Do you have a mental illness?

[the fall of man]

The only diagnosed mental disorder I have is unipolar mania, and I got it from taking zyban (wellbutrin) to quit smoking in my 20s. I stay on the harrison bergeron pills unless I have a lot of stuff to do

 

[Picnic_Boy]

Depression and Avoidant Personality Disorder. My appearance has been messed up since I was a child, and kids' brains are like Play-Doh. The fingerprints show.

 

[Stan]

I’m my opinion, I think I'm a "victim" of new-age ADHD diagnosis wave. Young boys were diagnosed with ADHD for just being boys in the past. So I assume they have jumped over to a new trendy diagnosis.

That, and middle class parents in the 90’s would fish for an ADD/ADHD diagnosis cause the drugs used to treat it improve school performance for pretty much everyone. That’s why college students take it during finals week even if they don’t have ADHD.

You’re probably right, and it wasn’t your fault. Pediatricians were pushing ADD drugs too; in my class there were 3 children on lunch doses of Adderall; who knows how many were taking it in the mornings.

 

[Banquet Meal]

i have anxiety disorder and PTSD, stemming from finding out one of my children has a terminal illness, albeit a very slowly declining illness..i have sleep issues, because i am scared of the dark now, too. i hate it. what i really hate are people that act like its a quirky fun trait, and brag about it endlessly on social media, like its something good..i personally would love to be rid of the whole damn situation, myself.

 

[Formica Sample]

I got caught up in the mental health craze in my late teens and early twenties, truly believing that medication could actually make my life better.

It didn't. It made everything so much worse, and detoxing off trazadone was a fucking nightmare. I got frustrated and did it myself without a taper, but still. This is apparently well-known to psychiatrists, and no one ever bothered to tell me that getting off even a low dose of trazadone is awful. I never would've started taking it otherwise, but maybe that was the point--no one would take some of these drugs if they truly knew how awful the side-effects are.

In the end, I managed to find a good psychiatrist, and I went from high doses of five medications down to a low dose of just two. Turns out, I'm not bipolar, not even close. I didn't need any of the anti-psychotics the previous clinic had me on. I just have moderate ADHD, and I've improved it more with life changes than with medication.

My current psychiatrist is also the only one I've ever met who isn't strictly a drug dealer. Appointments are an hour long, so I get a chance to discuss how things have been going, before we decide whether or not to change anything medication-wise.

He focuses more on getting to the source of your problems and making life changes to improve your mental health, as opposed to throwing more and more drugs at you in the hopes that something will work.

Depression and Avoidant Personality Disorder. My appearance has been messed up since I was a child, and kids' brains are like Play-Doh. The fingerprints show.

I've been fairly surprised at how many of my issues go back to childhood. Not sure how other people feel, but I actually find a lot of comfort in knowing that there's a reason why I am the way I am.

have sleep issues, because i am scared of the dark now, too

I have LED string lights decorating my book shelf and one of those salt lamps. I use both of them on the lowest setting, just enough to light up the dark corners of my bedroom, and wear a sleep mask. That way, I can take it off and immediately see everything around me. It's been working well, so far.

 

[AnotherOne]

Unironic schizoid reporting in.

 

[Osmosis Jones]

I'm diagnosed and I know I'm not normal but I don't think I have what they say I have. Unfortunately it's never enough for anyone to just accept that people are complex and different.

 

[Banquet Meal]

I got caught up in the mental health craze in my late teens and early twenties, truly believing that medication could actually make my life better.

It didn't. It made everything so much worse, and detoxing off trazadone was a fucking nightmare. I got frustrated and did it myself without a taper, but still. This is apparently well-known to psychiatrists, and no one ever bothered to tell me that getting off even a low dose of trazadone is awful. I never would've started taking it otherwise, but maybe that was the point--no one would take some of these drugs if they truly knew how awful the side-effects are.

In the end, I managed to find a good psychiatrist, and I went from high doses of five medications down to a low dose of just two. Turns out, I'm not bipolar, not even close. I didn't need any of the anti-psychotics the previous clinic had me on. I just have moderate ADHD, and I've improved it more with life changes than with medication.

My current psychiatrist is also the only one I've ever met who isn't strictly a drug dealer. Appointments are an hour long, so I get a chance to discuss how things have been going, before we decide whether or not to change anything medication-wise.

He focuses more on getting to the source of your problems and making life changes to improve your mental health, as opposed to throwing more and more drugs at you in the hopes that something will work.

I've been fairly surprised at how many of my issues go back to childhood. Not sure how other people feel, but I actually find a lot of comfort in knowing that there's a reason why I am the way I am.

I have LED string lights decorating my book shelf and one of those salt lamps. I use both of them on the lowest setting, just enough to light up the dark corners of my bedroom, and wear a sleep mask. That way, I can take it off and immediately see everything around me. It's been working well, so far.

i have those too! total life saver. i also have fans for background noise too..i never had sleep issues until the last few years, and its terrible. and im so sorry you are having issues as well, life is so damn hard sometimes, it seems

 

[awoo]

probably very mild assburgers and some kind of mood disorder
it was diagnosed differently but i think i have a more accurate view

 

[Prophetic Spirit]

Imagine fighting yourself with assburger and occasional depression by heritage.
Yeah.

