Mental Health Issues?

[HypnoticSlither]

HypnoticSliter your life sounds like mine.i hear all the hurt you carry.especially the betrayal.and why not be open,hopefully oneday i mat meet some of you and now you're all becoming family.some of you seem to understand me better than those physically close to me.

LOVE Y'ALL xxxxxxxxxxxx

as horrible it is to have a similar life like mine it is good to know there are others that KNOW what u go through. i guess the comfort of knowing ur not alone is touching. so thank you

 

[Recharge]

educations is all well and good, but acceptance that you have a biological mess up in your brain and you shouldn't breed is also something too many people don't think about.
sure, if it's something brought on by an incident, all well and good, but if you have a disorder that you have a "good" chance of passing on, adopt, don't be selfish and foster another (or several) generations with your mental issues.

this is not meant to be mean or pick on anyone what so ever, I just don't believe it's right to do so. and no, I don't have children, nor will I.

 

[HypnoticSlither]

educations is all well and good, but acceptance that you have a biological mess up in your brain and you shouldn't breed is also something too many people don't think about.
sure, if it's something brought on by an incident, all well and good, but if you have a disorder that you have a "good" chance of passing on, adopt, don't be selfish and foster another (or several) generations with your mental issues.

this is not meant to be mean or pick on anyone what so ever, I just don't believe it's right to do so. and no, I don't have children, nor will I.

i honestly think that it is a matter of opinion but as i have these illnesses well basicly i can not be a parent... i can not look after my self let alone a child. i guess that is why i surround my self by animals . as a women it hurts but i can not be selfish on the matter. last thing i want is to bring a child into the world because of my selfish need to. so i get what your saying.

 

[Torah]

I have bi-polar II ..but I guess im abit old school and think if you cant handle it , toughen up or shut up. My Dad however believes there is no such thing and im just a naughty kid lol... mehhh "yes dad "

 

[CrystalMoon]

I have bi-polar II ..but I guess im abit old school and think if you cant handle it , toughen up or shut up. My Dad however believes there is no such thing and im just a naughty kid lol... mehhh "yes dad "

I found bipolar more difficult to handle at specific times in my life eg; pubity, and pregnancy/breast feeding. There are also a variety of triggers that over the years
I have learned to read. It is important to know when to "toughen up" and when to grab help. I do feel it can be seen as a "trendy" disorder now(due to popular actors tv shows implementing it into shows/media)I also feel it can be easy to be misdiagnosed.

 

[Torah]

^ agreed !!!!!

 

[Snakewoman]

Thank you,all of you.i don't feel alone anymore in my confusion within.lost my dad when i was 5,in front of me,my mother was remarried in six months to a man who liked little girls.enough said about that.from that age on i was bought up to be 2 people,one for public - one for private.the past happened to the other maz,not this one.dissascoitate myself from it all...2 people.i obsses over things,don't like crowds,don't like strange males,don't like to be hugged or cuddled in greetings,i need to be in control,even as it is killing me.being intimate can at times be hard.left home only to be beaten by a man for 6yrs in the name of love.can't stand yelling,shouting or really loud noises.when anyone gets angry at me i go into grovelling for forgivness mode,i always take the blame,cover for my son and cry as if im gonna get whelped.Jason would never do that to me,but i can't help it.6yrs of it being beaten into you leaves an impression.
I have lost a husband/soulmate and that has changed me again,but you see that happened to the other maz,not me.i have sold my home which was freehold to go into the business world and that flopped.doesn't matter tho,it didn't happen to me.it happened to the other maz again.

That's horrible sookie, I hope things get better for you soon. I'm glad you and others are open on here, I always think its important to know what people have been through when you talk to them. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Bluetongue1]

A few thoughts

I remain to be convinced it is as simple as toughen up or shut up. In fact I know it is not! There are times when you have a measure of control over what you do and where life takes you. However, it is the very nature of mental illness to rob you of that self control when the disease is running rife. This is the reason for my earlier advice of seeking assistance. If it means you have to take a dozen pill per day to be back in the driver’s seat then all I can say is to me its not a choice, it’s a no brainer. Seek and utilise whatever assistance / help is available. Yes, I know, it isn’t that easy or straight forward. There is an element of luck involved as to whether you get a doctor who is on the right wavelength. All I can say is don’t stop. Try someone else. Get in touch with a support group and ask for a referral from them. Do your own diagnosing on the net – it might turn up something useful.

That is only one aspect. We each develop our own strategies to cope. If we didn’t we probably would not still be here. I see a lot of good in discussing those strategies with others in a similar situation. Knowing you are not alone - that the nightmare is just as real for someone else. Perhaps even being able to pinch part of their strategies. There is also a healing force that comes with being able to purge your soul of these terrible dark secrets that you carried around for so long.

