The FastDay Forum

[carorees]

I can't imagine there are many families that have not been touched by some form of mental illness. My family has also had its share. Mainly anxiety disorders (which I also suffer from) but also schizophrenia and alcoholism (aunt and dad respectively).

Amazing response. Thank you all. I am out at moment but will post fully later. X

Hello! I was quite badly depressed for a number of years, am still just coming out the other side really. Had a couple of years of therapy (on the NHS - anyone that has had any experience of the lack of mental health care on the NHS will by this realise that I must have been quite bad), wish I had been allowed more, but hey ho. Cured? Nah. Just lucky for now.

I too love your signature - I may need to plagiarise it at times. Hope you don't mind.

[wildmissus]

I'll stand up and be counted too. I have had two bouts on depression - one in 1996 for which I was prescribed anti- depressants and post-natal depressions after my second child was born 12 years ago, also prescribed anti-depressants. I know they were both mild bouts but they were bad enough for me. I am very fortunate to be interested in self help methods - hypnotherapy, meditation and more recently mindfulness which keep me from crossing the line. My sister has just recently been told that she will be on anti-depressants for a number of years yet.

Ihave depression and mental health issues in my family. I myself suffer from bouts of depression. I love this post as it is nice to see people talking about mental illness without judgement. My Dad died last year, God love him!!! When he entered in Mayday they treated him disgracefully because he was "an alcoholic!!!!" Well it turns out that what he had was nothing to do with his drinking but with cancer!!!! I think if they had seen him as just another human being they might have diagnosed him much quicker and treated him much better. I think of my Dad as a special person who just happened to be hooked on the drink, not as an alcoholic!!!! we must stop judging people and start seeing everyone as a whole with the good and the bad. Sorry guys rant over.

My 14 year old daughter has a severe form of OCD and several other diagnoses that are part of her having the OCD. She is smart, kind and a truly beautiful person. I am very glad we can discuss mental illness on this forum and that it is 'safe' to do so. What a kind and intelligent group this is, xx

Is alcoholism considered a mental disease?

TML13, alcoholism is an addiction, so yes, at its root it's a mental problem. My dad was an alcoholic and in the end it killed him.

I had PND after the birth of my first child 10 years ago and my husband had a bout of depression a few years back. I'm glad there are well-known people in this country like Stephen Fry and Alistair Campbell who are open about their problems. Hopefully it will make people realise that it can affect anyone.

No I don't think it is a mental illness.

Hi, just read your post concerning mental health. I have suffered stress in the past and control situations that may cause me stress again. I drive elderly patients who suffer a variety of mental health problems to hospital for treatment. Many people will, do, or have suffered from some form of mental health illness during their lifetime. In fact research shows that at least 25% of the population do so at any one time. It is amazing that at present the political minds are concentrating on a much smaller minority groups rights (Homosexuals right to marry) than it is on mental health and the rights of sufferers. No offence to Gay Rights by the way.
I suffered from stress at work including bullying by some of my bosses. One of my coping strategies, and it seemed to work for me was to form a mental picture in my head of the person who was giving me grief. This person was almost always male, fat, and ignorant of what had actually occurred. (I am male, fattish but fairly knowledgeable about my work). I formed a mental picture of my "Antagonist" being a fat, bloated, red faced naked Baby, wearing a nappy and sucking on a large dummy. I did this when face to face with my "Boss", getting "advice" or a telling off. It worked fine for me but sometimes led to difficulty when my boss got angry while telling me off and seeing me smiling at him as he did so. Mental Health?. It is a fact of life, accept it. Seek help if you have it. Help others who have it. Live as best you can. Hopefully the stigma will eventually go as people gain more understanding.

Some amazing stories here. Proud to be part of a forum with people like you.
Someone hit the nail on the head when they said because you cannot 'see' mental illness like you can physical ones it does get ignored. You tell a room full of people you have cancer and they all come forward, tell the same room you are schizophrenic for example and see how quick they get their coats! I have been pushing understanding of mental illness for years but it is slow progress. One of the hardest places to share is work. I worked for a council once and happened to mention to a colleague I got depressed sometimes, next thing I knew I was sacked for not ticking relevant box on application form! But how many employers will take someone mentally ill on opposed to a wheelchair user. I did appeal but lost. I was in the police for 7 years and they kinda guessed but said I did the job brilliantly so it did not cause a problem. Now I work for the NHS and my boss said he would not have me any other way.
I lost my soulmate and best friend to suicide in 2008 who had BPD and more recently my fiancée took his own life in 2012. This spurs me on to get it out there as the mental health care system in this country is absolutely appalling. Got so many horror stories about my centre but that's another story.
Anyway sorry for long post. Please keep sharing, it is fantastic we can do this.
Jaine

Hi Jaine,

Thanks for this post. I suffer from depression, and have done since my son was born back in 2011. I now know I have had intermittent spells of it before then but had always managed to bring myself out of it after a day or two's wallowing in bed. When my son was 5 months old I lost the plot a bit, was vile to everyone (including, to my shame, my then 3 year old daughter), burst into unstoppable sobs at the playground, screamed that I couldn't cope anymore and was swiftly diagnosed with PND, which never really resolved itself, so is now just classed as "D".

So I've been on the happy pills since then, and am just coming to stage where I feel the time is right to wean myself off them, as I haven't had a depressive episode for months. It's not that I mind taking the drugs, I just would rather not if I don't feel like I need them. Anyway, I'm seeing the doc to talk about that tomorrow.

I'll tell you something for nothing though, doing this WOE and losing the weight, and upping my exercise and generally feeling better about myself has helped enormously with the depression. I don't believe for one second that it's merely coincidental that I have felt better since starting 5:2.

WOO BRAIN DUMP!

Good luck with the doc tomorrow! I was on anti depressants (three different versions) for a few years, but the last two lots gave me such bad side effects (the first lot did nothing, which is why they switched me) and in the end I decided to take myself off them, cold turkey.

Not to be recommended.

I've got the go ahead to wean off them. I'm halving my dose for a month and then and taking them every other day for 2 weeks, then coming off all together. Doc was lovely and very supportive.

[janeg]

Yay! good news - take it slow and steady