Anxiety/Depression/Mental Illness Support

[Faith No More]

True Shell, but sometimes people have to lie about these things for reasons other than shame. I am probably one of the most open people out there about personal mental issues, and if I could, I would probably introduce myself to strangers as the guy who has taken several trips to psychiatric hospitals. I think part of the societal stigma attached to mental issues is a result of people's desire to stay quiet about them. Alas, my family members do not wish to be as open with my problems as I am, so I tend to only mention them in places that they will not be affected, such as this place.

And as for the lying about the origin of self-inflicted wounds, that may work as an explanation to those who are unaquainted with them, but I guarantee you that anyone that has engaged in self-mutilation will recognize such wounds immediately.

[Jackalope]

Fuck lying about it.

While everyone's situation and issues are different, I found it to be very therapeutic when I adopted an "I don't give a fuck if you know I'm crazy" attitude toward other people and my illness. Leaving behind that self-imposed shame was one of the best things I ever did.

[Annik]

For me, it's easier than trying to explain. In addition, I have difficulties talking about the subject anyhow.

[frankiej]

I recognize the negatives associated with alcohol, or any depressive, yet it fits in my life; I enjoy booze, in spite of its negatives.

You would fit in well here in Scotland.

[Jackalope]

For me, it's easier than trying to explain. In addition, I have difficulties talking about the subject anyhow.

Yeah, I can understand that.

[Shell B]

Oh, I didn't really mean for anyone to change what makes them comfortable. I mean, if you can come out with it, go for it. The people who can't handle it will kindly fuck off. Those who can will make all the difference.

[Creed of Heresy]

Oh, I didn't really mean for anyone to change what makes them comfortable. I mean, if you can come out with it, go for it. The people who can't handle it will kindly fuck off. Those who can will make all the difference.

That is the fucking truth.

[Angrboda]

I recently attended a presentation on critical thinking given by a colleague/acquaintance. In the course of his presentation he made several rather ignorant comments about mental illness. I needed to follow up with him on some references to the literature via email. I was soooo tempted to offer him the observation that speaking ignorantly about something he knows nothing about tends to undermine his credibility as an authority on the differences between good and bad thinking, but I didn't. Perhaps this is an example of Goebbels' observation that one shouldn't willingly give up one's secrets as one never knows when one will need them again.

I'm rather free with information about my condition, in general, because my strength does not depend on the secrecy of it. After a meeting with a philosophy group in which I used the fact that I was psychotic to undermine the point of another philosopher, my friend jokingly told me that if I'm in a job interview, I should probably leave that part out. The simple fact is, at least in America, despite enormous efforts at public education, the myths and stereotypes about mental illness still persist. And like being gay before Stonewall, one shares such information at one's peril. Stupid people with ignorant ideas about mental illness do not wear yellow stars to help us single them out for exclusion. So, silence, or at least a cautious pre-disclosure investigation, is often warranted. I'm grateful for the internet, where the layer of anonymity is sufficiently thick as to make such measures unnecessary. But real life can be a different matter. When and how do you tell a new lover? It's different each time. Do you tell your landlord? Business relations? People you network with? When and what do you tell your family? A new friend? Your neighbor?

[Shell B]

I suppose I'm a little inexperienced. Mental illness is encouraged in my line of work.

[Creed of Heresy]

When and how do you tell a new lover? It's different each time. Do you tell your landlord? Business relations? People you network with? When and what do you tell your family? A new friend? Your neighbor?

In order: After the third date, and carefully. No, it's none of their business. No, it's none of their business. Yes, but carefully. Immediately, and completely straightforward as you can, and if they can't accept it then they aren't worth calling "family." Yes. No, it's none of their business unless you're friends, in which case, yes.

I get mostly pissed off when I mention having schizophrenia and the first reaction people have is to take a step back. Or to make some allusion to MPD. A: My schizophrenia doesn't affect anyone else, and most people with schizophrenia can claim the exact same thing. B: Schizophrenia is not MPD. And I'm getting really sick of people generalizing anyone who seems unhinged as schizophrenic, regardless of whether or not they genuinely have the condition.

As far as people speaking on mental illnesses goes...mental illnesses are very subjective, so they're very hard to nail down, so in technicality many psychologists and psychiatrists, if not all of them in fact, could be considered "speaking in ignorance," even though they study the conditions of them far more than anyone else does.

I just want to be cured. The lengths I would go to being cured of all the mental diseases I've been saddled with are far, indeed. I willingly ingested a targeted neurotoxin to stop the effects of MPD on me. What does that tell you?

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I suppose I'm a little inexperienced. Mental illness is encouraged in my line of work.

...You're paid to argue with apologists, then? *rimshot*