In the mind of mentally ill patient

[LucyB]

What goes on in the mind of a mentally ill patient?

[corwin137]

Not trying to be trite, but best way to get a sense of this is to ask 'em!  Likely you've thought of this of course, but am a huge fan of folk talking to people with "mental illnesses".

[Shell]

Not trying to be trite, but best way to get a sense of this is to ask 'em!  Likely you've thought of this of course, but am a huge fan of folk talking to people with "mental illnesses".

I do agree with Corwin!  Worst case, you won't get an answer or maybe not something you like to hear.  LOL

Seriously, though, I think you will find it most interesting to hear what someone with a mental disorder has to say.  There are too many answers for this one broad question.  So many types of illnesses/disorders.  If you are focusing on a single disorder, it would probably help to research it if you aren't able to talk to someone who is suffering from it.

[SWM]

cecile
corwin137

while i agree with both of you in the principle, in practice it could proof difficult to find people with mental health problems to talk to.

talking to people directly is the best way to gain understanding of how a person feels, what they are thinking and how they experience the world. this is also a way to remove barriers and overcome stigma. i am lucky enough to have people pay me to come and tell me what is going on in their minds. when i am not doing this i am paid to spend time with people on acute, intensive care and secure psychiatric wards and in the community.

this gives me the priviliged position to be able to talk to people about their experiences. if i was not in this position, i do not know how i would make contact with people with mental health problems. possibley some volunteering with charitable organisations or community centres.


without such volunteering opportunities it is not so easy for the average person to make contact with "mental health patients".

also there is alot of stigma and misconspetions about mental illness in our culture, even with common problems like depression and anxiety. this can make it difficult for people without prior knowledge and understanding to break down the barriers and start to engage with the people that they encounter.

i am not sure how this can be overcome really but i recognise there is a rfit between people with mental health problems who are patients or are using services and the average person on the street, who is dissociated form mental illness by our cultural biases and stigma. 

[Shell]

Stan you bring up an excellent point.  I think if one is not able to engage in such a personal conversation with someone who is suffering from a mental disorder, conducting their own research might be the only way to gain insight. 

I think the first thing is to identify the disorder one finds interesting and then utilize libraries or professional psychology websites. 

I once was a member of a mental health forum for mental health service users.  This gave me insight to any types of disorders.  I was able to meet, speak to, and learn from others.  Granted it wasn't a medically professional board, but it served as a means of support.

[SWM]

Stan you bring up an excellent point.  I think if one is not able to engage in such a personal conversation with someone who is suffering from a mental disorder, conducting their own research might be the only way to gain insight. 

I think the first thing is to identify the disorder one finds interesting and then utilize libraries or professional psychology websites. 

I once was a member of a mental health forum for mental health service users.  This gave me insight to any types of disorders.  I was able to meet, speak to, and learn from others.  Granted it wasn't a medically professional board, but it served as a means of support.

 

perhaps LucyB came to the right place to ask her question afterall. 

[Shell]

   I hope she sticks around!

[Schizo]

I am mentally ill...  not in a pop culturish way either...  I have been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, O.C.D., and depression for about 10 years now.  I have gone through many hardships due to the disease... and although in my current state, being on medication and getting therapy, have come to more stable ground, I can still tell you a great deal about what I have gone through. 

Some of it is beautiful...  some of it is, if you could conceptualize it, terror. 

If you are interested let me know what you want to know???



I will tell you that, in my case at least, the disease is not as threatening as the stereotypes, but at the same time far more devastating.   

[Shell]

Schizo, we are fortunate to have you here for those who have questions!  I hope she comes back to ask what she needed.

[Agni]

Schizo: I have been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia also...and I know how life can be hard for a such person.... when nothing is safe..... but I struggle to live normally and nobody guesses at my disease. Only when I open my mind in confidence my friends are suprised that I have such problems everyday...

[SWM]

i am comforted to hear of other people recovering from severe mental illness. i hope one day that we can generate enough understanding of mental illness that more people are able to live a fully functioning life.

i was talking yesterday to a clinical psychologist that i met at the world mental health day event. this psychologist is working with an team that focuses specifically at detection and intervention of first episode psychosis.

for me this early intervention teams are proof that schizophrenia and psychotic disorders are not as permanent as some would have us believe. if the biological model of schizophrenia where true and people are born with schizophrenia then this early intervention and its psychosocial treatment methods would not be providing such positive results.

it also came up how all of the symptoms of psychosis and schizophrenia are experienced by much larger percentage of the population only on a less severe and debalitating fashion and that what was most distressing for people diagnosed with schizophrenia or experiencing psychosis is that these experiences have no explanation or context for understanding and the fear and confusion is caused by having no context or explanation for the experiences.

during my own recovery from schizophrenia i took the steps of reframing my expereinces into a spiritual reality which gave my experiences a context to understand them. i can never except the biological model of schizophrenia because it does not in any way explain or provide a context for understanding my reality.

if i where to lose sight of my spirituality i fear i would slip back into a hellish world without meaning.

[Enigma]

What goes on in the mind of a mentally ill patient?

It's different for every person.

My advice:

Step 1.  Take acid
Step 2. 
Step 3.  Profit!

[coyote]

I work with dual diagnosed adults. they are both mentally ill, and mentally retarded. From my observation the same things go through their minds as go through ours.

Fear, hunger, comfort/discomfort, sadness or happiness, anger, frustration, desire/dislike. I dont find them so terribly different than us. The thing I notice the most is where I might think something, they would blurt it out. I might see you eating something, and wonder if its good. they might grab it from you and taste it. I might feel annoyed with you, they might punch you.

At the end of the day, I think we are all very similiar, Some of us just react more socially acceptable than others do. JMO