Bipolar

MrMoonX · 12 Jul 2011 at 20:58

albert said:
Not trolling but people really need to get a grip. This topic just justifies what a made up cop out 'illness' this really is.

I get excited when a new computer game comes out. I like spending money. I like drinking alcohol and if i had huge debts i would probably worry. However there's nothing wrong with me.

..... oh hang on i'm really really excited for Battlefield 3 , i'm really really excited. Might phone in sick for work tomorrow because i'm ill! ... get a grip people ....

not trolling? much!

its people like you who tell people who are clinically depressed to "get a grip" or "just cheer up"

BringTheRain · 12 Jul 2011 at 20:58

Well put Rainmaker, was ready to defend myself. But then remembered this is GD lol

MrMoonX said:
not trolling? much!

its people like you who tell people who are clinically depressed to "get a grip" or "just cheer up"

My dad said, just stop worrying, bless! HaHa

Also I got this from my GP for free, really really good!

Rainmaker · 12 Jul 2011 at 21:06

BringTheRain said:
Well put Rainmaker, was ready to defend myself. But then remembered this is GD lol

As I said earlier, you have nothing to defend. You'll always meet narrow-minded folk in life. You can try to educate them, and if they take your information on board, great. If not, it's their loss not yours.

Clearly albert has never been affected by these issues, nor has he experienced them himself either by suffering the illness or having to care for someone who does. That's good for him, but it doesn't excuse what is effectively bigotry surrounding issues of mental health and wellbeing.

There's an advert about lately (or there was?) about mental health being the elephant in the room, and how it's a social stigma when it shouldn't be. I can't help but agree, not only personally but on a professional level too.

Put in a more GD fashion: Haters gonna hate.

EDIT: LMAO @ your pic...

p4radox · 12 Jul 2011 at 21:10

albert said:
Not trolling but people really need to get a grip. This topic just justifies what a made up cop out 'illness' this really is.

I get excited when a new computer game comes out. I like spending money. I like drinking alcohol and if i had huge debts i would probably worry. However there's nothing wrong with me.

..... oh hang on i'm really really excited for Battlefield 3 , i'm really really excited. Might phone in sick for work tomorrow because i'm ill! ... get a grip people ....

I'm pretty sure you're just trolling, but I'm going to reply anyway.

Do you think depression would be classified as a serious medical illness with so much research backing it up if it didn't exist?

I'm sorry, but you clearly have no idea. You're extremely lucky to have never suffered from any kind of mental illness, but for those who have it can literally destroy your life. Losing your mind is about the scariest thing that can happen to you. In many ways it's worse than physical illness because it's still so badly understood.

slylittlefox · 12 Jul 2011 at 21:29

I hate being bipolar. It's fantastic.

Joshy · 12 Jul 2011 at 21:53

Rainmaker said:
how it's a social stigma when it shouldn't be

Why shouldn't it be? How on earth do you expect your average joe public to accept something that they can't see (apart from in its most extreme cases) much less understand?

Depression is only now just seen as socially 'acceptable', and feeling a little sad at some point of your life pales in comparison to some of the associated baggage that can come with mental illness.

Even the term 'mental illness' seems like it should have a stigma to it.

Rainmaker · 12 Jul 2011 at 21:59

Joshy said:
Why shouldn't it be? How on earth do you expect your average joe public to accept something that they can't see (apart from in its most extreme cases) much less understand?

Depression is only now just seen as socially 'acceptable', and feeling a little sad at some point of your life pales in comparison to some of the associated baggage that can come with mental illness.

Even the term 'mental illness' seems like it should have a stigma to it.

Am I actually reading you correctly? I'm not sure if you're supporting people with mental illness or saying it's rubbish because non-affected people don't know what the heck's going on with sufferers?

25% of the population are likely to suffer mental illness in any given year... hardly some vague and exotic disease. On top of that, we're all human and tend to have the ability to empathise with others based upon the fact that we too have an internal stream of consciousness which contains emotions and hangups; so whilst we may not have experienced mental illness we can understand how bad it must be for those who do.

Or is it just me?

Joshy · 12 Jul 2011 at 22:06

I'm not having a knock at people with a mental illness. I'm just saying that anyone who is dreaming of the day of when mental illness is 'accepted' as per that ad campaign was perhaps suggesting is well... a bit mental

.

Its just not going to happen. People generally don't want to discuss their mental state, and if they do they are only going to want to discuss it with people that they know and hope are going to be sympathetic.

Mental illness is never going to be something to discuss at the pub, its never going to be something that you're going to be happy to tell a casual acquittance, its always going to be a very private thing.

Rainmaker · 12 Jul 2011 at 22:09

Joshy said:
I'm not having a knock at people with a mental illness. I'm just saying that anyone who is dreaming of the day of when mental illness is 'accepted' as per that ad campaign was perhaps suggesting is well... a bit mental .

Its just not going to happen. People generally don't want to discuss their mental state, and if they do they are only going to want to discuss it with people that they know and hope are going to be sympathetic.

Mental illness is never going to be something to discuss at the pub, its never going to be something that you're going to be happy to tell a casual acquittance, its always going to be a very private thing.

...or something you post about in GD.

