Mental Health

[Skym]

I noticed there wasnt a thread on mental health. So I figure I make one.

all i gotta say is mental health is important. I have a few things to say about it.


Discuss.

 

[Rebaynia]

Mental health is important.
And when someone is struggling threw tough times, it isn't easy to remain positive. Invading thoughts could be a devastating reality.
I have in past tried taking meds to better my mental health, but after switching threw different options, and not being satisfied with side effects of the meds, found I needed a life change not a medicated bandaid.
Rather than take meds to make a life I was unsatisfied with feel acceptable, underlying problems never changed so the bandaid the meds provided would eventually lift and I would eventually be back at square 1.
My action plan was to change the things in life I was unsatisfied with, and needing meds to bandaid them diminished. There is A LOT of having blinders and ignoring the things that bother me, or block out the things that bother me. Only letting in things and people who will better my exhistance/expieriences rather than drain me and get me back into the negative mindframe. Still struggle with downward self-sabotaging spirals when bad expieriences happen. But reducing the triggering as much as I can, and finding what can keep me in a positive mindset is a constant education effort.

Can't exactly live life blocking out everything I don't like, but I can actively remove the things that are unnecessary and reduce what effectively triggers me.

It has been a topic I have been able to bond with some clients who are going threw their own struggles with. Knowing someone understands you can go a long way in trying to accept yourself and grow threw/past it, instead of being swallowed up by it.
Actually getting into escorting was 1 of the positive changes in the end, and every time I meet someone I am able to help threw their own darkness, I feel rewarded, and even more positive about my place on this earth.

 

[Skym]

Mental health is important.
And when someone is struggling threw tough times, it isn't easy to remain positive. Invading thoughts could be a devastating reality.
I have in past tried taking meds to better my mental health, but after switching threw different options, and not being satisfied with side effects of the meds, found I needed a life change not a medicated bandaid.
Rather than take meds to make a life I was unsatisfied with feel acceptable, underlying problems never changed so the bandaid the meds provided would eventually lift and I would eventually be back at square 1.
My action plan was to change the things in life I was unsatisfied with, and needing meds to bandaid them diminished. There is A LOT of having blinders and ignoring the things that bother me, or block out the things that bother me. Only letting in things and people who will better my exhistance/expieriences rather than drain me and get me back into the negative mindframe. Still struggle with downward self-sabotaging spirals when bad expieriences happen. But reducing the triggering as much as I can, and finding what can keep me in a positive mindset is a constant education effort.

Can't exactly live life blocking out everything I don't like, but I can actively remove the things that are unnecessary and reduce what effectively triggers me.

It has been a topic I have been able to bond with some clients who are going threw their own struggles with. Knowing someone understands you can go a long way in trying to accept yourself and grow threw/past it, instead of being swallowed up by it.
Actually getting into escorting was 1 of the positive changes in the end, and every time I meet someone I am able to help threw their own darkness, I feel rewarded, and even more positive about my place on this earth.

Good post.

Depression is real.
Anxiety is real.

Mental health is important.

 

[Rebaynia]

Good post.

Depression is real.
Anxiety is real.

Mental health is important.

And most people are afraid to share.
I know mental health is something many people struggle with, even here, but few are willing to talk about it because society says share our good moments and hide the bad ones from everyone. They don't want to know about your struggles. Which only makes us feel even lonelier in our pains.
It sucks there's not as much interaction here by others who could likely use the healthy discussion on mental health. But then again, this is a location many go to to hide from the things that bring them down, they don't come here to admit or face them.
And I'm guessing for some, there is weakness in admitting mental health issues, and on this forum, that weakness can be weaponized against them on other threads after.
This isn't exactly the safest group of anonymous people to admit such a rawness to.
Unfortunately, I don't filter myself as I likely should for self protection. I can only be an open book. Life would likely be much easier if I could filter myself and present only what I wanted people to see of myself. Part of my mental health issues is based in the inability to privatize myself. Even in my civi job for over a decade I got told many times by my boss about not being professional enough with customers, because I just don't have that professional filter. (Over time that seemed to be why our customers prefered us over other locations, they felt like people not just like they were another customer that didn't matter, and now I get to just be me, but it took me leaving for the boss to see what positive effect me just being myself made. They asked me back many times before I was healed enough to return.)

