Anyone Here Mentally Ill?
Replies
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I used to see it as a disease in fact. The only materials that came out that were only self-reducing and self-destructing ones. The first thing you hold (as far as I remember, my mental *illness* started when I was 3 years old) is guiltiness, rage and self-hatress. As years go, the only viable solution you see for yourself is suicide. Medication stabilize the mood, that last as a transporter for the way you see yourself and consider Life. It took me 23 years to cease to look for any manifesto being able to kil me... in fact, living in the denial, or looking for self-annihilation. I now see it as some kind of *energy* - which needs to be channeled one way or another, that's it
good luck with your endeavors. just don't give up hope.0 -
Show up at the disability office and tell them you're too ill to work, and they'll say you're fine, perfectly sane. Show up with cash in hand or decent health insurance and they'll prescribe you pills and as much talk therapy as your wallet (or your HMO) can handle.
This tells me everything I need to know about the mental health system as a whole.
There are good people working within the system, but the system itself is just a money machine and another form of social control.0 -
Ok, one more thing... This video is a 20 minute lecture in a mini series. by Dr. Brene Brown. I don't exactly know what she researches, but I found this to be very insightful. My favorite quote starts around 15:43... "The problem is that you cannot selectively numb emotion." I was on medication and everything was numb.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0 0 -
From Razi...I used to see it as a disease in fact. The only materials that came out that were only self-reducing and self-destructing ones. The first thing you hold (as far as I remember, my mental *illness* started when I was 3 years old) is guiltiness, rage and self-hatress. As years go, the only viable solution you see for yourself is suicide. Medication stabilize the mood, that last as a transporter for the way you see yourself and consider Life. It took me 23 years to cease to look for any manifesto being able to kil me... in fact, living in the denial, or looking for self-annihilation. I now see it as some kind of *energy* - which needs to be channeled one way or another, that's it
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I agree with this. Maybe it's a sideways example but my son has Asperger's and all the things that come along with it. I can't tell you how many times we've been told we need to "fix" him. Fix what? He's not broken thank you. His mind works differently than most and we need to fix this? We need to encourage and give him the space and tools he needs to do what he thinks is best. When he's old enough to channel his Asperger's...I can't wait to see what his life becomes! Maybe the example isn't so sideways afterall. Perhaps medication has a lot to do with how "broken" we feel. Try to fix it with meds or channel it through time. Maybe we can't know which one will work best for us until we try.0 -
Very similar. BPD usually has more definable "triggers" and risk factors. This is likely not the same for everyone - but for me I can more easily avoid triggers of BPD, but will still cycle through the Bipolar.Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is an emotional disorder that causes emotional instability, leading to stress and other problems.
With borderline personality disorder your image of yourself is distorted, making you feel worthless and fundamentally flawed. Your anger, impulsivity and frequent mood swings may push others away, even though you desire loving relationships.
Fantastic answer! I'd like to add that it's very similar to and therefore very often confused with Bipolar. However, they can occur simultaneously (I'm proof!) Medications for Bipolar rarely help the symptoms of Borderline. BPD is more successfully treated with intensive talk-therapy in most cases.
it almost sounds like rapid cycling bp combined with poor coping skills?0 -
I'm just saying I totally disagree on putting on the same level breast cancer and mental illness...
And I'm just saying that you haven't presenting any compelling evidence or arguments to give weight to your "opinion"
Certainly, I won't see an oncologist to treat my depression...but I never said they were the same. I only said that the brain is an organ like any other, and it can become diseased. Many diseases of the brain respond to medication. It is, as I've stated, possible to suffer from bouts of depression and anxiety with no physiological cause. If that is the case, medication will probably not be helpful for you.
I guess what he (and I) have a problem accepting, is the idea that mental illness is something that cannot be cured. But I think cancer is an excellent analogy. They haven't given up finding a cure for cancer...I think there is a cure for mental illness. I consider myself to be in "remission" from mental illness. The possibility of it flaring up again is still there, but I don't have a need for medicine. And my life is extremely balanced (if that's not an oxymoron :ohwell: ).
thanks this in a way, what I wanted to express0 -
I take 10mg Lexapro and 150mg Wellbutrin. Been a couple years and I don't know if / when i'll try to get off them. Life & work are so stressful.
