Guest guest Posted April 25, 2002 Report Share Posted April 25, 2002 >She has always been vague with me as to what she is diagnosed with and so I >worry that she thinks it would be a problem for me to accept, it wouldn't of >course, but I wonder if she thinks I am a slave to popular prejudices about >mental illness. The best thing to do there is tell her all of this. It could be that she is simply embarrassed regardless of whether you could accept it as there is a stigma attached. Besides which it would be difficult to learn about mental illnesses to understand a friend as they cover such a vast number of different illnesses and different types that you would have to try and diagnose her which isn't so easy. Attempting to make your own diagnoses based on the criteria of different illness will probably end up in everyone having something, and yourself having several. There are some very good internet sites though for learning about mental illness, such as http://www.mentalhelpnet.com/ > I know that no-one will believe me when I say I am depressed... That's the problem with ignorance though, people don't understand it which is one of the reasons why you get lists of famous people who suffer depression because it startles people and makes them accept that it is real and not just a case of whining, and that it doesn't mean you are eternally miserable. >Maybe you will think I am >making a fuss over nothing, but I don't see how it is possible to be as >permanently miserable and dissatisfied as I am Whether it is nothing or something serious I don't know. My problem with regarding depression as an illness to be cured is that it neglects that fact that it is a normal human response, and that it comes in different degrees. Conversely it also leads to people thinking they are clinically depressed, when they aren't, and so expect a quick fix solution (usually drugs, but not always). This is of course different to the depression that people may experience as a result of a traumatic event. It is also worth pointing to the difference between major depression (the illness which is the well known kind) which is characterized by spells of deep depression, but which are not ever present, and dysthymia which is a ever present low grade depression. >You know more about it than I do. >So tell me, am I depressed, do I have a personality disorder? Or is it >something else? Well I'm in now way qualified to make a diagnosis (I have done some psychology but not in any depth, most of my knowledge comes from being a subject), and it's near impossible to do over the internet anyway. If you really think you have a problem though then you have nothing to loose by seeing a doctor, unless you a threat to your own life or anyone else's (which I seriously doubt) then you can't be compelled to take drugs etc. It could though see you get referred to a clinical psychologist though, and they are better equipped to make diagnoses, and they only offer counselling rather than drugs. I will admit that I am skeptical of doctors though and have only had one good experience. Incidentally, depression is a mood disorder, not a personality one. >Oh and don't worry what that MrBig/Talking thinks of you. I don't care what >he thinks of me. Oh it wasn't him that I was talking of. I have a habit of getting to people, a long time ago (mid 90s) someone even set up a spoof web site about me. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 26, 2002 Report Share Posted April 26, 2002 I just thought of an answer to the person setting up the spoof website, that is: " Imitation is the highest form of flattery " I will have to raise the mental illness issue with my friend when I get to talk with her again. I know much of the solution to my depressed feelings, it's just not readily available to me (ie, some childcare provision to allow me time to do something else, part-time job or better still a course a few hours a week). No point even talking to social workers either, they know I know what would have helped me years ago (I told them) and they did diddly squat to get me any practical help. Like doctors they don't listen to what people know they need. Lesley Mavreela [nec.lists] 25 April 2002 15:45 Psychology (was my physics teacher) >She has always been vague with me as to what she is diagnosed with and so I >worry that she thinks it would be a problem for me to accept, it wouldn't of >course, but I wonder if she thinks I am a slave to popular prejudices about >mental illness. The best thing to do there is tell her all of this. It could be that she is simply embarrassed regardless of whether you could accept it as there is a stigma attached. Besides which it would be difficult to learn about mental illnesses to understand a friend as they cover such a vast number of different illnesses and different types that you would have to try and diagnose her which isn't so easy. Attempting to make your own diagnoses based on the criteria of different illness will probably end up in everyone having something, and yourself having several. There are some very good internet sites though for learning about mental illness, such as http://www.mentalhelpnet.com/ > I know that no-one will believe me when I say I am depressed... That's the problem with ignorance though, people don't understand it which is one of the reasons why you get lists of famous people who suffer depression because it startles people and makes them accept that it is real and not just a case of whining, and that it doesn't mean you are eternally miserable. >Maybe you will think I am >making a fuss over nothing, but I don't see how it is possible to be as >permanently miserable and dissatisfied as I am Whether it is nothing or something serious I don't know. My problem with regarding depression as an illness to be cured is that it neglects that fact that it is a normal human response, and that it comes in different degrees. Conversely it also leads to people thinking they are clinically depressed, when they aren't, and so expect a quick fix solution (usually drugs, but not always). This is of course different to the depression that people may experience as a result of a traumatic event. It is also worth pointing to the difference between major depression (the illness which is the well known kind) which is characterized by spells of deep depression, but which are not ever present, and dysthymia which is a ever present low grade depression. >You know more about it than I do. >So tell me, am I depressed, do I have a personality disorder? Or is it >something else? Well I'm in now way qualified to make a diagnosis (I have done some psychology but not in any depth, most of my knowledge comes from being a subject), and it's near impossible to do over the internet anyway. If you really think you have a problem though then you have nothing to loose by seeing a doctor, unless you a threat to your own life or anyone else's (which I seriously doubt) then you can't be compelled to take drugs etc. It could though see you get referred to a clinical psychologist though, and they are better equipped to make diagnoses, and they only offer counselling rather than drugs. I will admit that I am skeptical of doctors though and have only had one good experience. Incidentally, depression is a mood disorder, not a personality one. >Oh and don't worry what that MrBig/Talking thinks of you. I don't care what >he thinks of me. Oh it wasn't him that I was talking of. I have a habit of getting to people, a long time ago (mid 90s) someone even set up a spoof web site about me. Michael ~~ info ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please remember that the above is only the opinion of the author, there may be another side to the story you have not heard. --------------------------- Was this message Off Topic? Did you know? Was it snipped? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Guidelines: visit <site temporarily offline> Un: send a blank message to - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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