Mental Illness

[thecrusader]

Just wondering how many people are affected by or know
someoone with a mental illness.You don't need to comment if
you dont want but hit the poll.

I've had a fare share of experiences with mental illness,my ex
was bipolar and on all sorts of meds SSRI's and shit.Pretty scary
sometimes and sad that she wasn't all there.

I've been told i've got depression and anxiety but i wont take the
meds.I have spun out dreams and weird thoughts on that shit.
This was all put down to not working.

I just reckon theres more people that have had a mental illness
in there life than what we think,that's what i said to a mate lastnight
over a beer.He also has anxiety issues.

Should be ineresting to see,like i said you don't have
to post and can remain annonomous,or have a chat about
it,a lot of people think it's the elephant in the room,there's
nothing to be ashamed of,i lost a friend sadly who gassed
herself in her car,if she had talked about some things it
might not have happened.

Cheers

[johnnyh66]

Over the years, I've known dozens of people with varying degrees of mental illness.
So many go undiagnosed... and on the other hand, many seem to be misdiagnosed.
It's a tough one.

[thecrusader]

It is a tough one..

I bring this up because i watched this show on suicide and the
numbers where staggering.Leading cause of death in australia
for people aged 15-34 i think.Every ten seconds someone takes
their life.

This guy Don lived near a cliff and rescued hundreds of people
from taking their lives.Amazing human being.He was mentioned on
the show by a girl who he saved.

Don Ritchie, Angel of The Gap - who helped save 500 people from suicide - dies at 85 | News.com.au

[hpiguy]

First of all, it takes a lot of guts to talk about these things on the internet with random people. Good for you!

Second, I was diagnosed with clinical depression about six years ago, and put on meds for it. While it helped the lows, the problem for me was that it just made me feel numb to the highs, and everything in between, so I elected to stop taking them. I've gotten pretty good at recognizing when I'm in a low point now, and I force myself to get up and go do something. Go hang out with friends, go to a bar and chat with other people, go run the RC's whatever as long it gets you up and functioning.

Something else that really helped me was strenuous physical activity (I also suffer from insomnia, so this helps that a lot) of some sort. Whether it be working out, going and riding my ass off on one of the bikes, splitting wood, whatever it was it always helped. A good workout routine worked the best for me, because I was in better shape and therefore felt better about myself, I think it had a big effect on my mental state as well. Plus being tired at bedtime was a great side benefit for me with the insomnia, but YMMV.

[Dostradamas]

I live in a state where more people commit suicide than are murdered or killed in auto accidents combined on a yearly basis.

"For years, Oregon has ranked between seventh and ninth in the country for suicides. In 2011, 685 Oregonians killed themselves, twice the number who died in vehicle crashes and six times the homicide rate. In 2012, the number climbed to 709 people who took their own lives, according to preliminary numbers. Oregon's suicide rate has been increasing since 2000."

Why Oregon's suicide rate is among highest in the country | OregonLive.com

[thecrusader]

Originally Posted by hpiguy

First of all, it takes a lot of guts to talk about these things on the internet with random people. Good for you!

Second, I was diagnosed with clinical depression about six years ago, and put on meds for it. While it helped the lows, the problem for me was that it just made me feel numb to the highs, and everything in between, so I elected to stop taking them. I've gotten pretty good at recognizing when I'm in a low point now, and I force myself to get up and go do something. Go hang out with friends, go to a bar and chat with other people, go run the RC's whatever as long it gets you up and functioning.

Something else that really helped me was strenuous physical activity (I also suffer from insomnia, so this helps that a lot) of some sort. Whether it be working out, going and riding my ass off on one of the bikes, splitting wood, whatever it was it always helped. A good workout routine worked the best for me, because I was in better shape and therefore felt better about myself, I think it had a big effect on my mental state as well. Plus being tired at bedtime was a great side benefit for me with the insomnia, but YMMV.

I think it's easier talking to strangers than people you
know sometimes.For some this is a taboo subject and
they probably judge others,which is sad and why people
don't talk about it.

I worked in a hospital and saw all different sorts of things
so as far as judging people and that,i dont.I think more people
should think like this and after being on here for a few years
i thought it would be appropriate to post this.I've been
procrastinating about it for months.

The way i see it if you make someone feel better or give
someone a chance to speak,it's doing good.Maybe there
having a bad day and just need cheering up.

A lot of people don't understand how it works and think
depressed people are just having a sook.I tend to worry about
things and stress myself out,i get told not to worry but i can't
help it.Unfortunatly it's affecting other things now,even my
stomach and other areas of life like relationships and that.

Coming up to christmas and new year is the saddest time for a lot
of people,especially people with no money.The current economic
climate isn't helping things.Soooo many people losing jobs
here.