Of all the health issues mentioned I will say that the betrayal of trust by those whom you should have most trust in, tears at my heart strings. The trauma caused to one so vulnerable at a critical formative age simply cannot be measured. I don’t know whether to be filled with rage or let the tears flow. That one human being can deliberately dismantle the opportunity for a normal life in another human being, for their own selfish gratification is inexcusable. Such people are an abomination on this earth.

For myself, where I have had traumas, they may take some considerable time to come to terms with. I don’t deny there existence and I allow myself to feel sad when I think back on them. But I also look for the positives before or after. I don’t try and explain it – it’s just random chance. It happened. Bad luck. But it is in the past. My coping strategy is simple enough: I am where I am and today is the first day of the rest of my life. What am I going to do with it and what general direction can I head my life in. I don’t go through that verbatim every morning but I do say to myself how should I best use today.

Blue

 

[Snake_Whisperer]

I have bi-polar II ..but I guess im abit old school and think if you cant handle it , toughen up or shut up. My Dad however believes there is no such thing and im just a naughty kid lol... mehhh "yes dad "

Wow, I thought I was done with this thread but this requires a response.

I have seen a lot of downright moronic advice given on this site over the years but this is perhaps the worst thing I have seen to date. To the poster of this nonsense I offer the following:

"Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt." -Abraham Linclon

My 25 year old cousin had severe bi-polar disorder, and had been in and out of mental health institutions since her mid to late teens. This past Christmas holidays, she used her day pass from the hospital, went to a local bridge, and took her own life.

Christmas 2009, my wife's uncle, also diagnosed with severe bi-polar disorder, also took his life.

If you have mental health issues, "toughening up" is not often an option. Seek help because it is out there! You are never truly alone and help is never more than a phone call away. Gone are the days in which the stigma surrounding mental health issues prevented people from seeking assistance. There are a myriad of organisations available to you cope when you struggle to cope by yourself. beyondblue: the national depression initiative is a great place to look if you are having trouble with depression. A quick Google search will reveal a host of support groups in your area and I can say from first hand experience, they can be a life saver. I was rapidly nearing the end of my rope when I discovered a support group for Asperger's and I shudder to think where I'd be if I had not found them. For myself, I was always the "just get over it" type until I found myself in that other person's shoes. Help, support, and acceptance are available to you 24 hours a day, even when you feel like you are the only person on earth. Those who've battled severe depression will know exactly what I mean by that.

For the love ov Jeebus, if life is too hard to cope with, get help! You do not ever have to be alone in mental illness!

 

[Wild~Touch]

Please ... Search & Find this book, it is invaluable, read it and share it around with close people in your life.

Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder

Authors: Julie A.Fast and John Preston, PsyD

 

[Snakewoman]

Thank you for that snake_whisperer, my mother, brother and myself all suffer from mental illness, my mother has been on medication for depression for years, the first time she crashed it was horrible. Every time the phone rang she had a panic attack, she had her mobile turned off which was not like her at all, she loves talking to her friends. She's usually a very bright and bubbly person, and to see her in that condition was not good. She was unable to work for about a year and if it weren't for our kind friends we wouldn't have had anything to eat, I remember one day all there was in the house to eat was one little can of tuna.

Medication helped a lot, and when she felt better she told us that if she didn't have children that she probably would have taken her life. Her medication was recently increased, and her doctor has given her 2 weeks off work, this is the worst she's been for a long time, but thankfully not as bad as a few years ago. There are many ignorant people who think you can 'toughen up' or just think about happy things and it'll make you all better. People such as these don't realise how much damage they can do by saying those things, and unless they end up going through depression themselves, they will never get it. The best advice I can give to people is if they don't know much about depression, go and educate yourself. Its not as simple to get out of as people think, and it should not be viewed as attention seeking behaviour either.

 

[Retta4jungles]

For over ten years now i have suffered depression and severe panic attacks, the first attacks and depression were after i lost my son at birth, i could not leave the house, would pass out at the thought of having someone come to my house and if they did i would shut the door infront of their faces and walk away without a word, at first i was told that this would go away i was just upset. IT DIDNT. I was made to feel like i was a sook and that i should just get over it, im not sure how i dealt with the first lot i think i honestly just blocked out that part of my life with what ever drug i could get my hands on. I have had other problems with this through out the last few years and was offered anti depressants, since i had just kicked one addiction i was not prepared to get addicted to another, obviously it has been a struggle with out them but no where near as bad as what i had encountered over the last six months. I was unable to work, look after my child and have a life, the constant fear of having attacks wore on me very quickly, the depression started accompanied by OCD(such a wonderful little problem) I had to rely on others to drive which was an issue as others driving gave me attacks as well, I tried the toughen up theory with disastrous results, tried therapy which i think i was so desperate for something to work that i actually thought i was working for a while, then was rudely informed by my head that it was not! Finally i could not take it, i was constantly scared constantly crying and totally useless to my 10 year old daughter i had gotten sick of being told that i was a sook, so i tried the DRUGS!!!!

