Mental Health - Page 2

Nightrider · 03-26-2007, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hkbajwa

nightrider it is quite reassuring to hear that you have made a full recovery. In my family we have a variety of mental illnesses (as i believe is the case with most families) however we have been quite successful at acknowledging them.

My grandfather was actually a psychopath (no awareness beyond his own universe, brilliant manipulative abilities, selfdestructive tendencies and a seeming lack of a conscience). He turned that way due to a fall from a horse at a young age (damaging the frontal lobes of the brain and thus making him incapable of empathy at any more than an intellectual level).

My mother's father had had strong neuroses as a result of a domineering and fastidious mother (as well as issues developed from his time in the Danish Resistance in WW2) which he transmitted to his own children.

Myself and some of my cousins (particularly the older ones closer to my age) have followed in the footsteps of our elders by battling with depression and eating disorders.

Mental health is the most difficult to maintain. Due to the individuality of humans , to maintain mental health requires constant analysis of self and solutions are also a completely individual process.

Acknowledging mendtal disorders and dealing with them requires a lot of bravery. A mental disorder is a sign that all is not as it should have been in your past. To acknowledge that something in your past has been detrimental is perceived as extremely dangerous as it will require a re-evaluation of all the you are and allt he you have experienced.

Mental illness is not a disease that is to be treated or destroyed. It is an indicator that must be heeded when it shows itself.

I am sure that part of your recovery process involved not only meds, but also intensive re-evaluation of what you were, what you have experienced and what you have been led to believe.

I think meds can assist you in dealing with these problems, and in some cases suppress the symptoms of mental issues.. but the cure can only take the shape of mental re-evalution.

Thanks, hkbajwa, for your comments and your input. . .
You bring up some valid points, and as you are probably aware, mental illness is an ongoing battle.

Some of us succeed in beating the disorder, others simply give up. I guess it's like anything else in life - success requires hard work, diligence, persistence, and (frankly) a little bit of luck sometimes. . .

I'm glad you shared your own story, and it makes good food for thought and reflection. You're right when you hint that mental illness runs in familes. . . what's sad is that about 1 in 5 people will suffer from some sort of severe mental illness at some point in their lives.

That's why I think that this subject needs to be at the forefront of medical research (equivalent to cancer, I guess), not only to help those who suffer but to educate modern society as well. After all, the numbers are staggering, and this thing (mental illness) seems to be hitting society like a ton of bricks nowadays.

We live in a stressful society, yes, but I think that it is unneccessary for people to suffer. That is why I hope to make some sort of difference in this world - to do whatever I can to help others recover. Hopefully, I will succeed in that endeavor. . .

knot_e_lady · 03-27-2007, 12:23 PM

Good for you, NR.

I have close experience with mental illness, having both a sister and a sister-in-law with bi-polar disorder.

It is very hard, for example, for my SIL. She is only 22, and her doctors will not take her off work because they don't believe she has enough experience to say she cannot work. Because she can't be placed on permanent disability, she can't be on her mother's insurance as a dependent, but because of her disability, she isn't able to keep a job more then 3 months, so she can't keep insurance on her own.

This is literally bankrupting my mother in law. We try to help as much as we can, but we have 5 kids of our own to support.

Something needs to be done, no doubt about it. My sister pays over $150 a month for her medications, and that's with Medicare. Considering she is on disability, that is a substantial part of her income.

tadpole256 · 04-05-2007, 11:30 PM

I think too many people in the U.S. do not take mental health seriously. Especially things like depression... These are serious issues that tend to get blown off at huge detriment to the sufferer.

tadpole256 · 04-05-2007, 11:31 PM

Congrats on your own success NR

vharlow · 04-09-2007, 03:08 PM

Night Rider, Congrats on your recovery. How I wish my cousin could have had the same. She died far away from her family, refusing to acknowledge her own mother, and were it not for some nuns who cared for her, no one would know what happened to her. She disappeared with about 33,000 in cash in a satchel one day never to be seen again until notice of her death.

I too had read about recoveries such as yours, and time and patience in close contact with a loving family seems to be key. You are so fortunate.

God bless.

pensacola_niceman · 04-09-2007, 03:20 PM

Well, I lost my brother to suicide in 1983. Both my older sister and me suffer from depression and anxiety attacks. I do take medication and I'm usually OK. However, I've had some recent life events that make it very difficult to stay positive lately.

I once heard that nearly one third of Americans suffer from some sort of mental illness (usually depression) sometime in their lifetime.

Nightrider · 04-10-2007, 06:05 PM

vharlow and PN: I'm sorry to hear about your relatives, and my prayers are with you both. . .

PN: I know the feeling. . .
Even though I am recovered from the major portion of my illness, I too sometimes experience some "down" moments - however rare these moments have now become. . .

Anyways, what helps me is getting out of my apartment and being around people. What I've found is that the activity is not so important - what matters is staying involved in something where you're not "by yourself." These activities could range anywhere from church groups; joining some club or organization; helping out with community service work; or anything else that you enjoy doing.

Even going for short walks around my neighborhood have helped me tremendously. . .

Best of luck (and I hope that helps)!

- Nightrider

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