"People with depression do not think straight."

[hiaasenrocks]

That comment and others like it (using the broad term "mental illness") appeared in a discussion earlier on this board in relation to the mall shooting that occurred a few days ago.

As a person who suffers from depression and anxiety (with full-blown panic attacks) I can tell you that the characterizations of "mental illness" that I read in that thread were little more than uninformed generalizations. I realize that it's quite possible the people writing those posts have first-hand experience with one of the many mental illnesses, but that would only make their generalization worse, because if that is indeed the case, they should know better.

There are many types of mental illness. To lump them all together as those posters did really does nothing but perpetuate the social stigma attached to certain types of mental illnesses.

Thanks for reading this.

(Edit: grammar)

[Kutjara]

1. I remember reading about a study last year...

...that found depressives had a more realistic view of life than so-called "normal people." In the study, "normals" generally overestimated the probably of positive outcomes, while underestimating the probability of negative ones. People with moderate to severe depression typically predicted both positive and negative outcomes with far greater accuracy.

Normal people are essentially out of touch with reality, while depressives understand completely how shitty life is. So who are the mentally ill ones, again?

[havocmom]

5. There was a study in early 90s that came to same conclusion

People who are always happy & chipper are NOT dealing with reality. People who really pay attention and understand what is going on are frequently also depressed.

Well, duh!

Would love to find a comfy delusion to live in, but can't do it either ;)

[TomInTib]

11. I don't know about that.

Speaking as someone who has had nothing but contempt for "depressed" people and is now suffering from same, I have never had darker thoughts in my life.

If the shit that has been rattling around in my head is "reality" then I do not wish to have anything to do with reality.

[havocmom]

14. not all depressed states are the same, and you are bright enough to know that

:hug:

Those of us who have been chronic for eons (more practice than you newbies to the dark side) usually learn that how we feel today is not forever, but we also tend not to be fooled by happy illusions either.

The right meds, along with good monitoring and cognitive therapy can do wonders to teach one how to live reasonably well despite chronic depression. Sometimes the meds will go on forever, sometimes, the brain just needs the jolt to remind it how to make the good chems too and the treatment is of a specific term.

And, my dear virtual world friend, do be damned good to yourself regarding nutrition. It is really important (and helpful) to give your body what it needs in the way of raw materials. Lots of good books out there. But take it from me, you wanna make sure the B vitamins are plentiful. And there have been studies about depression/ insomnia and folic acid deficiency.

Take care, dear Tom. This is not what forever feels like. Trust me. ;)

[blues90]

8. I don't know

I suffer from depression and anxiety and massive panic attacks , have for 20 years . Things certainly seem pretty unreal when a panic attack blows in out of nowhere , all I think about is getting the hell out of where ever I happen to have been in one big hurry . I've been told it's the fight of flight response gone wrong , I don't know where the fight part comes from , flight yes .

[havocmom]

15. Panic attacks are a whole different animal from regular chronic depression

I hate panic attacks! They do feel like you are dying.

[blues90]

17. I know the feeling of dying well , I do feel

That over time the panic attacks and anxiety has brought on the depression I have . Meds only seem to hold them off longer . I have tried books but you need to be able to be up enough to want to work on the problem , it's a vicious circle .

[havocmom]

20. Keep on working on it. Try every resource you can

Things can get easier to deal with.

My panic attacks got so bad I would get spontaneous brusing in an orderly pattern. I looked like someone had taken a bat to me for many weeks. It is really amazing what the mind/body connection can do. But know this, for all the harm, there is also healing. Takes a lot of work and multi-faceted approaches.

Keep trying. You deserve to feel better. YOU DESERVE TO FEEL BETTER. :hug:

[EFerrari]

18. My brother just called me from the hospital. He's 42 and just had

his first panic attack. He did think he was dying of a heart attack and went to the ER last night.

:(

[EnviroBat]

38. After I have one, I'm not right for about a day after-wards.

I've experienced some bizarre, and terrifying events during a panic attack. I don't know if it's the same for everyone, (I doubt it), but I've described it to neurologists as a feeling of being "phased out of this dimension" into another one for a moment. Yes, I think it feels like I'm about to die. I've learned to recognize the signs of one coming on, and I can usually head it off before it gets a hold. If you've never experienced one, they truly suck.

