Senate Mental Health Support Thread

No time to really respond or let the post sink in, but you aren't the only Aspie on the board. I am too

 

Dealing with a teen suicide at the high school I work at. One of the siblings is a student of mine.

If you need help, please get help everyone. Anyone who makes light of mental issues should get a first grade beatdown.

 

Since you said you were just trying to vent, @MrZAP , I won't offer any advice. All I'll say is that you seem to have a lot going on right now, and that it appears to be making you anxious. I'm sorry you're having a tough time. Please engage in the self-care practices you use to help yourself out of states like this.

@Luke02 -- That's a horrible situation. Few things are more painful for survivors than death by suicide. You practice self-care too, okay? Trying to be there for traumatized adolescents is exhausting.

 

So I've mentioned in the besties thread that I was granted an ADA accommodation to work from home in the afternoons because of my pain. Well partly, but it's also because when I get pain it makes my anxiety worse. I didn't have to disclose what my diagnoses were in the ADA forms nor did my doctor, so I'm happy about that.

It is frustrating that I feel free to tell people at work I have back issues but don't want them to know I have an anxiety disorder. There's just so much more stigma for the latter, and I needed to vent here about how stupid that is.

 

My nephew's friend Wesley has had both cancer and depression. He says he got frustrated with people always asking about the cancer diagnosis, since to him, the cancer was not such a big deal. He says the depression was worse, but of course no one ever asks about that.

 

our last 3 priministers have promised to do more for mental health , and then do nothing . Oh they love going on the talk shows to 'raise awareness' and saying how important it is for people to be open and seek help ,but there is none .
the GP can prescribe anti-depressants and that's about it , they may refer someone for therapy but they'll wait 8 months and even then it'll just be an assessment .

 

The 'pull yourself together, you weakling' school still has far too much sway over British politics and society.

 

Part of that is on you, though. A big part of dealing with the stigma is not being a slave to it. I used to be skittish talking about my diagnosis, but I've learned to get a little bit of satisfaction from others' uncomfortable reactions... their issue, not mine. That's way easier said than done, I know, and it's taken decades for me to get to this point, but there it is.

 

Not just British politics and society.

It's funny. The more one learns about brain function, the more arguments they gain to explain just how idiotic that school of thought is - and it all tends to fly well over heads. As in all other cases, belief beats science.

 

I talk to people I trust about it. But I don't trust certain people not to use it against me or discriminate.

 

Similar approach here. Been burnt too often to just blindly trust, and I can normally pass for functional enough in work environments to keep the issues low-key, so I don't blindly trust.

 

Oh I get it.... I've been there, but that way of thinking only feeds into the stigma. I'm not here to preach to people about their personal lives, though. I'm just saying, I feel a whole lot better about myself since I stopped being ashamed.

 

There's a difference between feeling ashamed and worrying about discrimination, though, which I think is what they're getting at and what I can totally relate to as well. It's about protecting yourself. I agree that it's not ideal but what can you do?

 

Not worry.

Edit... of course, I can only speak for myself. This is what works for me.

I spent years worried that people would judge me, etc After spending the last eight years in therapy, I can honestly say that I don't give af what people think. My diagnosis (severe, recurrent major depressive disorder) gives me enough to deal with--why would I go and create imaginary **** to stress about? You can't control others' reactions to you.

 

Well have you ever been fired because of your health condition? Because I have. So I'm sorry if I don't think it's an unreasonable thing to worry about.

 

I never said it was unreasonable.... in fact, I said that I completely understand. I'm 45 years old, and have been living with depression for most of my life. There was a point when I worried about judgment and/or discrimination, but I don't do that anymore.

I'm not suggesting that others need to follow my, or anyone's, example. I'm talking about myself.

 

Sorry harps, but you did actually say "part of that is on you" in relation to my fear of the stigma. You weren't talking about yourself then. You have given some advice that was not asked for.

I think it's great that you can be yourself and open, and kuddos to you on that. But that's not an option for or something everyone is comfortable with for various reasons. Often out of our control.

I don't think the burden of removing a stigma should ever be on the people being persecuted is all I'm saying. I am worried enough about how my physical sccommodations might get me targeted by some people. They don't need to know about my mental problems too.

Luckily in my case the company actually told the doctor to NOT give them any diagnosis information. HR didn't want the burden of knowing what the specific disabilities were I guess. Works out better for me because I can let everyone assume it's just my back and not hav to say, "and when I get pain I often also get anxiety."

 

I apologize then, because it wasn't my intention to give unsolicited advice or alienate anybody. As I said, I can only speak for myself. This is what works for me.

 

You know you've grown wayyy too jaded when an account like that of Jamal Khashoggi's death has lost the power to shock you...

 

May I come in?
First I've got a question. Is it usual in your countries that the company gets information about your actual health status and the reasons behind them? I just wonder because as far as I know the laws in my country forbid that. Companies only know about official disabilities that gives (should give) you more rights as an employee.

About me, I'm probably mentally ill since me early teenage years but got first diagnosed with 28. Back than it was Borderline with depression, PTSD, social phobia. I was in therapy but got never back in a regular job. Luckily I learned about the possibility to get into online marketing so I found my one-man-business and work as a freelancer since. Working from home is my perfect way - I can earn my own money and plan my days around my problems. And I don't come in these awkward situations with other people and overreact or stress myself out because I can't understand other peoples reactions like everyone else does.

Two years ago I had a complete breakdown though. Too many things came together and nothing worked anymore. I had to stop working for over a year and went back in therapy. Since then I got another diagnosis and am bipolar as well. So when I'm neither hypomaniac or depressive I get all the stuff that comes with Borderline.
But the breakdown has it's positive side. I found finally a doctor who went through all the troubles to find a medication that really works with me. After I-don't-know-how-many failed tries he described me my actual one last November and what can I say? I feel like I got a good part of my life back.

My friends know about my mental health and are not afraid to get on my borderline-dark-side, what means, they tell me off and push me to make a appointment with my therapists if necessary.

 

Hi there, @Ash_Satine! In the US companies are not supposed to discriminate against people with disabilities, but sometimes they find ways to do it. A lot of jobs are what's called "at will employment," meaning you can be fired at any time for any reason. They can say, "Well, you just didn't work out," without explaining, when in reality they don't want to have to accommodate your disability.

I'm glad to hear that you've finally found a medication that works for you! My depression responded poorly to medication for decades, until they put me on Trintellix a few years ago. For the first time in ages, I feel human again. Medication can be a beautiful thing!

 

I'm having insurance woes. I recently moved and got a new job. I've been on medicaid for several years, but no longer qualify for it, because of the job. This place has benefits, but not until the 90 day mark. I've got enough of my antidepressants to last another 19 days--running out would be a very bad thing. Open enrollment for Obamacare begins on November 1st, though, so I'm really hoping I can get on that before I run out. Something tells me that it will take a while, though, so I'm bracing myself for running out of medication, and having some really rough times. We'll see.

 

Oh, ****! Running out of your medication is the worst. Have you considered applying for your med manufacturer's patient assistance program? They all have them. I've been on assistance programs multiple times. It does take a minute to get approved, so you might want to move on it now.

 

Is it income based? If so, I may not qualify, because of the new job. That's the issue I'm having with medicaid.

 

They are income based, but the income limits are usually pretty generous. Each manufacturer has a different program, though.