Strangely, the worst reaction to any illness I've seen is not people's attitude to my mental illness, but rather the way they treated my mother when she had cancer. It was over 20 years ago but I remember how a lot of her friends disappeared and some people crossed the street when they saw her coming, rather than risk having to talk about it to her. Times change though, and it was nothing like that when my Dad had cancer in recent years.
I'm very open about my mental health issues. I'm glad I am because I've lost count of the number of times it has helped other people to discuss their own problems with me. It really is true that 1 in 4 will experience mental health problems in their life.
I think what has happened is that some people know how to Google and know the symptoms of some conditions and apply it to themselves Yorkie, I know you are not one as you have posted for such a long time.
We can all cope with a weirdo, I'd like to think we just 'accept' them
I am very accepting of' weirdos' considering i'm a tad eccentric myself
'Normal' living is rather sophisticated,all someone has to do is not make eye contact correctly or say the wrong thing and people feel nervous around them.
I actually think it is more difficult for men to admit to no matter what their background.
Men are still generally brought up to be solid and stoic in comparison to women, a weeping man in public would be considered more of a spectacle than a woman doing the same.
Men have imposed restrictions on themselves and as a result they don't tend to seek help when they get depression as they feel ashamed. Women will seek help for depression far more readily.
Hence why suicides are higher amongst men. From someone who has suffered from moderate depression through the years I find some people can still lack understanding and come out with all the cliches like it is all in your head.
Hence why suicides are higher amongst men. From someone who has suffered from moderate depression through the years I find some people can still lack understanding and come out with all the cliches like it is all in your head.
For those who have committed or attempted suicide what I find worse is when people say how selfish it is these people have no idea what goes though your head and rather than been selfish you genuinely believe you are doing everyone else a favour.
Depends, is it the sort of mental illness that comes running at you in the street with a bloody big knife like that one in Bexleyheath a couple or three years back?
You do know that violent incidents are probably more likely to be committed by people with no history of mental health problems, don't you? Think about the number of fights that take place after groups of people go out on the lash and get hammered and the impact that can have on (innocent) others. What about idiot dangerous drivers? I could go on.
People with mental health problems are far more likely to hurt themselves than they are anyone else. We need to get past this concept that they're likely to flip out and run amok at any given moment. They're far more likely to be sitting at home, isolated, shutting out the world and then when they are 'out in the world' putting a brave face on it to cover up their inner hell.
Yep, we've come a long way but by no means far enough.
And, as yorkiegal said, the benefits/ mental health issue is a very touchy one indeed.
Hence why suicides are higher amongst men. From someone who has suffered from moderate depression through the years I find some people can still lack understanding and come out with all the cliches like it is all in your head.
And even then, what if it is? The head/ brain can malfunction just like any other part of the body.
A very crass thing to say to a heart attack victim would be "Ah, well- it's all in your heart, really!".
My nephew hung himself aged 17. I wish I could turn back time and help him. I knew he was unhappy. I thought he'd get over it. If I'd realised that his solution was to end his life, I'd have done so much more. I still see him in my dreams. My poor boy.
I work in a mental health supported housing unit and the stigma the residents get here is sometimes horrific.
Neighbourhood kids have broken windows, shouted abuse, thrown food etc and when the staff have gone to the parents the parents don't understand either.
Whenever I am supporting someone to an appointment or anywhere where we have to get the bus/train the looks people give us when we're talking or people moving seats to get away. It's disguting, not all people with mental illness are knife wielding maniacs; the only person they're likely to hurt is themselves.
No. Not all mental illnesses make people do these things. It's usually only to do with schizophonia and even then not all of them will do it. Besides..it's not like they WANT to do it. They are being told to do it. Most/all reported cases state that the person with the illness tried to get help but their teams did nothing about it despite what the voices were saying. Makes me so angry. Could have saved so many lives. Sometimes it's literally because there is no money to put them into hospital or no beds. Not a good situation and one that's getting worse due to mental health funding being reduced each year.
