I'm sorry too, I hadn't slept and was feeling pretty stroppy, don't feel sorry for posting. I just have a thing with being read wrong, but it was that people agreed with you and I'm just a bit sensitive about looking like a twit. People think I'm enough of one as it is on here, without completely misreading what I say.
Wake me up before I change again
Remind me the story that I won't get insane
Tell me why it's always the same
Explain me the reason why I'm so much in pain.
I dont think the atmosphere here on MH is *too* bad.. but certain things crop up like that hospital thread, what meds are you on, i have been diagnosed with a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i and this and that.
However, i can understand the "competativeness" in a way, as I personally would actually like people to know that I'm not okay, and I do suffer from multiple different problems, and I would actually like someone to care, so maybe other people feel somewhat the same. But I dont think that it is a reason to get competitive or to see who is "the most ill". (which is a factor that is not exactly measured on how many pills you take).
I think it may be because they are a high proportion of younger members here? Not sure.
Also, On some sites people have in their signiture:
"Dx with [insert 600 different diagnosis's]"
Currently taking [insert 49 different psychoactive drugs]"
which i find kind of strange and more competitive.
Yeah but it's still competitive just in the thread, saying all you've been diagnosed with. Yeh, if it's needed and you want support over one/ several of your diagnoses then I see no problem with you putting them in, afterall that's getting you help but threads in MH where it's just "what have you been diagnosed with?" or "What meds are you on" it's kind of pointless and in no way helps anyone; the only thing it can do is make people feel crap if they haven't been diagnosed and make people more competitive or start looking up different dx and start to unconsciously show symptoms of the purely because they kind of want more problems and then it's a self-fullfilling prophecy that helps no-one. I know of members on here that start off fine and then in no time reckon they have x, y and z when 2 weeks earlier they didn't think they had anything wrong with them, they were happy, they just cut and it does make me wonder.
As well as that it could mean people go to the doctors and proclaim they have x when really it's y which may be kind of similar. They may then have the doctor go the wrong way with treatment and stuff and that's not good as well as people looking up the symptoms on the net of things and whether they mean to or not, overemphasising them to the doctor. Same with meds really. You can get to the point where people are like x has similar conditions (or even the same) to me yet she's on different meds. She's now feeling better than me but I'm getting worse, blame it totally on the meds and want the doc to go ahead and change there meds when there may be many reasons why they're not on those meds and going on a different med can cause increased problems anyway and what is right for one person can be totally wrong for another, it's about getting the balance right and often people may be going through a tough time but don't need meds or choose not to have them but some of those threads make it seem like to be 'worthwhile posting' you need to have several diagnoses, the worse they are the more replies they feel they'll get and they need to have a multitude of meds.
^ yeah i agree, I wasnt saying it should be condoned. I can understand some of the reasons why, but how can we solve it? I think its of confidence building and people realising that they aren't their diagnosis's.. they are an idividual with mental health problems. Not just an illness and a few pills.
Yeh, I also think that. A diagnosis does not (or at least shouldn't) define a person. I know some on here would disagree because they've had diagnoses forever but so have I and I've kept those as quiet as possible; I only tell who really needs to know.
Within diagnoses, especially psych ones, there are different degrees of severity, each person with it shows different signs, acts differently, no-one with even the same diagnosis in mental health terms (and some physical problems) has the exact same problem as the others and so people should focus more on their emotions, what is bothering them right now and yeh, diagnoses may come into it but it's not the be all and end all. Saying you've got x, y and z does not explain exactly what is going on with your life/ how you're feeling or acting but saying these in your own words does. I have depression but I'm not the same as any of my friends who are suffering or have previously suffered with it so it doesn't give total answers. The same as some meds are used for different things. People on here may be on Diazepam for psych reasons; anxiety and aiding sleep being common ones whereas it can also be used for epilepsy/ muscle spasms/ cerebral palsy symptoms amongst other things. Same as Amitriptylline, a common anti-depressant can also be used, off label, for hyper-aesthesia which is when pain signals become too high due to chronic pain and most drugs have several functions so even writing a list of these may not show anything so unless you're wanting advice on the meds or experience from others about a particular med I don't see their need as it does just add to the competitive nature of "Oh well she's on 2 different types of meds, if I were to go to the doctors and say I'm not getting better and I then end up on 3 then I need more help" and that can be done totally subconsciously but can cause problems and does just look like competitive, and rather pointless, lists especially when that's the sole purpose of the thread.
Age has nothing to do with this, in RE to "so many younger members on here".
I've met people who are in their 20's, 30's and they define themselves by their diagnosis'.
It's less likely actually that younger members would do that as they don't get diagnosed as much as older people do.
(over 18)
Yeah I was just throwing a possible suggestion/reason in?
I thought maybe younger members would be more likely to do it as they havent had as long to develop a sense of identity yet, whereas someone older has had more life experience (in general) and thus has more "evidence" if you like to suggest a persona.
Not saying Im right or wrong, just the reason why I suggested it.
I was just elaborating on a suggestion. I'm not saying I'm right or wrong, afterall everyone is different.
Plus, if someone has had symptoms of a illness for years and years they may have developed better ways to cope with the symptoms. From personal experience, within the first year or so of developing voices and things I had no idea how to cope or whatever.