Took Lexapro back when I was 12-13 years old, never understood why I was taking it, was prescribed it and told to take it without being told why. I was told it was suppose to help with my temper...had em bad, they assumed I was depressed and/or stressed. I've been off of it since I was 14 (I'm 21 now) but man, that side effect of getting off of it lasted a whole year with hot flashes coming and going, sucked. Hope all is well with yours.
As for the original post, I don't have a mental disorder anymore (I think/hope), I'm all good but I wanted to post on here to show support towards those who are having to prepare themselves mentally 3-fold more than most who are choosing to exercise and transition to a healthy lifestyle. I commend ya'll on the effort.0 -
I guess what he (and I) have a problem accepting, is the idea that mental illness is something that cannot be cured. But I think cancer is an excellent analogy. They haven't given up finding a cure for cancer...I think there is a cure for mental illness. I consider myself to be in "remission" from mental illness. The possibility of it flaring up again is still there, but I don't have a need for medicine. And my life is extremely balanced (if that's not an oxymoron :ohwell: ).
I think there are a lot of things that, unfortunately, can't be cured and just have to be *managed.* I know for most people with substance abuse history, they can quit and stay sober till death but they dont ever stop feeling like an addict.
Right now, I'm nursing a hamstring that will probably never be 100% again...but we're working on it. I'm told there's no way to really fix the tear...so we have to strengthen the surrounding structures and just work on doing the best we can.
If you can truly get past something, like depression, cancer, AIDS, etc...and never look back, then that's fantastic. But for me, I'm comfortable knowing that this is a part of me that I'll probably have to manage for life. Managing your health in general is kind of that way. Every day it's something different, especially as you get older.
I think it's good to view mental illness as an *energy* or something that needs ongoing care and feeding. But I also feel like medication can be a successful part of that. I'm not religious, but I've seen scientific evidence that speaks to the power of faith and prayer. I would never criticize someone for incorporating religion into how they manage their health, so I find it odd that some people need to belittle others for the decisions they make in these highly personal matters.0 -
I have chronic major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). As a result, I take 450mg Wellbutrin and 1.0 mg Klonopin every day. The medications really help me but they also can have weight gain as a side effect. I started out on Zoloft and gained 20 pounds... I lost a little when I switched to Wellbutrin but sometimes I wonder if it is part of the reason I have a hard time taking weight off.
With talk therapy and medication I have managed very well. I also find that exercise helps a lot, particularly with the depression.0 -
I guess what he (and I) have a problem accepting, is the idea that mental illness is something that cannot be cured. But I think cancer is an excellent analogy. They haven't given up finding a cure for cancer...I think there is a cure for mental illness. I consider myself to be in "remission" from mental illness. The possibility of it flaring up again is still there, but I don't have a need for medicine. And my life is extremely balanced (if that's not an oxymoron :ohwell: ).
I think there are a lot of things that, unfortunately, can't be cured and just have to be *managed.* I know for most people with substance abuse history, they can quit and stay sober till death but they dont ever stop feeling like an addict.
Right now, I'm nursing a hamstring that will probably never be 100% again...but we're working on it. I'm told there's no way to really fix the tear...so we have to strengthen the surrounding structures and just work on doing the best we can.
If you can truly get past something, like depression, cancer, AIDS, etc...and never look back, then that's fantastic. But for me, I'm comfortable knowing that this is a part of me that I'll probably have to manage for life. Managing your health in general is kind of that way. Every day it's something different, especially as you get older.
I think it's good to view mental illness as an *energy* or something that needs ongoing care and feeding. But I also feel like medication can be a successful part of that. I'm not religious, but I've seen scientific evidence that speaks to the power of faith and prayer. I would never criticize someone for incorporating religion into how they manage their health, so I find it odd that some people need to belittle others for the decisions they make in these highly personal matters.
