Mental Health and how it's looked at in this country

[chanel]

The danger in trying to "change attitudes" toward mental illness can result in creating an even greater stigma and producing another class of "victims."

Accepting and understanding disabilities is important. Treating the disabled as children who need to be taken care of (like many sub-groups in society) is counter-productive.

Good luck in your writing career and don't let others tell you what you can't do.

 

[Katzndogz]

Is there some reason why the whole country is obligated to help the mentally ill?

 

[chanel]

It might be in our best interests Katz. I'd prefer not to live amongst mental patients who are not being treated.

But with that said, people are being over diagnosed and over medicated. That's the real problem IMHO.

 

[flacaltenn]

40% of mental illness precursors can be diagnosed as early as 14 and 75% by age 25.
Many other mental issues as well.
Parkinsons for instance starts many years before any symptoms happen.

I was depressed as a teen, Started around 13 or 14. I just taught myself not to act on my impulses. I have been paranoid my whole life also, again I just taught myself not to act on beliefs that I could not confirm. Of course since I believe them that is not always an easy task. And if I am sick or overly tired it gets even harder.

My Navy Doctor told me that I should never have made it through Boot Camp much less get promoted to GySgt and last 16 years. That's how bad it is. I suffer recurring Major Depression, constant depression in between major episodes, I have paranoid delusional personality and Paranoid delusional disorder.

I believe the final straw that broke my act was the death of my Mother. I never talked to anyone about my problems but always knew if I had to I could talk to her. When she died that option was gone and within 2 years I had a break down.

Fortunately for me a MSgt that I worked with had a break down and had me drive him to the Hospital. That happened about a month before i broke down. His willingness to ask for help was enough to stop me from killing myself and asking for help myself. It was still touch and go, I had the weapon and had a plan. But decided I would see if they could help.

It ended my career and I have had some tough years finding the right meds. There were days I just laid in bed not moving cause if I did I would shoot myself. I was in and out of the Hospital 2 or 3 times a year from 1996 to 1999.

I finally ask for disability and that was enough that I survived until 2004 when we found a combination of meds that actually helped.

I am still depressed but it is manageable. I very seldom have a plan though I still would prefer to be dead. And I have not been in the hospital since 2002.

The question IS -- You SOUGHT plenty of professional help and it offered very little relief. So why do we pretend that we need MORE of the same? I don't trust a "profession" that have little in the way of diagnostic tools, DON'T really treat anatomical disease, and constantly defy common sense standards of normal?

It's likely that peer support, personal training, friends/relatives and 1/2 of a ten step program would be much more effective.

When you see a white coat walk into a room, have a 2 minute conversation with a suffering highly medicated patient, order no tests and hand out a different psycho-active drug -- I'm not sure we need more of that.. ATTITUDES, COUNSELING and more respect for BROADER definitions of "normal" --- Yep..

I think sometimes the "labeling" of a diagnosis is the beginning of a CHRONIC illness. I convinced my wife NOT to get our daughter to counseling when she was seen "cutting". Turns out -- it was mostly cultural because of current boyfriend who MIGHT have needed intervention. I'm happy with that call. My only regret is that now she is considering a field related to Psychiatry.. That makes me sad enough to commit myself..

 

[Douger]

The docs look at it with dollar signs etched in their brains.

 

[Dajjal]

I am not in your country, I am in England. But I have still been affected by American thinking on the mentally ill. England has imported behavioral science and personality profiling from the USA.

I know because I have been a victim of psychological abuse by the police, who labeled me a psychopath in 1988. They then proceeded to try to destroy me based on that mistaken diagnosis.

Since then I have studied them, and I read Mind hunter, by John Douglas, an FBI agent. I then read Criminal shadows by Professor David Canter, an English professor who studied the FBI techniques.
And I have latterly read The jigsaw man, by Paul Britton.

Professor Canter has said on TV that the British police are lumping everyone together under the one label of psychopath. Paul Britton wrongly tried to entrap Colin Stagg for murder based on his personality profile. Britton had previously said in his book that he had to be right about his diagnosis or he may destroy someone. Then he went right on and did exactly that.