 

[Mandouke]

I recently took time off work for mental health reasons. It is an important health issue that is often overlooked.

The current job I have while lucrative, is very demanding and extremely stressful. The burnout rate and the anxiety from the position lead to mental health issues. Most people will not last for more than a week and many do not pass the monthly benchmark because they are not cut out for the position and do not have the skills.

In short, my job is predicated on my ability to close deals with businesses and therefore I am expected to maintain a certain level sales-wise. If I do not meet this benchmark in any given 4 week period, my ass will be out the door. I like this as it forces me to be on my toes and to compete with my colleagues. I have survived 5 years so far.

Anyway, the company is very understanding of mental health issues and burnout and does grant time off for their most productive salespeople. I will be returning to work in a week.

 

[MCTJ]

And most people are afraid to share.
I know mental health is something many people struggle with, even here, but few are willing to talk about it because society says share our good moments and hide the bad ones from everyone. They don't want to know about your struggles. Which only makes us feel even lonelier in our pains.
It sucks there's not as much interaction here by others who could likely use the healthy discussion on mental health. But then again, this is a location many go to to hide from the things that bring them down, they don't come here to admit or face them.
And I'm guessing for some, there is weakness in admitting mental health issues, and on this forum, that weakness can be weaponized against them on other threads after.
This isn't exactly the safest group of anonymous people to admit such a rawness to.
Unfortunately, I don't filter myself as I likely should for self protection. I can only be an open book. Life would likely be much easier if I could filter myself and present only what I wanted people to see of myself. Part of my mental health issues is based in the inability to privatize myself. Even in my civi job for over a decade I got told many times by my boss about not being professional enough with customers, because I just don't have that professional filter. (Over time that seemed to be why our customers prefered us over other locations, they felt like people not just like they were another customer that didn't matter, and now I get to just be me, but it took me leaving for the boss to see what positive effect me just being myself made. They asked me back many times before I was healed enough to return.)

It has become much less stigmatized it seems, at least for the most common form of mental illnesses (anxiety and depression). As a counter example: a woman with a borderline personality disorder... good luck.

As you mentioned, although discussions about mental health are important, I personally don't feel like MERB is the right forum.

Talking about my anxiety disorder and relationship struggles with men who rate women's faces and bodies on a scale of 1 to 10. No thanks. I prefer my therapist.

 

[Lunaseraphim]

I don't feel like it's safe to talk about mental health as a SP, because it can be used against us later.
But the mental health of SP's and their clients is a very interesting and important subject honestly...

 

[Fradi]

I think many times people are far too quick to assign things as being mentally ill and turn to prescribed drugs or worse for an answer which often makes the situation worse.

It is ok and perfectly normal to feel pain and sorry for many reasons. We loose loved ones, family members, get diagnosed with devastating illnesses, life can be very unfair in many ways. Give yourself a chance and time to heal.
Surround yourself with loved ones, family, longtime friends, people who care and will be there to support you through it.
Yes if you really need help go and get expert medical help also but don’t be so quick to think you are mentally ill.

 

[Emilia55]

Mental health is important.
And when someone is struggling threw tough times, it isn't easy to remain positive. Invading thoughts could be a devastating reality.
I have in past tried taking meds to better my mental health, but after switching threw different options, and not being satisfied with side effects of the meds, found I needed a life change not a medicated bandaid.
Rather than take meds to make a life I was unsatisfied with feel acceptable, underlying problems never changed so the bandaid the meds provided would eventually lift and I would eventually be back at square 1.
My action plan was to change the things in life I was unsatisfied with, and needing meds to bandaid them diminished. There is A LOT of having blinders and ignoring the things that bother me, or block out the things that bother me. Only letting in things and people who will better my exhistance/expieriences rather than drain me and get me back into the negative mindframe. Still struggle with downward self-sabotaging spirals when bad expieriences happen. But reducing the triggering as much as I can, and finding what can keep me in a positive mindset is a constant education effort.

Can't exactly live life blocking out everything I don't like, but I can actively remove the things that are unnecessary and reduce what effectively triggers me.