I totally agree. I myself used to be a muslim, I guess I was looking for an anwer. Religion can greatly help, believers forget the I for a common synergy, that is an impressive achievement0 -
I was diagnosed as being Bipolar about 4 years ago, although I suffered for over a decade before that. I am on several medications to stabilize the "roller coaster" that I used to ride on a daily basis. The medicines have made my life so much better than it was. I almost lost everything (my husband, my kids, my career) before I finally admitted I needed help. The only bad part of the medicines is that 3 out of the 4 all have weight gain as a side effect. So losing weight is that much harder. But I am slowly and deliberately losing the weight and getting healthier.
Due to my career field at the time, I did lose my job once I was diagnosed. But I have since found a wonderful place to work with a great group of folks. So I think it was all meant to be.
I have never regretted getting help and finally finding the right combination of medicines that make my life so much better. I still suffer from bouts of depression and the manic "highs". But they are less frequent and less severe than they used to be. I can manage them now and my husband is able to understand more as well.
I am happy to see that there are so many folks here that aren't afraid to talk about their "invisible" illnesses. I hope that you are able to get the help that you need. Diet and exercise definitely affect your mood and energy levels. Keep up the great work! Making the decision to get healthy is the first major step!0 -
With talk therapy and medication I have managed very well. I also find that exercise helps a lot, particularly with the depression.
Do you find that talk therapy helps the PTSD? I used to have a horrible time with it, and I would get exhausted and super upset even THINKING about going to therapy. For me, I just kept reliving things when I talked about them. And then I had that problem where I would want to get better to "please" my therapist.
Does anyone else do that? I found myself seeking approval, subconsciously...and as a result, talk therapy wasn't helpful for me.0 -
I was diagnosed with Bipolar II Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, General Anxiety Disorder, and the possibility of being borderline mentally handicapped (which is bull) when I was 18 and 19. I genetically inherited the Bipolar Disorder from my father who, though not formally diagnosed, was a textbook example. The PTSD came from being molested and abused for 16 years and having lived through Hurricane Katrina. The anxiety stems from my abuse. As for the handicapped part, that came from a psychologist who couldn't understand that he made me nervous because I am androphobic (afraid of men) and took my constant slipping up and fumbling as me being dumb in the head.
I barely graduated high school because of the Bipolar and anxiety, in fact I had to be on a home schooling program my senior year because I was deemed too unstable to be among my peers without losing it or hurting someone. At 15 I was mis-diagnosed as just clinically depressed and for a while the meds worked, I surprisingly lost weight despite but I was very active and eating well because I was happy... most of the time. When they quit working I had a melt down and wouldn't leave the house for 2 months. And when I stayed home all day, I ate all day. I snacked, I had meals. And because I had horrible insomnia I did the same at night.
Surprisingly I've never slipped so far that I get addicted to anything, which from what I've read on the subject is fairly common for people with bipolar and Borderline Personality disorder. Then again I hate smokers, I can't stomach alcohol, and considering I saw what a prescription painkiller addiction did to my father I'm scared to even attempt getting high off them. Every time I've had surgery and been prescribed pills for the pain I've taken maybe 3 and then I force myself to not need them or bear the pain. Paranoia more than anything.
I've attempted suicide several times, I used to be addicted to cutting, and my manic lows can last for days or weeks depending on if anything kickstarted it or not. I've been taking Lithium for the bipolar and Xanax for the anxiety. I was on an anti-psychotic for 6 months but it didn't work (I have auditory hallucinations and I was put on the medicine to hopefully stop them, but they didn't) and in the past 4 years I've been through almost 4 psychiatrists and over 6 therapists. My 1st and 2nd psychiatrist were very loose with their prescription pads and they didn't really care so almost every week I was on a new pill with new side effects. The first tried to admit me after a month when no anti-depressants worked, the second I was with for two years, she sent me to 3 different outpatient psych facilities and once a month threatened to admit me because I was "difficult". The therapist associated with that doctor told me the reason my medicine wasn't working was because I didn't want them to, that I wanted to be miserable and I wanted to make them miserable by trying to help me when there was, in reality, nothing wrong with me. When I tried to admit myself I was told I was stable enough to not need that help, I just needed a better doctor.
