[janinso]

We've all had someone say something about our mental illness that they think is helpful, but it comes off as condescending or just plain rude. For example: "You're depressed? Cheer up!"

What's the most ridiculous "advice" anyone's ever given you?

For me, it's probably "Have you tried not listening to the voices?" Well duh, but that's not how schizophrenia works. Thanks for the helpful tip.

[brainhi]

It's the devil...you are being punished...you are not living right

[SeekerOfLife]

Well, I have read that there is no such thing as depression caused by imbalance of brain chemistry. Well, I know from my own experience that this is not true. I try very hard to maintain a positive outlook, but even with that and everything else I can throw at depression it still persists.

[catastrophic]

You have depression? Well just get over it. . .

Um don't you think I that? ??

[venusss]

"you have chemical imbalance in your brain"

"you are not bipolar because you don't sleep around, like all bipolar people do".

"you cannot help yourself, you need doctos and meds or you will die, YES DIE"

That it doesn't exist, it's all a scam to benefit doctors. I have social phobia and it's very real.

[Hellion]

That I should just quit telling myself I can't do anything and just get of disability and go get a job....yes because I wake up every morning and totally tell myself 'you can't do anything' no my f***ing brain is the one that tells me that and I have to fight it all the time.......I mean forgive me if its a little hard not to give in sometimes. But depression isn't my only problem that's just the one that causes negative thoughts I certainly did not have any intention of creating in my mind I suppose the PTSD could play a role in that as well.

[junkDNA]

i went to a psych ward once for eating disorder and the during the very first meeting with the pdoc there he told me i was bipolar and my meds were making me sick. so he took me off all my meds right then, didnt wean them down. i am NOT bipolar, never shown symptoms of it. i called my T sobbing every day. he tried to get me transferred to a diff hospital but it didnt work. then he tried to come visit me and they said he couldnt do that.

[Hellion]

Originally Posted by junkDNA

i went to a psych ward once for eating disorder and the during the very first meeting with the pdoc there he told me i was bipolar and my meds were making me sick. so he took me off all my meds right then, didnt wean them down. i am NOT bipolar, never shown symptoms of it. i called my T sobbing every day. he tried to get me transferred to a diff hospital but it didnt work. then he tried to come visit me and they said he couldnt do that.

Sounds pretty unprofessional on their part, thats quite a conclusion to jump to after the first meeting especially since psych ward doctors see a number of patients daily so you'd think it would take them a little longer to really figure out what the issue is. First psych ward I was in sort of came of that way they didn't all the sudden change my diagnoses....but they also didn't spend much time listening to what i had to say and made a lot of assumptions.

[sober-bipolar2chick]

"you dont have anything wrong with you. Hey everyone is depressed"
That from my brother who is bipolar untreated. I am a reminder that he needs help. He hates it. Too damn bad bro.

God Bless us. Mental illness sucks.

[ifst5]

That i'm the only one who can change this situation.....er, not quite how it works i'm afraid. And then of course i get called a pessismist for being realistic

[-jimi-]

"You have to be motivated or I can't help you!"

Said by a therapist who obviously didn't know depression robs you of motivation. She didn't offer any advice, the appointments were checks to see if I had improved on my own, if I hadn't I couldn't come back.

Seriously I paid for that???

[lizardlady]

Can't say the number of times I've been told to "think positive thoughts" so I wouldn't be depressed.

[janinso]

Originally Posted by sober-bipolar2chick

"you dont have anything wrong with you. Hey everyone is depressed"
That from my brother who is bipolar untreated. I am a reminder that he needs help. He hates it. Too damn bad bro.

God Bless us. Mental illness sucks.

Ugh, I've heard that one so many times. I understand where they're coming from when they say things like "everyone has problems", but it's really trivializing of actual depressed people.

[Berrylotus]

If you get a job you will feel much better :/

[Patagonia]

"Go out & sit in the sun...it'll cheer you up"


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[glok]

"You don't understand."

[gma45]

"Get up you will feel better"
"Your not the only one with problems"
"It's all in your head"

[possum220]

Just get a job.
There is nothing wrong with you.
Just get out of the house more.
You are possessed..................

"I know that the only reason you were in treatment for all those years is because you're gay and were too afraid to come out....I wish they could have made you not gay, though." - my parents

"There's no reason to be anxious/depressed/angry" - my parents

"You don't have a mental illness, you're just excentric" - my parents

[Atypical_Disaster]

"You're not really psychotic, you're getting messages from the spirit world."

"Just ignore the voices."

"You can't seriously believe that's true."

"But you're so high-functioning! It can't be that bad."

"You're too smart to be psychotic."

"Everyone gets depressed, cheer up!"

"I get depressed sometimes but I still get out of bed."

"Whoa, you need to calm down, try taking a hot bath or something."

"It's not real bipolar, you're just really spiritual and you get overwhelmed from the messages you are receiving."

"If you were really psychotic/schizophrenic you'd be in the hospital for the rest of your life."

"Everyone acts a little crazy sometimes, why do you need meds? You must like the attention."

"You don't need medication, you should come off of them now. They're changing who you are."

"You must be possessed."

"Mental illness doesn't exist."

"If you listened to more positive music you'd feel so much better!"

"Just think positive."

[SnakeCharmer]

I have neurological disorders caused by head injuries. It's an invisible disability because on the surface I look just fine. People have frequently told me my disabling problems are "all in your head." Well, duh. That is exactly where they are.

[monkeybrains21]

"If u weren't a lesbian boys wouldn't bother u. Ur challenging them by ignoring them and it's ur fault what they did to u"

"He's ur father he's never hurt u" that said before and after my father brutally beat me for 15yrs and after he was arrested and convicted of being a child molestor.

"Nothing bad ever happened to u. It's all in ur head. U have a hyperactive imagination."

[venusss]

"call your pdoc to prescribe you some anti-anxiety meds" (when I was complained about being stuck on political philosophy paper).

[Verity81]

"Don't let her go to India to stay with her cousin, she causes enough trouble in England" - to my mother by the child psychologist when I was 14.... Cheers doc!

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