This is the problem; we have had some of our residents become unwell dispite our support and they have needed hispital treatment alas there are no beds and we then have to deal with some very hard situations, watch an ill person who really is being denied treatment until it gets to breaking point where we can call 999 and hope after an a and e assesment they will then be transferred to a ward. Half the time however they are sent back as there are no beds and they "aren't a bad enough case."
in my opinion, a lot more needs to be done. a lot more understanding needs to be given to mental illness
i've struggled with bipolar since i was young, and i can tell you... that the stigma surrounding mental illness is terrible
i've had everything thrown at me- from you're just not good enough, to you're lazy, to your controlled by demons..
people are so quick to walk away from mental illness
it's not contagious. you're not going to touch me and suddenly develop bipolar
hmm.. thanks for posting this thread.
Thats ok
There is not much compassion and understanding surrounding mental illness and frankly,it annoys the Hell out of me.People need to stop being judgemental and realise those with mental health 'issues' are just normal people trying to get by,as we all are
The amount of people skiving off with fictional depression does genuine sufferers of mental illness no favours. It's hugely over diagnosed in my experience.
White dee for example - are we really expected to believe she is incapable of sitting at a check out because she is so unwell?
I have lots of sympathy for anyone who is genuinely ill, but the vague symptoms of so called depression could apply to most people some of the time. Who the hell DOES want to pull a twelve hour shift in a factory?
I am scared of it though - people say oh it's no different to having a broken leg, but it is very different - it's the essence of a person, what makes them who they are. If someone comes across as weird and socially stunted and makes you feel uncomfortable around them, it doesn't make a difference if it's down to their illness. You still don't like being with them
You do know that violent incidents are probably more likely to be committed by people with no history of mental health problems, don't you? Think about the number of fights that take place after groups of people go out on the lash and get hammered and the impact that can have on (innocent) others. What about idiot dangerous drivers? I could go on.
People with mental health problems are far more likely to hurt themselves than they are anyone else. We need to get past this concept that they're likely to flip out and run amok at any given moment. They're far more likely to be sitting at home, isolated, shutting out the world and then when they are 'out in the world' putting a brave face on it to cover up their inner hell.
Yep, we've come a long way but by no means far enough.
And, as yorkiegal said, the benefits/ mental health issue is a very touchy one indeed.
This is all true.
However, erratic and aggressive behaviour can be extremely alarming. I was in Rymans the other day with my daughter and the chap behind us - large, around fifty, unkempt, was shouting 'bastard' then muttering, then shouting '******' and then muttering 'kill' and other stuff.
The staff were great with him, but it wasn't pleasant or easy to cope with.
You do know that violent incidents are probably more likely to be committed by people with no history of mental health problems, don't you? Think about the number of fights that take place after groups of people go out on the lash and get hammered and the impact that can have on (innocent) others. What about idiot dangerous drivers? I could go on.
People with mental health problems are far more likely to hurt themselves than they are anyone else. We need to get past this concept that they're likely to flip out and run amok at any given moment. They're far more likely to be sitting at home, isolated, shutting out the world and then when they are 'out in the world' putting a brave face on it to cover up their inner hell.
Yep, we've come a long way but by no means far enough.
And, as yorkiegal said, the benefits/ mental health issue is a very touchy one indeed.
Your post sums it up for me.
As for the help some need, maybe they just need to be accepted and sometimes, even often, just allowed to be left alone when they need to be; to understand that they can only cope at home where they feel safe and the times they can go out, it's just a simple trip to the shops. It's really not for someone else to say that 'they will have them doing all sorts' - how arrogant! Maybe the only way some people can live and cope with their illness is to do things slowly, at their own pace. And, yes, dorydaryl, the benefit changes, where every tax payer now feels they have a right to judge someone on sickness benefits is wrong. It's put yet more fear into the lives of those that try to maintain some semblance of self respect and deal with their problems privately.
I don't think that mental illness,even in its mildest forms of anxiety and depression, are socially accepted in this country. People are still afraid to admit they are depressed incase people think less of them. Employers don't consider it to be a genuine ailment.People said to be claiming benefits for depression related illnesses are seen to be making it up.
