Re: does mental illness really exist, in the way Psychiatry tells us

[Guest guest]

Dear WTO members. Not trying to start a fight. At all. Just saying that there

are a lot of unknowns in the area of psychiatry. We are the cutting edge of

change as we find our own unique answers.

Knowing that our disagreements come because the information that we currently

have access to is divisive, helps me to focus on how we EACH hold a piece of the

truth. I see no reason to argue. All our stories are important. I need folks to

disagree with me in order to refine my truths.

But rather, if you read my link, you will see the many sides of the discussion

and can make up your own minds.

My nada has endocrine issues, as do I. Anxiety can be an endocrine issue. I in

no way excuse my nada for this deficiency on her part, but it helps me to better

avoid acting like my own nada when I am triggered... if I know the sources of

the problem are not simply hard-wiring, but are also impacted by my dietary

health, exercise and by occasionally checking to see if indeed it might be

medications that prevent me from feeling emotions I need to feel in order to

process.

Best to all,

[Guest guest]

Like I said, that's great to share what has and has not worked for you.

All I'm saying is that making blanket statements about the efficacy or

inefficacy of prescription meds to someone else who may (or may not) be taking

prescription meds is giving medical advice.

None of us here are qualified or have the right to diagnose another person's

condition or recommend medical treatment *or recommend stopping medical

treatment for another person.* Its not just wrong, it could be dangerous.

An example would be me saying, " A few years ago I went on a short course of

anti-anxiety meds and they really helped me get through a rough patch I was

having, so, everyone who is having anxiety should use this anti-anxiety med

because it worked so well for me. " It would be highly inappropriate for me to

say that.

There is a difference in saying, " This is what worked for me " and " You should

try this stuff, its great. "

Advising someone to *stop* taking a prescription med that they may happen to be

on, is dangerous. That is an issue that should be strictly between the

individual and their own doctor only.

That's all I'm asking here. Please, no medical advice.

-Annie

>

> Dear WTO members. Not trying to start a fight. At all. Just saying that there

are a lot of unknowns in the area of psychiatry. We are the cutting edge of

change as we find our own unique answers.

>

> Knowing that our disagreements come because the information that we currently

have access to is divisive, helps me to focus on how we EACH hold a piece of the

truth. I see no reason to argue. All our stories are important. I need folks to

disagree with me in order to refine my truths.

>

> But rather, if you read my link, you will see the many sides of the discussion

and can make up your own minds.

>

> My nada has endocrine issues, as do I. Anxiety can be an endocrine issue. I in

no way excuse my nada for this deficiency on her part, but it helps me to better

avoid acting like my own nada when I am triggered... if I know the sources of

the problem are not simply hard-wiring, but are also impacted by my dietary

health, exercise and by occasionally checking to see if indeed it might be

medications that prevent me from feeling emotions I need to feel in order to

process.

>

> Best to all,

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I think everyone is so different that there's no one answer.

I know for myself, I wasn't allergic to anything (except cat dander, so I

stayed away from cats) I got proper sleep, I had no nutrient or vitamin

deficiencies, I got enough exercise, I didn't have any health conditions

that would lead to depression, and yet I developed major depression at an

early age, plus PTSD. Now that I'm older, I've developed hypothyroidism and

am on medication for that, but that medication, although it regulates my

thyroid, doesn't help my depression, let alone the PTSD. And I also now have

fibromyalgia, and the constant pain exacerbates the depression, and none of

the fibro meds I've tried agree with me. I truly believe depression/PTSD

resides squarely in my brain. And no matter how hard I try to " think " my

depression away - no matter how hard I try to replace negative thoughts with

positive ones, no matter how much I do things that should make me happy and

soothe me - I just can't think it away. Some people can. I can't. And

believe me, I've tried and tried and tried. for decades.

On the other hand, an old friend of mine had a huge problem with depression,

irritability and inappropriate anger. He was diagnosed as borderline, mainly

because of his bursts of anger and irritability, and put on meds. No meds

helped him. Well, to make a long story short, it turned out he had a severe

allergy to corn. When he began to stay away from all foods containing corn

or any form of corn, his irritability and inappropriate anger disappeared.

He went into therapy and his depression responded favorably to it.

And then there was a friend of mine who was an extremely talented

artist/cartoonist. He'd been hired by Marvel Comics when he was 16. In his

late 20s he became terribly depressed and became suicidal, was hospitalized

and then entered a day treatment program. He was put on meds. As time went

on, he stopped being able to do his art - when I first met him, you could

say " Draw a cardinal " and he'd draw a perfect cardinal in 30 seconds, but

now he couldn't draw anything. And also, his verbal skills went down the

tubes. Talking to him was like talking to someone with an IQ of 30. This was

really odd, because he had always been quite articulate. This went on for

about 10 years. Then he went to a new psychiatrist, who changed his meds,

and within a month, Tony was back to his old self again.

And then there's my friend who developed depression when she was 55, after

she'd been trapped in the World Trade Center on 9/11 when the planes hit.

She'd always been very healthy, active, social, and had an excellent diet.

She tried everything - the positive thinking, dietary changes, etc. - to get

rid of her depression, and nothing worked. She went to a psychiatrist, and

after trying different meds, found one that worked for her, started being

able to deal with what happened to her on 9/11, and she's been

depression-free for a long time.

So it all depends. As I said, everyone is different. Every brain is

different. Every body is different. No one remedy works for everyone.

