Mental Illness

[senelcoolidge]

Do you or someone close to you have a mental illness? What are you feelings toward people that are mentally ill?

[DukeDelonte13]

One of my family members completely out of the blue went into a full blown manic episode w/ psychosis. It was one of the most frightening and gut wrenching experiences of my life. the diagnosis was severe bipolar type I, but it was treatable, and in about 2-3 months everything was pretty much back normal.

the mental health care system is terrible. It's not easy getting guardianship and leaving a mentally ill person to make their own decisions especially when it comes to taking meds is awful.

Ever since it's happened i've been way more cognizant and sympathetic towards people and families that have to deal with something like that.

[Swaggin916]

Mental illness is very broad... almost everyone is mentally ill in some regard, it's just some are more widely accepted than others.

[NBAplayoffs2001]

Do you or someone close to you have a mental illness? What are you feelings toward people that are mentally ill?

Uncle has it, didn't know him until I met him in my teens.

As a kid, I treated them badly (ala elementary school) . I was a bully.
over the years, I've always treated them right. There was someone in my class that had a mental illness, wasn't sure what it was but he was "slower" than most people. I liked eating lunch with him and discussing how his day was. Didn't do this often but he felt comfortable enough to sit with me in the cafeteria. He felt more comfortable sitting with his guidance counselor for lunch. He wasn't bullied or anything, it was just something he preferred. I was happy that he was comfortable with me, he is a really nice kid and I'm happy I didn't make a quick judgement like my younger self

[senelcoolidge]

My mother is a paranoid schizophrenic. She was not born this way. Schizophrenia can effect a person from their adolescent to young adult years. She was a perfectly normal person. Educated with a career as a nurse. But after my younger brother was born she just got sick. She has been sick ever since. Luckily for her she had a family to care for her, to shelter her. I can't say that it's been easy. Many other people with mental illness have no one or their families abandon them and they end up in the streets. I don't really remember my mother before she got sick. I've always remembered her with her mental illness. There were periods of my life where I didn't treat her well, especially as a dumbass teenager..and that hurts me now. Seeing my mother as a child walking outside talking to herself. People called her the crazy lady...that was my mother. So I'm sympathetic to people like this.

[BigBoss]

My mother is a paranoid schizophrenic. She was not born this way. Schizophrenia can effect a person from their adolescent to young adult years. She was a perfectly normal person. Educated with a career as a nurse. But after my younger brother was born she just got sick. She has been sick ever since. Luckily for her she had a family to care for her, to shelter her. I can't say that it's been easy. Many other people with mental illness have no one or their families abandon them and they end up in the streets. I don't really remember my mother before she got sick. I've always remembered her with her mental illness. There were periods of my life where I didn't treat her well, especially as a dumbass teenager..and that hurts me now. Seeing my mother as a child walking outside talking to herself. People called her the crazy lady...that was my mother. So I'm sympathetic to people like this.

Sorry to hear that. How is her physical health?

My best friend's cousin had down syndrome. And his mother would take in other kids with down syndrome and take care of them. I don't know it was weird, she adopted/nursed them, and made a living by it. I used to visit their house a lot and be around them so i've been desensitized to mental illness since I was young.

A cousin of mines suffers from very mild schizophrenia. She's on medication and is fine for the most part now, but very soft spoken and passive now.

I've worked jobs in shady areas near addicts who all have mental illness.

I've volunteered once at an addiction and mental health clinic as well, so I got a look at the rehabilitation aspect of it as well including the "loony bins". It's pretty sad to be honest.

I know people who are bi-polar too as well.


All of that combined is why I stopped smoking weed and fukin around with my own health. It's my temple now. Good health gives you the opportunity to do anything in this world.

[senelcoolidge]

My mother's physical health is not that good now. A person that is mentally ill normally doesn't take care of themselves. She's a type 2 diabetic. She is now battling cancer. So it's tough. She is so stubborn. She will not tell you if she has pain. She's tough. But she's ok considering because she has a family that cares for her. I know for my father it's not easy. He basically had to support her and 3 kids on his own. He never left my mother..always stood by her side. I have mad respect for him. In sickness and in death..I guess.

Down Syndrome is not a mental illness. It's a medical condition that effects the person (they are mentally handicapped, mentally retarded).

Many years ago they had things called asylums or homes for the mentally ill. There were many cases of mistreatment. So the government basically closed them all down and many of the mentally ill spilled out onto the streets. Many don't get the treatment that they need. Actually many of the mentally ill are in the jails and prisons.