My true diagnosis is a paranoid schizophrenic, and I have the symptoms of hallucinations and shit but I have found that the drug abilify stops those symptoms and lets me cope without stress. I recommend abilify to anyone with schizophrenia, but there are side effects, and if you can manage without it you are better off.

 

[uscitizen]

40% of mental illness precursors can be diagnosed as early as 14 and 75% by age 25.
Many other mental issues as well.
Parkinsons for instance starts many years before any symptoms happen.

parkinsons is a real medical disorder...there is no diagnostic test for bi polar, adhd or depression

As I said watch the Rose segments on the Brain we are so close to isolating defects in the brain that cause depression, bipolar, etc.

 

[uscitizen]

Is there some reason why the whole country is obligated to help the mentally ill?

I dunno why do we support congress?

 

[flacaltenn]

I am not in your country, I am in England. But I have still been affected by American thinking on the mentally ill. England has imported behavioral science and personality profiling from the USA.

I know because I have been a victim of psychological abuse by the police, who labeled me a psychopath in 1988. They then proceeded to try to destroy me based on that mistaken diagnosis.

Since then I have studied them, and I read Mind hunter, by John Douglas, an FBI agent. I then read Criminal shadows by Professor David Canter, an English professor who studied the FBI techniques.
And I have latterly read The jigsaw man, by Paul Britton.

Professor Canter has said on TV that the British police are lumping everyone together under the one label of psychopath. Paul Britton wrongly tried to entrap Colin Stagg for murder based on his personality profile. Britton had previously said in his book that he had to be right about his diagnosis or he may destroy someone. Then he went right on and did exactly that.

My true diagnosis is a paranoid schizophrenic, and I have the symptoms of hallucinations and shit but I have found that the drug abilify stops those symptoms and lets me cope without stress. I recommend abilify to anyone with schizophrenia, but there are side effects, and if you can manage without it you are better off.

(hey Sunni man, if you read this I bet you will love it, now you know I am really crazy, Ha, ha)

Hey don't blame it on us.. Isn't your country labeling legal offenders as "chronically ill" from Anti-Social Behaviour DisOrders. Thus turning every judge in the country into a shrink? You folks have just allow the insane to run the country...

Less common and more conventional uses of ASBOs, as listed by a report to the Home Office to illustrate the difficulties with ASBOs, include:

Two teenage boys from east Manchester forbidden to wear one golf glove, as it was a symbol of membership of a particular gang.[8]

A 13-year-old forbidden to use the word "grass" as a term of abuse in order to threaten people.[8]

A 15-year-old forbidden to play football in his street.[8]

An 18-year-old male was banned from congregating with more than three youths, and subsequently arrested when he entered a very popular youth club. The subject scheduled for that day in the club was how to deal with anti-social behaviour.[8]

The first farmer to be given an ASBO was instructed to keep his geese and pigs from damaging his neighbour's property.[8]

The oldest recipient of an ASBO, an 87-year-old man who was sarcastic to his neighbours.[8]

A two-year-old boy was accused of kicking a football at windows over a fence 7 feet (2 m) high and verbally abusing residents when asked to stop. This, however, turned out to be a police error.[42]

A woman was forbidden to make excessive noise during sex anywhere in England.[43]

OMG --- that's a very BROAD definition of CRIMINALIZING abnormal behaviour ain't it?

 

[Katzndogz]

It might be in our best interests Katz. I'd prefer not to live amongst mental patients who are not being treated.

But with that said, people are being over diagnosed and over medicated. That's the real problem IMHO.

That's a problem but so are mentally ill people who refuse to be medicated and have their rights respected.

 

[Dajjal]

flacaltenn
You think all that is bad, an old woman was recently threatened with imprisonment for feeding birds in her own back garden. She was dragged out of a police station with a coat over her head.

