Mental illness is dumber

[the anglophile]

Also, in other news, I started therapy for my anxiety. It's excellent but it also kind of sucks at the same time...

Also recently got diagnosed with ADHD (inattentive type, basically ADD) which pretty much explains my entire life.

[TheBlackSheep]

For the most part they were pretty supportive but there will always be those people who don't understand that you can't exactly help having a mental illness. Those people suck. I used to be one of them and I hate myself for it.

For one thing, telling your parents and loved ones helps to create a world where fewer people don't understand mental illness. Second of all, hating yourself doesn't do any good. We all have unsavory bits and you overcame one of yours, and that's awesome.

[Portia]

Can we all agree that getting a letter from your therapist explain your myriad problems and actually having to turn it in places is embarrassing?

[TheBlackSheep]

I had to do that once. It sucked.

[Portia]

I had to do that once. It sucked.

Did you read the letter? I glanced at it and decided I didn't want to know.

[Katya]

They've made a lot of comments over my life like saying that having a child with a mental illness would be the hardest thing for them or telling me to never, ever, ever marry someone with depression . . . and I just don't know how they'd take it.

I just don't understand this attitude. Granted, I come from an extended family with a lot of mental illness, so I guess we know what it looks like and we've seen stuff that's a lot worse than depression. However, if their attitudes are driven by a lack of personal experience, then telling them that you have depression will at least humanize the issue for them, going forward. (I agree with the other commenters, though, that you should be the one to choose when and how to tell them and I also like Black Sheep's idea of sending them a letter.)

[Zedability]

I think a letter would bug them and maybe make it seem like a bigger deal than it is. My parents just have only heard about people's depression when it's actively ruining their lives and their families lives so I think they just worry about that.

[bobtheenchantedone]

I dissociated fairly strongly a couple of days ago (for multiple minutes my consciousness was several inches behind where my eyes actually are... it's hard to explain) and today, curious, I looked it up, thinking that I had never dissociated before.

I need to talk to a therapist/psychologist of some kind before being sure, but depending on how broad the definition of what "dissociating" is (/what all experiences fall under it) I may be dissociating in some form or another basically every single day. And have been for as long as I can remember.

So... yay?

[Shrinky Dink]

I dissociated fairly strongly a couple of days ago (for multiple minutes my consciousness was several inches behind where my eyes actually are... it's hard to explain) and today, curious, I looked it up, thinking that I had never dissociated before.

I know what this is like. I dissociated during a very scary diagnosis. I think part of it (for me) was that it was a defense mechanism to help protect myself from shock. It really helped me to talk to someone about it.

[TheBlackSheep]

bob, dissociating is rough and I hope you figure it out in the best possible way for you, whatever that is. I used to do it a lot too. I was dissociating so badly when I took all those pills that it took me over an hour of puking to remember what I had done. It's a strange and, well, rough experience.

[Zedability]

So I talked to my mom. It went better than I expected and I'm glad I did. I should probably try to remember that just because I haven't had serious conversations with my parents on a regular basis since high school doesn't mean that the conversations are going to follow the teenager/parent frustrating pattern

[Portia]

So I talked to my mom. It went better than I expected and I'm glad I did. I should probably try to remember that just because I haven't had serious conversations with my parents on a regular basis since high school doesn't mean that the conversations are going to follow the teenager/parent frustrating pattern :)

Glad to hear it!

[the anglophile]

My therapist told me I needed to find a guy to NCMO with *shrugs*

[Portia]

My therapist told me I needed to find a guy to NCMO with *shrugs*

Wait, am I your therapist?

How do you feel about this advice?

[the anglophile]

Kind of weird. It really makes sense though. We basically discussed how I have needs and that's okay, and because I am not really ready for a real committed relationship, he told me it's okay if I just want to find some one to cuddle with or kiss without any real meanings attached. Right now my physical drive is starting to overcome my emotional "STOP DON'T DO THAT" so I guess we'll just see how it goes....

[TheBlackSheep]

Your therapist and I see eye to eye. Nothing wrong with a little noncommittal smooching.

If you ever need to talk to someone who won't judge you about that, it wouldn't be my first rodeo being that go-to (cough).

[Portia]

I have plenty of regrets in life by my age.

NCMOs aren't one. Go forth, be safe, have fun.

[the anglophile]

Well, out of the blue a relationship appeared. Seriously. Like, it was the most random (but well-timed) thing ever. I am now in the beginning stages of what could be a relationship. The rational normal not broken part of me is very excited and realizes that this is a good thing, but the anxiety part of me keeps trying to hold me back. I guess I don't want to get hurt or hurt him, and I feel like I have to really know I like him before I go any further. Both are terrible outlooks to have going into a relationship. Gah I hate anxiety. Guess I know what I'm talking in therapy tomorrow

[Emiliana]

Well, out of the blue a relationship appeared. Seriously. Like, it was the most random (but well-timed) thing ever. I am now in the beginning stages of what could be a relationship. The rational normal not broken part of me is very excited and realizes that this is a good thing, but the anxiety part of me keeps trying to hold me back. I guess I don't want to get hurt or hurt him, and I feel like I have to really know I like him before I go any further. Both are terrible outlooks to have going into a relationship. Gah I hate anxiety. Guess I know what I'm talking in therapy tomorrow

Cool! Being in a relationship is fun. Stressful, but fun.

Anxiety sucks. Let's all just stop having it now, okay? Okay. Glad we got that settled.

[Portia]

Anxiety sucks. Let's all just stop having it now, okay? Okay. Glad we got that settled.

I like this as an idea for a novel. Like Woody Allen, in reverse.