Have you/family member/friend etc, ever suffered from a mental illness?
- Thread starter YCRanger
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I was diagnosed with PTSD a few years back. I used to be a police officer and was involved... in a very voilent situation.
I feel much better now , though I always feel for people with anxiety, depression, PTSD.
I feel much better now , though I always feel for people with anxiety, depression, PTSD.
Slight depression due to social phobia and anxiety that has plagued me for seven years. Three of which were spent isolated in my room, when it got worse than ever. It's still tormenting me, but I'm finally making progress towards a real life.
Didn't exactly overcome it myself however; I owe a lot to an internet friend who became a real life friend when he moved up to my town. Thanks to him I was forced outside often and got into plenty of social situations the old me would flee from, as well as meeting a lot of new people from his friend circle. I have also started hanging out with a few old friends of mine again.
My sister was diagnosed with Aspbergers a year ago, which didn't really come as a surprise since she's been an oddball all her life to put it nicely. My father was bipolar and as far as I've heard both his parents were fucked up in some way.
Didn't exactly overcome it myself however; I owe a lot to an internet friend who became a real life friend when he moved up to my town. Thanks to him I was forced outside often and got into plenty of social situations the old me would flee from, as well as meeting a lot of new people from his friend circle. I have also started hanging out with a few old friends of mine again.
My sister was diagnosed with Aspbergers a year ago, which didn't really come as a surprise since she's been an oddball all her life to put it nicely. My father was bipolar and as far as I've heard both his parents were fucked up in some way.
My brother is bipolar and my mom is depressive. Those words are thrown about so often I didn't realize how serious they were until my mom admitted to wanting to kill me and the rest of our family because her existence is so depressing there's no way we could of been happy living with her. Then it was just like *nervous laughter* stay on your happy pills. My brother also attempted suicide several times so I live in such a happy family.
I've never been diagnosed since I'm better at hiding my problems.
I've never been diagnosed since I'm better at hiding my problems.
I recognize this feeling. In fact as soon as I posted this thread up I had an overwhelming desire to take it back. I have talked about my issues until I was blue in the face and going back to talk about it some more did not appeal to me. When you live with depression and other such conditions to me it feels like you are swimming against the current sometimes. Simply talking about it can be exhausting and feel unproductive. I would not ask everyone to share their stories if they don't feel up to doing so, however I mainly asked so that it might make others who suffer that read the thread feel less alone.JimB said:
As for the label discussion, I understand it can feel like professionals are quick to throw out labels to describe you. I was relieved when a doctor I saw told me straight up that he could not classify my illness. It made me feel like they were looking at the problems and not simply searching for a quick fix. However being labeled with a mental illness no more defines you than being labeled with an illness like diabetes or hepatitis.
Pretty much my entire family, myself included have some form of depression. None of us (except my mother) have been diagnosed with it, but all of the symptoms are there.
As for how we cope.
My brother is an impulsive money spender. Or in other words, a hedonist.
My sister is somewhat similar, but less about money spending and more about partying.
My mother drinks.
My father drinks.
I play games and try to escape reality in as many ways as possible (reading, music etc.)
That said, we are all naturally hard working people, who have never had issues holding onto normal jobs or had any issues in regards to "functioning" in society. So much so that I sincerely doubt anybody outside of our family are even aware of it.
As for how we cope.
My brother is an impulsive money spender. Or in other words, a hedonist.
My sister is somewhat similar, but less about money spending and more about partying.
My mother drinks.
My father drinks.
I play games and try to escape reality in as many ways as possible (reading, music etc.)
That said, we are all naturally hard working people, who have never had issues holding onto normal jobs or had any issues in regards to "functioning" in society. So much so that I sincerely doubt anybody outside of our family are even aware of it.
Though I've never been to a doctor about it, I'm pretty sure I suffer from social anxiety (not entirely to a physical extreme, but its strong enough for the obsessive avoidative behaviour to be very strongly prevalent. I'm working on it though with some CBT theory and I'm improving a little here and there)
My little brother has pretty severe Autism. The classical kind. His speech and mannerism improve constantly, he even speaks in sentances more often now, (though more often than not its demands or sharing of infomation (he's naturally kind of selfish but he can't really help it)), but its still very clear he's going to need assistance all his life in some way.