Judy

On Fri, Aug 12, 2011 at 2:42 PM, V.S. wrote:

> **

>

>

> Dear WTO members. Not trying to start a fight. At all. Just saying that

> there are a lot of unknowns in the area of psychiatry. We are the cutting

> edge of change as we find our own unique answers.

>

> Knowing that our disagreements come because the information that we

> currently have access to is divisive, helps me to focus on how we EACH hold

> a piece of the truth. I see no reason to argue. All our stories are

> important. I need folks to disagree with me in order to refine my truths.

>

> But rather, if you read my link, you will see the many sides of the

> discussion and can make up your own minds.

>

> My nada has endocrine issues, as do I. Anxiety can be an endocrine issue. I

> in no way excuse my nada for this deficiency on her part, but it helps me to

> better avoid acting like my own nada when I am triggered... if I know the

> sources of the problem are not simply hard-wiring, but are also impacted by

> my dietary health, exercise and by occasionally checking to see if indeed it

> might be medications that prevent me from feeling emotions I need to feel in

> order to process.

>

> Best to all,

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Interestingly, I could feel attacked myself for the responses. Thank God I do

not. Shows me I am making progress with my nada as well as with not taking

others opinions and differences (from me) personally.

I am very sorry if my subject line triggered. I really meant it to say what it

does. Psychiatry has us overusing medications. That was my sole point.

I don't need to continue to be to how what I did was wrong. I never said BPD did

not exist, nor did I say my own vulnerability to anxiety and mental health

crises, does not exist. I don't mean to tell anyone they are to blame for their

illness. Nowhere did I say that, so why do folks continue to attribute their

responses to ME. In other words, the same blame game we are have all been victim

to?

OK, now I cease and desist.

I too have nada matters to work on that are outside the subject of this thread.

That'll teach me to share experience that might rankle (dear Lord, may I not

make this mistake again!)

Best,

[Guest guest]

You're not getting it, still. Please do share your own personal experiences.

Please do not make blanket statements as you just did, such as " the psychiatric

industry has us overusing medications " or " mental illnesses are only the result

of bad nutrition / lack of sleep " as though that is an irrefutable fact.

That is your opinion, that is not a fact.

Many people benefit greatly from psychiatric treatment that includes

prescription meds.

This Group is about sharing our own personal experiences, we're not here to

debate each others' religions, politics, or theories about what is and is not a

mental illness and what is and is not effective treatment.

Thanks,

Annie

>

> Interestingly, I could feel attacked myself for the responses. Thank God I do

not. Shows me I am making progress with my nada as well as with not taking

others opinions and differences (from me) personally.

>

> I am very sorry if my subject line triggered. I really meant it to say what

it does. Psychiatry has us overusing medications. That was my sole point.

>

> I don't need to continue to be to how what I did was wrong. I never said BPD

did not exist, nor did I say my own vulnerability to anxiety and mental health

crises, does not exist. I don't mean to tell anyone they are to blame for their

illness. Nowhere did I say that, so why do folks continue to attribute their

responses to ME. In other words, the same blame game we are have all been victim

to?

>

> OK, now I cease and desist.

>

> I too have nada matters to work on that are outside the subject of this

thread. That'll teach me to share experience that might rankle (dear Lord, may I

not make this mistake again!)

>

> Best,

>

>

[Guest guest]

Moderation in all things. Medication can be overused. It can also save

lives. I've met hundreds of people who couldn't cope with their anxiety. To

the point they were crippled. They refused to take meds and lived as

cripples. Always sounded like an excuse to me.

I think that if you refuse medication and you badly need it, you are not

only hurting yourself, but your coworkers, family and friends. i hate being

around people with untreated anxiety and depression or even physical

illnesses like migraines, who refuse help.

As someone who has been through the mental and phsyical health systems with

several difficult to treat issues - I say - " if you choose to suffer through

life because you refuse meds, go suffer over there. i'll be over here having

the best life I possibly can. "

On Sun, Aug 14, 2011 at 8:38 AM, anuria67854 wrote:

> **

>

>

> You're not getting it, still. Please do share your own personal

> experiences. Please do not make blanket statements as you just did, such as

> " the psychiatric industry has us overusing medications " or " mental illnesses

> are only the result of bad nutrition / lack of sleep " as though that is an

> irrefutable fact.

>

> That is your opinion, that is not a fact.

>

> Many people benefit greatly from psychiatric treatment that includes

> prescription meds.

>

> This Group is about sharing our own personal experiences, we're not here to

> debate each others' religions, politics, or theories about what is and is

> not a mental illness and what is and is not effective treatment.

>

> Thanks,

>

>

> Annie

>

>

> >

> > Interestingly, I could feel attacked myself for the responses. Thank God

> I do not. Shows me I am making progress with my nada as well as with not

> taking others opinions and differences (from me) personally.

> >

> > I am very sorry if my subject line triggered. I really meant it to say

> what it does. Psychiatry has us overusing medications. That was my sole

> point.

> >

> > I don't need to continue to be to how what I did was wrong. I never said

> BPD did not exist, nor did I say my own vulnerability to anxiety and mental

> health crises, does not exist. I don't mean to tell anyone they are to blame

> for their illness. Nowhere did I say that, so why do folks continue to

> attribute their responses to ME. In other words, the same blame game we are

> have all been victim to?

> >

> > OK, now I cease and desist.

> >

> > I too have nada matters to work on that are outside the subject of this

> thread. That'll teach me to share experience that might rankle (dear Lord,

> may I not make this mistake again!)

> >

> > Best,

> >

> >