mental illness is awful

You know English when I was younger Emerson, Lake and Palmer were quite popular. Moody Blues was as well. I never took a serious interest in them at the time but, the older I get the more I find their lyrics being posted throughout forums such as PC. They are quite deep.

Thanks

Excellent rth1a1. Observation becomes fact. You're the best therapist because you know what your patients are experiencing.

I have been on a benzo since 2004. First lorazepam for ten years and Xanax for four. When I went to a pulmonologist for apnea he in no uncertain terms and with a belligerent tone accused me of being 'addicted' to the lorazepam. Needless to say this terrified me because I didn't think I was. To that end I went to an substance abuse inpatient facility for an interview to see if I was eligible. After a two hour interview and a consultation with a psychiatrist they concluded I was NOT addicted to the benzo(dependent, yes). They ticked off the key factors in making their decision. Since going on the Xanax(a benzo well known for it's abuse) I again was worried about addiction. My VA psychiatrist told me that once a user reached 2.5 mg a day they risked becoming addicted. So I kept track of my dosing. Low and behold I was worried for nothing. I take 1.25 mg a day because that is all I need. I think most people who are prescribed a benzo do not abuse them. The pulmonary specialist was out of line. Not only do folks have to deal with the stigma of a mental illness but the stigma of using a medication to treat it. That experience along with my experience with the current benzo and the therapists has made me cynical and distrusting of the entire system. Educate, read and research is my byword.

Thanks for the time to rant.

grrrrrrrrrrrr (may I growl at that "doctor"(?)

yes soul....we are together...in the big mental illness group...it doesn't matter what you are... or what you do... we have the depression...and the suicide sometimes ...we need to save each other...and ourselves....I saw too many suicides

my mental illness started at age 19...I was rejected by my girlfriend...I would no longer see her...I was starting college....and I was facing the cold cruel world.....I didn't know what hit me...I saw a psychiatrist...I went to college but it took a very long time to recover some....wow...I have always thought this was the start of a mental illness caused by some chemical thing...that's what I was taught...but the truth ....I was a spoiled kid by my mother and rejected by my father....no wonder I broke down....I was really DOWN...it felt like my brain had changed..i didn't know what hit me..

Seems there are many factors that can lead to what we call mental illness, but I do think we in the western world live in an unhealthy society. If the family organism and the societal organism are sick, then perhaps (as some theorists have suggested) the sickness manifests in the most vulnerable or most sensitive in the family or society.

"It [mental illness] is contextual and it's cultural. Disease is not an isolated phenomenon of an an individual. It's a culturally manufactured, culturally constructed paradigm." --Gabor Mate MD

One of the things Mate asserts is that Capitalism is the disease and the symptoms include mental illness, physical illness, and addiction.

I think there is truth here....we now live in a very cold cruel world....greed has taken over...we the sensitive ones need to run for cover...we need to find groups of like-minded people who support each other....not tear each other to shreds....this is vital for our survival...and psych central is one of those online places that help....also I think it is good to have some real live persons to talk with about all the problems...and maybe have some fun ...maybe

there is more to it....there is also physical and genetic problems that create
mental disorder....examples are many...it isn't just the terrible environment we live in...I like the bio/psych/social/economic/political model of sickness...

The bear may growl and roar as loud as he wants!

my confidence is entirely gone....I was a doctor...I now feel like saying I am sorry for all the people I couldn't help....I wish I had done better.....I just feel defeated by the awful mental illness thing and how people are being treated...there are so many things that are WRONG....like 15 minutes per person...like it has become a business... not very healthy

actually I am very sad....I am not sure ...maybe depression talking...but I just don't like the way people are being treated by the health care SYSTEM...too much money is being made off of sickness...

Yeah mental illness can be pretty bad. But like you said, there is help out there. And there is always hope.

mental illness is awful...
depression is awful....
depression is very complex....
depression can be caused by so many different things at once..
so a drug is going to fix all depressions..
I don't think so...

mental illness is awful.....yes
and psychiatry is really screwed up..
there are very few REAL psychiatrists left..
I was a real psychiatrist...it was very very hard for me to practice..
what does that mean....
you must always be thinking as a medical doctor and a psychologist...at the same time..
and the system you work in is basically corrupted by greedy people

something positive....wouldn't it be nice to give yourself UNCONDITIONAL LOVE....to include everything about you...and still say it is ok...we can deal with it....maybe be a good parent for ourselves...

i think that you tend to get better care from psychiatrists and psychologists if you have money and very good insurance...the persons who are having the worst problems may be getting care which is inadequate...it is sad to me...maybe i am wrong ...maybe

what is causing all this suicide

I was shocked to read there are over 42,000 suicides a year in the US! And I think I read for every 25 attempts there is one "success". That sure is a lot of depressed people! And to think I was one of the attempts - about the only significant thing I did...

In my case, there are multiple factors: biological predisposition, childhood abuse by father, victim of bullying, and in more recent years loss of most of my IT customers and shrinking social circle. Hmmm, why am I paying a therapist?

what is happening in our brains...
what is causing the anxiety now....
what is causing the depression now...
are the drugs doing the job..

i cant believe all the trauma and abuse we have to deal with...
and you see what is happening here in the usa and in the world..
how can you not be depressed some just from the suffering everyone is exposed to..
I personally am a tiny little scared sensitive guy who wants to hide out ..
but I get very angry about what is going on...

MAY has the most suicides...75% of completed suicides are male...we need to talk about it....men have a hard time saying they are depressed...

Hi! Though your post is from a long time back, I felt like replying today. I have joined this forum recently. You are right that mental illness is awful. I am suffering from major depression. I have started seeing a new doc. My conditions have improved a little, but the improvement is so slow that I feel hopeless. I am not working, I used to love reading story books earlier, now I cant find any interest in them. I cant seem to enjoy anything. There have been days when I have not been able to get out of bed the whole day.

If you or the other members here can suggest to me ways of coping with my depression. Thanks.