 

[flacaltenn]

40% of mental illness precursors can be diagnosed as early as 14 and 75% by age 25.
Many other mental issues as well.
Parkinsons for instance starts many years before any symptoms happen.

parkinsons is a real medical disorder...there is no diagnostic test for bi polar, adhd or depression

As I said watch the Rose segments on the Brain we are so close to isolating defects in the brain that cause depression, bipolar, etc.

You sure there aren't POSITIVE traits as well associated with these "defects"? ((Don't you ever watch House? --- LOL))

And what is the recourse if that's true? It will taken OUT of the hands of psychiatrists and put INTO the more competent hands of neurologists and neurosurgeons ---- hopefully.

OR --- maybe we'll return to the preferred physical tools of trade -- like the Nail up the Nose or the lobotomy.

 

[flacaltenn]

flacaltenn
You think all that is bad, an old woman was recently threatened with imprisonment for feeding birds in her own back garden. She was dragged out of a police station with a coat over her head.

It's a different level of "MAD" over there now --- I'm sure.. Must be environmental...

If it was 200 years ago -- I'd just assume the Wigs were on too tight..

 

[Soulless65]

First off thanks for all of the responses and well wishes I didn't think that this topic would get so many replies to it. And, as for this question by Amelia

What would your answer to that question be?

I would try to put more information out there for people to learn about mental health and try lessen the stigma of Mental Health. Also, I would try to have some system private charity or otherwise help those who don't have a great support structure like I do but that's just me

 

[VanceMack]

If I had my way I would take my military retirement and social security, maybe check into a state hospital for life, but the government has shut down our hospital. This new attitude about mental illness and being able to treat it outside of a facility is faulty. It's necessary but the repub's say they are tired of paying for mental patients. Now what is to be done? Got Me...............

I wonder if you know how much money the states pour into county community mental health providers and how many people abuse the mental health care system. The community mental health providers absorb about half of the money contracted to them with administrators and owners, many of whom have no connection with the company other than to make money. They are likewise invested in ensuring malingerers are given a diagnoses and disability rating, which means next time around they can show the need for mo money mo money mo money. Meanwhile, they cut back on case management staff and the real tragedy is...those truly in need dont have the available resources because so much money and effort is spent on those not in the least invested in improving their own lives.

Like it or not, the 'truth' is that we have become a dependent society. Life sucks sometimes...grab a bucket. Depression is with very few exceptions NOT caused by deficit brain chemistry. It is caused by crappy life syndrome. No pill in the world has ever cured crappy life syndrome. Thats something you have to do all on your own. Becoming a chemical zombie definitely makes the 'symptom' easier to manage but it does not and will not fix the problem. Unfortunately we dispense brain meds like they are Pez.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

If I had my way I would take my military retirement and social security, maybe check into a state hospital for life, but the government has shut down our hospital. This new attitude about mental illness and being able to treat it outside of a facility is faulty. It's necessary but the repub's say they are tired of paying for mental patients. Now what is to be done? Got Me...............

I wonder if you know how much money the states pour into county community mental health providers and how many people abuse the mental health care system. The community mental health providers absorb about half of the money contracted to them with administrators and owners, many of whom have no connection with the company other than to make money. They are likewise invested in ensuring malingerers are given a diagnoses and disability rating, which means next time around they can show the need for mo money mo money mo money. Meanwhile, they cut back on case management staff and the real tragedy is...those truly in need dont have the available resources because so much money and effort is spent on those not in the least invested in improving their own lives.

Like it or not, the 'truth' is that we have become a dependent society. Life sucks sometimes...grab a bucket. Depression is with very few exceptions NOT caused by deficit brain chemistry. It is caused by crappy life syndrome. No pill in the world has ever cured crappy life syndrome. Thats something you have to do all on your own. Becoming a chemical zombie definitely makes the 'symptom' easier to manage but it does not and will not fix the problem. Unfortunately we dispense brain meds like they are Pez.

You are wrong about Depression, Yes there are two types, situational based on circumstances, which will pass on its own and then there is depression that is chronic and caused by problems not associated with the situational condition.