(He's rarely aggressive though. Not anymore. Infact he's lovely. Gets on really well with most people. I love my little bro to bits. He's fun and smart and interesting to hang out with (he's a total time and date freak though. He's not a fan of suprise changes, especially if he feels worse off from them. He's constantly trying to find compromises on stuff so he can get what he wants. He's a total cartoon fan. Loves Retro Video Games, and his memory is godlike! XD))
My little brother has pretty severe Autism. The classical kind. His speech and mannerism improve constantly, he even speaks in sentances more often now, (though more often than not its demands or sharing of infomation (he's naturally kind of selfish but he can't really help it)), but its still very clear he's going to need assistance all his life in some way.
(He's rarely aggressive though. Not anymore. Infact he's lovely. Gets on really well with most people. I love my little bro to bits. He's fun and smart and interesting to hang out with (he's a total time and date freak though. He's not a fan of suprise changes, especially if he feels worse off from them. He's constantly trying to find compromises on stuff so he can get what he wants. He's a total cartoon fan. Loves Retro Video Games, and his memory is godlike! XD))
I have an uncle with bipolar, a friend with depression, a parent with borderline personality and a pomeranian with a superiority complex. So all smiles and cupcakes over here.
- Mar 31, 2010
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I have Asperger's syndrome and dyspraxia (the two are fairly interlinked), plus something else related to them. Luckily I'm on well on the higher functioning end of the scale so I can interact with society independently, that said it's clear to anyone who know's me to any extent that I have an unusual personality and don't particularly "fit in".
I've been diagnosed with 'dysthymia', but I think it's a bullshit label.
While I agree that quite a number of disorders listed in the DSM(-IV) are very real, I disagree with the methodology. Checklisting symptoms (described by the patient, mind you) and slapping some disorder on top is not the most methodologically sound method of ascertaining mental disorder.
Since a lot of people will undoubtedly bash me for the above statements: a label doesn't mean shit. Depression, (social) anxiety, ADHD, are nothing to be proud (even if it's the kind of negative 'pride' people find in being different or "special") of unless it's an extreme case.
I'm a firm proponent of the theory that people with light depression (dysthymia, for example), social anxiety and ADHD should get a kick in the arse and just get going. Nothing comes from nowhere, so get going.
While I agree that quite a number of disorders listed in the DSM(-IV) are very real, I disagree with the methodology. Checklisting symptoms (described by the patient, mind you) and slapping some disorder on top is not the most methodologically sound method of ascertaining mental disorder.
Because it absolves you from all the responsibility of your own condition, and it's an easy sympathy check to cash.SushiJaguar said:
Since a lot of people will undoubtedly bash me for the above statements: a label doesn't mean shit. Depression, (social) anxiety, ADHD, are nothing to be proud (even if it's the kind of negative 'pride' people find in being different or "special") of unless it's an extreme case.
I'm a firm proponent of the theory that people with light depression (dysthymia, for example), social anxiety and ADHD should get a kick in the arse and just get going. Nothing comes from nowhere, so get going.
Antisocial personality disorder with/or co-morbid borderline personality disorder, and tempermental displacement issues, which until a couple months ago was ADHD, funny what you can end up with when you're home for the first day after being born and your sister sits on your head, but then again my mother also got diagnosed with ASpD when she got arrested back in 94 its pretty sad when you put up the time and effort for an educated professional who is supposed to "help" you and they can barely tell their own ass from a hole in the ground. Pot is my main means of medication, that and I also kickbox as and outlet pent up aggression, I've been giving serious thought to forgoing therapy altogether when it occured to me that I never really had a problem until everyone else started saying I did, that and the aggravated assault, assault causing bottily harm, assault with a weapon, and unlawful confinement charges don't boad well for my opinion on the matter.
My dad and I have social anxiety and depression. It has gotten a lot better though. I socialize more than I used to.
