Posted by SLS on May 28, 2000, at 13:32:56
In reply to Re: Diagnosing/labeling others, posted by Kellie on May 28, 2000, at 10:30:04
Hi Kellie.
I just thought I'd say hello and tell you that I think you'll find quite a bit of constructive and helpful discourse on this board. I can see that you've been quite busy today, so I guess you've already discovered that. I guarantee that "we" won't let you down, especially now that you are part of the "we".
Yes, being able to see all of the untold sides of the same coin can sometimes seem like a curse. It often plagues me. You know, of course, that this is a wonderful attribute. However, it takes quite a bit of work to manage it and synthesize your own ideas and conclusions. I look forward to hearing some of your curse words. :-)
> > I'm a new reader here, found this site just today. I need help with my depression and when I read all these threads I began to wonder just what was so wrong with me.Let me state firmly that I can understand all the positions taken. It's a curse I seem to have, to be able to see all the sides of the coin at once.
> > Fred is not manic.
This may be true. I have no reason to believe otherwise. I haven't read the entirety of this thread because I have no desire to. I felt it was more destructive than constructive. I only submitted a few posts that I thought were relevant.
I have seen people who were manic. It is the nature of that particular mental state that the sufferer usually does not recognize it. They fight like hell to prove otherwise. One of the symptoms of mania that sometimes develops is a thought process that creates "loose associations". The person makes associations between things for which there is little connection. They find it difficult to stay on the same topic, and present a flight of ideas.
Example:
dog -> fire hydrant -> fire -> water -> water-buffalo -> Buffalo Bill -> Wild West -> Call of the Wild -> dog
Uh oh. That was too easy.
> My own mother often accused me of just trying to get attention when my emotions got out of control. Even after diagnosis and honest to god medical treatment, I still can't get my family to stop blaming me for a chemical imbalance I didn't ask for.Coming from you, they probably give your explanation little credence. Hearing it from a doctor helps, but not always. Seeing it in black-and-white can be quite persuasive. At this point, you may not have enough reason to pursue educating them, but there are often classes devoted to family-education about mental illness offered by local advocacy groups and mental health facilities.
> I can also understand the bewilderment on others' part in not understanding Fred's anger.
> If you've never been thru such an experience you can't possibly know how it feels.
> Also, for people who have never suffered from depression, knowing what it does to your life is impossible to understand.
> If you live with a depressive, you have an inkling, if you've never encountered one, you can't have any clue.Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
> Anyone can resort to insults when they run out of intelligent things to say, but keep aware that depressives have little or no emotional control.
People don't need to suffer a mental illness to behave this way. This sort of thing happens here from time to time. There all sorts of people, all sorts of posts, all sorts of ways to be lured into participating in these sorts of threads, and all sorts of ways not to. I encourage you to exercise your choice not to.
> I'm 35 and I've had major depression for 30 of those years. I've been on medication for 5 years. It's helped and not helped.
This is the reason why many people end up here, and, hopefully start here.
> I want to know exactly what ECT is and what an MAO is and whether there's more out there for me than Paxil and Effexor. Please don't let me down, my family doesn't really understand what's going on with me and my doctor never has enough time. I need information. Thanks for listening, Kellie.
LOUD AND CLEAR!
:-)
See ya'
Sincerely,
Scott
poster:SLS
thread:32651
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000526/msgs/34976.html