dagblog - Comments for "Coming Out About Mental Illness"

Mike I made several edits

Orion — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 16:56:27 +0000

In reply to I've been debating what to do

Mike I made several edits that make things much less about me. Go ahead and spotlight it. Cheers!

I've been debating what to do

Michael Wolraich — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 22:43:33 +0000

In reply to Coming Out About Mental Illness

I've been debating what to do with this piece. It's courageous and thought-provoking, so I'm tempted to put it on the front page. On the other hand, I worry that you might come to regret it. I know that you're looking for work, and I worry that some future potential employer might come across it and pass judgment. On the other, other hand, that proves the point you're trying to make--that we don't talk mental illness. One of the well-intentioned reasons for that is a fear of stigmatizing people.

So that leaves me nowhere in particular, but I still have a nagging feeling that you may one day wish you hadn't published this.

Wow, aa, that is a

erica20 — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 21:37:29 +0000

In reply to Orion, I recognized some of

Wow, aa, that is a fascinating piece and a good find. It rings true.

One thing about kids is that they're generally smart enough to know deep down that their judgment isn't yet mature, so how the adults around them behave and think about things is actually more important than how they themselves think and feel about things. This is why some kids can be very dark, and yet come through it if they have people around them who let them know that while the feelings of depression may be real, the world is a bigger and happier place than the one they see. Hence the writer's conclusion that his mom's love was larger than his anger.

We have not talked too much here at Dag about the impact of compassionate, reasonable, caring adults on impressionable young minds, or by extension, the reverse. I suspect that Nancy Lanza's focus on her own dark perceptions of the world didn't do her son any favors, while this mother's attitude was very helpful.

At my daughter's school they spent the week doing a very professional job of shedding grief, focusing on the positive, and reassuring kids that in spite of the very small statistical possibility of something terrible happening, they are safe in every way that counts, and bathed in the love of those around them. I believe that was better for our children's future than looking at a couple of armed guards every morning could have been.

Orion, I recognized some of

artappraiser — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 20:20:52 +0000

In reply to Coming Out About Mental Illness

Orion, I recognized some of your past themes reading this, thought you might be interested in case you haven't seen it.

I agree that we need to start

synchronicity — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 17:17:43 +0000

In reply to Coming Out About Mental Illness

I agree that we need to start treating mental illness as a 'health' issue and remove that taboo from it. This is the only way we can get more research, evolution, and better qualified people to engage and support growth in better diagnosing and treating mental illness.

The field of psychology will not evolve if we keep acting as if mental illness is all about a permanent disability... we are paying a price in so many ways by giving a blind eye to this aspect of human life and that will never result in a healthy society.

I just had a thought to look at whether Britain does any better and came across this:

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/06/18/nhs-failing-millions-mental-h...

You raise an important point

Michael Maiello — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 15:23:31 +0000

In reply to Coming Out About Mental Illness

You raise an important point about not trying to go back in time here. We're better off without many of the mental institutions that have been shuttered. We also have to stop using "mental illness" as an easy answer to events that we otherwise can't (or don't want to) explain. We're stigmatizing people needlessly.

When gun owners defend themselves they point out that spree shooters and child killers are outliers. The vast majority of gun owners, they tell us (correctly) are law abiding and not out to hurt anyone.

And this is also true of the vast, vast majority of people who have been diagnosed with this or that mental illness. We can't allow ourselves t basically criminalize the human condition because ain't none of us are "normal."

Thanks. You were brave to

Flavius — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 12:56:27 +0000

In reply to Coming Out About Mental Illness

Thanks. You were brave to write this. I know that therapists are a mixed bag, as is true of all other professions from street cleaners to bishops. But I hope you have been able to find a sensible one. If not,keep looking. And good luck. .