Posted by gardenergirl on November 30, 2006, at 17:15:27 [reposted on December 4, 2006, at 1:29:30 | original URL]
In reply to Re: I think shrinks lie, posted by notfred on November 30, 2006, at 16:17:49
So many folks still view those with any mental illness as "crazy people". My own father does, or at least did until I reminded him that I have a serious mental illness, major recurrent depression with atypical features, which puts me in the category he calls "crazy people". This took him aback since I'm otherwise "normal" to him.
So I think that it's important to speak up when we can about what mental illness is and what it's not. It's not "crazy". When folks view us as such, it "allows" them to treat us differently, with less dignity, with less respect, since you know, "we're just crazy".
I catch myself calling myself "crazy", "nuts", etc., and I pretty much always mean those terms with some affection. But if someone who is not informed and enlightened about mental illness hears me, I think that I'm contributing to carrying on the stigma. So I try hard not to do that. Plus, it feeds my own shame about having a mental illness that creeps up when I'm not doing as well. Why should we feel ashamed or be treated any different than someone who has diabetes or a heart condition or arthritis, etc.?
So while I agree that pdocs may not get it right all the time, and many of the drugs we are prescribed may not be the best ones for us, I do think that mental illness is real. It exists, and it's just as debilitating, or at least can be, as having the flu or a chronic medical condition. It's just something we don't know enough about yet. And we often don't know just why the meds that help do help. So if they help more than one disorder, I think that just means that there are not identified clear-cut boundaries between different disorders. At least not yet.
gg
poster:gardenergirl
thread:710170
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20061123/msgs/710171.html