Post by olehippy on Jan 16, 2006 7:55:19 GMT -5
Last night I had a conversation with Mel and asked her if she was indeed diagnosed with BPD rather than just told she had a few symptoms. Reason why I asked this question is because having a few signs of BPD, doesn't necessarily mean a person actually has the disorder. I will give you an example.
I told you I have Adult ADHD. It took me close to thirty years and being diagnosed four times to come to this conclusion. Since being discharged from the military in 1981 I have been labeled Schizophrenic, Manic Depressive and Clinically Depressed by mental therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists. All of these were found to be erroneous. In each case I had shown a few symptoms. I was treated with various medications all of which either didn't improve the condition or made me physically ill (especially the lithium which I was given for the bipolar condition).
Without having second opinions, I carried each of these conditions with me which dictated how I would live for the next thirty tears. Another wards I learned to act like each of these conditions. I believed I was Schizophrenic, Bipolar and Depressed. At the time I had no reason not to believe.
It wasn't until the late 90's after watching a Special on Attention Deficit Disorders, I began to realize I exhibited all the signs and symptoms of ADHD including behaviors of the disorder as I was growing up. With the help of my now ex wife, we pursued a Specialist who treated Adults with ADHD and she put me through a battery of tests, interviewed me extensively and began to treat me with medications. Fortunately my life began to take a positive turn. Today I believe strongly and are convinced I have been properly diagnosed.
This is the message I am telling Mel and others. If you are diagnosed or told you have a specific condition, talk with your therapist or doctor. Ask questions about how he or she came to the conclusion of the diagnosis. Speak out if you feel the medications are not helping you. Don't be afraid to question your therapist of his or her certainty that you indeed have the condition you were labeled with.
IMHO.. It's not always a good idea to read too much on illnesses you think you may have.
Many people have the tendency to start believing they have a certain conditions because they merely identify with a few signs and symptoms that are written. Make note of them and discuss what you feel with your doctor.
Lastly but what I feel is so important, If you have been diagnosed with a mental or emotional disorder, try very hard not to announce it to everybody. I can tell you from experience it's not a very good idea. There are loads of people out there that have no clue about mental illness.
Mental illness is not like having a broken leg where one can readily see it and conclude it's a broken leg. A good example is: stand a person who is mentally retarded and shows all the physical characteristics of being so next to a person who is suffering from an emotional illness who by most standards doesn't look too much out of the ordinary. Being aware of both conditions but not necessarily the extent of each, which person do you think would be generally accepted over the other. In my opinion it would be the person who is mentally retarded. Why? because we can see it and conclude that the person is mentally retarded.
A certain stereotype we accept of the mentally retarded. The person with the emotional illness may look like you and me but we can't see inside of him. We're afraid and uncertain of things we cannot readily see. Even though the person with the emotional illness may be an outstanding citizen, there is that uncertainty of the unknown. Just be cautious of who you tell
of your mental illness. Don't discuss it with the bag boy at the super market, your hairdresser or barber or people you barley know. You can avoid being judged, discriminated against and being subjected to passive resistance or living in a double standard.
Please note: What I wrote here is solely based on my experiences and may not relate to the reader. I wanted to bring this out in the event someone has or is in a similar situation thus might be helped by my posting this information. Please post any feed back or ideas regarding this post. I would greatly appreciate it.
Love,
Rich
#peace#
I told you I have Adult ADHD. It took me close to thirty years and being diagnosed four times to come to this conclusion. Since being discharged from the military in 1981 I have been labeled Schizophrenic, Manic Depressive and Clinically Depressed by mental therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists. All of these were found to be erroneous. In each case I had shown a few symptoms. I was treated with various medications all of which either didn't improve the condition or made me physically ill (especially the lithium which I was given for the bipolar condition).
Without having second opinions, I carried each of these conditions with me which dictated how I would live for the next thirty tears. Another wards I learned to act like each of these conditions. I believed I was Schizophrenic, Bipolar and Depressed. At the time I had no reason not to believe.
It wasn't until the late 90's after watching a Special on Attention Deficit Disorders, I began to realize I exhibited all the signs and symptoms of ADHD including behaviors of the disorder as I was growing up. With the help of my now ex wife, we pursued a Specialist who treated Adults with ADHD and she put me through a battery of tests, interviewed me extensively and began to treat me with medications. Fortunately my life began to take a positive turn. Today I believe strongly and are convinced I have been properly diagnosed.
This is the message I am telling Mel and others. If you are diagnosed or told you have a specific condition, talk with your therapist or doctor. Ask questions about how he or she came to the conclusion of the diagnosis. Speak out if you feel the medications are not helping you. Don't be afraid to question your therapist of his or her certainty that you indeed have the condition you were labeled with.
IMHO.. It's not always a good idea to read too much on illnesses you think you may have.
Many people have the tendency to start believing they have a certain conditions because they merely identify with a few signs and symptoms that are written. Make note of them and discuss what you feel with your doctor.
Lastly but what I feel is so important, If you have been diagnosed with a mental or emotional disorder, try very hard not to announce it to everybody. I can tell you from experience it's not a very good idea. There are loads of people out there that have no clue about mental illness.
Mental illness is not like having a broken leg where one can readily see it and conclude it's a broken leg. A good example is: stand a person who is mentally retarded and shows all the physical characteristics of being so next to a person who is suffering from an emotional illness who by most standards doesn't look too much out of the ordinary. Being aware of both conditions but not necessarily the extent of each, which person do you think would be generally accepted over the other. In my opinion it would be the person who is mentally retarded. Why? because we can see it and conclude that the person is mentally retarded.
A certain stereotype we accept of the mentally retarded. The person with the emotional illness may look like you and me but we can't see inside of him. We're afraid and uncertain of things we cannot readily see. Even though the person with the emotional illness may be an outstanding citizen, there is that uncertainty of the unknown. Just be cautious of who you tell
of your mental illness. Don't discuss it with the bag boy at the super market, your hairdresser or barber or people you barley know. You can avoid being judged, discriminated against and being subjected to passive resistance or living in a double standard.
Please note: What I wrote here is solely based on my experiences and may not relate to the reader. I wanted to bring this out in the event someone has or is in a similar situation thus might be helped by my posting this information. Please post any feed back or ideas regarding this post. I would greatly appreciate it.
Love,
Rich
#peace#