It is as if by admitting that you have depression you are admitting you are somehow less of a person and people feel embarrased for you.
True. These illnesses can often be underrated. It's all about severity. Which is probably why people who have no understanding of such things feel it's ok to judge. I believe they're underrated now because so many people quickly use the terms when they really don't apply - eg - feeling a bit down is labelled 'depression' and feeling a bit panicky is labelled 'Anxiety'.
I'd not walk on egg shells around you, I'd be getting you involved an all sorts, I might have my quirks but on the other hand I'm very out going and a complete loon ;-)
Sorry if I've got this wrong, but the bit in bold - is that really your call? Unless a person asked you to do that specifically, why would you feel that your interference was needed? Maybe the person just wants to be left alone.
Yes they are, I was driven out of a job with the social work because of it and couldn't prove it. Talk about an outfit that's supposed to care about people.:p
The scary thing about mental illness, in my opinion, is the amount of damage it is capable of doing to a person. I suffered from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as a child, and it returned, accompanied with anxiety and depression, when I started university in 2009. It caused me to have a big breakdown. Fortunately, I received help and am finally over it, still doing my degree. I'm currently having psychological help to aid me in coping with the stresses that everyday study, organisation and life bring. Once that is over, I think that I will have fully defeated it.
It is pretty scary to look back and see how long it took me to get better, and how responding to even a seemingly innocent obsessive thought (Why not check you turned the tap off?)can entrap you and literally make you a slave to the condition. Because it is your mental not physical health being affected, you can easily just let yourself be a sort of puppet which obeys the condition's demands. With conditions like OCD, you can retain a little bit of sanity or 'normality', but feel that you cannot fight the illness. Being like that is misery and a terrifying experience. The most horrific part of mental illness is the way it can start and then gradually take over your life. You can end up forgetting what 'normal life' even is.
Speaking of depression, how young do you think is too young to have it? I think mine first became bad when I was 16 so I always think that's when it started but if I'm honest I can trace signs of it back to when I was 10.
Speaking of depression, how young do you think is too young to have it? I think mine first became bad when I was 16 so I always think that's when it started but if I'm honest I can trace signs of it back to when I was 10.
It can start as early as a child being born, in truth.
Speaking of depression, how young do you think is too young to have it? I think mine first became bad when I was 16 so I always think that's when it started but if I'm honest I can trace signs of it back to when I was 10.
There is never too young and age in my opinion RedRose. Brain chemistry imbalances means some of us are born with it.
Comments
I'm very open about my mental health issues. I'm glad I am because I've lost count of the number of times it has helped other people to discuss their own problems with me. It really is true that 1 in 4 will experience mental health problems in their life.
I am very accepting of' weirdos' considering i'm a tad eccentric myself
'Normal' living is rather sophisticated,all someone has to do is not make eye contact correctly or say the wrong thing and people feel nervous around them.
i've struggled with bipolar since i was young, and i can tell you... that the stigma surrounding mental illness is terrible
i've had everything thrown at me- from you're just not good enough, to you're lazy, to your controlled by demons..
people are so quick to walk away from mental illness
it's not contagious. you're not going to touch me and suddenly develop bipolar
hmm.. thanks for posting this thread.
For those who have committed or attempted suicide what I find worse is when people say how selfish it is these people have no idea what goes though your head and rather than been selfish you genuinely believe you are doing everyone else a favour.
You do know that violent incidents are probably more likely to be committed by people with no history of mental health problems, don't you? Think about the number of fights that take place after groups of people go out on the lash and get hammered and the impact that can have on (innocent) others. What about idiot dangerous drivers? I could go on.
People with mental health problems are far more likely to hurt themselves than they are anyone else. We need to get past this concept that they're likely to flip out and run amok at any given moment. They're far more likely to be sitting at home, isolated, shutting out the world and then when they are 'out in the world' putting a brave face on it to cover up their inner hell.
