What's with the mental ilness?

[markvee]

My Brain hurts.

You could take Aspirin or Tylenol or you could try this non-pharmocological treatment.
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s0-5ASefSw

 

[lusciouslin33]

It's funny how no one mentioned that pharmaceutical companies incessantly push commercials into the media in order to cause people to think they're depressed.
They list a litany of symptoms, virtually any emotion one can have and want us to recognize one or two or even more, combined with them pushing the Doctors to prescribe the medications associated with the aforementioned symptoms with bonuses/incentives, we are almost cornered into accepting the drugs.
This pressure from the drug companies...media, politicians and society brainwashing... horrible and damaging chemicals, steroids and by-products in our food and our air...insufficient family/support networks...no wonder people think they're depressed.

Personally, I don't support immediate medicating to our communities.
I advocate healthy eating, laughing alot, exercise, SEX SEX SEX, passions in your life that light a fire in your belly and knowing that "There is no body to batter when your mind is your might...remember that the depths are the greatest of heights."
Oh, and IMHO, a little 420 goes a long ways.

 

[Hank Reardon]

While I agree that speaking to a qualified physician would be best....what makes you think people here are mentally Ill?

I stated that many people here are mentally ill which is self evident through reading some threads here.

I have read many/most of your posts though and you are one of the very few rational ones.

This thread alone asking people on this site this question is quite irrational though considering CAMH is a phone call away.

 

[Hank Reardon]

You obviously have too high of an opinion of yourself and have never been in a situation where someone you care about is seriously contemplating suicide.

Must be nice to live in such a black and white world.

Ask your same question to any psychiatrist and you will see how rational my answer is.

The world is black and white, don't you even understand. The gray is evil.

 

[Berlin]

...they are far too quick to treat the symptom rather than the root cause IMHO.

Bingo. And it's sad truth. Most of the population is too conditioned to the " quick fix with a pill " concept.

 

[alex52]

I stated that many people here are mentally ill which is self evident through reading some threads here.

I have read quite a lot of rubbish written on TERB but this comment has to be the most stupid.

 

[james t kirk]

Shit, how about that million dollar suicide screen they put up on the Danforth Viaduct? However thought of that ought to be shot...seriously and fined for incompetence. I mean really: if someone wants to jump they can now just go one street north or south.....a perfect example of our tax dollars at work!!!

Actually, it was 7 million.

"The shimmering veil" I believe is its name.

 

[red]

Over the past two years I have met many women, both in and out of the hobby, who are taking medication for depression, anxiety, or for being bi-polar. Yesterday a male friend of mine told me he was on medication for anxiety and scizophrenia. I had not realized so many people had problems.

Is this a new thing? Are doctors handing out medication too easily on this stuff, or are people just more willing to talk about it? From what I have read, these psycho drugs are really nasty and have horrible side effects. I realize that depression and other mental problems are pretty horrible too, but are we turning into a medicated society?

One of my GF's kids was put on ritalin at his school's request. He wasn't that badly behaved, but the drug seemed to make him a zombie.

if only the scientologists were in charge

 

[red]

Ask your same question to any psychiatrist and you will see how rational my answer is.

The world is black and white, don't you even understand. The gray is evil.

you mean the confederacy?

 

[shakenbake]

Bipolar Condition is a mixture of many things. There is the biological component, as explaied in a 1 player's long post, where serotonin levels are either higher or lower than the general population. There is an inherited aspect to this, as depression tends to run in families, through multiple generations, but it need not be inherited, like a genetic disease, such as cystic fibrosis.

There is an environmental factor as well. Traumatic life events can make a pre-exising condition worse, or can manifest a latent condition.

As per a 1 player's post, most people have a fairly even temperament, most of the time. They feel sad sometimes, and euphoric other times, but only occaiionally do they deviate from the norm. Someone with bipolar disorder will often feel sad for extended periods of time, and when they are euphoric, they can tend to be over the top. It's like having a car with no 2nd or 4th gear, only 1, 3, and 5.

Depression affects one's ability to sleep, either causing the patient to sleep too often, or not enough, and for extended periods of time. It also affects memory, but not necessary an inability to remember things, but often an inability to forget things that are not beneficial to mental stability. Perhaps an event from years earlier may still haunt them, while someone else might be able to put it out of their mind, and move on.

The undiagnosed patient may be seen by others as lazy, moody, indifferent, or forgetful, and may believe this of themselves.

There is some similarity between bipolar condition and post traumatic stress. We are starting to see more and more soldiers returning from war with stress related mental injuries. Years ago, they would have been told to "Suck it up, Nancy, and be a man", and many of them did, and suffered silently.

