How well do you believe
your mental health is?

I'm kind of interested
in how other cats feel
about their mental health
and psychological well-
being, considering how
difficult it is for us to
sometimes open up and
express ourselves.

And it just goes to show cause i used the word "whack".

Never had it tested or anything, but I bet if i were to have it tested, I'd learn a few unsuprising facts about myself.

I think when it comes to my mental health, i can blame/thank my parents, and too many books, and the tons of solitary time i just had to lie in spots and think. People actually tell me I think too much...and folks end up snapping me out of it, cause I also get lost in thoughts in the most awkward times...Like right in the middle of conversations.

Hmm...but I doubt any "half-sensible" person doesn't have a lil' somethin goin' on upstairs.

>People actually
>tell me I think too much...and folks end up snapping me out
>of it, cause I also get lost in thoughts in the most awkward
>times...Like right in the middle of conversations.

Yeah, I've been acussed of
this myself, my mind will
wander at times.

Racial problems seem to
dominate a good deal of
my thought process.

Along with religion...and

Human tendencies and how they link back to primal instincts...and

...the occasional stupid-ass remark by some idiot.

Daymn, i'm weird.

>Daymn, i'm weird.

You are not weird at all. I've known weird and fortunately those people are long gone from my life.

that isnt that unusual, being preoccupied is pretty common though with what tends to vary of course. almost everyone i know myself included is guilty of losing a convo and wandering off on a mental tangent at least now and then, myself included.

but as far as that is concerned, i was talking with a friend about something similar the other day. do any of you ever get the feeling like you are looking ahead too much? i find myself that way a lot, even now that at this very moment i dont really have shit to do (recently graduated college, taking a year off to travel and sell some crap i dont need, all in all pretty stress free). it's like i keep thinking about doing something more significant that keeps me from enjoying the moment, then what that event comes along i almost feel exhausted from thinking about it so goddamn much, and once i get rejuvenated i just start thinking about the next thing. how is this for fucked up: i was thinking about catching a plane two days later while i was having sex a couple weeks ago! what the fuck!?!

it gets even worse when i am in school, i had a pretty easy time in terms of the work and since we were on the quarter system i always waited til the last second to write papers and bullshit to get as many details/suggestions from class as possible. i swear, if i wasnt smoking pot every waking hour of my life for three years thinking about what i had to do in coming days would have turned my hair grey and shit.

i dunno if this is an anxiety problem or what, but sometimes i wonder...

also, grimm, do you work with mentally "ill" people regularly and if so what do you do? i noticed your bipolar day clinic mention below, just curious. i know this older cat who is bipolar and while i am generally very skeptical about the adminstration of drugs he is one of the sterling examples of how lithium can work wonders, i am curious what your experience has been with medicating bipolarity and other disorders.

Named another one of my habits...The thinking ahead too much. That's all I do actually.

yeah man, i try to make an effort not to do it but its damn near impossible. especially right now because i am in kind of an uncertain state about even the immediate future, so rather than having focus its this sort of infinite, consuming process of what-ifs and shit. otherwise i feel like i am in pretty good shape mentally, i mean i dont know anyone who doesnt feel comfortable confiding in me, i got good relationships with people, no apparent disorders nor disabilities that i have studied etc. i often wonder about this but even if i got diagnosed with some anxiety bullshit, i doubt i would swallow any pills over it.

A lot of people tell me a get too caught up in my thoughts, but I really feel that it's warranted..... cause i'm not thinking about what color to paint my nails, rather, serious world issues that effect many people and HOW these people react to stuff....

It gives me a headache sometimes..... also tends to make me a little cynical at other times.... sometimes I worry about my mental health but I try not to wallow in it because I don't want to become that self-absorbed.... ever.

Nice to see someone else thinks about this stuff....

~~sig~~

Just keep thinking about it.


"Dreams are true while they last, and do we not live in dreams?" -Alfred Lord Tennyson

"Life has its way of teaching us.
Life has its way of confusing us.
Life has its way of changing us.
Life has its way of astonishing us.
Life has its way of hurting us.
Life has its way of curing us.
Life has its way of inspiring us." -Y Tu Mama Tambien

...I know when to regroup and seek peace of mind. I guess I've been close to the point of no return and made my way back, so I know that there is an invisible line that I seldom cross anymore.

