do understand why some do not feel comfortable with the topic.

[Andrew, Jr.]

Just for the record, I never belittle those who have mental illnesses. Never have and never will.

Andrew

[NotAnAverageGuy]

I am bi polar and OCD, have been suffering from it since I was 10 years old. Mine is genetic, most MI's are genetic or suddenly comes on when a trigger is hit.

Good topic Andrew

[Darth Denkay]

Andrew,

I definitely did not mean to imply that you have or do. This topic is really serious for me, as it seems to be for you as well. In your original post I was unable to discern your intention in starting the thread, your personal experiences, your vested interest in MI. I asked you to clarify and you did. I think what happened is what frequently happens in online discussions - from your words I was not able to interpret the tone of the thread. Therefore I asked for clarification, and you provided it. In my mind it was not an issue, you answered my question, all was good. This is a valuable thread; thank you for starting it.

-Wicket

Originally Posted by Andrew, Jr.

Just for the record, I never belittle those who have mental illnesses. Never have and never will.

Andrew

[Andrew, Jr.]

Thank you for explaining. I am not very good with concepts, and comprehension is not my strong suit.

Peace,
Andrew

[NotAnAverageGuy]

I have learned the best coping skill is writing, writing in journals, writing poetry and prose, etc helps.

[Andrew, Jr.]

Same for me. Writing is my best suit at times. Even then, what I am saying is misconstrued by "some" people.

I also have ocd very badly. I used to be a hoarder. My father has ocd, but his was with routines. Mine is with routines, counting, washing my hands, checking and rechecking things, opening and closing doors and locks, and so on and on. It gets to be very tiring. I worked with a therapist on this for years. And out of the blue one day I just stopped. I have no idea of why. It just happened. I had no reason to wash my hands, or put on lotion. Now, I still count, and check and recheck things. But it is no where near to what it used to be. Rosie has it very badly too. She is working on her's now. It is a struggle, but I know it too well.

[Inuus]

Thanks for everyone sharing their experiences

Last night I watched for the first time that show Hoarders on A&E. Very enlightening to me. I personally have had some interaction with a hoarder as a child. The family next door had a beautiful 1600's house that was in shambles because the father was a hoader. He just couldnt help himself. He would go to the local dump and take things home, things he never used or needed. Was hard for a child to understand. As an adult I have witnessed animal hoarding. Such a terrible disorder and painful to witness.

If anyone cares to share...if you are a hoarder how to do cope? If you get help and stop the hoarding how does one stay away from the compulsion again? Im genuinely asking for enlightenment not judgement

[Andrew, Jr.]

Personally speaking, mine started out when I was a young child. I too couldn't help it. I would save papers. I had papers upon papers upon papers. Now, mind you, I was super clean, but never neat. I was disorganized. The disorganization gave me comfort.

Washing my hands...omg. I would wash my hands repeatedly. I was terrified of germs. I hated sand but loved dirt. Go figure that one out because now I just love the beach.

To me, hoarding is the same as counting, checking, washing my hands, touching and the list just goes on and on.

I worked with a therapist on this. What triggers mine is stress, or if someone threatens me, it is like an alarm going off in my mind. I really couldn't get a handle on it until I was really settled on my own. Hoarding is a coping mechanism for someone who is dealing with dysfunction in some form or fashion imho. Until you deal with it, you will live it.

[Darth Denkay]

Hey, you're totally welcome. Communication online can be difficult for all of us. It's all good.

Originally Posted by Andrew, Jr.

Thank you for explaining. I am not very good with concepts, and comprehension is not my strong suit.

Peace,
Andrew