No two people have identical genetic and environmental conditions, except perhaps the Olsen twins, and some people deal with trauma, disappointment, betrayal, ill fortune, etc. better than others.

Some people who never smoke will die of lung cancer. Some people who chain smoke will never get lung cancer. Some people who could get lung cancer will get it if they smoke, and won't if they don't. Having a serotonin inbalance just increases one's odds of developing bipolar condition if certain environmental factors occur.

Psychiatric medicine is the least precise, because different medications affect different people in different ways. For example, For about 80% of people, Zoloft will have a calming effect, while for the other 20%, it will have either no noticeable effect, or will act as a strong stimulant.

There has been some recent research into using artifical cannabinols, (ie: THC, marijuana), for the treatment of depression. That's still in the development stage, but when they get to human testing, I'm sure there will be a lineup of volunteers similar to the one at the Maple Leaf Gardens box office for concert tickets around 1972, before credit card sales by phone. I'm sure quite a few people from that lineup would be in this one, too.

Excellent post. You have summed it up nicely. If only more people tried to understand this group of illnesses and not made fun of them or feared them.

 

[S.C. Joe]

Over here we get 1 drug ad on TV after another. A pill to stop peeing so much, then a pill to "stop herpes", then a pill to fell asleep.

I go to a drug store for something other then "dope" and I look over at the drug counter and they are so busy filling the bottles up. We even have drive though lanes-and the cars line up

People need to stop with this pill popping and start eating better and get off their butts and go outside-even in the winter. And not to have a smoke!

 

[slowandeasy]

I was kind of taken aback because I didn't think that a warranted such a prescription, after all, yeah, I was sad, I was depressed, but I had a reason - my father was dying and my mother was already gone. I figured they gave out scripts when people were depressed for no explicable reason.

Needless to say, I declined and she let it go.

In retrospect, she was just trying to be helpful.

Physicians have stolen the McDonalds script (pun intended).. "do you want fries with that"... In retail this is called Add-on Selling... and it drives revenue and profitability!!!! I am not an expert, but I believe that doctors get a flat payment for a general consultation, and additional payments for each additional service that they provide...

I had changed doctors a few years back. My new doctor seemed really great. This guy sometimes took 5 minutes just to ask me how things were going, my stress level etc... At the time I thought that it was great, and that is how our system should work... Few days later, I read that doctors were able to bill the healthcare system for psychotherapy if they just spend a few moments with their clients....

 

[slowandeasy]

I stated that many people here are mentally ill which is self evident through reading some threads here.

I have read many/most of your posts though and you are one of the very few rational ones.

This thread alone asking people on this site this question is quite irrational though considering CAMH is a phone call away.

Dude.. do you have a mental illness?????

Obviously Mr. Spock you seem to have a difficult time understanding human emotions!!!!

Irrational is thinking that a simple phone call to CAMH will clear it all up..

 

[slowandeasy]

Over here we get 1 drug ad on TV after another. A pill to stop peeing so much, then a pill to "stop herpes", then a pill to fell asleep.

I go to a drug store for something other then "dope" and I look over at the drug counter and they are so busy filling the bottles up. We even have drive though lanes-and the cars line up

People need to stop with this pill popping and start eating better and get off their butts and go outside-even in the winter. And not to have a smoke!

I agree with you on this 100% Joe... but talking and doing are the differences between good mental health and not... A person with a mental health problem is often not capable of making themselves do those things.

Think about this gentlemen... have there ever been a time in history when humans have had more on their minds than the current? With more "progress" there seems to be more to worry about... There was a time when man was just happy that he/she went to sleep with a full belly.. that is no longer the case... So it just makes sense that this type of stress will take a toll on the human mind... I have not even bothered to factor in the enviornmental aspects or the fact that we have so many chemicals in our foods, radio/micro waves in our air... etc... All these factors are bound to lead to problems...

 

[elmufdvr]

this might offer a way to deal with things... not for everyone.. but i bet it could help most.. better than downing some more pills... i would rather try to find a solution this way than be loaded up full of pills....it doesnt hurt to look at something different..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcendental_Meditation

 

[a 1 player]

Think about this gentlemen... have there ever been a time in history when humans have had more on their minds than the current? With more "progress" there seems to be more to worry about... There was a time when man was just happy that he/she went to sleep with a full belly.. that is no longer the case... So it just makes sense that this type of stress will take a toll on the human mind... I have not even bothered to factor in the enviornmental aspects or the fact that we have so many chemicals in our foods, radio/micro waves in our air... etc... All these factors are bound to lead to problems...