Needless to say all the pill-hopping put a ton of weight on me, I was even denied one pill because it was notorious for weight gain and the doctor at one of the facilities was scared I would really hurt my body with more weight. It's taken me forever to get the gumption to actually do something about my weight because the moodswings make it hard to do much more than either be mad that you're this fat or be depressed because everyone else is so thin and good looking and you're having to resort to Walmart to just find affordable pants. I would see shirts I liked but they were not my size or not unisex (I wear unisex/men's shirts because they're more forgiving in fit) and I'd get depressed.
And really right now I'm battling to not fall into another manic low. I've forced myself to go work out the past two days, I won't let myself mindlessly munch, and I won't let myself just sleep like I used to in order to avoid the world. (I'm also agoraphobic, so that's a battle within itself) It's hard because essentially I'm doing this by myself. I've lost all my friends over the years, the last one a year and a half ago when she made it clear I was being used and she couldn't have cared less about my problems.
It's hard, it really is. Every day's a different story, a different fight whether you win it or lose it, and there are nights where even after I've exceeded my goals for the week and lost a good amount of weight I will cry myself to sleep simply because the high of achievement wore off and I crashed. Many days I've wanted to quit because it puts a lot of stress on me and I've still got other things I need to do within timeframes but I can't. Yeah okay I hate myself sometimes for throwing myself into this long journey, but I'd hate myself more if I quit. I know if I did every day I would look in the mirror and scream "Quitter" and "coward" and I'd hate myself more than before and probably end up in another facility where they'll just tell me I have daddy problems and other trash.
Anyway, my rant aside (and sorry, I'm long-winded)... I know how you feel, OP, and wanted to let you know you're not alone, both as someone with mental illnesses and someone fighting through them to fight to get healthy.0 -
I've done all sorts of different types of talk therapy - group, one on one, even on the phone - my biggest problem is that I cover everything up with my humour and very rarely can I let that go to get to the real issue at hand. I'm not very good at being vulnerable - and if you are going to get any REAL work done with a therapist, you have to be prepared to bare all. Some people can do it, some people can't.
One thing that has always helped me is writing...in a journal and now I blog too. It's how I express myself and if my words help someone else along the way, then that's great.
We all have our own ways of learning to cope with the demons that plague us - it's when we start using unhealthy behaviors that we get into trouble.
Good luck on your journey :flowerforyou:
With talk therapy and medication I have managed very well. I also find that exercise helps a lot, particularly with the depression.
Do you find that talk therapy helps the PTSD? I used to have a horrible time with it, and I would get exhausted and super upset even THINKING about going to therapy. For me, I just kept reliving things when I talked about them. And then I had that problem where I would want to get better to "please" my therapist.
Does anyone else do that? I found myself seeking approval, subconsciously...and as a result, talk therapy wasn't helpful for me.0 -
With talk therapy and medication I have managed very well. I also find that exercise helps a lot, particularly with the depression.
Do you find that talk therapy helps the PTSD? I used to have a horrible time with it, and I would get exhausted and super upset even THINKING about going to therapy. For me, I just kept reliving things when I talked about them. And then I had that problem where I would want to get better to "please" my therapist.
Does anyone else do that? I found myself seeking approval, subconsciously...and as a result, talk therapy wasn't helpful for me.
When I was first diagnosed with PTSD I was at a place that did group therapy where we talked about what bothered/bothers us and maybe why we have what we do. I didn't have a problem the first time but that was before I knew the reason behind it, then I began having nightmares. I've always made people aware of the incident within therapy because I know it's a big deal but I'm at the point where I don't really want to talk about it for the sake of analyzing it, especially the last group I was in where even after I asked the therapist to drop it, she talked about it every day I was there and accused me of being obsessed with it, wanting to keep myself sick over it. But this was the same woman who, because another girl said her boyfriend had as a child hurt animals, proclaimed him a serial killer and was determined to make her break up with him. I actually had to take her aside after group to get her to stop crying and the therapist hated me for it and would make me talk to her if the girl refused to participate.
But yes I know what you mean, it's why I don't bother with therapy anymore. I wanted them to tell me I was doing good and making progress but I found in the end they were all forming different opinions about my life and were trying to make me do things I knew I was not ready for or could not realistically do. My last one was convinced because I was, at the time, 20 and still living with my mother I was co-dependant and I needed to get my license and move out. I'm on Government Disability because of my mental problems, I barely get what someone working minimum wage gets every month and I can't get a job. How was I supposed to realistically live on my own?