I think the reason people are reluctant to discuss their psychological (and often spiritual) issues is for fear of ridicule or rejection or even abandonment. Who wants to be sensitive and vulnerable when the outside world is anything but?

When I was 12, I was hospitalized for severe depression and most of my family did not visit me and few (if any) wanted to talk about why I needed intervention. They thought it was a way to get attention but they did not realize how close I was to suicide. Also, they did not want to discuss alcoholism and the bi-polar/manic depressives in the family. So everyone walked around in denial. I voluntarily sought help for myself and that was seen as just plain "selfish".

Over 20 years later, I have not had a need to see a therapist or psychiatrist except for a short time five years ago when work and life was a bit too stressful. I'll seek help in a minute but I think I've found the way to peace that works for me. I meditate and practive yoga sometimes but mostly I write and talk to people.

>I think the reason people are reluctant to discuss their
>psychological (and often spiritual) issues is for fear of
>ridicule or rejection or even abandonment. Who wants to be
>sensitive and vulnerable when the outside world is anything
>but?

That's very true.

Do you think support systems
are more readily available in
other countries?

>Do you think support systems
>are more readily available in
>other countries?

Perhaps but I think the issue (lack of acceptance, support, etc.) is far more widespread because mental illness is viewed as weakness or as evil (bad spirits). It wasn't too long ago that I read that some folks still practice exorcisms and what not. It's like mental illness is something that is done to us, not a disease or something that can be cured.

The brain is the one organ that is still mostly a mystery to people.

>The brain is the one organ that is still mostly a mystery to
>people.

Very true.

It is unfortunate, that you used Nettrice in an attempt to call me to war. Stupid white man. She was sincere with you, and you exploited that. Stupid white man.

i'm on the upswing from some serious issues, so that's good.

if you make it back from the abyss, seeing what it looked like really changes you.

**************
rS

--Any belief worth having must survive doubt--

"Only the educated are free." -- Epictetus

"The punishment we suffer if we refuse to take an interest in matters of government is to live under the government of worse men." -- Plato

.

Pretty affectless, for fear of what the affect might be. In the last couple of months, I've had three occurrences that would have normally pushed me over the edge (I have bipolar disorder).

The thing hanging over my head right now is that I'm a non-traditional student, and I have worked extremely hard to get back in school and to create an environment in which I can succeed. Now I'll probably have to drop out of school again because my school doesn't follow federal financial aid guidelines and there is no one to enforce them.

I totalled my car and injured my neck and head about two months ago. I'm in pretty much non stop pain, and I now owe $2500 on a car I don't have. The accident wasn't my fault, but the lesson to be learned here is to buy gap coverage or you'll wind up in a similar situation.

The worst thing has been that my dad passed away about two weeks after my accident. Our relationship was not always great, and he was not easy to like. As such, no one close to me has really wanted to talk about the various issues that go along with all this, and I've not had the normal grieving process. New Years Eve is his birthday, and I'll probably be spending it alone at home, which I don't really look forward to.

And, my girlfriend with whom I've lived for seven years is probably going to leave me. I can't even describe how that makes me feel.

All this said, one of the most debilitating things for me has been the everyday psychic violence that permeates our culture. War. Consumerism. Vast injustices. You all probably know what I mean. But that's just pushing me deeper into a shell. So far, I've been able to maintain composure, but a total lack of affect and focus is starting to take its toll.

Thanks for reading/ posting. Peace

even if no one "close to you" is available to talk to, please try to find a counselor at a local clinic or at student health services at the school you are at.

i really hope you can begin to find a measure of peace or at least a beginning to working through some of the things that have happened.

best wishes,

--rS

**************
rS

--Any belief worth having must survive doubt--

"Only the educated are free." -- Epictetus

"The punishment we suffer if we refuse to take an interest in matters of government is to live under the government of worse men." -- Plato

what did you find? (rouge_scholar) if you don't mind me asking.

