Posted by Ame Sans Vie on January 12, 2004, at 7:40:42
In reply to Re: I'll give it some thought, posted by prozacpuppet on January 12, 2004, at 3:35:13
> god, you make me SICK!
Please don't put down or discourage others. I feel that was extremely uncalled for.
> you've tried all them meds huh? and what else do you want?
Normalcy? A productive, meaningful life? The chance to wake up each morning feeling ready to take on the world, after many years of anguish and misunderstanding from even those whom we love?
> do you want to be just completely sedated so you have no thoughts what so ever?
I believe Emme wants to kick bipolar disorder in the a**; nothing more. Emme sounded completely lucid to me -- not braindead as you seem to be implying. And I have yet to meet an individual with a disorder as serious as this who wouldn't trade their suffering for a little sedation.
And do I seem sedated and braindead to you? I take five different psychiatric medications, yet here I am, awake since 5:00AM after a wonderful night's sleep, feeling great and ready to start my newly productive days as a recording engineer in my own studio. That would be a rather difficult thing to do if I were still a complete agoraphobic shut-in, as I was for two years straight. It would also put a damper on the situation had I used the 30 grams of pentobarbital I had stashed in my mattress as recent as last summer, just waiting for that day that I could gather the courage to take my own life.
> because that's all you're looking for,
Please don't jump to conclusions about the motives of others.
> being medded up on a bunch of different meds at one time is so STUPID!
Please don't say anything that could lead others to feel put down. And please don't imply that the decisions of myself, Emme and many others on these boards to lead normal lives are "STUPID".
> I can't believe how you Americans (im australian) take so many different meds at the one time! and still want more!
I find this beyond offensive. Severe, debilitating mental illness is not indigenous and restricted to the U.S. Nor is aggressive drug therapy to improve quality of life. Many Aussies are in the same boat we are -- as are many Brits, French, Dutch, Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Russians, Greeks, Arabs, Indians, Africans, Scandinavians, Hispanics, etc. ad nauseam. I may adamantly disagree with my country's current administration, but I am most certainly fortunate to live in a land wherein mental illness is rapidly dropping that old stigma and where I can speak openly and frankly concerning my illnesses (*and* medications) without fear of non-acceptance, judgment, or ridicule.
To me, what you said is tantamount to saying that Americans are simply a nation of lazy, hypochondriacal, pill-popping screw-ups. Besides, Emme never even mentioned in this thread which nation she hails from -- so are you just assuming she's American?
> yeah life is full of pain and anguish: GET OVER IT!
Sure, life is full of pain and anguish. But that's a far cry from the self-hatred, resentment, thoughts/plans of suicide, lack of compassion, lack of companionship, hopelessness, etc. experienced by many or most people still struggling to find a way through the hell that is mental illness.
> you need to start facing your problems instead of dulling out your mind baby..
Some problems can be dealt with head-on... problems at work, financial issues... but problems hardwired into one's brain that run this emotionally and neurologically deep require a bit more. Mania and psychosis in particular can't and won't be reasoned with. Desperate times -- desperate measures.
> start exercising more, drink more water, get a spa bath, realax,
It's just not that simple. Any of us who are serious about surmounting our problems have tried all these things and then some. Not to say that they don't help some people, nor that these suggestions aren't something that we all shouldn't adhere to. But breaking a sweat every day, drinking lots of water, and visiting a spa occasionally simply isn't going to arrest the ever-persistent complications of extreme mental dysfunction -- once again, particularly mania and psychosis.
> learn to control your mind.....
Okay, once again, not a bad suggestion in and of itself, but some things can't be controlled. Not to mention that very, very few people in the general "normal" population possess the patience, perseverance, and discipline to master such a skill as your basic, run-of-the-mill stress reduction techniques. So I imagine that the percentage of the mentally ill population that lacks this capacity is much higher, and the goals sought by psychiatric patients (those that stand a chance in hell of being achieved through mind power; i.e. mild-moderate anxiety disorders, dysthymia, some personality disorders) take a heck of a lot more work, and time, to achieve. Many of us *do not have time* and will not hesitate to commit that dreaded final act if things don't improve quickly. We especially do not have time to focus our disorganized, ailing brains on transcendental meditation, hypnosis, CBT, biofeedback and so on and so forth -- methods which are useless to many of the certifiably mentally ill and can take a lifetime to create an ounce of change. Then there's the issue that I doubt one would be capable of giving such methods a shot while in a state of psychosis, mania, melancholic depression, and/or neurotic anxiety.
> .....and not have drugs control you maybe you'll feel better???
I don't want to put words in Emme's mouth, but I believe it was her pre-medication misery that brought her to psychiatry in the first place. Why on earth would she intentionally sentence herself back to such a horrid existence? Bipolar disorder doesn't just *poof* disappear one day. While the jury's still out on this one, I'd bet money that it (as well as schizophrenia) is an primarily genetic disorder, due to the nature of its symptom set.
poster:Ame Sans Vie
thread:299547
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040109/msgs/299715.html