Therapists are human and while some of them are really helpful, many fall prey to their own opinions or assumptions and it can make your ability to trust someone like that wane.0 -
With talk therapy and medication I have managed very well. I also find that exercise helps a lot, particularly with the depression.
Do you find that talk therapy helps the PTSD? I used to have a horrible time with it, and I would get exhausted and super upset even THINKING about going to therapy. For me, I just kept reliving things when I talked about them. And then I had that problem where I would want to get better to "please" my therapist.
Does anyone else do that? I found myself seeking approval, subconsciously...and as a result, talk therapy wasn't helpful for me.
I don't have PTSD but I agree with you on the talk therapy. I tried very hard to stick with my therapist after I was diagnosed with schizophrenic and borderline traits, but I felt like she was making me worse. Talking about my problem seems to be a trigger. If I talk about my history of cutting, I go home and cut. Oddly enough, I can write about it without any problems. I think it may be the lack of face to face admissions that makes it okay, even though my friends here could easily be reading this and now know that I'm not as normal as I pretend to be.
I think I feel safest inside my own head. They like me there
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Tom Cruise would go apesh** reading this topic, maybe even jump on a few couches. :laugh:
OMG....too funny. Yes, he would have a field day on this topic.
OP: I'm not trying to have an argument with you, but insulin is a horrible example. I met a guy who wears a box on his hip that gives him insulin and he said he just puts in the food he wants to eat. He said, "If I want to eat a bowl of rice, I just put the number in the box." A BOWL OF RICE!?!
I'm not trying to de-legitimize your problems. Your visions of bugs on the wall. I was paranoid. I saw demons. The medication I was on for a few months helped me get balanced again. But they are not a long-term solution.
Oh sweetie, that depends what kind of condition you have, doesn't it?
Bipolarity and certain (most) types of schizophrenia are chronic. That means they last your entire life, and don't just disappear. They have to, in most cases, be treated until you die. Some of that therapy may be psychodynamic, consisting of group therapy, education, one on one therapeutic intervention. But, invariably, it HAS to include pharmacotherapy. Most importantly antidepressants, antipsychotics and mood stabilizers. If you think these types of medication can be weaned off easily, you just simply don't have the information/experience needed to form an educated opinion.
Don't make light of psychiatric illnesses. There are so many things about them we do not yet know. People think that just because something is classified as a "mental" disorder, it deals with imaginary stuff. But schizophrenia causes very real changes in your brain. Hormonal shifts and depletions cause clinical and major depression. This is very real, and if you ask me, pretty damn somatic. It may not be a physical tumor, but the brain is our most sophisticated organ and the one we know the least about.
I would much rather have a physical illness personally. It's extremely hard, incredibly sad and humbling to see how some patients suffer. Not even their mind is a safe place. It breaks my heart, sometimes. I hope to live to see some answers to some of the questions I have about this group of diseases.0 -
Tom Cruise would go apesh** reading this topic, maybe even jump on a few couches. :laugh:
OMG....too funny. Yes, he would have a field day on this topic.
OP: I'm not trying to have an argument with you, but insulin is a horrible example. I met a guy who wears a box on his hip that gives him insulin and he said he just puts in the food he wants to eat. He said, "If I want to eat a bowl of rice, I just put the number in the box." A BOWL OF RICE!?!
I'm not trying to de-legitimize your problems. Your visions of bugs on the wall. I was paranoid. I saw demons. The medication I was on for a few months helped me get balanced again. But they are not a long-term solution.
Oh sweetie, that depends what kind of condition you have, doesn't it?
Bipolarity and certain (most) types of schizophrenia are chronic. That means they last your entire life, and don't just disappear. They have to, in most cases, be treated until you die. Some of that therapy may be psychodynamic, consisting of group therapy, education, one on one therapeutic intervention. But, invariably, it HAS to include pharmacotherapy. Most importantly antidepressants, antipsychotics and mood stabilizers. If you think these types of medication can be weaned off easily, you just simply don't have the information/experience needed to form an educated opinion.