It was ugly, i became even more depressed, was useless to my child and partner and my job, the attacks however did subside but only for a little while, i resigned myself to thinking that it was better to feel nothing at all and i mean nothing no highs no lows than to feel scared all the time. On top of this i had been seeing a naturopath who gave me so many tonics and pills i quite literally needed a book to write down what where and when i was supposed to be taking all up i was popping thirty pills a day, and then there were the tonics. By then end of this what ever i would eat would be bak up in minutes and sleep was a thing of the past. About two months maybe a bit more ago i started going to see an accupuncture in Brisbane his name is chem, and was referred by a realative. I didnt at that time hold much hope in those sorts of things. With in two weeks i was drug free, panic free, side affect free. This man i owe my life to, i really didnt think i would last too much longer. It has been nearly three months now going once a week at fifty dollars a week, i even could not make it for a month at one time and still no problems, I was initially spending about 700 a month on visits to doctors and pills. This man saved my life and my family.. I now live a normal life can hold my job and take care of my family as a mother should do. I recommend anyone who has problems with anxiety, depression or disorders to go see him, he really is a miracle worker. If you would like his number feel free to PM or something i will happily hand it over.. Its such a small and simple task to have your life bak. I still cant believe it.

 

[CrystalMoon]

Wow, I thought I was done with this thread but this requires a response.

I have seen a lot of downright moronic advice given on this site over the years but this is perhaps the worst thing I have seen to date. To the poster of this nonsense I offer the following:



My 25 year old cousin had severe bi-polar disorder, and had been in and out of mental health institutions since her mid to late teens. This past Christmas holidays, she used her day pass from the hospital, went to a local bridge, and took her own life.

Christmas 2009, my wife's uncle, also diagnosed with severe bi-polar disorder, also took his life.

If you have mental health issues, "toughening up" is not often an option. Seek help because it is out there! You are never truly alone and help is never more than a phone call away. Gone are the days in which the stigma surrounding mental health issues prevented people from seeking assistance. There are a myriad of organisations available to you cope when you struggle to cope by yourself. beyondblue: the national depression initiative is a great place to look if you are having trouble with depression. A quick Google search will reveal a host of support groups in your area and I can say from first hand experience, they can be a life saver. I was rapidly nearing the end of my rope when I discovered a support group for Asperger's and I shudder to think where I'd be if I had not found them. For myself, I was always the "just get over it" type until I found myself in that other person's shoes. Help, support, and acceptance are available to you 24 hours a day, even when you feel like you are the only person on earth. Those who've battled severe depression will know exactly what I mean by that.

For the love ov Jeebus, if life is too hard to cope with, get help! You do not ever have to be alone in mental illness!

I feel you may have taken Torah's post a little too abrasively, some sufferer's do try for years to take a "tuff"love approach to mental illness(note non supporting parent of poster)I am one of such products.....It was my Baby Brothers suicide that bought me to the point of asking for help, why not before? simple, I was led to believe I was just "queer" "odd" "tempremental" "moody" "difficult" "MENTAL" society has only really just begun to touch the surface of acceptance that there is such a thing as "mental" disorders. I have only, in the last year known that the very person who told me to "tuffen up"has himself a mental disorder and has suffered painfully for his whole life. He was of a different generation and that does have a huge impact on how they themselves bring up their suffering offspring. Is it right? HELL NO, but it is at least an insight to why it happens. I would advise any-one suffering even a suspected mental illness to go get any available help they can, it can mean life or death.
I do understand the depth of despair and depression and why suicide victims dont get help. A lot of society say they are selfish and weak........that can only be said by people who have NO concept where said victim's head was at. When a person is at there wits end, have hit what they perceive to be rock bottom, they no longer rationalize or have the ability to use "normal" reasoning skills. They are one big raw weeping wound, in their mind they are actually doing friends/family society a favour by taking their own life. In their eyes they are doing every-one a service, unfortunately it is soooo totally the opposite. In my opinion the more we can educate people from a young age that there is no shame in admitting and thus getting help for a mental disorder the more chance we have of holding back the tide of sufferers who attempt/committ suicide. Black dog is a particularly good organization for Mental disorders too
Kind regards
Crystal

 

[HypnoticSlither]

i have attempted suicide 3 years ago i technically died.... i overdosed on pills and my heart stopped.
When the doctors told me what happened i was furious... i could not understand why they didn't let me go. Its what i wanted ...i was in agony i did not want to be here anymore... and i hated any one that was trying to keep me here...it was torture.
i have not attepted suicide since but i still think about it from time to time.
im a cutter ... i have been cutting since i was 11 yrs old. i cut weekly sometimes daily.

but i tell you what i am so thankful for the support i have been given.
i am no longer afraid of seeking help instead i seek the best treatment for my illnesses.

