Hi folks;

For those of you who don't read my "Strange Days" thread, I'd like to point out that today is International Mental Health Awareness Day.

While you think about that, consider THIS...... 1-in-4 people will suffer some form of Mental Health problem at least once in their lives; 1-in-10 will suffer from a psychotic episode, and 35% of THEM will have the illness for the rest of their life.

To put that in perspective for ya; going on an estimated 250 MILLION American citizens, that means that EIGHT and THREE-QUARTER MILLION Americans will develop a life-altering illness that is not understood by the majority of "Joe Public" and who are shunned by their friends, family and neighbours if they tell people what's wrong with them! Think about that for a moment.... that's the equivalent of the ENTIRE population of the STATE of GEORGIA!!! What are the odds that YOU could be next?

Spare a thought for those less fortunate than yourself!!

DM

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The selfish, they're all standing in line
Faithing and hoping to buy themselves time
Me, I figure as each breath goes by
I only own my mind

dm383,

Interesting numbers. 25% of the population will suffer from some form of this condition during their lives. 3.5% of the population (10% * 35%) will be permanently compromised.

If that were caused by a bacteria or virus, it would be considered an epidemic. I wonder why the health community is not up in arms over it. I must wonder why such an enormous market has no champion. Here in the States, if there is a market the size of Georgia, it is a safe bet that there will be a long line of people trying to make money from it.

Curious.

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Eudaimonia

They ARE!.................... and that's about all.

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TY (((((((((dm))))))))))! I'm quite aware of the feeling of being shunned due to mental illness!

I've never said this on this site......but I was raised by a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic.

Schizophrenia has often been confused with multiple personality disorder. This IS NOT so! Schizophrenia is often thought to be hereditary. This IS NOT so.....though some effects in different forms might be passed down through the generations. I have O.C.D and a paranoid personality! Schizophrenics were doomed to a life in an asylum in days gone by. Shock therapy was the only way it was delt with. Schizophrenia can be treated successfully with a lifetime of medication. A number of homeless people are often diagnosed schizophrenics who have stopped taking their medication. One does not choose this disease....it chooses you...at an early age....most often in your teens, if properly diagnosed.

My mother suffered from schizophrenia and paranoia. Together.....it is something so hard to overcome. It's like a Catch-22 situation........she would take the medication and "get better".....but as she was taking the medication she was thinking that everyone is against her and "making her" take this medication! A time of peace would go by and then suddenly she would stop taking the medication again! I lived my entire life never knowing when she would stop taking her meds.! I rarely let my friends come to my house....though when they did they absolutely loved my mom for how fun and friendly she was. I had one best friend who knew all.....but I never told anyone outside "the immediate circle of friends and family" about mom.

I'm ashamed now.....that I was so ashamed then! I guess you could say I "shunned" my mother for being so ashamed of her condition. My mother's life was a living hell at times (not just for her mental illness either)....and yet all I hear now is all the laughter she created for us! She was a remarkable woman with way too much a burden to carry......but she always held her head high! I think of her often dm.........very, very often! And I continually beg her for her forgiveness to this very day!

I only share this now because I feel it could be a way for her to see...........I shun her no more! Better late than never!!!!!!

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Minds are like parachutes. They only work when they are open.

~Thomas Dewar~

I see the effects of budget cuts to our health care system every day in Ontario. So many homeless people here have psychological problems and their families aren't able to cope with them. The sadder part to me is that our society can't deal with them either. They're on the streets bumming change to self medicate.

((((((LIXY))))))

I know a lot of my patients families suffer at least as much from their illness as my patients do.... and it's not unknown for a family member to also become a patient of ours! One of the things a lot of people don't realise is that with Mental Illness, there are as many "varieties" of schizophrenia, for example, as there are sufferers; although the illness tends to follow a generalised sort of "pattern", different people have different types and/or content to their hallucinations, which depends to a large extent on their OWN personal past. It's this, predominantly, among all the symptoms of the ilness that can make it so hard to treat.

As a nurse, my job is to help my patients deal with their illness, by working out strategies to minimise the effects of the illness on their day-to-day lives (and those of their families) monitor the effect of medication on them (both the efficacious benefits AND any side-effects) and encourage acceptance of the illness by the families..... this last one is often the hardest and most frustrating part of my job!

Of course, it's not just psychoses we deal with; the whole gamut of Mental Illness is in our remit, which is what keeps me in love with my job, despite the crap pay and reams & reams of paperwork!

Thanks for sharing such a personal part of yourself with me (us) Lixy...... I often think, and have said here before, talking about this sort of thing is MUCH harder than posting naked pictures of yourself!!

DM

__________________
The selfish, they're all standing in line
Faithing and hoping to buy themselves time
Me, I figure as each breath goes by
I only own my mind

pantyfanatic,

What do you mean? I must admit that mental health services is not an issue I spend much time on. I seems that you do, and are displeased.

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Eudaimonia

Jseal-
Today’s physiatrist knowledge is to mental health what astrology was to astronomy. Total quackery and witchdoctors like the coke-head, Sigman Fraud. A physical, medical issue is being treated by the self-proclaimed authority of social mutual admiration elitists where we need to look into biochemistry, MRI and genetic research.

