Well, this has been going around in my head since Tuesday.......
was watching a news show and they, of course, were talking about that gunman in Virginia..... can't recall who it was but they said that -- "it's probable that this guy had a personality disorder-- which is much WORSE than schizophrenia or Bi-polar as people with those can be controlled with medication-- a personality disorder can not be controlled so easily".

.... the media can sure "hit below the belt" sometimes... why did they have to compare-- aren't all mental struggles so different from each other and each person different also?..... sure there are degrees of reality split and all-- but I think generalizing should not happen on TV.

maybe this is just bugging me from my emotional place that I'm at -- at this time?

mandy

[EJ711]

Hi Mandy Fins,

I think we all should take what all of the "experts" the various media organizations have had on their shows this week with a grain of salt.

I think a lot of people have been throwing around a lot of terms without really using them correctly.

Let's face it, although there have been huge advances in some areas, as a whole very little is known about mental health issues, comparatively speaking.

As much as Ronald Reagan was a great president in many ways, he was wrong, and has done a lot of human beings a disservice by dismantling the mental health care system to the degree he did.

What does everybody else think about this topic?

Hugs,

EJ

[Direction]

Not sure I understand what President Reagan did?

Hey thanks for your reply EJ.

Yes, taking what the media says with a grain of salt is a good idea-- however-- they have been known to influence a certain percentage of the public.... that's the part that can be worriesome.

I also don't know what the Reagan Admin did to set-back the mental health care system-- do you or someone have a link to that-- I'd be interested to learn/understand it.

Since I'm the person that started this thread-- can I let it veer off topic? I get confused ...... or do I have to start a new thread?? not sure I understand it all..............

anyone??

mandy

[Irine]

-whatever you like! it`s YOUR thread!

you know i think that i can understand. you!
sometime someone says something and we think of it and the words soak in and bother us for a while untill we talk about it with someone whom we really trust...unless proved otherwize.
i am also like that. but we need to be objective and look at the case and ask ourselves are we REALLY that way?
i mean, only YOU know what you can handle.

what helps me sometimes if people talk about me i think
"who the heck you are to tell ne about MYSELF?!
who knows you better than YOU?

i don`t know if otheres dissagree... just an oppinion that can be useful sometimes. well sorry, won`t talk that much.
what do you want to post about?

[Rapunzel]

It's fine if your thread meanders. Conversations do that.

It might be helpful to change the subject heading so that it's easier to follow what we are talking about, if it veers very far.

[Perna]

Our dear President Reagan's legacy (killed all the funding): http://www.sociology.org/content/vol003.004/thomas.html

I don't think it matters what "they" say on television as someone somewhere isn't going to like it and it's gotten so it is all People magazine these days, not "news?" I was disgusted after about 10 seconds of their airing the gunman's tape and turned it off and then would have been amused, only I guess it bugged me more, when everyone complained about its airing (just turn it off if you don't like it?).

I think people need some sort of "reference" about mental illnesses, it is my belief that most of the public think everything is schizophrenia and that all people with schizophrenia are paranoid, have multiple personalities :-) and carry guns, etc. It is a shame they used the concept of "worse than" -- they could have just pointed out the differences meds/no meds or said it is "sometimes" harder to treat, etc.

thanks for your reply ladymacabethadmunsen. In changing the thread I was referring to bringing up the subject of the Reagan Administration and how it affected mental health issues...... and wondered if that would be wrong here since my thread wasn't anything about that.....

I was confused about if the thread starter could just change the subject or if they had to start a "new" thread.

Hey, thanks for your help--

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
what helps me sometimes if people talk about me i think
"who the heck you are to tell ne about MYSELF?!
who knows you better than YOU?

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post"> I think this is a VERY good thing for me to think about!

thanks again.

mandy

thanks Rap for replying.
I think I get confused..... there was a situation a while back where some have gotten told NOT to change the topic from the original thread post..... I guess I misunderstood?
seems I can tend to put things into black/white thinking without a gray area.... oops!

You are so kind to find this link and post it -- thank you.

Well, I wouldn't have listened to all the news about the gunman... it's just that, my oldest is back east(thousands of miles from me) and living in a dorm at a University so I guess I was just wanting to know more about how something like this happens... so I could be informed-- that's why I was watching.

The state I'm in presently (I also posted in PTSD-- titled "Guns and more guns").... it's like I morph into "protector mode" .... so I watched TV to learn if there was anything I could do to keep my "own" safe.

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
I think people need some sort of "reference" about mental illnesses, it is my belief that most of the public think everything is schizophrenia and that all people with schizophrenia are paranoid, have multiple personalities :-) and carry guns, etc.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post"> Yes, it's awful how some have such a warped sense of what mental struggles entail....
it makes me angry!

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
they could have just pointed out the differences meds/no meds or said it is "sometimes" harder to treat, etc.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post"> well, this is something in which my view can be controversial.... as I think in almost ALL cases -- meds are more harmful(so many people are now having horrible physical illnesses due to taking such meds for years) than intense therapy with a good psychologist. Some on meds still kill others and/or themselves.... meds are NOT the answer to me...... not for long term use or using exclusively without therapy, maybe to initially "ground" someone or get them up out of that paralyzing depression... but then it should be therapy and social support that takes over (IMO).

I thank you for the link... it is long and I'm not able to concentrate that well to get through it at this time... but I'm saving it to get to later.

You know-- I read a lot of your posts and appreciate your kindness and insight that you have. I bet you help many people here. I know I often find your posts helpful.
Thank you.

mandy