[BlackVelvet04]

41. Please see this thread....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=317x2401

[EnviroBat]

47. Thanks much...

:hi:

[Oeditpus Rex]

26. It's a misfire of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine

When properly functioning, norepinephrine signals the adrenal gland to release adrenalin to either confront or flee from a perceived threat — thus "fight or flight."

The reason Xanax and some other benzodiazepines, as well as some selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are effective against panic disorder is they promote the function of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate norepinephrine.

[BlackVelvet04]

40. Please see this thread....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=317x2401

[Darth_Kitten]

9. That's quite interesting.

:)

[otherlander]

22. "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."

Krishnamurti: 1
Neurotypicals: 0

Vindication Dance!
:woohoo:

[havocmom]

24. Yes indeedy!

And thanks
:rofl:

[kimjamey69]

45. what is normal

give me a definition of normal?

[Kutjara]

46. That's why I put it in quotes.

Normal is whatever normal people decide is normal, based on...er...accepted norms. And it'll be different tomorrow from what it was yesterday.

[TheDebbieDee]

2. I agree. I think that when a person is suffering from

depression and anxiety, they may also be afflicted with impaired judgement and/or perception - a situation which may act to further deepen the depression and anxiety.

[Sanity Claws]

10. Yes.

I've been there and agree. In my depression, I was also physically fatigued. Some of my choices were not rational, not in my best interest, but occurred because I took the route of least effort, hoping tomorrow I'd have more energy to take care of things better.

[bemildred]

3. Well said.

Some "crazy" people are saner than "normal" people, and having mental problems is at least as complicated as having a physical illness. Just because you're sick, it doesn't mean you have cancer. Just because your are "crazy", it doesn't mean you don't know the score.

[hlthe2b]

4. Just a few famous leaders/ others who have suffered depression

Stories of famous people with depression and other mood disorders.

Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln was reported to suffer from "melancholia", which we know today as depression.
Adam Ant
A brush with the law in 2002 revealed that Adam Ant, a British musician, had bipolar disorder.
Amy Tan
Chinese American writer Amy Tan has said that her mother witnessed Tan's grandmother committing suicide. She believes that she, her mother and grandmother all have suffered from depression.
Anne Rice
American writer Rice has suffered from depression due to long-term illness and the loss of her husband.
Billy Corgan
American musician from the band The Smashing Pumpkins, reported to have suffered from deep depression while working hard on the band's albums.
Advertisement
Billy Joel
A profile of the musician Billy Joel and his struggles with depression.
Boris Yeltsin
An article about the Russian president Boris Yeltsin, his depression, and his rumored alcohol problems.
Brian Wilson
Beach Boy Brian Wilson suffered a breakdown in the 1970's due to mental illness and drug abuse.
Brooke Shields
A profile of actress Brooke Shields and her experiences with postpartum depression.
Buzz Aldrin
American astronaut and the second man to set foot on the moon, Aldrin reported in his autobiography Return to Earth that he suffered from alcoholism and depression following his NASA career.
David Bohm
American physicist who experienced bouts of depression thoughout his life.
Diana, Princess of Wales
A profile of Diana, Princess of Wales and her struggles with depression and eating disorders.
Dick Cavett
American talk show host Dick Cavett has spoken openly about his depression, which began when he was in college. He was sued in 1997 by a producer for breach of contract when failing to show up for a nationally syndicated radio program. Cavett's lawyer confirmed to the Associated Press at the time that Cavett left due to a manic-depressive episode.
Drew Carey
Comedian Drew Carey discussed his bouts with depression at Johns Hopkins University.
Harrison Ford
A profile of the actor Harrison Ford and his struggles with depression.
Jim Carrey
A profile of the comedian Jim Carrey and his struggles with depression.
John Denver
When Denver's career fell into a slump in the '80s, he found himself alone without a wife, and began developing a serious problem with depression and alcohol.
Kurt Cobain
Best known as the lead singer and guitarist for the grunge band Nirvana, Kurt Cobain died of a gunshot wound at the age of 27. The official cause of death is listed as suicide.
Marie Osmond
Marie Osmond was one of the first celebrities to speak out about the reality of postpartum depression.
Mike Wallace
Newscaster Mike Wallace showed us that even men, who often believe they must be strong and not show vulnerability, can become depressed.
Rodney Dangerfield
Although diagnosed later in life with clinical depression, Dangerfield believed that it began early in his life due to a father who abandoned him and a mother whose cruel remarks made him feel worthless.
Sheryl Crow
A profile of musician Sheryl Crow and her experiences with depression.
Tennessee Williams
American playwright who was reported to have a fear of becoming insane like his sister and went into a decade-long depression after the death of his lover.
Terry Bradshaw
A profile of the football great Terry Bradshaw and his struggles with depression.
Trent Reznor
American musician from the band Nine Inch Nails who says he suffered from depression in the late 90's. In a 1999 interview for Rolling Stone magazine, he said that "It just took me time to sit down and change my head and my life around. I had to slap myself in the face: 'If you want to kill yourself, do it, save everybody the fucking hassle. Or get your shit together.'"
Vincent Van Gogh
An articles about the artist Vincent Van Gogh and his depression.
Winston Churchill
An essay about the depression of Winston Churchill.


