OT - Recovery from Mental Illness

Darwin · Post by **Darwin** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 12:35 pm

A friend, Tom McClellan, who has suffered a great deal due to mental illness, just sent me this link: http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Sectio ... ntID=16036

I haven't tried to evaluate it, but I tend to trust my friend's take on it, given his combination of experience and intellect, and think that perhaps someone might be helped by reading it. (Even if the banner of smiling faces on the NAMI Web site does tend to make me think of all the copies of Awake! that I've accumulated over the years.)

Here's a link to his Dot Tom Cafe site: http://mysite.verizon.net/trcbmc/index.html There are some interesting links at the bottom of the page, my personal favorite being Tom's partially completed novel, Farewell to Yonkerdu.

burnsbyrne · Post by **burnsbyrne** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 12:50 pm

NAMI is a great resource for anything related to mental illness. Everyone should take a look at the front page at least. Not all people with mental illness drool and wear two different colored socks. You could be riding on the subway or bus, sitting next to a mental illness sufferer who looks completely "normal" and not even know it. I've seen people using the term "brain illness" instead of mental illness. I like that because it emphasizes that mental illness is about biology not willpower.
Mike

Post by **Nanohedron** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 12:59 pm

Powerful stuff, Darwin. My mother worked as an OT at a "mental hospital" years back, and I saw many sides and levels of mental illness. It's a hard row to hoe. I'm not convinced that all forms of affective disorder can be fought through and conquered as indicated by one man's struggles with manic-depressive illness as offered up in the NAMI article, but it shows that there is at least hope.

BillChin · Post by **BillChin** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 1:23 pm

From what I understand, NAMI focuses on friends and family of the mentally ill. The story linked to on the original thread mentions 12-step programs. Most Americans are familiar with Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs.

Most Americans have never heard of Recovery Inc. Recovery is another great resource in addition to NAMI and 12-step programs. Recovery focuses on mental health, and the person who is experiencing symptoms. Meetings are open to any adult. Donations are accepted. No one is turned away for lack of funds. Recovery has been helping people since 1937. The modern term for the Recovery method is cognitive-behaviorial therapy. Some people come to Recovery with severe symptoms such as suicide attempts, or agoraphobia, some with mild symptoms, such as anxiety or irregular sleep. There are no hopeless cases.

To read more about Recovery and to find a meeting in your area:
http://www.recovery-inc.org/introduction.html
+ Bill

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 1:27 pm

Good that such resources are available. I have 2 relatives currently experiencing bipolar tendencies.
Due to personal, parental experience I'm quite conversant in ocd, add, and ld's in children.

fancypiper · Post by **fancypiper** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 2:13 pm

I think I have always known mental illness was a brain disease.

I have had friends and relatives with manic-depressive disorder and schizophrenia, and my ex-wife left me to marry a manic-depressive.

It's tough to deal with and I hope they can find actual cures for these diseases rather than just dealing with some symptoms.

The absolute worse brain disease I have to deal with is Altzhiemer's disease. My brother-in-law was in the early stages when my sister died and I had to care for him until my Crohn's disease attacked me for the stress and the family had to send him to a home.

That must be terrible to realize that your brain is being eaten away.

My mother and dad cared for my maternal grandparents until their death, and grandpa had Altzhiemer's, but not with the paranoia and temper tantrums as did my brother-in-law. My paternal grandfather, who died before I was born probably had it as well, but I'm not sure they knew what the disease was then.

I just hope and pray that I go to my reward/punishment before I get that. <shudder>

BillChin · Post by **BillChin** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 4:59 pm

fancypiper wrote:I think I have always known mental illness was a brain disease.

I have had friends and relatives with manic-depressive disorder and schizophrenia, and my ex-wife left me to marry a manic-depressive.

It's tough to deal with and I hope they can find actual cures for these diseases rather than just dealing with some symptoms.

The absolute worse brain disease I have to deal with is Altzhiemer's disease. My brother-in-law was in the early stages when my sister died and I had to care for him until my Crohn's disease attacked me for the stress and the family had to send him to a home.

While some symptoms do have a physical cause such as a chemical imbalance, others do not. It is unfair to stigmatize all those diagnosed as bipolar or manic-depressive as having a brain disease. Stigma is one reason people do not seek help. Many people get better through behavioral therapy, changing unhealthy thoughts, changing unhealthy behaviors, one step at a time. This may be in addition to medication and talk therapy.