[thecrusader]

The depression i can deal with,the anxiety is a pain.
Going to the shops and freaking out when i'm buying stuff
or thinking people are watching me when theyre not.
I suppose shaving my head and growing a bead and being
covered in tatts doesn't help.haha

[BLOODBANE]

My adopted son and daughter both have R.A.D. (reactional attachment disorder) my sons is way worse than his sisters. he has bouts of extreme anger, where he tries to injure or just plain hurt, those around him. Usually when he comes out of it, he has no idea of what he has done and is exhausted. We have been in counseling since he was six. Im lucky, because Im one of the only people he actually trusts, so there is no violence towards me or my fiancee or my mom. Now his mother he regularly tries to hurt. Its a lot to take at times, but what I told my fiancee is we are the only people he really has to help him (I am always there).

[Dostradamas]

Originally Posted by thecrusader

I think it's easier talking to strangers than people you
know sometimes.For some this is a taboo subject and
they probably judge others,which is sad and why people
don't talk about it.

This is sooooo true.

I am sure if diagnosed I would have many mental illnesses.
I have lived with & observed many go through the diagnosis / medication guinea pig part of treatment.
Most are drug through the ringer for months to years, spending a lot of money finding out that life sucks & we all just have to deal with what we have.
I think dude says it best:

Fortunately I've been adhering to a pretty strict drug regimen to keep my mind, you know, limber.

[thecrusader]

Great responses guys,keep them coming.
AND KEEP HITTING THE POLL! ;) not really surprising but no one
has said theyve never experienced it.Which means most have been touched by
it in one way or another.

Bloodbane,i admire your patience and hope things get better.
It must be damn tough at times.My ex girlfriend had diabetes
as well as bi-polar,a few times when her sugar went low she would
just lose it and like you said,not remember any of it.

I think half of my problem came from years and years of drug
abuse when i was younger and i've burnt something out.I've thought
about admitting myself a couple of times or seeing a doctor but
i'm scared if they start prodding they will misdiagnose me or something.

Luckily i have no intention of hurting myself and seem to manage ok
so i should be fine.Luckily my partner is patient with me and understands
whats going on.

[hpiguy]

Agreed that it can be easier to talk to strangers about it. I'm lucky that I have a good friend, and she is bipolar, so I usually have someone that understands. But not everyone does though. I don't know why, but we've become and extremely shallow, judgmental society.

A little overweight? Fatty
Not the brightest person? Stupid
Not Hollywood silver screen material? Ugly

So it's no wonder that these types of things can be taboo. I think it's due in large part to what is crammed into us by mass media, so we come to expect everyone to be perfect. But that simply isn't realistic, we all have our flaws, some just hide it better than others. A really good friend of mine gave me the best advice I every received; just be kind he said. Everything else will fade in time, but people will remember whether you were a genuinely likable guy, or an asshole.

[theloudone]

I've dealt with depression and social anxiety(way more than just being shy)for the last few years. it sucks to deal with but I still make it through the day. Just talking about it, wether its to a psychologist, friend, or even a stranger helps a ton

[thecrusader]

Young kids these days (im takling teenagers here) are very shallow,it's not just them but
there is a lot of it.Same as image,everyone wants to look like people in magazines and
have flash things,no-one helps anyone anymore,everyone is just too caught up in facebook
or whatever to give a shit about anyone else.

Personally i think it should be mandotory for kids to work in a hospital or old peoples
home just to show that life isn't all about them.I almost ran a guy over the other day
who was severly beating his missus,i ended up getting out and chasing him while
people at the bus stop where just recording it on their phones.

Seriously wtf?.....

[wings_of_fire]

Due to my work schedule, I suffered from insomia for 4 years. It is one of the worst things that happened to me. It creates havoc in ones life. I stabilised because of homeopathy.

Proper and time to time sleep is absolutely important, otherwise we get sucked into depression since the body is not reparing itself efficiently. Exercise hard and depression won't even touch you.

[wings_of_fire]

Originally Posted by thecrusader

Young kids these days (im takling teenagers here) are very shallow,it's not just them but
there is a lot of it.Same as image,everyone wants to look like people in magazines and
have flash things,no-one helps anyone anymore,everyone is just too caught up in facebook
or whatever to give a shit about anyone else.

Personally i think it should be mandotory for kids to work in a hospital or old peoples
home just to show that life isn't all about them.I almost ran a guy over the other day
who was severly beating his missus,i ended up getting out and chasing him while
people at the bus stop where just recording it on their phones.

Seriously wtf?.....

I like what you have said. You are alive and have values

[ghtpdm5]

depression and extreme anxiety disorder with some ptsd sprinkled in for good measure here.

the depression is more or less under control, i was hospitalized a couple years back for a suicide attempt, they got me on some solid meds and been doing ok for the most part. not every day is a sunshine and roses day, but more good than bad. the other thing that really helped in the depression dept. was quitting drinking. i used to drink a case plus some hard liquor a day. i had 3 relapses in my first year, but a solid 3 years dry now. every day not drinking is a small personal victory, which feels better than being in the bottle.

the extreme anxiety is the bad one. i've gone months without leaving the farm and weeks just stuck in the house. the thought of having to deal with people in person is a very scary thing most of the time. one thing that i've learned is that dealing with people digitally is more pleasant than in person, though there are times i need a little help digitally. i'm on meds for the anxiety that take the edge off, but there are a lot of times when i'm driving for friends that i just shutdown and hide in the corner to avoid interaction.

