What does it mean to be mentally ill?

I find that I worry about people thinking that I am mentally ill. I am not sure why. But I fear my classmates or co-workers ever thinking I am or have ever been mentally ill. I find this odd because I admitted to having been in therapy during college in one class. In another class, I mentioned having gotten a PhD to theorize that I had a slight mental disorder during a therapy session. So, why do I worry about whether or not people are going to think I am mentally ill? Why can't a person talk to a T without being seen as mentally ill? I can't even see myself as mentally ill even though I have a strange need to talk to a T. Why do I place such a negative image on the concept of mentally ill when I am studying to be an addiction counselor?

I don't view myself as having a mental illness. There is a lot of stigma out there. From people who have never had a mental illness; from people who have had a mental illness; from people outside the service; from people inside the service.

It is just one extreme on a continuum of functioning...
It is just a description of your behaviours at one point in time...

Personally... I don't find a use in describing myself (or others) as 'mentally ill'.

You go to therapy for help with some problems...
Who hasn't got problems??
lol
:-)

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Why can't a person talk to a T without being seen as mentally ill?

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I'm not sure that this holds true anymore, at least not in my community and age group. Most of my real-life friends have a T but none of them have any condition that qualifies as a mental illness. In fact, it's almost not cool if you DON'T have a therapist -- Ts can be trendy these days.

I never think of anybody-even if they are-as being mentally ill. Ha! Even when I was in the psych hospital I didn't even think it!

I bet if I'm not thinking about it at all, then neither is anyone else! People are just people, not a diagnosis.

I completely agree with alexandra. We have problems, nothing more. That's how I see it. Do you know if I were never sexually abused I would never have hardly any of these problems that I have now? Everything began when I was abused...and then I developed what is called mental illness.

I hear you Lexicon- i wonder the same, if my mother hadn't left me would i be in the state i am in now?
But even if she hadn't, my reletives would have still died, and would i have been affected by that as greatly without having already been abandoned by my mother?

There are all sorts of other things i could ask, all sorts of other situations, life events etc that i've suffered, and who knows what the outcome would be?

And then there's that point of individual differences, and how different situations can create different effects for different people; and just through development and dealing with these situations in turn, i might might have been just as distraught over something simple later on purely because i'd not suffered a crisis before.

It's all too diverse to explain and categorize.

If you think you have a mental illness, and you're okay with that, then that's cool. If you don't think you have a mental illness, despite whatever judgements are made on you, then that's cool too.

I know i'm quite terrified of applying for jobs and having to mention previous problems- which you have to do else they'd be asking what the hell i've been doing with myself for the past few years... but it is part of the 'equal opputunities' scheme in employment now and on par with skin colour. Even though i know they can't discriminate for having a mental illness, i still sometimes feel like it's a black mark against my name.

I guess it's down to your own opinion, and whether you think having a 'mental illness' is sucha terrible thing?

I tend not to think of myself as mentally ill, although I do have recurrent depression. However, when someone starts talking down about the mentally ill, the "nuts", "crazy people" etc, I usually count myself among them and explain about my diagnosis. This usually takes them aback, since I function just fine. I get a bit of shock, then pause, and then hopefully, the person re-thinks their negative stereotype about people with mental illness.

Depends on the situation of course...

gg

lol! Yeah I guess I think of myself as mentally ill when I'm sticking up for the mentally ill too

But not really aside from that...

To tell the truth I get in these moods where I hate myself for having a mental illness. How could I have gone crazy? I used to pride myself on how reasonable and rational and logical I was, then I let my mind completely fool me into believing the most ridiculous things? How could I become deluded? I feel like it is a character defect. I was supposed to be stronger than this. Now I have to take ANTI-PSYCHOTIC medication for CHRISSAKES! Me psychotic? How did that ever happen? Consider yourself lucky that you aren't mentally ill, that you don't suffer of psychosis, that you haven't deluded yourself into believing the craziest things about yourself. I keep wishing that I knew what I did wrong. How did I let this happen to me? It feels awful to be mentally ill. It is completely embarrassing to have to take medications in order not to do and think crazy thoughts. I never thought I'd be this weak. I would love to know why it had to happen to me. I don't blame you for being afraid of being mentally ill. It is the worst blow to my ego that I've ever had. But you are not hearing voices. You are not deluding yourself into believing crazy things about yourself. So be thankful.

