Do you consider yourself mentally ill?

[ridicule]

The problem lies if you crave something that doesn't taste good to you, like if you didn't like pineapples, but you had an urge to eat them, then yeah, that would be an illness. But I prefer the solitary lifestyle that I crave, essentially. I mean, the one positive factor is, I'm sure everyone remembers high school and the drama that builds around utter nonsense. That is completely eradicated... unless you placate to family members, but other than that, you don't have to worry about it, plus you have much more free time, not having to work around anyone else's schedule.

 

[A friend]

Do you consider yourself mentally ill? Why or why not, and if not what are you?

Yeah, I consider myself mentally ill now...

::

I've been struggling to control my desires and silence my mind, so I can only think about one thing at the time, and not have my thoughts spiral out of control.

I'm trying to make it so that I can be grateful for what I have, and I'm trying to make it so that I don't have to want anything...buuut I can't.


Whatever, at least I'm not in a mental hospital.

 

[dancingintherain]

okayy... well yesterday I went to my doctor the second time that day worrying that I had an attack of facial palsy and then he was saying it's just stress and I don't have it. He said, because I'm anxious it messes up with my mental health and actually I said, "hey! I'm not mental! I always thought of it as a disordered behavior"

 

[appletree]

pretty much yes.
I'm 24 now and I still can't even drink a cup of tea in public because i shake too much because of anxiety.
i'd consider that to be mentally ill.
people think that i am lazy but everything i do causes me to be terrified.
i think i just have an overactive nervous system.
but yeh..just scared all the time of everything and everyone.
that's mental illness.

 

[snowcream]

I think everyone has some mental issues, not just people with anxiety.
If you push someone over the edge enough its only a matter of time before they snap and their inner psycho comes out=D

 

[Death Rider]

No. I call it - wrong attitudes plus inexperience

 

[Apotheosis]

I used to, but now I'm not sure.

According my most recent psychologist, I'm the behavioral equivalent of a feral child that knows how to speak English.

Does that make me crazy?

 

[JosephG]

Yes I would consider myself mentally ill. I would consider myself to have an illness that impairs my functioning. I believe that if you aren't functioning 100% as you feel you should then you have an illness.
I also believe that a mental illness much like any other illness can come and go. I also read a statistic that 25% of people will directly be affected by mental illness at some point in there life. Therefore it is much more common than I think we sometimes lead ourselves to believe and therefore should be much more accepted, accommodated for and discussed within our society.

Those of you who have considered yourselves mentally ill - How many people would you admit this fact to in life outside of SPW? I imagine most of you would say not many. Why? I believe there is still a massive stigma and lack of understanding in society for mental illnesses. And I think this can be massively detrimental for peoples recovery.
I found it extremely difficult explaining it to my family as I felt they wouldn't understand - they have in turn been very understanding but I imagine some people might not be as lucky. I think this should change!
To me mental illness should be treated morally like a physical illness. If you get sick you should look for support from family, friends, employers to get better. But I feel sometimes this isn't possible.

anyway I've completely digressed from the main topic - yes I consider myself ill. But because I'm sick right now doesn't mean that I won't get better!

 

[Srijita52]

I'm not sure about it,though my SA is hindering me from getting what I want,I'd more likely to consider it as a problem.Like I said in the other thread,I'm a less social person by nature,which led me to even less practice my social skills that directly contributed to my SA.
I was also born with a very anxious temperment.Though with enough paractice & a little help I think I can overcome it.Not sure though.....

 

[panicsurvivor]

What a subjective topic. This is a cool one because there really isn't a right answer.

NO. I don't consider myself mentally Ill, and I don't think that very many people on this site are either. I think for the most part people that are mentally Ill don't know that they are. I think that a lot of people on here have problems with their thinking patterns. But for the most part I think that a lot of you are just very sensitive and intelligent people, too much so actually. Snowcream was right when she said that everyone has issues and can be pushed to a breaking point. I have known a lot of people that were mentally Ill. Most of them were afraid of nothing.
For a lot of us who are diagnosed with O.C.D. (myself included) I might be wrong, maybe we are slightly Ill, but I don't think so. I think most of you are too hard on yourself, or you may even be copping out when you say that you are mentally ill. Saying, "well I am ill, and there is nothing I can do about it" kind of lets you off the hook, of putting in the effort to move forward. I am not aiming this at any one who posted on this thread, but it is a problem that people with anxiety sometimes have. I would not like to see any of you lose hope and give up. I think that all of you are having problems, but that you can all come back from them, and lead the happy lives you deserve.

 

[EscapeArtist]

What a subjective topic. This is a cool one because there really isn't a right answer.