With all that, the stigma is ten times worse in many other cultures. High profile cases, such as quarterback Terry Bradshaw's battle with depression, help lessen the stigma, but it remains strong.
+ Bill

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 5:17 pm

:roll: :roll:
A very moving story.
I have nothing but total respect for anyone who finds the road home after such a terrible journey into the darker places of the pschye, but why does religion always get the credit for this transformation.
When all is said and done, is this journey not an indvidual battle against one's self and a realisation of where one is at, at that moment,
as opposed to some help from a divive entity.
" A man is how he believes, how he belives, he is"
(Baghavad Gita.)

Not verbatim,but close enough for this hour of the night on the old G.M.T.

Slan,
D.

BillChin · Post by **BillChin** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 6:34 pm

dubhlinn wrote:A very moving story.
I have nothing but total respect for anyone who finds the road home after such a terrible journey into the darker places of the pschye, but why does religion always get the credit for this transformation.
When all is said and done, is this journey not an indvidual battle against one's self and a realisation of where one is at, at that moment,
as opposed to some help from a divive entity.

" A man is how he believes, how he belives, he is"
(Baghavad Gita.)

Why? Because 12-step programs are primarily faithed based. Give credit to where credit is due. There are a handful of 12-step groups that make a strict effort to stay away from faith, but they are less than 5% of active groups.

On the other hand, Recovery is not faith-based, not 12-step. So testimonials a person might read about that program will rarely mention faith.
+ Bill

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 7:27 pm

BillChin wrote:
dubhlinn wrote:A very moving story.
I have nothing but total respect for anyone who finds the road home after such a terrible journey into the darker places of the pschye, but why does religion always get the credit for this transformation.
When all is said and done, is this journey not an indvidual battle against one's self and a realisation of where one is at, at that moment,
as opposed to some help from a divive entity.

" A man is how he believes, how he belives, he is"
(Baghavad Gita.)
.

... primarily faithed based.

I rest my case.
That Jesus guy really has a lot to answer for!

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 10:03 pm

dubhlinn wrote:
BillChin wrote:
dubhlinn wrote:A very moving story.
I have nothing but total respect for anyone who finds the road home after such a terrible journey into the darker places of the pschye, but why does religion always get the credit for this transformation.
When all is said and done, is this journey not an indvidual battle against one's self and a realisation of where one is at, at that moment,
as opposed to some help from a divive entity.

" A man is how he believes, how he belives, he is"
(Baghavad Gita.)
.

... primarily faithed based.

I rest my case.
That Jesus guy really has a lot to answer for!

He already has.

burnsbyrne · Post by **burnsbyrne** » Sat Jun 26, 2004 11:04 am

dubhlinn wrote:
BillChin wrote:
dubhlinn wrote:A very moving story.
I have nothing but total respect for anyone who finds the road home after such a terrible journey into the darker places of the pschye, but why does religion always get the credit for this transformation.
When all is said and done, is this journey not an indvidual battle against one's self and a realisation of where one is at, at that moment,
as opposed to some help from a divive entity.

" A man is how he believes, how he belives, he is"
(Baghavad Gita.)
.

... primarily faithed based.

I rest my case.
That Jesus guy really has a lot to answer for!

In my case, I had to cut off all contact with organized religion when, at the age of 41, I discovered I had been bipolar at least since I was 18. I will not blame religion for for my illness, of course, but I found that much of the Judaeo/Christian mindset encouraged me to "climb on the emotional roller coaster" of extasy one minute and depression the next. So I don't think religion is THE way for everybody, especially not for me because it confused the boundaries and motives between content and covetousness. Don't know if that makes sense to anyone. Blame it on the drugs.

Mike

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 10:19 pm

fancypiper wrote:... That must be terrible to realize that your brain is being eaten away... <shudder>

I pray that if I suffer from it, not an unlikely prospect given that my mom did and I have problems at 50, that my realization of it is the first thing to go... it is a scarey thing to even look at, let alone expect...

I pray that bright brains will spend as much energy and time finding cures for these things as others are using for spreading computer viruses... much better karma

fancypiper · Post by **fancypiper** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 10:52 pm

My mother live until 1991 at the age of 91 (my sister and her husband cared for her until she died) and only about the last 2 months of her life bad for her.

I was amazed as my Dad died at age of 74 from kidney failure caused by emphazema, I believe, and she didn't get depressed.

It didn't even seem to effect her spitits when she completely lost her sight, and most of her hearing.

She always loved for me to come over and play her a new tune on the pennywhistle. I wish I had learned the bagpipes before, but I try and play some for them each year at their grave, although the last few years have been sort of spotty.

I think I am getting better from my Crohn's disease, now I gotta get my upper body strength and piping licks back.

At least playing drones, I don't make all those mistakes...