Yep, we've come a long way but by no means far enough.
And, as yorkiegal said, the benefits/ mental health issue is a very touchy one indeed.
And even then, what if it is? The head/ brain can malfunction just like any other part of the body.
A very crass thing to say to a heart attack victim would be "Ah, well- it's all in your heart, really!".
Well, duh?
Neighbourhood kids have broken windows, shouted abuse, thrown food etc and when the staff have gone to the parents the parents don't understand either.
Whenever I am supporting someone to an appointment or anywhere where we have to get the bus/train the looks people give us when we're talking or people moving seats to get away. It's disguting, not all people with mental illness are knife wielding maniacs; the only person they're likely to hurt is themselves.
This is the problem; we have had some of our residents become unwell dispite our support and they have needed hispital treatment alas there are no beds and we then have to deal with some very hard situations, watch an ill person who really is being denied treatment until it gets to breaking point where we can call 999 and hope after an a and e assesment they will then be transferred to a ward. Half the time however they are sent back as there are no beds and they "aren't a bad enough case."
Thats ok
There is not much compassion and understanding surrounding mental illness and frankly,it annoys the Hell out of me.People need to stop being judgemental and realise those with mental health 'issues' are just normal people trying to get by,as we all are
Change is scary
White dee for example - are we really expected to believe she is incapable of sitting at a check out because she is so unwell?
I have lots of sympathy for anyone who is genuinely ill, but the vague symptoms of so called depression could apply to most people some of the time. Who the hell DOES want to pull a twelve hour shift in a factory?
I am scared of it though - people say oh it's no different to having a broken leg, but it is very different - it's the essence of a person, what makes them who they are. If someone comes across as weird and socially stunted and makes you feel uncomfortable around them, it doesn't make a difference if it's down to their illness. You still don't like being with them
This is all true.
However, erratic and aggressive behaviour can be extremely alarming. I was in Rymans the other day with my daughter and the chap behind us - large, around fifty, unkempt, was shouting 'bastard' then muttering, then shouting '******' and then muttering 'kill' and other stuff.
The staff were great with him, but it wasn't pleasant or easy to cope with.
Your post sums it up for me.
As for the help some need, maybe they just need to be accepted and sometimes, even often, just allowed to be left alone when they need to be; to understand that they can only cope at home where they feel safe and the times they can go out, it's just a simple trip to the shops. It's really not for someone else to say that 'they will have them doing all sorts' - how arrogant! Maybe the only way some people can live and cope with their illness is to do things slowly, at their own pace. And, yes, dorydaryl, the benefit changes, where every tax payer now feels they have a right to judge someone on sickness benefits is wrong. It's put yet more fear into the lives of those that try to maintain some semblance of self respect and deal with their problems privately.
Edit, good thread kitty kream.
Anxiety and depression aren't mild!!
True. These illnesses can often be underrated. It's all about severity. Which is probably why people who have no understanding of such things feel it's ok to judge. I believe they're underrated now because so many people quickly use the terms when they really don't apply - eg - feeling a bit down is labelled 'depression' and feeling a bit panicky is labelled 'Anxiety'.
Sorry if I've got this wrong, but the bit in bold - is that really your call? Unless a person asked you to do that specifically, why would you feel that your interference was needed? Maybe the person just wants to be left alone.
It is pretty scary to look back and see how long it took me to get better, and how responding to even a seemingly innocent obsessive thought (Why not check you turned the tap off?)can entrap you and literally make you a slave to the condition. Because it is your mental not physical health being affected, you can easily just let yourself be a sort of puppet which obeys the condition's demands. With conditions like OCD, you can retain a little bit of sanity or 'normality', but feel that you cannot fight the illness. Being like that is misery and a terrifying experience. The most horrific part of mental illness is the way it can start and then gradually take over your life. You can end up forgetting what 'normal life' even is.
It can start as early as a child being born, in truth.
There is never too young and age in my opinion RedRose. Brain chemistry imbalances means some of us are born with it.
Yes, this is true.