Job center and mental health

~Chameleon~

sparkycat2 wrote: »

In my experience it takes a lot less time for people at the severe end, those with bipolar who are in mania running around deranged unable to sit still or hold a coherent conversation, or who are psychotic and have lost touch with reality, highly delusional or having hallucinations. Likewise those with depression who are suicidal and only still alive by chance, not some cry for help where they seek or expect help to turn up and save them, or those who are self neglecting or catatonic. Being held in a psychiatric hospital results in rather rapid diagnosis and start of treatment.

I have more depressive episodes than manic, and didn't recognise that I was manic/hypomanic for many years. I didn't even know what bipolar was (it was referred to as manic depression back then). Numerous suicide attempts caused a misdiagnosis of bordeline personality disorder, but several hospital admissions and sectionings later, I found a wonderful psychiatrist who recognised my symptoms and diagnosed bipolar. Once on the appropriate medication I started to improve. I'm still symptomatic but have far greater insight into my illness now I know what it is and have learned coping strategies.

Others appear perfectly normal and fully functioning, but are effectively walking on an unseen tightrope, they wobble quite often becoming slightly unwell and can fall off becoming rapidly severely ill requiring urgent admission to hospital.

This actually describes me perfectly

Arachne_2

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

I have more depressive episodes than manic, and didn't recognise that I was manic/hypomanic for many years. I didn't even know what bipolar was (it was referred to as manic depression back then). Numerous suicide attempts caused a misdiagnosis of bordeline personality disorder, but several hospital admissions and sectionings later, I found a wonderful psychiatrist who recognised my symptoms and diagnosed bipolar. Once on the appropriate medication I started to improve. I'm still symptomatic but have far greater insight into my illness now I know what it is and have learned coping strategies.



This actually describes me perfectly

This.

I could have written that myself! Exept I'm the other way around, with less depressive episodes - at least since I started my current medication, anyway.

seven-day-weekend

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

Others appear perfectly normal and fully functioning, but are effectively walking on an unseen tightrope, they wobble quite often becoming slightly unwell and can fall off becoming rapidly severely ill requiring urgent admission to hospi

This actually describes me perfectly

My friend too, although she does not have bipolar depression.

sparkycat2

FBaby wrote: »

Nevertheless, depression as a 'personality disorders' seems to be the most growing type of depression and was indeed the one I was focusing on when referring to the drive to help one-self.

Then you are not talking about people who have a mental illness like depression or bipolar. You are talking about people with depressive personality disorder (also known as melancholic personality disorder) or people with avoidant personality disorder (also known as anxious personality disorder) or people with dependant personality disorder (formerly known as asthenic personality disorder).

rowland37

An interesting thread, for someone diagnosed bp at 18 (first episode) when psychotic, 25 years ago now... I have spent my life hiding behind my own shame, pretending to the world I'm 'normal' through fear of those who pass judgement.



I work part-time, I volunteer part-time, I study part-time and I am a lone parent to 3 kids. I struggle in many respects but one thing I don't do is expect anyone else to improve my lot for me. I work hard to maintain my own mental wellbeing, with appropriate support. I don't give up.
Point of post, anxiety kills me - at times, there isn't always the option of rationalising experiences, of stopping physical and mental reactions to situations, they happen without consciousness.
So (thinking back to op) do I sit at home, curtains closed and never go out, or do I find some coping mechanisms that work for me? Perhaps medication, therapy or the like?
I could have stayed in the support group of ESA, but chose not to. I didn't choose to have a lifelong mh disability and be tainted by social judgement and discrimination.

Everyone's experience is unique, but it seems there are a few who see a mh diagnosis as an opt out.
It compounds the hurt those of us who have been to hell and back actually feel, we have an unseen disability, must be scroungers etc etc I wouldn't wish what I've been through on anyone, I would freely give them any entitlement I do have (and my meds) for a life without this illness.
I do find it hard when people are judgemental, and harder still when people swing the lead

FBaby

sparkycat2 wrote: »

Then you are not talking about people who have a mental illness like depression or bipolar. You are talking about people with depressive personality disorder (also known as melancholic personality disorder) or people with avoidant personality disorder (also known as anxious personality disorder) or people with dependant personality disorder (formerly known as asthenic personality disorder).

You got it right, but i used the word 'depression' because this is what is the common word used for what you describe above. Even GPs refer to 'depressive personality disorder' as depression. How many posters to you read here saying 'I suffer from depressive personality disorder, do you think I might be able to claim ESA or DLA? Not the OP.

I agree fully that the end spectrum of depression, bi-polar etc... are a totally different matter and not what I referred to in my initial post (although I still believe that personality can still help with these disorders too)

FBaby

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

In what cases would bipolar be self-diagnosed? It often takes a psychiatrist several years to even recognise and diagnose the symptoms. Indeed in my case it was around 15 years! It isn't the type of illness that can be self-diagnosed any more than cancer can can be!

What I meant by that is that some people will say they suffer from bi-polar themselves, when this diagnostic has never been clinically confirmed. I should have put self-diagnosed in parenthesis.

~Chameleon~

FBaby wrote: »

I agree fully that the end spectrum of depression, bi-polar etc... are a totally different matter and not what I referred to in my initial post (although I still believe that personality can still help with these disorders too)

Then you have absolutely no clue or experience of such illnesses. No point in continuing to try convince you otherwise. You've obviously made up your mind that we can cure ourselves if we so wish!

ETA: Oh and by the way, I can't remember whether you were the one who claimed exercise would cure all but just wanted to say that it's not always the case. I exercise regularly, often every day, sometimes doing 3-4 classes a day back to back. This hasn't cured me of bipolar and can often throw me into hypomania if I'm not careful.

Also, for someone in depression, they often lack the motivation to exercise no matter how beneficial the endorphins released might be for them.

sparkycat2

FBaby wrote: »

You got it right, but i used the word 'depression' because this is what is the common word used for what you describe above. Even GPs refer to 'depressive personality disorder' as depression. How many posters to you read here saying 'I suffer from depressive personality disorder, do you think I might be able to claim ESA or DLA? Not the OP.

I agree fully that the end spectrum of depression, bi-polar etc... are a totally different matter and not what I referred to in my initial post (although I still believe that personality can still help with these disorders too)

In my opinion GPs should not be permitted to make a mental health diagnosis, they should have to refer patients to psychiatrists. This should at the very least be required if the person is on long-term benefits.

While those who have been repeatedly long stay hospital in patients treated for very severe mental illness should in my opinion never be treated by the benefit system as if they are or may not be genuine or that they are choosing to stay ill or not working due to being lazy or wallowing in self pity. I doubt many people would choose to repeatedly live in a psychiatric hospital for months or over a year, be on a secure ward, put in a padded cell, take high dosages of drugs with side-effects ranging from rapid weight gain to Parkinsons like symptoms that can become permanent, given electroshock convulsive therapy, and been able to fool hospital staff including multiple psychiatrists over multiple long stays of months to over a year as an hospital in patient and years of out patient care.

~Chameleon~

Am I right in assuming you're an RMN Sparkycat?