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Mental Illness

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
I was diagnosed with Schizophrenia at age 21. At age 25, in the midst of it, I joined an internet forum and debated with people. I told people about my Schizophrenia and upon them seeing that I changed my opinions quite a bit at the time because I was often presented with better facts in debates, they urged me to talk to my Psychiatrist about it. So I did. He said I am getting better. I went back and told the forum. They told me to get a second opinion. So I did and the second person was actually curious enough to look over some of the threads, both my posts and the comments. He told me to stop going to the forum because such negativity may hold back my progress. So I did. Anyways:

I think this forum is harsh to people with mental illness, especially those with stronger forms of it. It's not funny at all. All I'm seeing in the threads of those with mental illness are narrow-minded responders who don't know the first thing about the specific condition, doing one of the following:

1. Telling them to see a Psychiatrist instead of posting on the forum

2. Attacking their posting habits

3. Asserting that they can't help them with personal advice because the person with mental illness has mental illness

4. Telling them they're insane because their posting habits don't fit the responder's narrow-minded views

Really not funny. At all.

Also seems like stealth breakage of rule 3, sections 1-3.

I'm not a big fan of complaining without offering proper solutions, so here is what I think the solution is:

Don't treat them like a special (guinea pig) case. You might have to be a little more sympathetic at times, yes, for sure, but they don't want their threads derailed just because they suffer from some condition. Save the personal diagnoses for when people are asking for them very specifically and won't take no for an answer (which never happens), or for cases where a person is suicidal and it's your God-given duty to tell them to get help even in cases where doing so means you are saying things that really aren't your place due to quick action being needed.

Going back to that personal story I told, the ironic thing was had I never told them I had Schizophrenia, I doubt I would have even been called out. People shouldn't be punished by responders for wearing their opinion on their sleeves.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
1. Telling them to see a Psychiatrist instead of posting on the forum
With that one, a lot of it is rooted in pragmatics, as its rather difficult, even impossible at times, to effectively work over things over an online forum. So much is lost that anything more than general advice becomes problematic, and often times people have issues that do require more than general advice, and at that point it also becomes an issues of ethics and legalities. Ethically, none of us here can do much more than offer support. It can be frustrating, but we just aren't qualified to do so.
 

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
With that one, a lot of it is rooted in pragmatics, as its rather difficult, even impossible at times, to effectively work over things over an online forum. So much is lost that anything more than general advice becomes problematic, and often times people have issues that do require more than general advice, and at that point it also becomes an issues of ethics and legalities. Ethically, none of us here can do much more than offer support. It can be frustrating, but we just aren't qualified to do so.

That may be true, but I really consider there to be two sides to it. The first side is getting the proper medications. The second side is getting into the right mindset, not fighting your body against your own progress in your health. I don't think that responding without sensitivity will help them with that progress.
 

dybmh

דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
I think this forum is harsh to people with mental illness
When you say 'this' forum, do you mean RF or the other forum that your were on in your mid-20s?

All I'm seeing in the threads of those with mental illness are...here is what I think the solution is...
I think it's tricky; because, sometimes people who are not well can take well intended comments and perceive them in a very bizarre manner. It's a judgement call for me. When to respond; how to respond; is the individual asking for help; are they seeking attention.... But, for the most part I agree with what you are saying.
 

dybmh

דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
I don't think that responding without sensitivity will help them with that progress.

It could be the shear volume of individuals here on RF and the vast diversity of beliefs and non-beliefs result in diminished sensitivity towards mental illness.
 

The Reverend Bob

Fart Machine and Beastmaster
What I was taught is that you shouldn't always treat the mentally ill with kid gloves. That treating them like children and being condescending and patronizing towards them is one of the worse things a person can do. Sometimes they have certain things brought to their attention as adults and you must speak to them as adults in a respectful but firm manner when they are engaging in disruptive behavior. Because sometimes they are completely unaware that they are being disruptive. And sometimes they are engaging in self-destructive behaviors and it is wrong to treat them as fragile glass figures like Laura in The Glass Menagerie because such behaviors can lead to adverse circumstances and they need to know that you will not tolerate any self-destructive behavior. Sometimes they need friends who are willing to be firm with them and gently and with all respect help them correct their course or else they will continue the way they are going.
 

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
What I was taught is that you shouldn't always treat the mentally ill with kid gloves. That treating them like children and being condescending and patronizing towards them is one of the worse things a person can do. Sometimes they have certain things brought to their attention as adults and you must speak to them as adults in a respectful but firm manner when they are engaging in disruptive behavior. Because sometimes they are completely unaware that they are being disruptive. And sometimes they are engaging in self-destructive behaviors and it is wrong to treat them as fragile glass figures like Laura in The Glass Menagerie because such behaviors can lead to adverse circumstances and they need to know that you will not tolerate any self-destructive behavior. Sometimes they need friends who are willing to be firm with them and gently and with all respect help them correct their course or else they will continue the way they are going.