It has been a topic I have been able to bond with some clients who are going threw their own struggles with. Knowing someone understands you can go a long way in trying to accept yourself and grow threw/past it, instead of being swallowed up by it.
Actually getting into escorting was 1 of the positive changes in the end, and every time I meet someone I am able to help threw their own darkness, I feel rewarded, and even more positive about my place on this earth.

Good post

 

[Lunaseraphim]

I want to point out something about the original post tho.. For a lot of people, taking medication is really necessary. I have mixed feelings about psychiatry and medication but if you see someone who has chronic severe depression or who's schizophrenic or bipolar without their meds, you'll understand why they have to take them. The problem is that often the system doesn't provide therapy or offers limited or inadequate therapy and just prescribes meds

 

[MtlGuyNow]

I want to point out something about the original post tho.. For a lot of people, taking medication is really necessary. I have mixed feelings about psychiatry and medication but if you see someone who has chronic severe depression or who's schizophrenic or bipolar without their meds, you'll understand why they have to take them. The problem is that often the system doesn't provide therapy or offers limited or inadequate therapy and just prescribes meds

Agree.
Despite serious effort medications are sometimes necessary.
Dr Ned Hallowell, a well known author/psychiatrist specializing in ADHD noted that you wear glasses for your vision because they work. No stigma.
Psychotropics are tricky and work differently for everyone. Finding a professional that’s willing to “experiment” to find the right drug(s) & dosage is critical.

 

[Lunaseraphim]

Agree.
Despite serious effort medications are sometimes necessary.
Dr Ned Hallowell, a well known author/psychiatrist specializing in ADHD noted that you wear glasses for your vision because they work. No stigma.
Psychotropics are tricky and work differently for everyone. Finding a professional that’s willing to “experiment” to find the right drug(s) & dosage is critical.

Yeah. I think psychiatry can be an oppressive institution and medication CAN be harmful, but there are definitely some competent professionals out there, and advising someone to quit their meds can be really dangerous

 

[Rebaynia]

I wasn't advising others to do the same as I did. I was just speaking from my own expierience. For many the meds are necessary. But there needs to often be more than just medication for successful treatment. And a correct diagnosis is crucial, as many other mental diagnosis could be the route cause of the depression, not just depression itself. Often it happens until you know what causes the depression, chemical imbalances in the brain, it could very likely and often is something else that is the problem. Even a different kind of chemical imbalance, a pending syndrome/abnormality that wasn't yet diagnosed, that leads to depression the feeling as opposed to depression the chemical imbalance.
But then again I could just very well be in the same issue I see in others, that I now think I feel better so I determine I don't need the medication, when it may still be needed, I just don't like the side effects. Also for some it is just a temporary thing as they go threw hardship for a period of time, like when someone looses their spouse, and need the numbness the medication seems to cause. (why I don't like being on it)

Though there are many as well, who need the medication for life, otherwise there is always the impending, penetrating, dark thoughts that persist if they don't.

 

[Lunaseraphim]

I wasn't advising others to do the same as I did. I was just speaking from my own expierience. For many the meds are necessary. But there needs to often be more than just medication for successful treatment. And a correct diagnosis is crucial, as many other mental diagnosis could be the route cause of the depression, not just depression itself. Often it happens until you know what causes the depression, chemical imbalances in the brain, it could very likely and often is something else that is the problem. Even a different kind of chemical imbalance, a pending syndrome/abnormality that wasn't yet diagnosed, that leads to depression the feeling as opposed to depression the chemical imbalance.
But then again I could just very well be in the same issue I see in others, that I now think I feel better so I determine I don't need the medication, when it may still be needed, I just don't like the side effects. Also for some it is just a temporary thing as they go threw hardship for a period of time, like when someone looses their spouse, and need the numbness the medication seems to cause. (why I don't like being on it)

Though there are many as well, who need the medication for life, otherwise there is always the impending, penetrating, dark thoughts that persist if they don't.

I definitely think that a lot of psychiatrists ignore unhealed trauma and unhealthy life situations that could be leading up to mental illness symptoms, which is unfortunate because unless changes aren't made, medication is just a temporary band aid, so I see your point.