Family experience with mental illness poll

[FaithManor]

My aunt is schizophrenic, my uncle was OCD in the extreme, another aunt was clinically depressed and suicidal much of her life ending with an attempt that she survived but left her neurologically damaged so short term memory loss, etc.

 

And my dad refused to medicate for depression (part of a religious group that is totally against mental health treatment and thinks one can pray anything away)  until he got to the place that he plotted to murder my mom and kill himself. Almost succeeded. He is a very abusive personality even without the depression, so UGH.

 

I have had more than my fair share.

 

At this time, figuring that my sibs and are have REALLY bad DNA and not wanting to do to our families what dad has done to us, we all have very strict lifestyle things we do such as diet, exercise, sunlight, talk therapy etc. plus zanax as needed for anxiety in order to prevent ourselves from getting to the place we hurt others. It has taken a lot of vigilance and at the first sign that this isn't enough, we have given our spouses the right to force us to the psychiatrist or the psyche ward.

 

I sure could use a break it all. My cousins have ended their care giving with their moms. It is just too much. My aunt in law divorced my uncle when the kids were little because his OCD had taken an abusive turn, and my cousins were going to end up very harmed. As a matter of fact, she didn't leave soon enough and the ten year old attempted suicide. Sigh...she got out and got him help, and thankfully he is a healthy, married father of two with a good life. Uncle due to the abuse, died alone. It was unfortunate, but no one could be around him, and refused a permanent psych placement.

[Crimson Wife]

Here's one report discussing structural changes in brain anatomy in people suffering from mental illness:

 

https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2015/02/different-mental-disorders-cause-same-brain-matter-loss.html

 

This just says that the illness causes deterioration in certain brain structures. Where is the evidence that the illnesses are caused by the underlying way the brain is wired? If it could be shown through imaging that there are structural differences present from early childhood in people who go on to later manifest symptoms of depression, anxiety, bipolar, etc. you'd have a case that it's neurological.

 

There have been numerous imaging studies finding differences in brains of babies and toddlers who go on to receive an autism diagnosis. It wasn't that they started out with typical brain structures and then the illness caused a deterioration.

[SparklyUnicorn]

This just says that the illness causes deterioration in certain brain structures. Where is the evidence that the illnesses are caused by the underlying way the brain is wired? If it could be shown through imaging that there are structural differences present from early childhood in people who go on to later manifest symptoms of depression, anxiety, bipolar, etc. you'd have a case that it's neurological.

 

I had a similar thought.  And I wonder if possibly the medication is causing that.  OR something else is causing that.   Really who knows.

[MercyA]

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Edited April 20, 2017 by MercyA

[TrixieB]

I wouldn't call autism a mental illness myself, but it does add that "walk a mile in my shoes, Judgey McJudgerson" element to life.

 

LIKE

 

[Rosie_0801]

Ultimately, this is why I initially said that I think the answers to the question posed depend on how one defines mental illness.  It is all intertwined and one thing affects another and another, etc etc.  I don't necessarily disagree (or agree) with anything that has been posted regarding neurological issues vs chemistry issues vs whatever.  I just think that when we ask a question on a board like this, there is an element of subjectivity to the question.  The full name of the DSM 5 is "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders."  It includes all manner of "disorders" from Autism to Schizophrenia to Insomnia to Anxiety, etc etc.  It is all intertwined, it is all involved in brain structure, brain chemistry, brain wiring, etc etc.  And I think that makes the question, as presented, rather hard to answer. 

 

Unless you consider the spirit of the question, rather than the letter of it. :)

 

 

 

I think this unscientific little poll shows that people are more likely to say "Uh yeah. My self/mum/brother/uncle has that" than "OMG! You FREAKS!"

[OneStepAtATime]

Unless you consider the spirit of the question, rather than the letter of it. :)

 

 

 

I think this unscientific little poll shows that people are more likely to say "Uh yeah. My self/mum/brother/uncle has that" than "OMG! You FREAKS!"

Exactly.  :)

[heartlikealion]

Maybe it's just that "OMG! You FREAKS!" doesn't really enter my mind....A medical issue is a medical issue as far as I am concerned. 

 

 

For some people it's embarrassment of how others will react if they hear you are going to therapy or taking meds or applying for a job where disclosing certain info. might make them judge your ability to perform the job. I'm more concerned about someone labeling me "crazy" than a freak. Worried about gaslighting, being dismissed.

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Maybe it's just that "OMG! You FREAKS!" doesn't really enter my mind....A medical issue is a medical issue as far as I am concerned. 

