I Am Mentally Ill

[Curious]

Steve,
I am not ashamed of it, and I have learned a heck of a lot by listening to you and your forum, thank you. I now see for me it a gift to show me we who are mentally ill have a gift we are overlooking. Then there's what is called "normal, which means, (I am not mentally ill".. I now am thinking I might have Alzheimer's. I can drive to a city I have been to before and cannot tell you the name of it, but I know how to get there! I am the most emotional person on this planet, at my age seventy two.

By thinking I have these problems maybe its something within me that knows me better than I think I do. All I have to know is what is this thing that knows me better than me? I raised a developmentally delayed son who is happy with his self and does not know he has been labeled developmentally delayed. I have been labeled high strung and I love my medicine. The point I am trying to make is, I know I to have been labeled and I am happy, because I am different from others.

How can anyone understand another's emotions unless they too have been there? I am on a emotional high and have had many emotional lows as well. So what's my gripe? I now see where I am and I am happy. I now think it's how we act toward whatever illness we have good or bad?

Sorry to be rushed by my new belief. high strung :2thumbs: :thanks: :tears_of_joy:

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Highstrung, I would again caution you:

1. Trying to diagnose yourself is a big mistake. If you are concerned about your memory, see a doctor for an accurate diagnosis, rather than making and acting on assumptions.
2. Please try to avoid terms that are frequently used in a derogatory way, like the R word to describe individuals who are developmentally delayed or intellectually challenged.
3. Having psychological difficulty or feeling challenged in various ways is probably more "normal" than you realize. While technically not incorrect, I would prefer that people not call themselves or anyone else with an anxiety condition or mood disorder "mentally ill". That tends to stigmatize the person and perhaps to exaggerate the degree of impairment.
4. I don't know who it was that initially called you "highstrung" but that is not a recognized diagnosis.

 

[Curious]

David,
I understand. high strung

 

[Curious]

Steve,
I would question my High Strung episodes as anxiety, nerves, what? I will then change my user name? I sense it's better to know and understand ones illness so one can work on it. I did not label my sons problem and use the word retardation, a mental health worker did. My son unaware he has this problem.

I am aware I am high strung or nervious or have anxiety, these words tell me something about my condition. I have been slow in learning all my life and I have accepted that. I am getting help as we speak. Whatever reason I have with this disorder I will correct it. Can you suggest a appropiate name to use except High Strung? High Strung

 

[H011yHawkJ311yBean]

I have anxiety, and some depression which I manage with meds from my psychiatrist (my physician referred me to her) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with a psychologist.

However I didn't label myself anything. My successes and failures and challenges are not me. They are a part of me.

I already know of at least one person who changed her name here, because she changed so much (helped by similar support psychologist/etc)...

I am sure you could think of many other positive traits you have, or you can do like some others do here, and just call yourself something completely non associated with yourself... But something you like instead. Cats, dogs, turtles, jellybean....

Another way to more positively post as "highstrung" could be "fastthinking," "nonlinear," "zoomzoom," "yieldsign," "searching4serenity," "LTF" (Learning To Focus) or something similar. You remind me a lot of myself when I first started hanging out in this forum. ^_^

Just an FYI about anxiety. It doesn't help your health. It affects even the body chemistry of stress hormones, which, if are constantly flowing through your body long-term, can cause symptoms like headaches, stomach upset, etc... Or worse, raise heart rate, immunity problems, affect brain-size, etc... There may be some habits or deeply ingrained things happening with the way you think that are going unchecked. I call them the "tapes" that run in the background that people aren't mindful of, like negative self-talk...

I highly recommend finding yourself a therapist, too, just because it was extremely helpful for myself, my brother, and other people on this forum. You may think you know yourself... But you may have only scratched the surface. A therapist helps you go deeper. It's a challenge, sometimes even difficult to deal with emotionally... But going through therapy is like you thought you were a butterfly, but you find you go through the cocoon stage again, and then when you come out/are reborn, you're even more beautiful and stronger than a butterfly...

 

[Curious]

Jollyjellybean,
Excellent idea. How about curious? Use to be high strung?