 

[TacoWhiteley]

Do forums help because you see your not the only person going through something? or do they help because it is like writing a book, you can vent what your feeling? xox

 

[Torah]

Wow, I thought I was done with this thread but this requires a response.

I have seen a lot of downright moronic advice given on this site over the years but this is perhaps the worst thing I have seen to date. To the poster of this nonsense I offer the following:


My 25 year old cousin had severe bi-polar disorder, and had been in and out of mental health institutions since her mid to late teens. This past Christmas holidays, she used her day pass from the hospital, went to a local bridge, and took her own life.

Christmas 2009, my wife's uncle, also diagnosed with severe bi-polar disorder, also took his life.

If you have mental health issues, "toughening up" is not often an option. Seek help because it is out there! You are never truly alone and help is never more than a phone call away. Gone are the days in which the stigma surrounding mental health issues prevented people from seeking assistance. There are a myriad of organisations available to you cope when you struggle to cope by yourself. beyondblue: the national depression initiative is a great place to look if you are having trouble with depression. A quick Google search will reveal a host of support groups in your area and I can say from first hand experience, they can be a life saver. I was rapidly nearing the end of my rope when I discovered a support group for Asperger's and I shudder to think where I'd be if I had not found them. For myself, I was always the "just get over it" type until I found myself in that other person's shoes. Help, support, and acceptance are available to you 24 hours a day, even when you feel like you are the only person on earth. Those who've battled severe depression will know exactly what I mean by that.

For the love ov Jeebus, if life is too hard to cope with, get help! You do not ever have to be alone in mental illness!

So you have bi-polar ?

 

[CrystalMoon]

Do forums help because you see your not the only person going through something? or do they help because it is like writing a book, you can vent what your feeling? xox

Personally, I dont really divulge too much about my experiences on a forum. Just enough to try and let others know there is some-one else
who understands and has an idea where their head is at.
I do think it helps other sufferer's to see they are not the only ones, and there is light at the end of a tunnel
Kind regards
Crystal

 

[Torah]

Im not going to write an essay but I believe you do not have to have an mental illness to commit suicide and I also believe that you can live a normal life having bi-polar . No-one would ever know I had bi-polar unless I stopped taking my tablets or let myself head butt walls as i have been known to do before I took control of my illness and when I said toughen up or shut up what I meant was either take abit of responsibility for your actions , people with bi-polar have extremely high highs and even lower lows that are controlable with the knowledge of how to do so and medication !
Ive been through the whole "theres nothing wrong with me , im not taking that" and the " omg theres something really wrong with me i think I wanna die" but you pick yourself up , dust yourself off , tell yourself this is my sickness talking and your power on ! Suicide is the easy way out ! And I also do not believe anyone who is not affected can understand what it is like to live with bi-polar etc.
Sure I get moody, sure i get mad but who doesnt .

 

[HypnoticSlither]

i honestly think ...its up to he sufferer how they cope.. your method may not be mine. but it works for you and that is the main thing
i was mis diagnosed bipolar i new with in my self that is not what i had... though my illness and bipolar are very similar .
i found some people with mental illness CAN take the approach of "thoughin up " but i also found some people with mental illness can not.
Unfortunatly i am one of them.... do not get me wrong i try not to let my illness get the best of my but even with treatment and medication i still have a hard time day to day . and i can not work either.

but i understnad both sides ... and at the end of the day it is what works for the individual sufferer . what may work for you may not work for me visa versa.
we are nor right or wrong we are individual.

 

[Black.Rabbit]

I have Bipolar II and used to suffer from an eating disorder for about 6 years. Psychiatrist used to have me so drugged up that I have about 6 months missing from my memory, pretty bad when you are a single mum.
It got to a point (or incident rather) where I had to get off the meds and learn to deal with it myself. I have been good for about a year now, rarely going through depressive episodes. I haven't had the eating disorder for about 3 years now and have no desire to bother with it again - (I'm actually trying to put weight on!!! lol)
I also have Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder which the bipolar medication used to help me with, but since coming off it all the DSPD came back. I sleep on average 4 hours a night. I know it's not a 'mental' disorder but it sucks how coming off medication has resulted with more problems in some aspects.