http://depression.about.com/od/famous/Famous_People_With_Depression.htm

Yeah... all a bunch of poorly thinking losers, right? :sarcsm:

[raccoon]

34. From the same link:

Brian Wilson
Beach Boy Brian Wilson suffered a breakdown in the 1970's due to mental illness and drug abuse.

[undeterred]

6. Well there are a lot of uninformed generalizations here

not only about mental illness but also about financial distress and all kinds of human problems.

When I heard about the mall shooter being cut off from his family, all I could think was, no wonder. For someone who is violence prone, there is a thin line between suicide and homicide. If only someone had reached out to him.

:hug:

[Darth_Kitten]

7. Right on!!!

People with depression and anxiety are hardly ones, in my opinion anyway, who strike out at others.

[hiaasenrocks]

29. True.

[Cabcere]

12. Thank you.

:hug: I also suffer from depression and occasional panic/anxiety attacks, and you said this much better than I could. :pals: :thumbsup: Peace.

[hiaasenrocks]

32. Best wishes in your fight against this disorder.

[Cabcere]

37. Thanks

:hug: and same to you. :pals: :hi:

[Breeze54]

13. "that thread" was about a foster kid, suffering from PTSD and depression.

People at DU know, by now, that depression comes in degree's. There isn't anyone that is the same.
Life experiences are all different but that thread was about a severely, depressed, foster kid who
had been treated like baggage and foster kids have a higher rate of PTSD then Iraq War Vets and a
higher failure rate of recovery than War Vets also! By 5 to 1 !! It just isn't the same for an adolescent
and an adult. The coping mechanisms aren't there in a teenager like they are in an adult. But I suspect
that there are many here at DU suffering from depression and they just don't know it or are in denial.

"There are many types of mental illness. To lump them all together as those posters did"

means that they aren't psychologists or psychiatrists!! And that's all it means.

[hiaasenrocks]

31. No, it means they're perpetuating a stigma.

That's all it means.

[JohnnyLib2]

16. Good post, great reminder.

Thank you.

[hiaasenrocks]

33. No problem.

[melody]

19. Anyone who actually thinks that isn't thinking straight n/t

[pingzing58]

21. I was saddened by the authorities failure to mention the suffering of family or friends of the young

man with mental illness. "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." "Do not return evil with evil but conquer evil with good." The most Christian response I've ever seen here in the U.S. was when the 5 Amish children were murdered and the Amish community prayed and wanted to share the monetary donations received with the family of the murderer who were also suffering. NOW, THAT'S CHRISTIAN!!!

<http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/04/national/main2059816.shtml>

[Breeze54]

23. Is it really?

Or is it just human kindness and forgiveness being extended to a fellow human being?