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Demolition Lover said: I know i'm quite terrified of applying for jobs and having to mention previous problems- which you have to do else they'd be asking what the hell i've been doing with myself for the past few years... but it is part of the 'equal opputunities' scheme in employment now and on par with skin colour. Even though i know they can't discriminate for having a mental illness, i still sometimes feel like it's a black mark against my name.

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I used to be concerned about that as well. Now, at least in the United States, we have the HIPPA (don't ask me what it stands for ) law. This law basically keeps all medical information confidential unless the patient specifically signs that info can be released to certain providers. At my current job, there were no questions at all about any health conditions when I applied.

As for questions about blocks of time out of work, I had a couple of those on my record when I applied for my current job. There are creative ways to deal with those.

During one of my depressive periods I was working at Hospice. During that time, 5 of my immediate family members died. With the family deaths so close together, it was not positive for me to also be dealing with death on a daily basis in my job. Also I was part of my Mother's support system at that time. So I tell the interviewers just that. Another of my past jobs was truly below my education and skill level but it was a Federal government job that hired a lot of people in this area at one timel My interviewer stated that "with your background and education, you will be promoted to management in no time." HA! I very soon saw the chronyism going on and the deals that had been made "under the table."

True, leaving those two jobs were partially due to depression, but what I told the interviewers was also true. I've never had a problem with those blank periods in my resume.

As far as the term "mental illness" - in one of the books I've been reading a scientist/Dr. who studies the science of Bipolar disorders says that the term mental illness is a misnomer. There is nothing wrong with our minds, in fact some of our most brilliant artists, politicians, leaders, etc. through the ages live/d with some type of what would be termed mental illness.

What IS wrong is biological (chemical imbalances in our brains) - NOT sociological or psychological. I generally say (if it comes up in conversation) that I live with a depressive disorder).

Hope that helps a bit.

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Hopefull said:
Why do I place such a negative image on the concept of mentally ill when I am studying to be an addiction counselor?

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Hopefull . . . you've asked some tough questions. I think your last question, which I quote above, is the core issue. I have a similar issue with myself.

Ah . . . the stigma of mental illness. I *think* I'm educated on mental illness, yet I hold so many negative views about my own mental health issues. Why???

I think understanding mental illness in terms of disability is useful, for me. Some things I will need accommodations for. But, that does not make me "crazy" or inept or a less valued member of society. (I have to remind myself this constantly.) Some times my disability is not an issue at all. Recognizing my limitations is very helpful. Discussing my personal issues with others is very selective and on a need to know basis.

Hope this helps.

Yeah, I think my teacher does that to. I had commented in class about my history of a bad temper in school and he called it a disability. It rather shocked me. I just thought of it as a sign of my being different than everyone I know.
But, I guess it might be related to the dysthmic disorder theory from my college days. I mean irritability is a symptom of depression and I sure knocked that out of the park.
I guess I shouldn't have kept the dysthymic disorder theory from Dr Ackerly secret for all those years because now I am embarrased by the fact that my insurance knows about that and the current Dx Adjustment Disorder. (I seem to be able to worry about everything!) Oh, well. Atleast, I am not giving myself a headache.
Besides, I am starting to think that it doesn't matter. But, it bothers me that I can't stand up for the mentally ill because of this fear. I mean I have heard people make comments and I didn't say a word. One time I even laughed with them as they imitated a co-worker's flat voice when she had ADHD. My neice has that and I still didn't say anything. ARG! I hope I get the guts to stand up for the mentally ill.
As for whether or not I think of myself as mentally ill. No. I just have a history of dysthymic disorder and currently adjustment disorder. But, I have a form on the rights of the mentally ill from my T which insulted me on the my first session. Its them who term it mental illness. I did read recently that a third of the population will experience some form of mental illness in their life time. I think people just see it in others and not themselves.

Hopefull . . . you are giving yourself an honest assessment of the problem. I think you will be fine. I'm sure it's just a process of accepting and defining who you are and what you stand for . . . you'll work it out. ((((Huggs))))