Even only 3 years later, my symptoms and voices etc are still here and sometimes more frequent, I can deal with it better, as I've figured out things that help, things that dont, and ways to check reality and work out evidence etc.
But yeah, everyone copes differently or reacts to diagnosis's differently. But after reading through the thread I can understand how its more about responsibility and attitude to your mental health rather than how old you are. But yeah, just thought id say my point anyways :P
That makes sense, Ami, I know where you are coming from as there are aspects of my conditions that I can now better understand and deal with aswell now.
"Everything is possible through Christ, who gives me strength". Phillipians 4:13
An interesting thread. I've noticed that it often feels pretty competitive here and it makes me feel as though I'm a massive failure (from an ED perspective) because I'm not underweight, haven't been to hospital, etc - even though I know this is logically not true. I think quite a lot of the competitiveness comes from MH problems in general - at least, definitely for ED and to an extent SI.
I think it would be a good idea to actively challenge this kind of atmosphere on the main page, or perhaps on a sticky (I don't remember who suggested that, but it sound like a good idea to me). The *positive recovery post* labels across all forums was also a good suggestion, although personally I often feel like I'm failing when I read those because my recovery is not going great atm. I also feel kind of bad posting something bad when the forum is full of how well everyone else is doing. That's just how I feel though. I'm not sure what other people think. It might just be me.
In MH Support and Discussion and perhaps the ED board (dont go in much, sorry), i was wondering whether we could make it more symptom-orientated rather than diagnosis-orientated?
it seems like everything HAS to be a diagnosis or its nothing. I dont agree, but if we can talk about the actual things that are troubling us be it "intrustive thoughts about xyz" ...."mood swings that are having an impact on my life" ... isnt that what this is all about? Reducing the impact the symptoms have on our lifes? Not about having a diagnosis that dictates who we are?
Afterall a diagnosis is just a name for a group of symptoms.
I think this might give the people more help with what to reply with and how to deal with the symptoms that are bothering us. Rather than listing illness's and meds.
On a personal note, I first went to my gp for help because my mood swings, I didnt care whether it was "normal hormones" or bipolar, or bpd, or whatever. It was ruining my life and i needed help with it.
Edit: another personal note. My symptoms pretty much change a lot, so i have been diagnoses with various things due to being in hospital and the need for a diagnosis for paperwork. I'm alot of NOS's ... and "changed diagnosis's", but i feel its just a few problems and negative beliefs manifesting themselves in different ways, not multiple illnesses.
Especially the last paragraph. It shows alot of maturity and understanding that you can see how the various "diagnoses"really equate to common features.
"Everything is possible through Christ, who gives me strength". Phillipians 4:13
In MH Support and Discussion and perhaps the ED board (dont go in much, sorry), i was wondering whether we could make it more symptom-orientated rather than diagnosis-orientated?
it seems like everything HAS to be a diagnosis or its nothing. I dont agree, but if we can talk about the actual things that are troubling us be it "intrustive thoughts about xyz" ...."mood swings that are having an impact on my life" ... isnt that what this is all about? Reducing the impact the symptoms have on our lifes? Not about having a diagnosis that dictates who we are?
Afterall a diagnosis is just a name for a group of symptoms.
I think this might give the people more help with what to reply with and how to deal with the symptoms that are bothering us. Rather than listing illness's and meds.
On a personal note, I first went to my gp for help because my mood swings, I didnt care whether it was "normal hormones" or bipolar, or bpd, or whatever. It was ruining my life and i needed help with it.
Edit: another personal note. My symptoms pretty much change a lot, so i have been diagnoses with various things due to being in hospital and the need for a diagnosis for paperwork. I'm alot of NOS's ... and "changed diagnosis's", but i feel its just a few problems and negative beliefs manifesting themselves in different ways, not multiple illnesses.
I definitely agree that people focusing on their symptoms rather than illness as a whole when asking for support would be a great improvement.
It would mean that people would find it easier to support those in need too I think. Someone saying they have trouble with their PTSD [just an example] may mean that another person doesn't really know what they are talking about or knows what PTSD is but doesn't know what exactly the issue is so will either leave the post or straight away ask what the specific issue is anyway.
If someone instead said they were having issues with paranoia then it makes it more of a language that everybody understands. More people can help others then, even if they aren't knowledge heavy on mental illness themselves.
Stop thinking about what I want, what he wants, what your parents want. What do you want?
Yeah Catherine, thats what i mean as well. :) Because a diagnosis is a group of usually 5+ symptoms, saying "struggling with [diagnosis]" could mean a variety of things. So its harder to respond.
It just seemed like a load of garbage in my head.
Irene I have heard that too. xxx
So it could be like struggling with sadness, numbness, feeling out of control with rage, feeling not yourself, feeling speeded up, insecurity, fear.....instead of the bpd thread, DD thread, psychosis thread... and so on.. ?
Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her;
If you can bounce high, bounce for her too,
Till she cry "Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover,
I must have you!"
Thomas Parke D’Invilliers
Do you think something like that would be a good idea Katie?
Part of me thinks yes (but thats just because i think it would help me personally), but then im not sure. Wouldnt hurt to try a thread like that out, depends how other people feel about it too :)
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