What does "christian" religion or any religion have to do with kindness and forgiveness? :shrug:

[kineneb]

25. been there, am there: depression

for me depression is...
-not having energy to do much of anything
-wanting to sit and just cry, for no reason
-having the voices in my head tell me I am worthless
-being overwhelmed by simple chores
-avoiding the stress of stores and large groups of people
-not being able to concentrate
-not being able to remember words when I am talking or typing (here)
-having permanent memory loss of events in my life
-having problems with short-term memory
-being in such emotional pain, that killing myself seemed the only way out (at age 12)
-not being able to enjoy much of anything- the world seems "flat"

-knowing that to control (but not "cure")these problems, I will be on psych meds for the rest of my life (currently on Cymbalta and Wellbutrin)

...add to this OCD and panic issues.

[NMMNG]

27. Thank you

Mental illnesses are very complex, and while in some instances a person suffering from a mental illness may have difficulty with rational thought this is typically not the case. It's very stereotypical to think that people with any mental illness can't "think straight" and only helps to continue the stigma such people face every day.

[hiaasenrocks]

30. It's a sad thing when supposedly progressive people slur others who live with disease.

That thread was outrageous.

[iamthebandfanman]

28. i know what its like

believe me.

i cried and almost choked to death the first day of registration for college. all because i was nervous, scared, and anxious. lol.
something so simple as signing up for classes became such a big ordeal in my head.

but, you learn and you become stronger.

[greguganus]

35. K & R!

As someone who HAD suffered anxiety, depression, and panic attacks for 25 years, I agree. I finally found the right combination of meds and therapy a few years ago and now life is GREAT! My wife told me the man she married so many years ago has come back to her.
If anyone is suffering from mental issues, DON'T GIVE UP! Educate yourself on your condition and strive every day to get a little bit better. It's not a weakness! It's no different than having a physical condition that needs to be treated.
I finally got serious about getting help when thoughts of suicide comforted me.

[Akoto]

36. I have anxiety disorder with panic attacks ...

Honestly, in my case, I can wholeheartedly agree that I don't think straight while affected. I certainly don't have the desire to harm anyone, but the top priority in my mind becomes escaping whatever situation I'm in. The rest of what's going on is completely tuned out, even as I outwardly look fine to others.

I even dropped out of high school over it, a decision I'm having to make up for years down the road. I think the key to removing the stigma is understanding. For some people, 'not thinking straight' is a legitimate problem with mental disorders. For others, it's not. Just because you have something like anxiety or depression doesn't mean you'll head out to gun down some folks, though.

[TZ]

39. Great post!

I have people with mental illness in my family (as well as mild depression) and its really hard for people to understand who have not had to deal with this, how this works.
Certainly its different in different cases, but mentally ill people think and process a lot differently from normal people. Thats why its so hard to get through to many because they literally see and hear and feel things in a different way. :thumbsup:

[slackmaster]

42. What would DU forums be without knee-jerk reactions and broad-brush generalizations?

:shrug:

[AuntPatsy]

43. I agree with you and I have a feeling its why it almost seems taboo to discuss

mental conditions in this country, perhaps if we took more time to educate and discuss what millions of people world wide are afflicted with such incidents would not seem to be so common place these days.


It should not be seen as an embarrassment or something simply to make fun of and yet our own government refuses to acknowledge the need for true discourse on a very real and extremely important issue that effects practically every single person at one time or another in their lives.

Why is it so hard for people to discuss mental illness without rude or humorous commentary?

Its a very real threat to our world considering some of those in high positions of authority such as those in the political and religious arenas most often misuse that authority and could easily be because of a personal affliction with mental instability, but no one really wants to address it or talk about it openly, why is that?

The very fact that so many people in this country can so easily be manipulated by such authoritarian figures especially in the religious spectrum screams out to me at least that they themselves are afflicted with some form of mental instability and yet never will they find themselves diagnosed or seek help until it is too late...

[Mountainman]

44. I haven't read the posts or the reply but I too suffer from depression and anxiety attacks.

So much of what is said on DU about mental illness and the prescription drugs people take for it is really not what I would call helpful.

I think many people (I was one of them) refuse to get treatment for their mental illness because of what they heard other people say. At first during my clinical depression I refused help and refused drugs because of some noble mind fucking thinking I had about not taking drugs and being strong enough to take care of my own problems.

Even my family told me to snap out of it and that I knew what to do. What complete utter bull shit!