I've been diagnosed with a variety of things, chemically imbalanced brain causing depression and mild OCD, long time ago, they put me on a ton of antidepressants and sedatives, mainly because I was suffering severe anger control problems and depression... turns out most if not all of it was just the environment I was living in, I still get depressed on occasion, but that's usually dietary, and or seasonal, due to lack of sunlight, and such...
I have Aspergers Sydrome, and my Girlfriend has straight-up High Functioning Autism(although, strangly enough, she is able to sense people emotions, which is something you arent supposed to be able to do with Autism). Of course, this drives us closer together because we can understand what the other is going through. Of course, it comes with the other things, like OCD, but I would rather have Aspergers than be without, if for nothing else than having a photographic memory is awsome. By photographic memory, I mean I can close my eyes (sometimes dont even have to do that), and I can literally see pictures. Like, I could watch "Star Wars" from beginning to end by keeping my eyes closed, and it looks as if it is on an actual TV.
Not sure if I would count it as a "disability", but we are both Asexual. The only thing that will get us to have sex is because we want children. Literally nothing else will work. Of course, this translate to both of us having extremely negative views of "slutty" behavior. She has NO problems using the word "slut" and "whore" to describe someone she thinks deserves the naming, and if we have a daughter and I pull the "gun-cleaning" event when her boyfriend comes over for the first time, she wants to get in, with a knife/katana while I have my trenchgun w/ bayonet.($10 bucks says junior will be quaking when we are done with him, and wont even THINK of laying even a finger on my daughter in a suggestive way.)
I was also a mentor for a class in my high school called "Interpersonal Skills". Basically, what it is is that handpicked senior classmen are asked to mentor students with disabilities in the school, ranging from simple Autism to more severe cases, like some who are 21 and confined to wheelchairs. I was asked to be a mentor dispite my Aspergers because I was "to be an example of what to become", basically. I would not trade a single second in that class. Those were some of the greatest people I have ever known, and I was sad to leave.
Not sure if I would count it as a "disability", but we are both Asexual. The only thing that will get us to have sex is because we want children. Literally nothing else will work. Of course, this translate to both of us having extremely negative views of "slutty" behavior. She has NO problems using the word "slut" and "whore" to describe someone she thinks deserves the naming, and if we have a daughter and I pull the "gun-cleaning" event when her boyfriend comes over for the first time, she wants to get in, with a knife/katana while I have my trenchgun w/ bayonet.($10 bucks says junior will be quaking when we are done with him, and wont even THINK of laying even a finger on my daughter in a suggestive way.)
I was also a mentor for a class in my high school called "Interpersonal Skills". Basically, what it is is that handpicked senior classmen are asked to mentor students with disabilities in the school, ranging from simple Autism to more severe cases, like some who are 21 and confined to wheelchairs. I was asked to be a mentor dispite my Aspergers because I was "to be an example of what to become", basically. I would not trade a single second in that class. Those were some of the greatest people I have ever known, and I was sad to leave.
Well, I have Tourettes. It's not really 'serious' Tourettes, though. It's the movement kind, and the things it makes me do are kind of subtle. It's annoying as hell when I'm playing a game and I have to keep darting my eyes around when I'm trying to look at what I'm doing, though. But nowadays I do the other things without even realizing.
Both my grandparents on my moms side had dimensia(I think spelled wrong) which means that one day they would know who I am, the next they might not recognize anyone and act confused, the next they would think Im some kind of monster coming to kill them. My grandma tried to stab me a few times. Well, they are both gone, but I have a horrible feeling that it will happen to my mom.
Within my family, nothing as far as I know. Lucky me!
Among my friends, I know a few bi-polar people, a few with Aspergers, a couple with Autism, and a handful on meds that I feel too awkward to ask what for.
Among my friends, I know a few bi-polar people, a few with Aspergers, a couple with Autism, and a handful on meds that I feel too awkward to ask what for.
What the hell did I just read? If you DO do this, I hope he reports you to the authorities, that's HORRIBLE!BOOM headshot65 said:
This might sound harsh but you really should not be having children with this attitude. Your child will end up with worse issues than you..BOOM headshot65 said:
I say this only because I know how damaging this kind of attitude towards sex is(religion is so much fun to learn about as a child), especially for a child that is going to grow into a sexual being.