Either way, it's hard to deny it stings a little for PopeADope and maybe Eddi to get on here and make posts and see the responses, I bet. It stings me just to read them, and I've been through it all.
 

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
It comes down to, "Why make posts on this forum if people are just going to tell me the same thing over and over, and will continue to do so until I get better 10-20 years from now, IF I get better?"

I find it unproductive.
 

The Reverend Bob

Fart Machine and Beastmaster
Either way, it's hard to deny it stings a little for PopeADope and maybe Eddi to get on here and make posts and see the responses, I bet. It stings me just to read them, and I've been through it all.
It isn't just mentally ill people who need to be honestly told that we aren't behaving appropriately, sometime you need to tell people who not struggling with mental illness that they are being badly. If we aren't afraid to do that to abled people why should we be afraid to tell a person struggling with mental illness that they are behaving inappropriately? They are human beings too and adults and we should treat thusly and as equals.
 

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
It isn't just mentally ill people who need to be honestly told that we aren't behaving appropriately, sometime you need to tell people who not struggling with mental illness that they are being badly. If we aren't afraid to do that to abled people why should we be afraid to tell a person struggling with mental illness that they are behaving inappropriately? They are human beings too and adults and we should treat thusly and as equals.

Maybe. Like how I am telling you guys on this forum that there occasionally exists certain group logic in which people have the possibility of sucking their own selves into it in a huge blackhole.
 

dybmh

דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
It stings me just to read them, and I've been through it all.
Something to consider... if a mentally ill person gets 100% love and affection when they are symptomatic, the love and affection may be nurturing the symptoms.

I'm not trying to discourage you, I'm just trying to add a little different perspective to the situation. I hope you understand.
 

The Reverend Bob

Fart Machine and Beastmaster
Maybe. Like how I am telling you guys on this forum that there occasionally exists certain group logic in which people have the possibility of sucking their own selves into it in a huge blackhole.
Yeah, sometimes people are not being very understanding towards mentally ill people, in fact they are being intolerant and then again there are politically correct people who try to be too understanding and too tolerant and they inadvertently encourage appropriate behavior in the name of political correctness and tolerance. It is a very fine line to walk.
 

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
Something to consider... if a mentally ill person gets 100% love and affection when they are symptomatic, the love and affection may be nurturing the symptoms.

I'm not trying to discourage you, I'm just trying to add a little different perspective to the situation. I hope you understand.

The alternatives aren't too good either. We may very well run a long time poster, who makes interesting posts, out of this forum if we continue this. PopeADope. If he stays, well he has more patience than me in such a situation.
 

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
Yeah, sometimes people are not being very understanding towards mentally ill people, in fact they are being intolerant and then again there are politically correct people who try to be too understanding and too tolerant and they inadvertently encourage appropriate behavior in the name of political correctness and tolerance. It is a very fine line to walk.

Seems we have started to reach a good middle grounds.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
Something to consider... if a mentally ill person gets 100% love and affection when they are symptomatic, the love and affection may be nurturing the symptoms.

I'm not trying to discourage you, I'm just trying to add a little different perspective to the situation. I hope you understand.
When you provide love and support you arent enabling bad habits and choices. Support isnt keeping someone down, its helping them back up. Thats a very odd perspective and it makes no sense to me.
 

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
When you provide love and support you arent enabling bad habits and choices. Support isnt keeping someone down, its helping them back up. Thats a very odd perspective and it makes no sense to me.

Even so, I did understand it, and I think there is a possible solution to this issue, by taking both my views and some of the responders' views into account: we need to combine friendly, understanding, agape love, with this harsh, tough love stuff members are talking about. Whether it's the best solution on Earth is debatable, but I still think it's a much better solution than the way things are currently.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Ethically, none of us here can do much more than offer support. It can be frustrating, but we just aren't qualified to do so.

In the distant past I wound up with a MA in psychology and thought I was going to be a counselor and started down that career path for a short time. i suppose that background makes me barely qualified.

BUT: if there's anything I know, it is that I really don't know the people here well enough to even attempt to give helpful advice most of the time. And that specifically includes in most cases even knowing if someone wants advice. People usually want to be heard. Very few are seeking advice.

If someone wants advice and asks for it, then I might offer something but it's always tentative because I don't know anyone here truly well enough to put on a clinical hat.

But when I was young, I used to give people advice they did not want all the time so I understand that urge as well.

I guess live is one big school which we're all attending where life itself is helping us become better people if sadly all too slowly.
 
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