the ptsd is mostly from my hand injury, that was not a good few months for me. i saw my hand cut to the bone, saw the tendons moving in what looked like a pile of hamburger. blood and raw meats bring me to near vomiting instead of actual vomiting. so progress there. i even cooked the thanksgiving turkey this year, though i did have to throw on some rubber gloves before touching it.

one thing i have to say is that therapy has helped a lot. when before i would have trouble going out for more than an hour, i can be out an about some days for about 6 hours, even spending the night away from home. i'm well medicated as well, but that must supplement the therapy, not replace it. my 2 anxiety meds, along with some calming techniques learned in therapy, can make it appear as though i'm ok to most people, instead of being a shut in trying to go to town.

[thecrusader]

I must thank you guys for sharing this sort of stuff on a public forum,
just reading your story's makes me feel better in a way.There's definatly
some strong folk out there and i applaud you.I'm sure there are a few
who have read this thread,relate, but don't want to post.All good,and
totally understandable.

I would like to get counselling but don't know where to start.I also have
ptsd from being assaulted in an unprovoked attack,smashed my front teeth out
and now theyre plastic and i worry about eating hot things and theyre starting to chip.
I have 10k + waiting in a compensation account for my teeth to get done properly
but the dentist freaks me out.That incident happened 5 years ago.
I got some counselling but i think it was never really solved.

I'm also a very jumpy person,loud noises freak me out a bit or if someone creeps up on me.
I know what you guys mean by the anxiety,i've spend whole days in my room and on here
until i get a headache because i don't want to go out,at least here i can have a yarn,have
a laugh and feel safe.

The anxiety has gotten a bit worse for me,had bad pulpitations when i was driving today,
the last thing i need is to not be able to drive.

With the counsellor i don't think they can help with some of the stuff.When i was on the
drugs i had a job which i can't speak about but it was grim and i did some bad things,
Things which can't be repeated for my own safety.Whether they can work around that i dunno.

I'm hoping next year will be a bit better,the missus had an abortion this year (which i didn't want),
i lost my job and my best friend who i spent a lot of time with has gone to prison for something
he didn't do.I think about it all the time and visit when i can.Basically i spend my days
playing with the dogs,gardening and fishing,until next year when i might have a chance at
finding some work.

My doctor wrote a letter saying i'm unfit for work and don't have to look for it
but i need a job to keep me sane.Next year things should get back to normal.

Thanks again guys,keep it coming

Sorry for the novel.

[scorpion ax-10]

Sister has 2 shunts in her head,
doc. said she'd be a "vegtable" after suffering meningitis and hydrosuffilis at 2 weeks old.

shes 8 now and still has seizures etc. and only functions at like a 2-3 year old level. cant fully speak etc....

and i sometimes feel that i could have a mild depression, but i refuse to go see someone about it. let alone talk much about it.

[thecrusader]

Scopion,i couldn't imagine what your going through mate,
that would be very tough.Do you have people you can go crawling
with,maybe take your mind off things for a bit?

If anyone feels the need you can pm me and i'll be more than happy
to crack a beer over the net and have a yarn.Anything said will
be confidential.

Some of your stories make me feel like a sook,some people have a hard run.

My friends son is 16 and very autistic,after having some injection as a baby,
something went wrong.He can't speak and only manages mumbling sounds at
best.My mate has been forced to sew a special pocket into his clothes and
put a cheap phone in it because he runs off all the time,so he can track him.He's had a
bad run too,but he keeps himself occupied which seems to help him.

I don't want this to turn into a sad dreary thread so i'll try and keep it a
bit upbeat,maybe some of us can help eachother out,even if it's just
having a yarn or meeting up and wrenching on our trucks and having
a crawl.

The response so far has been good,the people that havn't been affected by
it i would like to hear from them and theyre thoughts as well.

Thanks for everyones input so far,i genuinly mean that.

Not bringing light to mental illness or making fun of it but i have taken an
interest into tourettes syndrome,and find it fascinating.I had an experience
with someone in a bottle shop and did some snooping on the net to find more about it.

There's a movie,if you can understand thick Scottish accents it's worth a watch.
It's called "I Swear I Can't Help it" it's on youtube if you want to have a look.
Some parts you can help but laugh at,but it's understandable,they find it funny too.
They basically have no filter between thoughts and what comes out.Fascinating..

Tourettes I Swear I Can't Help It || 1*6 || HQ - YouTube
This is the first part,i downloaded the whole movie and thought it was an interesting watch.

[scorpion ax-10]

Thanks man. I appreciate it. Its been going on for years though. Like I said she's been this way for years. I'm 19 and I guess its just been normal for a while. Parent have been divorced for like 16 or so years. Etc. I go off to college for about 8 months of the year so I'm not around much.

Was really just letting you know you're not alone. Stuff happens. People are tough and we adapt.
Again though, I really appreciate the comments. Thanks.

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