 

[awoo]

honestly null should just rebrand the site as a mental illness discussion and help community. it would be shockingly accurate compared to whatever terrorist or evil right wing forum outsiders say it is now

 

[Ratboy Genius]

Diagnosed misophonia
Depression (psychologist agrees but hasn't diagnosed yet)
Probably anxiety
OCD-type symptoms (likely resulting from other things listed here, not ocd)
Annnnnd I'm getting tested for autism/aspergers in a couple weeks

 

[Chicken Picnic]

Social anxiety disorder, in the form of a phobia of embarassing myself in public and the constant fear that everyone secretly hates me and shit talks me behind my back
Was worse when i was a teen, got better after a while, but recently shit happened to me irl that just made it come back with a vengeance so i dont like touching grass anymore.

at least on the farms everyone is open about when they hate you its refreshing

Last i was told it's probably more generalised anxiety now, or ADHD, or OCD. No one can decide. 2 years wait for an assessment in bongland unless i blow a large chunk of my savings on a private appointment. I don't trust anyone enough to go through with that tbh, havent been able to give a straight answer for almost 10 years so idk what paying someone shit tons of money is gonna do.

 

[Flavius Claudius Julianus]

Never diagnosed as I've actively stayed away from any official enquiries like that. Lifelong anxiety sufferer, former depressive faggot, potentially have NPD/total lack of empathy like my mother. I'm definitely fucked up somehow.

 

[Manul Otocolobus]

The only diagnosed mental disorder I have is unipolar mania, and I got it from taking zyban (wellbutrin) to quit smoking in my 20s. I stay on the harrison bergeron pills unless I have a lot of stuff to do

Iatrogenic mania? That's quite rare. I'm glad you have a treatment that works. Mania in particular can be extremely difficult to treat.

 

[Formica Sample]

I'm diagnosed and I know I'm not normal but I don't think I have what they say I have. Unfortunately it's never enough for anyone to just accept that people are complex and different.

It feels like we've pathologized any and all negative emotions, at any and all levels of severity, even when they're perfectly normal, healthy emotions that everyone experiences. Grief is obviously awful to experience, but there are appropriate situations for it, and there are countless ways people deal with it. There are also situations where it would be concerning if someone didn't grieve at all.

If a friend or loved one dies, you're supposed to be upset. That's being depressed, not necessarily having depression. Depending on how close you were, total devastation might be a completely understandable emotional response, like if you lost a spouse of 50+ years. At the same time, someone can lose a spouse of 50+ years and manage to live at least a relatively fulfilling life for another decade.

You can't cram complex thoughts and emotions into nice, neat, defined boxes. You can't say, "You think about life and process the world around you in a way that isn't perfectly in line with our established definition of 'mentally healthy.' Therefore, the only conclusion is that you must meet enough of the criteria for at least one psychological disorder listed in the DSM." And that's what it feels like psychiatry is today.

Now, if your mental health is so bad that it's interfering with your ability to function on a daily basis, and life changes have failed to provide any improvement, then yes, you need to see a professional. Anyone dealing with a serious issue like PTSD, schizophrenia, or childhood sexual abuse shouldn't try to go it alone, if you have the option to get help.

i have those too! total life saver. i also have fans for background noise too..i never had sleep issues until the last few years, and its terrible. and im so sorry you are having issues as well, life is so damn hard sometimes, it seems

It has to be damn near silent for me to sleep. I need to be able to hear what's going on in my house, especially if I'm home alone. I've been afraid of the dark my entire life, though. I don't have the slightest clue why, but this is how I've always been.

And I'm sorry about your kid. Having to watch any loved one suffer with a slowly-declining terminal illness is brutal. I hope you and your family manage to find at least some peace in all this.

honestly null should just rebrand the site as a mental illness discussion and help community. it would be shockingly accurate compared to whatever terrorist or evil right wing forum outsiders say it is now

It really is a helpful community, in more ways than one. There are the threads in Deep Thoughts and Off-Topic, where users will get more personal and directly discuss their problems with each other. And yeah, in those threads, users are typically pretty sympathetic and kind to each other. Jokes and shitposts are still made, but not many people are genuinely mean and nasty towards others.

Then, the sheer amount of professional information/experience scattered throughout the site is really impressive. I've yet to come across a lolcow thread where users aren't giving life advice, usually in the form of, "Here's an entire, detailed breakdown of how this cow could fix their life, with step-by-step instructions." Always followed up with, "But they're a fucking cow. Nothing will ever convince them to change, so let's just point and laugh."

 

[Banquet Meal]

It has to be damn near silent for me to sleep. I need to be able to hear what's going on in my house, especially if I'm home alone. I've been afraid of the dark my entire life, though. I don't have the slightest clue why, but this is how I've always been.

And I'm sorry about your kid. Having to watch any loved one suffer with a slowly-declining terminal illness is brutal. I hope you and your family manage to find at least some peace in all this.

I appreciate that a lot. it has been a horrific experience, and i wouldnt wish this on anyone. i will say that the next nigger who tells me that its happening for a reason is going to get it, and thats a fact.
but that said, ive found that everyone here, at least the regulars, are decent people, very plain spoken, quick with advice and a kind word. i found this place by accident, i was looking up a recipe by this weird hillbilly lady, and somehow ended up here, and i had no idea of the reputation, and so far, ive found it to be ridiculous at best. as long as people dont act like massive faggots, everyone seems pretty alright. im older, and i really appreciate the forum atmosphere, it feels like the old days, almost.

also, im sorry you are scared of the dark, but you arent alone by a long shot! i am far past the age for such things, but i always have to make sure the house is locked up, more than once usually.

 

[Jason Wynn]

Clinical depression (diagnosed)

Also suspect I have Aspergers but never been tested.

 

[Sulla]

Diagnosed with emotional detachment disorder.
I am stuck in what I presume is a nihilistic hell.

On the plus side, I don't think its even possible for me to become depressed, and if heaven exists I feel like I have a free ticket to entry.

 

[Skitarii]

Well yeah I post on this gay ass website