Today's Oprah was about destigmatizing mental illness. I thought it might be interesting to do a poll on LIW.
I was actually thinking of doing a similar poll today. I have no 'official' diagnosis, although one of my professors seems to think I have social anxiety, which I disagree with. I would lean towards generalized anxiety disorder. My therapist and I were talking about my anxiety today, and we were talking about my feelings regarding medication. I may go for a psychiatric consultation sometime soon, so i may then have an 'official' diagnosis...unlike the unoffical diagnosis my professor gave me last week!
Well, I have suffered from an eating disorder most of my life. Most of the issues that you have listed are not things that you can cure. Instead, you learn to manage them. I have anorexia, but I have learned how to manage my problem.
I have had panic attacks as long as I can remember. I control them now with medication and knowing more about it. I feel sad that people think its something to be ashamed of. None of us who go through anything like this, choose it, or deserved it or anything negative. Its sad. I was also hospitalized for aneroxia when I was 14. I am no longer, and havent been in over 10 years, but food gives me panic attacks...LOL...At least I can laugh at myself!
Posted by dm24angel
I have had panic attacks as long as I can remember. I control them now with medication and knowing more about it. I feel sad that people think its something to be ashamed of. None of us who go through anything like this, choose it, or deserved it or anything negative. Its sad. I was also hospitalized for aneroxia when I was 14. I am no longer, and havent been in over 10 years, but food gives me panic attacks...LOL...At least I can laugh at myself!
I have some anxiety with depressive episodes. My father has also been diagnosed with depression and one grandmother was a manic depressive
I went through a stage in my life a few years ago where I went through depression. It's a terrible thing to have to live with. Once you've had it, it can be very easy to slip back into that state, but luckily, I've been depression free for a very long time.
I think you need to be very careful with your classifications. Depression, though clinical, is NOT a mental illness by itself. There are plenty of normally functioning people who are 'depressed' and hold regular jobs. Mental illness is hardly the same. I've been working in Day Treatment for over 9 years with children and young adults. Not all depressed people are mentally ill.
Posted by Goldi1021
I think you need to be very careful with your classifications. Depression, though clinical, is NOT a mental illness by itself. There are plenty of normally functioning people who are 'depressed' and hold regular jobs. Mental illness is hardly the same. I've been working in Day Treatment for over 9 years with children and young adults. Not all depressed people are mentally ill.
Posted by Jax430
Posted by Goldi1021
I think you need to be very careful with your classifications. Depression, though clinical, is NOT a mental illness by itself. There are plenty of normally functioning people who are 'depressed' and hold regular jobs. Mental illness is hardly the same. I've been working in Day Treatment for over 9 years with children and young adults. Not all depressed people are mentally ill.
I was thinking the same thing, but you put it better than I would have.
Posted by Jax430
ETA: They are all classified as 'mental disorders' b/c they are in the DSM-IV.
Posted by Goldi1021
Posted by Jax430
ETA: They are all classified as 'mental disorders' b/c they are in the DSM-IV.
A mental disorder and a mental illness are very different things. There has to be a 'disorder' I would imagine in order to treat and diagnose through therapy and/or medication.
Posted by regi
I suffer from panic attacks and depression.
Back in November I got very sick and my doctors couldn't put give me an exact diagnosis. I had an endoscopy, biopsies, and still nothing.Basically, I was told that it was probably some type of viral infection.
I almost became housebound due to my panic attacks. I was out of work for five months(going back this Monday). I am taking Xanax and Mitrazipine. THey have worked wonders on me.
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to all who suffer from a disorder.