.

>Pretty affectless, for fear of what the affect might be. In
>the last couple of months, I've had three occurrences that
>would have normally pushed me over the edge (I have bipolar
>disorder).

So does my mother...and probably more folks in my family are undiagnosed or carry the trait.

>As such, no one close
>to me has really wanted to talk about the various issues
>that go along with all this

I hope that you find someone to talk to even if you have to seek them out. That's probably the hardest step at least it was for me at age 12 and again at age 27 but the last time was easier because I had already taken the biggest step.

>All this said, one of the most debilitating things for me
>has been the everyday psychic violence that permeates our
>culture. War. Consumerism. Vast injustices. You all
>probably know what I mean. But that's just pushing me
>deeper into a shell. So far, I've been able to maintain
>composure, but a total lack of affect and focus is starting
>to take its toll.

I recommend "The Adversity Quotient" because it specifically focuses on learned helplessness as a phenomenon and strategies to deal with adversity and even how to turn adversity into opportunities.

It's a tough disorder to handle.

AIf you don't mind my asking, are
you in therapy and/or on any meds?
It seems many people benefit from
both, along with viable support
systems, i.e., family, friends,
spiritual mentors, etc..

And you're absolutely right, this
whole economic/politial system is
not conducive to one mental well-
being.

Hope this post helps a little.

well best of luck pulling through and i certainly hope your girl doesnt leave you on top of all that bullshit. i am very sorry about your father and also your accident, i would also recommend finding someone either close to you or who is some sort of professional about it. it's good to hear you are holding up reasonably well considering all this, but it makes it all no less terrible nor you in no less need of help coping with it (anyone would be).

as for the student aid stuff, you should make a separate post about that with some details, with all the students on this board i am sure people would be willing to offer suggestions and even help since a fair number of them work within universities. i'd also contact the FAFSA folks about it, i cant really get a feel for your specific situation but if there is a breach of federal guidelines i imagine something can be done.

...for being able to be so open about all of that. I can't express myself right now cause I've shoved all of that so far down that I'm afraid to let some of it up because I don't think I'll stop once I do. Scares me to death sometimes.....

I truly wish you the best too because I know where you're coming from.
Thankyou.

~~sig~~

Just keep thinking about it.


"Dreams are true while they last, and do we not live in dreams?" -Alfred Lord Tennyson

"Life has its way of teaching us.
Life has its way of confusing us.
Life has its way of changing us.
Life has its way of astonishing us.
Life has its way of hurting us.
Life has its way of curing us.
Life has its way of inspiring us." -Y Tu Mama Tambien

I read that a Dr. Klerman, former director of the U.S. Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health coined the term Age of Melancholy to describe our current conditions and he did a couple of studies that showed depression strikes "earlier in life and in unprecedented numbers of people". There is a connection between this and learned helplessness: "Those who suffer as a result of adversity tend to feel helpless, and, in turn, get depressed."

When I was doing research on manic depression (for my mother), I read a book by Patty Duke Astin and she wrote about how her illness was often precipitated by some external event (adversity) and she was more likely to lose control or get ill. Bi-polar, schizophrenia and other related illnesses are chemical imbalances that are controlled by medication but I found that, as a kid observing my mother, she was more manic when she lost her job or couldn't pay her rent. In my young mind, adversity was linked to my mother's moods and I was terrified of change.

Although I am not bi-polar and I do not suffer from any of the chemical imbalances that many folks suffer from I understand that adversity can damage the spirit and peace of mind of anyone. It's not mental illness or inherent. Helplessness can be learned and unlearned. At some point I had to face my terror and either overcome it or give up.

"learned helplessness".

Admittedly, there is a
bit of self-interest in-
volved in the conceptua-
lization of this thread,
as I have SUFFER from
severe panic attacks.

I thought it would be
theraputic to discover
what adversity others
are experiencing in their
life.

I knew you would reply and
I'm glad for it.

...unlearn.

>I knew you would reply and
>I'm glad for it.

Namaste (the spirit in me sees the spirit in you)

>How well do you believe
>your mental health is?
>

this is a good method. peace.