My point is that your physical health is a private thing to almost the same extent. You'll tell your family and friends, maybe a colleague, but you don't announce it on the bus or loudly in the pub. So your analogy isn't 100% accurate. The social barriers surrounding mental health are dropping, and rightly so.

Human beings aren't just machines, we have minds too. Arguably the mind is the most important part for without that we're just robots. Other cultures don't have such a taboo about mind; why do we?

Vonhelmet · 12 Jul 2011 at 22:11

A friend of mine on Facebook is bipolar. It is extremely obvious when she is in a manic phase because every status is like "OMFG LIFE IS AWESOME WOOOOAAAHHHH LOL!".

Joshy · 12 Jul 2011 at 22:20

Rainmaker said:
...or something you post about in GD. My point is that your physical health is a private thing to almost the same extent. You'll tell your family and friends, maybe a colleague, but you don't announce it on the bus or loudly in the pub. So your analogy isn't 100% accurate. The social barriers surrounding mental health are dropping, and rightly so.

This is where things get a little interesting. I feel that having a physically disability would be better in terms of 'stigma'. People have been pre conditioned over the years not to stare at the person in the wheel chair.

Now, whilst we're past the point of pointing and laughing, we still mutter under our breathe about the dude that just walked by talking to himself or would think that a the teenager who cuts herself was seriously messed up.

I just don't see it being accepted. Ever.

It is a fascinating subject though. If I was cleverer I'd have been a psychiatrist for sure

.

VioletCheese · 12 Jul 2011 at 22:24

cherrycoke said:
Thanks, I understand what your saying, but if the person it affects doesnt know or want to know about it how can you stop them from 'crashing' so hard?

*disclaimer* I am not a professional or in anyway qualified, this my opinion not advice!
Without them getting help themselves I don't think you can. IMO the only thing you could try is explaining why their mood and behaviour has been worrying you, how you feel it's not quite usual.

With regard to those out there that seem to feel mental illnesses such as depression and bipolar are not "real" - TBH I don't think with out personal experience you can ever "understand" a mental illness.

BringTheRain · 12 Jul 2011 at 22:29

Never really seen it as a mental illness. I guess it is though! I just thought I was one of these kids who is always depressed lol. Kind of like an emo kid, but without the make up.

I have never felt sorry for myself, blamed my self or anyone for that matter. I think the condition gets developed throughout child hood. I had some pretty **** things happen. Which I think could have lead to this.

I wish it was spotted earlier, as i feel i have wasted 10 years of my life. But what's done is done. They say life begins at 30, by god that is so true for me!

Skeptic · 12 Jul 2011 at 22:34

I'm a psychologist. I'd like you to come on some visits with me and then dispute the severity of some 'conditions'. (To albert and Joshy)

BringTheRain · 12 Jul 2011 at 22:39

Also slightly of debate

I have an obsessive personality. If an idea comes into my head, it wont leave until I have done it. Is this OCD or something else? I have noticed that in the last 3 weeks, normally I would get worked up about an idea. And HAVE to follow it through, but last weekend. Instead of getting worked up, I was just meh!!

I know OCD for example is like cleaning. I don't think I suffer from OCD.

Rainmaker · 12 Jul 2011 at 22:41

BringTheRain said:
Never really seen it as a mental illness. I guess it is though! I just thought I was one of these kids who is always depressed lol. Kind of like an emo kid, but without the make up.

I have never felt sorry for myself, blamed my self or anyone for that matter. I think the condition gets developed throughout child hood. I had some pretty **** things happen. Which I think could have lead to this.

I wish it was spotted earlier, as i feel i have wasted 10 years of my life. But what's done is done. They say life begins at 30, by god that is so true for me!

This would fit the pattern of the individuals I've had experience of, as well. But still, look to the positive not the bad stuff. You can't change yesterday but you can do more for today.

Or as someone said to me this morning, 'Worrying can't take the pain out of tomorrow, but it does suck the joy out of today'.

fus said:
I'm a psychologist. I'd like you to come on some visits with me and then dispute the severity of some 'conditions'. (To albert and Joshy)

Excellent. I'm an undergrad; are you a clinical psych then?

Joshy · 12 Jul 2011 at 22:43

fus said:
I'm a psychologist. I'd like you to come on some visits with me and then dispute the severity of some 'conditions'. (To albert and Joshy)

What on god's green earth makes you think that I don't appreciate the severity of mental health issues? :confused:

Saying it won't be socially acceptable isn't nearly the same thing as saying it doesn't exist.

BringTheRain · 12 Jul 2011 at 22:44

Rainmaker said:
Or as someone said to me this morning, 'Worrying can't take the pain out of tomorrow, but it does suck the joy out of today'.

Oi

"Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy"

Rainmaker · 12 Jul 2011 at 22:45

Joshy said:
What on god's green earth makes you think that I don't appreciate the severity of mental health issues?

Saying it won't be socially acceptable isn't nearly the same thing as saying it doesn't exist.

Perhaps, as I did, he took your post the opposite way to that you intended? As I said earlier, it was ambiguous.

Rainmaker · 12 Jul 2011 at 22:45

BringTheRain said:
Oi "Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy"

Yeah that's the one...