Don't make light of psychiatric illnesses. There are so many things about them we do not yet know. People think that just because something is classified as a "mental" disorder, it deals with imaginary stuff. But schizophrenia causes very real changes in your brain. Hormonal shifts and depletions cause clinical and major depression. This is very real, and if you ask me, pretty damn somatic. It may not be a physical tumor, but the brain is our most sophisticated organ and the one we know the least about.
I would much rather have a physical illness personally. It's extremely hard, incredibly sad and humbling to see how some patients suffer. Not even their mind is a safe place. It breaks my heart, sometimes. I hope to live to see some answers to some of the questions I have about this group of diseases.
Awesome reply. If anyone should know how bad mental illnesses can truly be to live with unmedicated, it SHOULD be her.0 -
Tom Cruise would go apesh** reading this topic, maybe even jump on a few couches. :laugh:
OMG....too funny. Yes, he would have a field day on this topic.
OP: I'm not trying to have an argument with you, but insulin is a horrible example. I met a guy who wears a box on his hip that gives him insulin and he said he just puts in the food he wants to eat. He said, "If I want to eat a bowl of rice, I just put the number in the box." A BOWL OF RICE!?!
I'm not trying to de-legitimize your problems. Your visions of bugs on the wall. I was paranoid. I saw demons. The medication I was on for a few months helped me get balanced again. But they are not a long-term solution.
Oh sweetie, that depends what kind of condition you have, doesn't it?
Bipolarity and certain (most) types of schizophrenia are chronic. That means they last your entire life, and don't just disappear. They have to, in most cases, be treated until you die. Some of that therapy may be psychodynamic, consisting of group therapy, education, one on one therapeutic intervention. But, invariably, it HAS to include pharmacotherapy. Most importantly antidepressants, antipsychotics and mood stabilizers. If you think these types of medication can be weaned off easily, you just simply don't have the information/experience needed to form an educated opinion.
Don't make light of psychiatric illnesses. There are so many things about them we do not yet know. People think that just because something is classified as a "mental" disorder, it deals with imaginary stuff. But schizophrenia causes very real changes in your brain. Hormonal shifts and depletions cause clinical and major depression. This is very real, and if you ask me, pretty damn somatic. It may not be a physical tumor, but the brain is our most sophisticated organ and the one we know the least about.
I would much rather have a physical illness personally. It's extremely hard, incredibly sad and humbling to see how some patients suffer. Not even their mind is a safe place. It breaks my heart, sometimes. I hope to live to see some answers to some of the questions I have about this group of diseases.
I agree here 100%, it depends on the the condition, and like the quoted person stated, the brain is the least known organ and shouldn't be taken lightly regarding matters of mental illness. Not all mental illnesses deal with "imagination" and some cause actual changes in the body, whether it's pre or post0 -
OK so this thread has slowed to a crawl, after being a really cathartic catalyst for getting us out of our caves and starting to "live out loud" as one MFP member says. So now that we declared ourselves nad got out in the sunshine and we are seeing each other for the first (or whatever) time, let's not return to our caves and avoid making at least a few connections. I am not a fan of "garage door" neighbors. You know the type. You only see them going out and in of their residence, and they never acknowledge your presense.
I like to get out and know my neighbors at least to the point that we can talk a bit and help each other be safe, keep an eye on each other's kids or pets, and laugh at each others' jokes. It isn't every neighbor, but most of them.
I like a community. And we just made an amazing start at becoming a mentally healthier community or lots of little neighborhoods anyway. SO channel some of that good mania and let's try friending or PMing and see with whom we connect and can support, or not. I think most of us have blogs so we can do some home work.
I had a personal revelation (Thank you Axels91) in this thread, and I'd like to keep it going in a positive direction.
Thanks.0 -
:flowerforyou:0
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Severe depression
Anxiety
Personality disorder
and EDNOS supplemented by the first 3.
At least that was my preliminary diagnosis last year after dealing with a sexual assault.
I never got very far with the therapy without insurance and my college only covering 4 sessions.
It is a new year though and I finally have insurance.
