Mental Health?

[TeenageAngst]

Everyone has mental health problems. There are no normal people.

Except for me, I've never been diagnosed with anything. Mostly because I haven't ever seen a therapist or psychologist. Someone profits if you get a prescription, so I've never really been able to trust that.

That's my #1 reason for refusing psychiatric care. I can't trust those quacks any further than I can throw them. They get special perks in the form of anything from lunches and office supplies to vacations and cruises from the drug companies in exchange for peddling their miracle pill du jour. The reason is the drug companies spend millions sometimes hundreds of millions developing these pills and they need to make sure there's a market. And the doctors know if they play ball they're gonna keep getting kickbacks. So then you have mass misdiagnosis, huge numbers of people of psychotropic medication, and the side effects and addictions just pile up.

Another problem is the diagnosis removes the incentive for the individual to improve themselves. Sometimes mental illness is incurable (chemical imbalance), sometimes it's temporary (PTSD or substance withdrawal), and sometimes it's not illness at all but just a natural reaction to what's going on in your life (my namesake). Regardless there's almost always steps a person can take outside of medication to improve or control their symptoms. However, once you have that diagnosis this suddenly goes out the window in the minds of some patients. It's not your fault you have depression, so why should you have to try to change who you are? OTHER people should accommodate YOU! It's seen time and again in the physically disabled/ailing and the same thing happens with some people who are clinically diagnosed with mental illness, regardless of the caliber. Hell, it happened to my dad who's both.

So yeah, I don't wanna be a part of any of that. Once the psychiatrists in America clean up their act and stop peddling snake oil and kerosine and calling it a medical practice, and maybe after a few formal apologies on the part of whatever group writes the DSM, I'll start taking it seriously as a branch of medicine. In the meantime I have tried and true medications that work wonders when I need them. I call it tylenol for the soul.

[zarya]

I have/had really, really bad depression. I went on antidepressant meds - an overdose - and became worse, after getting off other SSRIs that did nothing. And schizoaffective, oh Jesus. I don't really trust psychiatrists anymore other than to get benzos once in a while. Seriously, fuck SSRIs with a stick - I almost died a few times undergoing paroxetine treatment. Stomach problems, convulsions, hallucinations -- the whole deal. They killed my memory, my personality, anything. At least, with benzos, those help for sure when I have psychotic, dissociative, or panic-attack episodes - though benzos are really, really addictive, and I nearly started hasving WD symptoms at one point.

Depression episodes were/are really really long, grueling, and intense. I figured at some points, I just totally lost my mind. Psychotic episodes are not fun. Everyone knows how panic attacks are. Overall, I lost a ton of friends online because of it. "You're pushing me away" or "pretend to be happy at least" or some BS like that. Sigh.

People really hate you if you have depression. I get a lot of cold shoulder. "Friends", family, what have you - my parents don't really believe depression exists. I had a panic attack recently, in front of them, they told me to stop having a temper tantrum. My father says to man up about my issues, because everyone has them. Oh, God, how the lack of support will really drive you insane.

Depression is a dark, dark illness, and I loathe to see how misunderstood it is. It hurts to see. Of course, people will feel powerless - but so is the depressed one. They can only do so much to "help themselves" - while perhaps overdiagnosed, it's clearly a real thing.

But I did some things that really really helped me recently, and I've felt really good. Wonder to see how that'll go.

[BlissfulOblivion]

Everyone has mental health problems. There are no normal people.

Yes and no? Yes, everyone has some psychological issue, that's just the way life is; but not everyone has a diagnosable neurochemical imbalance which is kind of what mental illness is. With some exceptions. Like PTSD.

I'm not going to run up to someone and go "lol hi im biPolurz", but I don't give a shit if someone asks. It's just a facet of my life, like anything else. A fucking annoying one, but it's one I have to live with, nonetheless, so why shame myself for it?

Uhm... of course not? I didn't mean that I do that? Just that I don't actively hide it? Because most of the people I talk to do. That's all I meant.

[Gamedog]

Everyone has mental health problems. There are no normal people.

Except for me, I've never been diagnosed with anything. Mostly because I haven't ever seen a therapist or psychologist. Someone profits if you get a prescription, so I've never really been able to trust that.

