It's definitely a need I see in my community, which is far more rural, and so I've researched a couple of options, trying to find the best way. It's not easy but it's definitely becoming more necessary.
Here in England there are now all manner of online resources, including online CBT. I have taken advantage of the online guided meditation sessions and you could say they have transformed my life. If anyone wants pointing to these resources then please drop me a message. I had reached the point where I refused to be medicated so they finally found me another path to follow, after more than 20 years! If you're struggling with low mood and are in England then go to your local GP's surgery and ask to be referred to the IAPT service, or find them online. It's a self referral system so you can do it yourself, you don't need a Doctor to refer you. In my experience all a Doctor will do is pump you full of drugs, there are other, better, ways.
I also have found therapeutic Yoga to be quite, um, therapeutic. It's less the spiritual traditions, and more of a mind-body connection, that can aid in helping with calming, managing anxiety and depression, and can be more trauma informed too, and reduce the use of medications, if possible. I was highly skeptical, but seeing it in clinical practice has helped.
The idea of people with OCD being neat freaks is actually a cliche. I'm also a slob. It's actually a anxiety disorder so it's about people who need to bring order to their thoughts. That's why we can have repetive behavior where we feel the need to do things or even think things in some kind of way that "feels right." Plus you got the intrusive thoughts that is also part of OCD. I mentioned before about having violent thoughts or even the need to say mean things for no reason. Alot of that comes from my anxiety I feel from a life where I spent a greal deal of it feeling the need to be morally perfect. I was even ashamed to admit I like girls when I was a kid or even show anger when I was mad. I also have this fear of hurting people's feelings so of course your OCD brain takes those fears and finds ways of creating anxiety by making you obsess about behavior that is the complete oposit of that. I have noticed my OCD thoughts have actually gone down the more I have actually started not being so harsh on myself and allow myself to have some human flaws. Jason
I had a near complete breakdown just under a year ago after losing one of my brothers to suicide. In his memory I got this tattoo, and it's a conversation starter as I'm a short, dumpy 48 year old middle class white woman who doesn't look like the tattoo type. I'm always completely honest about it, and when I tell people about my brother's suicide there have been some people who've then opened up about a loved one they've lost to suicide, which is still very much a taboo subject, especially among older generations. Just a few weeks ago a young woman, aged about 20, noticed the semi colon (that denotes suicide, either a loss of someone to suicide or having attempted suicide oneself) and she told me how she was thinking about getting one as she'd had a "bad year" last year. I take citalopram for depression and anxiety, and while I'm still somewhat of a mess at least I can function most days. Talking about mental health can come across as whinging to the unsympathetic person, but it can also help other people with the same struggles to open up and talk things over with you. No matter what you're going through, it's often good to know you're not alone. So the semi colon represents my brother's suicide, and the rainbow colours represent his homosexuality, which our very Roman Catholic father refused to even think about, much less acknowledge. The butterly represents his spirit, which I'm hoping is free now as it never was in his life. Based on a drawing by the wonderful and talented @thestrangequark .
Thank you for sharing your story, because that sounds very difficult and painful. The semi-colon tattoo is a very interesting movement that I was glad to see. When working with people with mental illness, one of the biggest ideas, if nothing else, is that no one is alone in their experience. Mental illness can strike anyone, and is more common than anyone thinks, even mental health professionals.
It's religious-adjacent. There are spiritual "Higher Powers" involved, whether to the individual that means an actual "god" or not, well, I guess that's personal.
I'm sorry for the double (and eventually triple) post. These posts deserve their own spaces. Again, I'm sorry. I don't know you, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say that I'm sorry, and I hope you find a way of feeling better as soon as possible. If that was a facetious post, you can fuck off and please leave this thread. But again, benefit of the doubt.
Triple post. I know this irritates a lot of you, and it's even against the rules, but please just allow it this once. I've been off all of my psych meds for a week now. My doctor and I weened me off of my anti-psychotic a couple of months ago as I felt it was doing more harm than good. I was taking it for ruminations, not a major psychosis. These last two meds, my anti-depressant, and my anti-anxiety meds? Not so much. I ran out of them and my psychiatrist won't prescribe more without seeing me first. I can't currently afford to pay my past bill yet so I CAN see her. Believe it or not, I'm not suicidal right now. My ex may have actually taught me how to leave that in the past. It's only been a week, but I'm hopeful. Anxiety? Again, not so much. I'm nervous and shaking and I may even be developing a form of tourettes (it's not all swearing loudly at random times). I'm also struggling to accomplish ANYTHING, even opening a program that I love. That's been going on for a while now, but my situation is changing and it's REALLY necessary to get working with it. One surprising effect, though, is that I no longer feel like an asexual. Holy shit. That's all I'll say on that matter. All of that said, overall, I'm hopeful. Not just in leaving my suicidal thoughts in the past, but for life, in general. I've been thinking A LOT lately, and though I don't know where this path ahead of me leads, I took my first steps tonight in my newest journey. It's going to confuse most of my friends and family, especially after events of late last year, but damn other people's expectations of me. Hell, damn my own ideas of people's expectations of me. I guess...as cryptic as this will sound, the best way to describe things right now is that I'm trying to figure out how to have my hair cut. P.S. I'm aware of the irony of me spending so much on action figures lately when I had a doctor's bill to take care of. I didn't realize I'd be cut off so quickly. I thought I had more time.