 

 

You get turned down for jobs.  People assume you are dangerous.  People think you are a weirdo.  You can look perfectly fine, but not function which is confusing and frustrating to you and the people around you.

 

If you have a noticeable physical disability, not only might you have protections in place to help you, you might be applauded for managing what you can manage.  It's definitely not the same for people who have a mental illness.

 

You sometimes DO act "freaky" and do completely confusing things. 

[maize]

You get turned down for jobs. People assume you are dangerous. People think you are a weirdo. You can look perfectly fine, but not function which is confusing and frustrating to you and the people around you.

 

If you have a noticeable physical disability, not only might you have protections in place to help you, you might be applauded for managing what you can manage. It's definitely not the same for people who have a mental illness.

 

You sometimes DO act "freaky" and do completely confusing things.

The Americans with Disabilities Act does apply to mental health disabilities, and is increasingly being used to gain work place protections. So things are looking up there.

 

There is still a ton of stigma and lack of understanding though. Also, it is difficult and sometimes impossible for people with mental health struggles to advocate adequately for themselves. Another one of those things where navigating something successfully requires good functionality from the very organ (brain) that is malfunctioning.

 

It's like requiring a blind person to drive.

Edited April 20, 2017 by maize

[Meadowlark]

Yes, depression and bi-polar run in my immediate family. To the extent that we lost my brother to suicide. My mom is still managing her symptoms but living a mile from her is sometimes rough.

[maize]

This just says that the illness causes deterioration in certain brain structures. Where is the evidence that the illnesses are caused by the underlying way the brain is wired? If it could be shown through imaging that there are structural differences present from early childhood in people who go on to later manifest symptoms of depression, anxiety, bipolar, etc. you'd have a case that it's neurological.

 

There have been numerous imaging studies finding differences in brains of babies and toddlers who go on to receive an autism diagnosis. It wasn't that they started out with typical brain structures and then the illness caused a deterioration.

 

Our understanding of the cause, course, and best treatment for these diseases is very much a work in progress, and it is generally accepted now within the scientific community that "chemical imbalance" is not an adequate and complete explanation. 

 

I don't know if there are any studies at all of the brains of babies and toddlers who go on to receive diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia. Maybe we need them. Certainly anxiety was observable pretty much from birth in at least one of my children.

 

I'm not trying to argue that there are not significant differences between, say, autism, and bipolar disorder. I am arguing that there is a great deal of complexity to the various mental health diagnoses and that describing any of them as purely a chemical imbalance that can be remedied by medication is not accurate in light of current research. Certainly it seems to me that a person who, after decades of mental illness, has a brain that is significantly different in structure from that of a mentally healthy individual can be described as having a neurological disorder and not just a chemical one--whether any of those differences were present from infancy or not.

 

I personally take hope from ongoing research in neurogenesis and brain plasticity and hope that in time such research will lead to better treatments for both mental illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia and developmental disorders such as autism. Both types have impacted my family.

 

This article may be of interest https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-depression-just-bad-chemistry/

 

Excerpt below:

 

Throughout this column, we have described associations between various brain changes and depression. We have not talked about “causes,†because no studies have established a cause-and-effect relation between any brain or psychosocial dysfunction and the disorder. In addition, depression almost certainly does not result from just one change in the brain or environmental factor. A focus on one piece of the depression puzzle—be it brain chemistry, neural networks or stress—is shortsighted.

Edited April 20, 2017 by maize

[Heidi]

I'm not sure what defines "mental illness," but that's how I think of my father. Creepy, crazy old man = mental illness right? Thinking the 35 year old model in Ghana that he has been emailing and sending money to (an obvious scam) is in love with his 75 year old toothless self = mental illness. Ya?

[gardenmom5]

The good news is, according to a FB friend, that all these challenges could so solved if only we moved closer to God. 

 

Srsly.

 

have they read job lately?

 

I would consider them "job's comforters".   

 

I've dealt with my share of job's comforters over the years. I've come to the conclusion it's a self-defense response. (on top of their sanctimony) after all, if bad things happen to good people - then bad things might happen to them. 

[maize]

have they read job lately?

 

I would consider them "job's comforters".

 

I've dealt with my share of job's comforters over the years. I've come to the conclusion it's a self-defense response. (on top of their sanctimony) after all, if bad things happen to good people - then bad things might happen to them.

I think you are right.

[gardenmom5]

I think you are right.

 

well, denial isn't a river in egypt . . .