If "normal" means someone without mental health issues, how does one qualify for being abnormal? Do the people who self-diagnose themselves with all sorts of yooneek, speshul snowflake disorders count? Or are they normal because they don't actually have those disorders?
Do you have to be diagnosed by a professional to be considered abnormal? If that is the case, we abnormal people are probably in the minority.

[Ruggy]

Yes and no? Yes, everyone has some psychological issue, that's just the way life is; but not everyone has a diagnosable neurochemical imbalance which is kind of what mental illness is. With some exceptions. Like PTSD.

And even if it is something like PTSD, without a source in some sort of neurochemical disorder, that doesn't mean it doesn't have a disruptive effect on your life. Whether your problem is effed brain chemistry or you can't stop reliving something horrible, if it affects the way you function, it's a problem nonetheless. And only the person experiencing something can really judge how bad it is for them.

Though I would advocate for trying to learn non-chemical coping methods, even if you do have a brain-situation that requires chemical intervention. You never know when insurance is going to screw you over, or the pharmacy's decided you've had too many of something this month and won't fill your script for a week.

[TheLexicon]

I find that I'm the most creative in regards to mental illness when I'm deeply entrenched in a borderline-masochistic sense of self-loathing. The kind where you would thank someone for coming in and unloading a shotgun on you, because you "deserve it." It's when ideas flow into execution the best, and I'm at the peak of my creativity.

I tried venting my own masochistic feelings into writing once. By the time I finished my first draft, I was so disgusted with myself for being such a bad writer I didn't bother trying to polish the piece of shit. I just can't pour my own feelings into a story as I'm writing it, I can't write or create anything founded on emotions. But to each their own, I guess.

[wwretched]

Everyone has mental health problems. There are no normal people.

Except for me, I've never been diagnosed with anything. Mostly because I haven't ever seen a therapist or psychologist. Someone profits if you get a prescription, so I've never really been able to trust that.

I feel you on that. I once went to a psychiatrist who had a prescription filled out before I even walked in the door. There's some shady as fuck people out there, but there's also some good people. Honestly if you do your research you might be able to find someone who will work out well for you! I kind of got lucky with my current psychiatrist because he's also my family doctor and has been treating my family for about 20 years now. But not everyone out there is looking for a paycheck, so just try to keep an open mind if you really think you have something? Of course, if you don't think you have any disorders or such then there's really no need to go and seek help but just know that not everyone's an asshole.

[AineCleine]

After reading some posts in here I feel quite lucky of not suffering any sort of mental disorder. Quite glad to read many could overcome some of them and many are dealing with them in some sort of way. Good work guys.

I only tend to speak alone at times, like some sort of reflex after thinking too much about something... ah, an a short memory. Can get distracted by anything and forget stuff really easily. I don´t think any of this are worth a check, *sigh* no one is normal.

[Vae]

I remember when a previous doctor had me on 1000mg of Depakote, and it fucked my shit up. Couldn't sleep for an actual, full week. Kept having hallucinations. Kept having cold sweats. Everything was spinning and making me sick. I was having heart palpitations. I literally thought I was going to die.

And then I brought this up with him, and he wanted to put me on double the dose, instead.
Yeahno. I got a different doctor real quick after that.

I think Depakote also fucked me up in regards to school, because I was given it when I was first diagnosed, and I couldn't do anything except sleep constantly, which led to me missing a lot of school because I just could not wake up enough to do it.

Uhm... of course not? I didn't mean that I do that? Just that I don't actively hide it? Because most of the people I talk to do. That's all I meant.

I wasn't implying that you did. I was just agreeing with you.
Because there are a lot of people out there who think that, if you're open about a mental disorder, that you're also faking it and / or running around trying to get attention from it.
And I was just making that distinction.

[BlissfulOblivion]

I wasn't implying that you did. I was just agreeing with you.
Because there are a lot of people out there who think that, if you're open about a mental disorder, that you're also faking it and / or running around trying to get attention from it.
And I was just making that distinction.

ohhhohohohohohohoh okay okay sorry :u
Yeah :c I know one who thinks that. Ironically she thinks so because she has some narcissistic personality type disorder and thinks I'm doing it to get her attention :c It sucks.