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recycled - sorry to hear that...It is a terrible & scary thing.
What can you do but watch? You can't force someone to get treatment.
And you can't communicate with someone who's "lost it".
Terrible.
I guess that's why people shy away - they don't know how to deal with it.
Sad.
I think many people are nervous around the mentally ill, because they can be very unpredictable. If a person is ranting and raving, and not making sense, they're not being rational, and they can't be reasoned with. That makes them a bit scary. I'm not saying this out of the blue, either; my mother was schizophrenic. I found out about her illness when I was 16, but she had been that way since she was pregnant with me. Luckily, she wasn't violent, but she'd call me and say a bunch of complete nonsense, not even complete sentences or thoughts. It was like a million thoughts were coming out of her mouth all at once. Now that I'm older, I have much more compassion for her. It's truly a chemical imbalance, and no one would choose to be that way - not ever. She died when I was 24, which in some ways was a blessing, because I wouldn't wish this kind of Hell on anyone or their family members.
I think mental illness is looked down upon or ignored because people - in general - don't understand it. Someone acting strange/self destructive/etc. causes the "normal" people to recoil. Often they don't know how to respond and/or they respond inappropriately to the ill by holding them responsible for their behavior (thus, getting angry towards the mentally ill) or ignoring them all together. It's really sad and unfortunate that we are not made aware of the struggles that many of the mentally ill face (and their families). Like SandyCo, I've had family members who suffered tragically as a result of mental illness so, I hope that people will show more compassion.
I've been thinking a lot about this subject lately. It seems that society in general seems to put a negative stigma on mental illness. I've often heard things like oh they just need to pull up their bootstraps and they'll be fine; they just need to exert some will power; they just need to have more faith to be healed. Why is it ok to take drugs for physical maladies but not mental? Yes I do think that mental illness is vastly overdiagnosed and that many take drugs that don't help, blaming it on depression when the real cause is bad choices in one's life that carry a large unneeded negative burden. In essence because one's life "sucks" they are depressed and therefore need drugs. But on the other hand I do believe there are many out there with genuine mental illnesses that given the right drugs can greatly improve their lives.
Why do people (or family members) (or even strangers) seem to put a negative stigma on mental illness? Would someone make fun of anybody taking antiobiotics for an infection or say that they don't need to take those because their body is designed to heal itself?
So many people look down on people with mental illnesses. I know that if it's severe enough it's a disability. But society looks at people suffering as though they should toughen up. People are under the impession that they're putting on an act for attention. My mother suffered from Mental Ilness for 17 years. It is no picnic, and I can't imagine anyone suffering needlessly.
It is true, people with mental illnesses are looked down upon. I think our society needs to be more educated when it comes to mental illnesses. They don't look at it like they do other diseases. I don't even know if some people realize that it is a disease.
Society is funny. It's hard to accept anything outside the scope of their understanding. Mental illness is everyone problems because it's mainly the ones who believe thier sane to be the crazy ones. Their afriad to admit their shortcomings.A person who is in denial are the dangerous ones. Were a society of last minute ie. something has to happen for change to occur instead of providing what's needed because it's the right thing to do, caring, housing, acceptance, food, universal medical care, empathy, help etc.
It is no picnic. I don't think anyone would ever pretend to have a mental illness to get attention. It's the most difficult thing to deal with, and I wouldn't even wish it upon my worst enemy!
So many people look down on people with mental illnesses. I know that if it's severe enough it's a disability. But society looks at people suffering as though they should toughen up. People are under the impession that they're putting on an act for attention. My mother suffered from Mental Ilness for 17 years. It is no picnic, and I can't imagine anyone suffering needlessly.
It is true, people with mental illnesses are looked down upon. I think our society needs to be more educated when it comes to mental illnesses. They don't look at it like they do other diseases. I don't even know if some people realize that it is a disease.
Society is funny. It's hard to accept anything outside the scope of their understanding. Mental illness is everyone problems because it's mainly the ones who believe thier sane to be the crazy ones. Their afriad to admit their shortcomings.A person who is in denial are the dangerous ones. Were a society of last minute ie. something has to happen for change to occur instead of providing what's needed because it's the right thing to do, caring, housing, acceptance, food, universal medical care, empathy, help etc.
It is no picnic. I don't think anyone would ever pretend to have a mental illness to get attention. It's the most difficult thing to deal with, and I wouldn't even wish it upon my worst enemy!
Krishnamurti: “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” in response to the bolded.
In addition to having my own mental health issues since the age of nine, I work with many who have theirs as well. They are not doing it for attention. To the outsider their behavior may look crazy and, in some cases of serious mental illness, it may be crazy.
But most people with MI are just trying to get along in ways that a lot of people probably do not understand.
I kinda skipped to the end...But I think in general with everything its easier to hate and fear things than have the patience to understand them. Plus...with antibiotics...You only may be affected and annoying for a couple weeks. And lets all be honest...Both sides of the fence have a raw deal and many annoyances to deal with. Watch any intervention show. Dysfunctional behavior doesn't exactly help you out or move you forward. And I really don't think god is into torture. At least not my version.
And really in just in my small amt of experience..I really don't like what meds can do to someone. It almost seems to create a bi-polar attitude in some with anger issues. I don't really like spending my days with someone who is screaming at one moments and dissolving into tears the next. Or going on giant spending sprees or cheating or all the other etc.s like that which happen when the person is ill.
Its o.k. for friendships but not dependable relationships.
Its just too much to handle when you have everything else you have to deal with on a daily basis. It reminds me of taking care of a child. And I don't mean that in a bad way. Its just a walking on egg shells and pampering situation all the time. Violent metal illness patients strait up scare me. But you are not exactly having day to day conversations with those types of people. The look in their eye..fear,pain.anger boiling down to one option of "destroy". If you ever looked that in the face you wouldn't ask this question.
I don't look down on people just because they have a mental illness.
I DO look down on people with mental illness that should be on meds, KNOW they should be on meds, yet stop taking them. If the meds put them into a "normal" frame of mind, and while in that normal frame of mind they make a conscious decision to stop taking their meds, then I hold them completely responsible for their own actions.
Other than that, if someone is taking the meds they're supposed to, and still suffers from problems, that's not their fault and we shouldn't despise them for it.
Some people are afraid of what they can't see, some people don't believe in what they can't see. And some people just don't 'see' what's in front of their faces. I have a friend who is confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life, and she says it's not unusual for someone to walk up to her in her chair and complain about pulling a muscle while playing tennis, for example. Her response is usually along the lines of 'Why tell me? I'd be more than happy to be able to pull a muscle, if I could.' She says at that point they look blank and say 'But it hurts!'
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