Read Richard Feynman’s, The Pleasure of Finding Things Out, for an alternate approach to a question.

(you asked!)

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Well I have suffered thoroughout my life with recurring bouts of depression. It went undiagnosed for many years and I rearely socialised except for work function, flet unworthy and was an extremely unhappy person till I attempted suicide at 30 years old.

I then had professional help and started the long climb upwards.
My marriage stated to go wrong and it all started happening agian but it was now even worse as i have diabetes and depression and diabetes together are a pretty bad combination, they feed off each other.

I had severe clinical depression for 3 years and am now on an anti drepssant called effexor that is only indicated in very difficult cases. I will be on that now for the rest of my life.

I have told quite a few people now that i have had depression, it seems that it is acceptable to have that sort of mental condition as I have had quite a positive response. If I said I had schizophrenia then perhaps I would have had some less positive reactions.

The people around me suffered a fair bit too but there was really nothing much they could do to help me except to show love and support.

I am quite stable these days, moving out on my own has taken an enormous stress off me and I think that ith that out of the way I will have a good chance of remaining out of the "black hole"

Be as it is GG, I’m happy you were able to find something helpful in the treatment of the most complex organism in existence. I’m looking forward to some good conversations when you get here in the spring.

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Lixy and Grumble, thanks for sharing. There has been so much that I've learned because loving and caring people like yourselves have been willing to open a window into your lives. The world is definitely a better place because of people like you.

Thank you ...

pantyfanatic,

Granted that the state of the mental health practitioner's art lags behind that of, say, that of the dentist's; it seems that the degree of separation is rather smaller than implied by the astrologer to astronomer comparison.

I’m sure that we all are aware of the impact of the lithium-based medications on the treatment of depression. These were, if memory serves me right, introduced in the late 50,s or early 60’s, and had an immediate beneficial impact on sufferers of clinical depression. Grumbleguts’ experiences indicate a continuing development of the pharmacology available to treat these medical conditions.

Sigmund Freud’s theories of he unconscious mind did not rely upon the principle of repeatable test results, and so lack this component of being scientific. I am under the impression that these theories do not serve as the basis of contemporary clinical treatment of mental illness.

Richard Feynman was a professor of physics, and had a profound impact upon the development of the Standard Model of Quantum Mechanics. While I am sure that "The Pleasure of Finding Things Out" will be entertaining reading, I was unaware that he was a contributor to this domain of scientific understanding.

In re genetic research, there are a number of psychological conditions that are strongly correlated with an individual’s genes; one of the earlier ones was the discovery/identification of a "manic" gene among the Amish. With the exploration of the Human Genome Project proceeding apace, I’m under the impression that research is already proceeding in the direction you’d like.

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Eudaimonia

Treatment of mental health issues is not an exact science. There are basic guidelines and proven methods of treatment, which have helped the majority of sufferers to some degree. But everyone's reations to interventions differs. We aim to treat the symptoms wither by use of medication or psychotherapy input. Alt of the predesposing factors require intervention by everyone~~~~~~~~poverty, bad housing, poor diet/health, poor education(academic/ social etc etc)
We do what we can within the resources we are given to treat mental health in an holistic manner. And I guess that due to lots of us in the caring proffesions having first hand experiance of mental health issues~~we can treat it with empathy, compassion and hopefully make a positive impact on those we care for.

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Don't pet the sweaty things!!!!

Celticangel,

Indeed, I have been advised on a number of occasions that health care – both prevention as well as cure – is equal parts art and science.

As a common human desire is to want to live a healthy life as long possible, I often wonder how the constant pressure for more spending on those programs is balanced against the other demands for government spending.

__________________
Eudaimonia

My best friend deals with ongoing issues, complicated by diabetes and congenital heart problems ... she has been diagnosed with various things on the mental level and then another practicioner comes along and says no, it's not that, I think it may be this .... for almost 15 years now she has battled OCDs, depression, voices that tell her to harm herself, night terrors and multiple other issues.... she had never responded very well to different medications they have attempted and so they just keep trying to help her deal with it, but don't come to a really "good" working solution. She will probably never be able to work in the "real" world again, her OCD's and fears get in the way SOOO much ....

I live more than 1000 miles away from her and mostly I'm only able to help in telephone calls and small "care" packages that let her know I care and I'm there for her when she needs me. But as I read the various entries listed, I know that yes, the medical profession is working on new drugs and many of them have proved very helpful .... but usually only to about 60% of those who take them .... the frustration of not getting to a "diagnosis" frequently has doctors saying things to her like she's making it all up, or things aren't really as bad as she tells them ... when I know she actually ends up not telling them everything because she's been threatened by doctors that if she doesn't improve they will put her in the state institution.

All of this while at the same time the funds for helping out in such situations are dwindling and so her very ability to keep a roof over her head is constantly threatened ... I have no answer and no happy ending to this tale ... she is my friend and I love her and am willing to do whatever I can to make things easier for her. that's all I have to tell in this ... hard facts that people are left to deal with when they have such an illness to deal with.