I would agree we over diagnose and we over medicate. Hell the current thing is to claim over active kids are mental patients, the local Mental health private facility went from geriatrics and adults about 40 percent each with a kids about 20 percent over the last 10 years to 80 percent kids, 20 percent adults and no geriatrics at all.

Kid throws a spit ball in school and he is labeled over aggressive and the school and parents medicate him.

 

[eots]

40% of mental illness precursors can be diagnosed as early as 14 and 75% by age 25.
Many other mental issues as well.
Parkinsons for instance starts many years before any symptoms happen.

parkinsons is a real medical disorder...there is no diagnostic test for bi polar, adhd or depression

As I said watch the Rose segments on the Brain we are so close to isolating defects in the brain that cause depression, bipolar, etc.

what a ridiculous statement....

 

[Katzndogz]

We have an invented syndrome for every emotion a human being can have. These invented syndromes have invented treatments. Human behavior is now a treatable pathology.

 

[VanceMack]

If I had my way I would take my military retirement and social security, maybe check into a state hospital for life, but the government has shut down our hospital. This new attitude about mental illness and being able to treat it outside of a facility is faulty. It's necessary but the repub's say they are tired of paying for mental patients. Now what is to be done? Got Me...............

I wonder if you know how much money the states pour into county community mental health providers and how many people abuse the mental health care system. The community mental health providers absorb about half of the money contracted to them with administrators and owners, many of whom have no connection with the company other than to make money. They are likewise invested in ensuring malingerers are given a diagnoses and disability rating, which means next time around they can show the need for mo money mo money mo money. Meanwhile, they cut back on case management staff and the real tragedy is...those truly in need dont have the available resources because so much money and effort is spent on those not in the least invested in improving their own lives.

Like it or not, the 'truth' is that we have become a dependent society. Life sucks sometimes...grab a bucket. Depression is with very few exceptions NOT caused by deficit brain chemistry. It is caused by crappy life syndrome. No pill in the world has ever cured crappy life syndrome. Thats something you have to do all on your own. Becoming a chemical zombie definitely makes the 'symptom' easier to manage but it does not and will not fix the problem. Unfortunately we dispense brain meds like they are Pez.

You are wrong about Depression, Yes there are two types, situational based on circumstances, which will pass on its own and then there is depression that is chronic and caused by problems not associated with the situational condition.

I would agree we over diagnose and we over medicate. Hell the current thing is to claim over active kids are mental patients, the local Mental health private facility went from geriatrics and adults about 40 percent each with a kids about 20 percent over the last 10 years to 80 percent kids, 20 percent adults and no geriatrics at all.

Kid throws a spit ball in school and he is labeled over aggressive and the school and parents medicate him.

And how then am I 'wrong' about depression since I stated that it is biological but in far FAR less instances than is currently diagnosed? I have seen thousands of people that have been diagnosed with depression. You know what I RARELY see? The person, male or female, that has a positive healthy partnered relationship, positive career goals, basic foundational needs intact, satisfaction with life, and positive healthy sense of self worth and esteem that suffers from 'depression'. I will allow those people are out there...but Ive never seen them. Usually within 15 minutes of an intake interview it isnt hard to see where the source of depression is. Its pretty simple really. When yesterday sucks, today sucks, and tomorrow looks very much like yesterday and today...thats depressing. And it SHOULD be.

 

[flacaltenn]

The RetiredGySgt is correct (as it should be) about there being valid -- long term chronic causes and KatznDogs is correct about inventing syndromes and treatments and EOTs agrees with me about the whole field being amatuer hour in terms of a "profession". In FACT --- everyone gets an "A"...

We do a LOUSY job of sorting and treating. I recently read an article where the claim was made that anyone NOT recovering from the death of a loved one in 4 weeks is clinically depressed and treatable. (8 weeks is the DSM guideline) Ere-go -- a lot of waste and needless pain..

When you put that kind of dividing line square down "Normal Street" --- that's arrogant and useless. BUT -- if you're gonna hand out prescripts like Halloween treats --- there has to be a "medical guideline" RIGHT? Or the bogeyman lawyers will getcha...