NO. I don't consider myself mentally Ill, and I don't think that very many people on this site are either. I think for the most part people that are mentally Ill don't know that they are. I think that a lot of people on here have problems with their thinking patterns. But for the most part I think that a lot of you are just very sensitive and intelligent people, too much so actually. Snowcream was right when she said that everyone has issues and can be pushed to a breaking point. I have known a lot of people that were mentally Ill. Most of them were afraid of nothing.
For a lot of us who are diagnosed with O.C.D. (myself included) I might be wrong, maybe we are slightly Ill, but I don't think so. I think most of you are too hard on yourself, or you may even be copping out when you say that you are mentally ill. Saying, "well I am ill, and there is nothing I can do about it" kind of lets you off the hook, of putting in the effort to move forward. I am not aiming this at any one who posted on this thread, but it is a problem that people with anxiety sometimes have. I would not like to see any of you lose hope and give up. I think that all of you are having problems, but that you can all come back from them, and lead the happy lives you deserve.

*Like!*

sdfgfd

 

[Lccska]

I absolutely have a mental disorder. A person with diabetes has an endocrine disorder, a person with arthritis has a autoimmune disorder, and so on. It hardly makes me a bad person. There is still a social stigma, and I don't go around telling everyone I have a mental disorder, but I do. And I have learned to function very well with it. When I was really ill, my life was ruled by this illness. With the right medication and therapy I have learned to function very well, even with the illness.

 

[kihira]

For a lot of us who are diagnosed with O.C.D. (myself included) I might be wrong, maybe we are slightly Ill, but I don't think so. I think most of you are too hard on yourself, or you may even be copping out when you say that you are mentally ill. Saying, "well I am ill, and there is nothing I can do about it" kind of lets you off the hook, of putting in the effort to move forward.

I see a potential problem with people who deny that they are unwell mentally and therefore refuse to seek professional help or consider medication. I tried to go it alone for years thinking it was just a matter of effort, I got nowhere. Do people have to be hospitalised to be considered physically sick? If we have a cold we are ill, if we have depression we are ill. Being mentally ill does not necessarily equate to being a raving lunatic

 

[Brucaliffo]

i dont think im depressed in a pathologic way nor socio phobic, i consider myself mentally weak eventhough i take medicines, or at least i hope so

 

[theslowesthand]

Yes, but maybe just say 75% mentally ill (ie a certain degree of)

 

[mikebird]

I'd like my neurologist specialist or my GP to tell me so, but these people never tell me anything! They might think that telling me something might be bad for me.

Similar to hearing from a recruiter if I got a job, or failed an interview... I'd like to be informed of such things. I rather hear YES or NO. Even if someone says "I don't know" is a lot more informative than ~tumbleweed wind drifting between my ears~ when people never tell me anything. Perhaps doctors have a secret group hug and giggle, and say "don't tell him! Bad idea, if we do"

I don't think I am mentally ill. I have no idea how to define that. If anything is eating into my existence, it will be antidepressants, which are only to prevent seizures - to cover doctor's back.. so it's not their fault if I get seizures. I've been requesting a review of medication for more than 2 years! Last time I was in outpatients was 2 years ago, and I was told "everything's fine, Mike!"

That's quite difficult to disagree with! But 2 years does bring paranoia about that verdict...

 

[Kiwong]

I recognise that the intense panic attacks I had over several years were a mental illness that affected me physically. When your thoughts can manifest themselves in such a way there is something wrong more that sensitivity.

 

[Honda]

I dont think im sick and think they fill our heads with the idea that we should believe its a sickness... Im just socially retarded and im not being brave enough to get over it.. Thats all..

 

[panicsurvivor]

I see a potential problem with people who deny that they are unwell mentally and therefore refuse to seek professional help or consider medication. I tried to go it alone for years thinking it was just a matter of effort, I got nowhere. Do people have to be hospitalised to be considered physically sick? If we have a cold we are ill, if we have depression we are ill. Being mentally ill does not necessarily equate to being a raving lunatic

Whoa!!! I hope I didn't imply that we should deny problems and and do nothing to solve them. Far from it, a lot of people claim they are metally ill and then accept it, like they are absolved of working for a solution. While I think you and I could probably debate medications forever, I think that we both can agree that everybody in our situation needs outside help, or at least guidance. I don't think that there is anyone who has recovered, without outside help, or at least direction. Again this subject is cool because it is all a matter of perspective, but I prefer to say no, not ill, just having problems.

 

[panicsurvivor]

I recognise that the intense panic attacks I had over several years were a mental illness that affected me physically. When your thoughts can manifest themselves in such a way there is something wrong more that sensitivity.

Is there? Everyone is capable of affecting their body through their thoughts. Normal people blush, get butterflies in their stomachs, get aroused sexually, or get agitated when angry. Hypersensitivity, is what makes us have panic attacks. Fear of fear is what causes a panic attack, regular people have fear of fear, as well. They just aren't as sensitive to it as we are.