The IGNORANCE of some of the loudest voices is alarming
and only furthers the stigmatization of biological disorders
that benefit from certain medications.

And I am here- just not posting much these days; until tonight.

BHN

I'm more susceptible to anxiety when I'm sleepy though. I'm calling it a night. I get where I dread the Internet when I know someone will be rude to me when I wake up.

BHN

Sure, big Pharma is looking for profits, and reactions, side effects, and human error cause problems, but millions of people with all kinds of medical problems owe their lives to medications that treat things once untreatable, from simple infections to the worst types of cancer, heart disease, etc.

And that includes mental health issues.

Mostly, I see a lack of understanding from people who have never "been there". It disturbs me when it turns into a vicious, pack mentality.

For almost 12 years I've read all manner of stories which are basically chest-thumping vanities about how the poster is strong enough to get by without so much as an aspirin. These posts basically bully and mock as lesser human beings those who do take medicines.

I am pretty sure these people have never suffered from an arthritic joint.

Prescription meds are a popular target for the uninformed. They are sometimes expensive, their availability seems to depend on a sufficiently large target of suffering to support profitable exploitation, etc. etc. etc.

And we have a belief being pushed that all the mass-shootings in America are the work of SSRIs...even those mass shootings that took place before SSRIs were being marketed and mass shootings for which the public has no knowledge of the prescription history of the perp.

There seems to be no awareness that illness, including mental illness, is expressed along a spectrum from mild to very severe. It's ok to take cold medications to get comfortably back to work, but it's not ok to take a medication for grief so that a person can get comfortably back to their daily life.

And there seems to be no understanding how 'standards of practice' influence whether or not insurance companies will recognize and pay claims. Some people may suffer worse with grief than others, anti-depressants require prescriptions, without APA recognizing grief as a potential target, many people couldn't get insurance reimbursement to deal with grief that interferes with their daily lives.

2013 seems to hold great promise for more uninformed affective tempests in GD.

I expect at least a handful of storms in GD and the Feminist fora over premenstrual stress having been included as a mental illness. It's not hard to imagine a repeat of Feminists blogs and mainstream media running stories which will make many woman angry. Their 'lady parts' have been seen as the source of hysteria since the time of the ancient Greeks. The DSM's "pathologizing" is going to be controversial.

It's also likely that media advocates for women are going to much dislike the demise of histrionic personality disorder, which during it's existance was diagnosed 4x as often in women as in males--In the new DSM it will be placed inside of America's most hated personality disorder--narcissism. I don't expect that to go smoothly with the public.

Masturbation as a category of "hypersexual disorder" will likely get ripped by the public as well.

It is discouraging to see that level of ignorance even on a site with generally smart and educated people. Once they start quoting L. Ron Hubbard, there's not much more I can say to them.

Who could possibly argue with such logic?

Last edited Sun Dec 30, 2012, 10:51 AM - Edit history (2)

with a mental health issue--it needs to be a safe haven

As I've suggested several times, I think there needs to be a separate forum on psych information and mental health policy.
most recently: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1240194674

Bringing everything about mental illness here might have the salutory effect of helping some DUers find support, but it would also bring discussions of topics that would have the potential to be arousing and unhelpful.

For example, not everyone would do well with their particular dx tossed around as a cause of crime or how said diagnosis breaks up families, etc. MSHG already has the challenge of balancing the opposing points of view of dx's and family members of dx's. Being on the wrong side of 'support' and stumbling across anecdotes of how 'may family member with ___ was a terrible ________', can be arousing in a bad way. Bringing every story about mental health in here, would just cause everyone interested in arguing over such stories in here. I can imagine many of those arguments being contrary to the mission of support, and also stifling to the discussion of controversial topics...such as why it should be ok for people with grief to seek out a Dr and get an rx to help with it, or why it's a good/bad idea that pre-menstrual syndrome is in the DSM-V.

The new DSM brings some controversial changes, federal and state budgets are going to impact medicare and mental health access to millions.

The news, brings out all sides of mental illness...from new research and treatments, to new accusations about the role of mental illness and treatments for mental illness with crimes, as well as editorials about pathologizing and pill-pushing. News is what feeds commentary in GD. Need for support is what runs MHSG.

IMHO news about things psychological are things people are interested in discussing, but, again imo, MHSG has a mission and that mission would be compromised. A new group would have several advantage it could put a lot of these stories in one place where they are easy to find, followers of the group would share understanding and build a base for 'informed' discussion of the hot topics when they come out of the news. And it could be an arena where the raised level of awareness of its followers is prepared to dismiss the rage of an uninformed prolitariat when news stories confront their biases, fears, and prejudices.

If we're forming a different group for this I mean.

It proceeds all advocacy for policy, which is why I earlier suggested Psych. Info and Policy which accomodates both.

I did jump into this thread by sibelian:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022095688

My mom and grandma were all about how "strong" they were.

My grandma was insanely strong, and literally insane in many folks' opinions, including ultimately the courts. She was without doubt a danger to herself and others.

My grandma passed away years ago, and my mom is more "accepting," whatever that means to her, but it's all better than being strong, silent, and I dare say, ignorant and afraid.

People hiding their mental illnesses, or trying to "tough it out" or "be strong" only causes useless suffering, for the individual and the people who live with them.

Different therapies work for different people -- from medicines, to talking with professional therapists, to meditation, etc., in combination or alone.

I'm always upset when people use a post like sibelian's to rant about their own anti-pharmaceutical or anti-therapy prejudices.

Takes the other, anti-med position.

Keep in mind, there was somebody out there critical of almost any medical advance. Doesn't mean they are right.

but arguing with your mother about how she handles her grief? wtf?

I mean really... how many people have read that crap
and decided, "Maybe I don't want to talk to my doctor about
the fact that I can't get out of bed."


Sorry, but I think Skinner and Co. need to address this shit on DU.

I think that members of this group need to speak up on the matter.
MHO.

BHN

PS: mine has been off meds for 4 months now- how you doing? Me? Just waiting for the other shoe to drop...

youngest has some many physical problems, too. has a kidney infection that what been an ordeal. a snake of a boyfriend. taking lots of meds, but sort of floating above reality. big sis is hanging in. got a crappy job, nice boyfriend. at least neither of them hates me these days. now it's just the boys. progress.
all in all at least pretty quiet. lots good for me. a little tiring.

surviving.