Very valid point(s). I don't think (some of our) minds have been able to evolve, (or at least cope with), the rate the the world around us is. For myself, there are never enough hours in the day. Work, family commitments, kids, school, commuting, networking, worrying about my next paycheque etc. consumes most of my day. It freaks me out that some people are able to watch 5.5 hours of TV per day!!! I go without sleep just trying to stay ahead of the Jones', but what other choice do I have, just say 'Fuck it'? Actually, some days that doesn't sound too bad.

 

[slowandeasy]

Very valid point(s). I don't think (some of our) minds have been able to evolve, (or at least cope with), the rate the the world around us is. For myself, there are never enough hours in the day. Work, family commitments, kids, school, commuting, networking, worrying about my next paycheque etc. consumes most of my day. It freaks me out that some people are able to watch 5.5 hours of TV per day!!! I go without sleep just trying to stay ahead of the Jones', but what other choice do I have, just say 'Fuck it'? Actually, some days that doesn't sound too bad.

I used to wake up at 4am and not be able to go back to sleep. When I did sleep, all I had was stressed out dreams and woke up not feeling rested..

This is called anxiety.. when you worry about shit all the time... of course it leads to stress.. You are in a serious rut my man!!!!

The turning point for me was that I started seeing the similarities between myself and my parents. My parents tried their best to provide a good living for us. I had always thought that they sacrificed too much just to get ahead. Perhaps they wanted too much... I don't know... but it freaked me out enough that I made some serious changes in my life.

I also changed some of my very good friends. I realized that I surrounded myself with the same type of personality as myself. However, there was one big difference between me and many of my friends... I do not count my success by dollars and cents or compare my material possessions to what others have (I don't care what the Jones' have).

There was a time when many of us thought we were going to be the next Trump or Gates etc... Reality set in pretty early, but we kept denying it....

 

[squash500]

As far as meds go ------docs just don't have the time to get to people's problems in 10 minute appts for example. Therefore, get the prescription pad out and move on to the next patient. Mental illness in my opinion still has a lot of stigma to it. As far as meds go---clonazapam seems to be the only one that works for me. Have only been to camh once ----felt like I was in the movie One flew over the Cuckoo's nest .

 

[a 1 player]

I like this thread.

Misty has several good points in her post. Everyone is the master of their domain, exercize, nutrition and even religion (or perhaps faith) really can aid people in overcoming mental obstacles. If anyone has seen a good therapist, one of the things they tell you is that you have to help yourself, whether medication is involved or not.

Medications do not make the problem of mental illness go away, they are a tool that 'may' be used to help regulate emotions (for lack of a better phrase). Once a person has some sembalance of control over themself, it is then time to work on some techniques to keep the brain functioning in a mentally healthy state. Even if one has an imbalance, learning about things such as co-dependancy, personal boundries, and such can actually help an individual by noticing problems in their lives, and avoid falling into the 'traps' that cometimes cause depressive outbursts.

A general practicioning doctor is for the most part like a revolving door. Get the patient in, get them out. Finding a (what I would call) qualified doctor is damn near impossible. I am very fortunate that I found one, though it took several years to do so. The amount of tests I went through before being perscribed meds was staggering. Years later, I still see him every month to give him an update on how I am feeling and to see if there is a need to change dosages. It is a shame this is not the case with most doctors.

Remember, half of all doctors graduate in the bottom half of their class.

 

[shakenbake]

I like this thread.

Misty has several good points in her post. Everyone is the master of their domain, exercize, nutrition and even religion (or perhaps faith) really can aid people in overcoming mental obstacles. If anyone has seen a good therapist, one of the things they tell you is that you have to help yourself, whether medication is involved or not.

Medications do not make the problem of mental illness go away, they are a tool that 'may' be used to help regulate emotions (for lack of a better phrase). Once a person has some sembalance of control over themself, it is then time to work on some techniques to keep the brain functioning in a mentally healthy state. Even if one has an imbalance, learning about things such as co-dependancy, personal boundries, and such can actually help an individual by noticing problems in their lives, and avoid falling into the 'traps' that cometimes cause depressive outbursts.

A general practicioning doctor is for the most part like a revolving door. Get the patient in, get them out. Finding a (what I would call) qualified doctor is damn near impossible. I am very fortunate that I found one, though it took several years to do so. The amount of tests I went through before being perscribed meds was staggering. Years later, I still see him every month to give him an update on how I am feeling and to see if there is a need to change dosages. It is a shame this is not the case with most doctors.

Remember, half of all doctors graduate in the bottom half of their class.

Drugs alone do not do the job. I share your past frustration with 'doctors'. What a misnomer for some of them!

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/britain_health_drugs_psychology&printer=1