Honestly the one thing that is keeping me most grounded with my ED tendencies is knowing that I have to take care of someone else within myself (I'm 19 weeks pregnant). Deciding to keep this baby also means growing up and dealing with my disorders. Finally I feel comfortable outside of the darkness of my disorders.0 -
Severe depression
Anxiety
Personality disorder
and EDNOS supplemented by the first 3.
At least that was my preliminary diagnosis last year after dealing with a sexual assault.
I never got very far with the therapy without insurance and my college only covering 4 sessions.
It is a new year though and I finally have insurance.
Honestly the one thing that is keeping me most grounded with my ED tendencies is knowing that I have to take care of someone else within myself (I'm 19 weeks pregnant). Deciding to keep this baby also means growing up and dealing with my disorders. Finally I feel comfortable outside of the darkness of my disorders.0 -
Severe depression
Anxiety
Personality disorder
and EDNOS supplemented by the first 3.
At least that was my preliminary diagnosis last year after dealing with a sexual assault.
I never got very far with the therapy without insurance and my college only covering 4 sessions.
It is a new year though and I finally have insurance.
Honestly the one thing that is keeping me most grounded with my ED tendencies is knowing that I have to take care of someone else within myself (I'm 19 weeks pregnant). Deciding to keep this baby also means growing up and dealing with my disorders. Finally I feel comfortable outside of the darkness of my disorders.
My children saved my life. Without them I would have stayed in the darkness. I wish all the blessings in the world to you and your baby.0 -
children are blessings. they do put things in perspective. i don't have any but i do have a dog that depends on me, he's a pup and follows me everywhere. knowing he is there prevents alot of self destruction0
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With talk therapy and medication I have managed very well. I also find that exercise helps a lot, particularly with the depression.
Do you find that talk therapy helps the PTSD? I used to have a horrible time with it, and I would get exhausted and super upset even THINKING about going to therapy. For me, I just kept reliving things when I talked about them. And then I had that problem where I would want to get better to "please" my therapist.
Does anyone else do that? I found myself seeking approval, subconsciously...and as a result, talk therapy wasn't helpful for me.
It was helpful for me but I think a big part of that was having the right therapist. She specialized in PTSD and rape trauma and was able to help me work through things in a safe, stable environment where I didn't feel threatened. Unfortunately, a lot of times PTSD treatment involves discussing the traumatic event in order to work through it which is, naturally, triggering for most individuals.
Oh - if talk therapy didn't work for you and you're interested in alternative treatment, look into EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). It's fairly new but I know that it has helped some people that didn't get much out of more traditional treatments.0 -
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I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I take Paxil and have for years (over 10) to curb this. I also went through extensive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
I do have panic attacks, but only about 2 or 3 a year and usually at a concert or something where a lot of people are.
My mom has it as well, and my close friends & family know that I have it - so if we are out somewhere and I start feeling panicky, they can usually help calm me down.
If I have to take a little pink pill everyday to keep from freaking out when I walk out the door, I have no problems doing that.0 -
I was diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety,..still undecided if im bipolar or not. Been through alot of abuse in my past and then was sexually assaulted within the work place which tipped me over the edge... i then became agrophobic, didnt go over the doorstep for a year. I also turned to drinking alcohol..it wrecked my marriage and my husband and i atm live apart. :0(. As for going out now im getting better but STILL can only go somewhere if someone (mainly husband) is with me or my children, as i suffer with really bad panic attacks. Cant work at the moment, because of it, but im getting help, and hoping things will get better as its really hard and makes my confidence rock bottom. Im like two different people i can go out with my friends/family and be in a pub and no one would be able to know i was a wreck because im full of alcohol.. but then when not drinking, its like im very timid and i struggle to get by. I guess this is why im also making life changes now.. with diet/alcohol etc, as i believe if im healthy then my mind will get healthy as ive probs wrecked my body over the years with bad foods, alcohol, even drugs in my past. Onwards and upwards i guess :0) xxxxxx0
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Oh - if talk therapy didn't work for you and you're interested in alternative treatment, look into EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). It's fairly new but I know that it has helped some people that didn't get much out of more traditional treatments.
That sounds super interesting. I will look into that!0
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