I'm 100% sure it was not facetious based on past posts. Sometimes you really have no one to say "get over it" because no one sees "it" or, seemingly, you.
As I said, benefit of the doubt. And the reason I had any doubt is that most people that suffer from depression despise the term "get over it" because it's just not that easy. I meant no harm, and as I said, if it was sincere, I truly do hope they are able to feel better as soon as possible. I've been there.
Scribble read my post, this isn't something to debate and we don't need any more "if it was sincere" commentary.You don't know the person in question because you haven't been here long but as I, perhaps not directly enough, have said it's quite obvious to people who do know him from "past posts".
This. There's a lot of helpful advice in this thread. I have been on antidepressants for 12 years and feel emotionally balanced for the most part, though I've had episodes of intrusive thoughts last year. Seeking professional help and practicing mindfulness have been integral in my ability to manage my anxiety. Since the OP asked how one talks about mental illness, my experience has been that I only open up to family members and close friends. I realize this is difficult, especially when your anxiety gives added guilt, shame, and fear of judgment to what you're already experiencing. "What would others think of me?" Well, the simple answer is, you don't have to tell everyone about your mental illness. Furthermore, in my daily conversations with friends, colleagues, and others, I was surprised to learn there are others like me who also deal with depression or anxiety and have taken medication, and it was all casually mentioned in our dialogue. You're not alone. I would suggest going to a group therapy or a wellness class (mindfulness, yoga). By doing so, you'd be able to vocalize your thoughts and feelings and also learn of ways to manage your condition. I'm especially interested in Acceptance & Commitment Therapy.
Thank you, everyone for taking the time to participate in this thread. It's helped me, and I hope it can help a good many more people. I'd like to fight the stigma of mental health issues, and personally, for myself, that means being as open and honest about my issues as possible. It doesn't always go well, and people have differing views on the subject and sometimes the messenger. In terms of this thread, and not seeking anything other than putting it out there, last night and this morning were not my better times. There were remnants of myself in there, somewhere, however, there is no way I should have been allowed anywhere in public (including the internet). Physically, because of my lack of meds (which was my own damn fault), I was to the point of nearly not being able to breathe properly. I was hyperventilating. I was having an hours-long panic attack. That's simply what lack of the proper meds for someone that requires them can do. Again, not to be narcissistic (It's never intentional), but I've been dealing with mental health issues all of my life and everyone from my parents to my spouses have not understood my condition(s). I probably am a paranoid schizophrenic. I've been told I read into things that aren't there. Okay, I accept that. I'll try to make adjustments. I'm ashamed of my behavior lately. I've made too many poor choices and I've seen too many things that were not there. The circumstances in my life have been tumultuous and chaotic and extremely emotional since a little before I started posting on the TrekBBS again late last year, so you've not seen me at my best. Even at my best, I'm not the best of people, but I'm not this. I've tried too hard to be liked. And to be honest, it's not narcissism. It's paranoia. Easily confused. Shit. Okay. Long story short: I was able to get back on my meds in the last couple of hours. I'm still waiting for them to take full effect, but in the meantime, and for some time afterward, I believe it's best for me to take a break. It may or may not matter to others, but that's not the point. Please, continue to discuss this issue as it needs to be brought out into the light to be better understood. Many people with mental health issues can be misunderstood or ridiculed (I'm sorry, I thought that was happening earlier in this thread. I've been informed I was wrong. I accept that. No offense meant.), and it's even worse when someone with mental health issues hasn't been able to keep up with their regiment for some reason or another. Woe is me? Maybe. Shoot me. Just know that people that really do want to get better don't wish to harm anyone, not physically nor emotionally. They don't want enemies, they just want to be understood and maybe even get a little empathy, but not pity. I'm not seeking pity. I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me. I'm only seeking to inform, as I believe so many others are, as well. We make mistakes. Some more than others. Some can't help but step into it all the time. Just know that they have the best of intentions. I know from experience that all of my life all I've wanted to do is help when in fact all I do is get in the way and hinder. Fuck, I couldn't even do right when I attempted to attend an evangelical church for a while. So anyway, keep up this discussion. I need to reflect for a while. Huge things are happening in my life right now and I need to concentrate on those. Again, thank you to those who've attempted some form of understanding to ANYONE that might seem a little "off", and maybe even a little "off-putting".
I know for me I should proably get back on my med's. I feel like I am starting to have extreme mood swings. I keep thinking of overdosing on my medicine just to see if it will kill me. It's like I want to die but to afraid to kill myself so I want to find away to do it in away that I don't see it coming. The failure of my life and the stress I get from familiy conflict seems to be bothering me more lately than it sometimes does. Jason