h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi my dear AR1

I thought you might want to check out one of the entries that are now in PR - Different ways of thinking about Mental Illness - A1122869

Or again, you might not!

Hi my dear friend,

Thank you for the thread and the subject.

You know, having lived with three sufferes of mental list for nearly fifty years, one eventually begins to develop one's own ideas/ Rightly or wrongly.

It is good that the younger generation is getting interested and involved. If only the wretched stigma of mental illness would go away. That is something that I have worked for all my life - and that is to have mental illness treated as an illness, and not something which has been caused either because of

one's behaviour, or

one's family's behaviour,

or even,as it used to be, and often still is, as a form
supernatural "punishment" for past misdemeanours.(e.g. the
demons which are present in the Bible".)

Incidentally bipolar illness is the new name for manic-depression. It is not the same as schizophrenia, although sufferers of both illnesses experience some psychosis in varying degrees.

Bipolar illness does have a much better prognosis than schizophrenia as most sufferers have a shortage of lithium in their blood. When this is measured the psychiatrist can add what s/he thinks is needed and then most sufferers are able to lead relatively "normal" lives. Sadly those suffering from schizophrenia have no such "test" which enables a diagnosis to be made.

However my experience of sufferers of schizophrenia has shown them to be invariably very talented, sensitvie people. On the whole they are without malice or revenge, and I certainly consider that it has been a most tremendous privilege to have been able to work with them for most of my life.

I pray for the day when both the stigma of mental illness can be eradicated completely from the medical dictionary and also that some sort of management can be found which will enable those who suffer from this most debilitating and, frightening for the sufferer, illness. There must be few worse things in one's life than not to be able to communicate to others what you feel or are experiencing because one's mind is in such turnoil.

Sorry for the long-winded reply.

Much

AR1

Hi AR1

Yes, I thought bi-polar meant manic-depressive. I didn't get time to think this entry through to make comments or suggestions, and I knew you had strong views on the subject, so you might want to contribute to shaping this entry.

It may take some while for mental illness to be treated more sympathetically, however I believe that things are beginning to change.

Incidentally, tonsil revenge found this from the BBC. You are probably conversant with it anyway, however in case you're not, I've copied it here for you.

'1. the crisis time is usually in the early twenties

2. there is a genetic component that means that a relative within two generations is also a schizophrenic

3. since the patient is unaware that they are, um, ill, they have to be reminded to take their medication regardless of whether they understand why it is necessary.

4. Most tend to want to be left alone. Their behavior does not demand an audience, nor be able to recognize one if it were present.

5. Relatives and caregivers require treatment, also, as they tend to try to separate the patient from the circumstances that led to the last major schizoid episode. They become wary and often very controlling and overprotective, out of the fear that it was their lack of attention that helped cause the problem or the episode in the first place.

6. The first major schizoid episode is usually traceable to some trigger or stress. It is not the same for everyone. It is also often hard to discern whether the trigger was precipitated by a seeking for a moment of "coming out" by the patient in a milder schizoid frame of mind.

What is most worrisome about the 'information' is the emphasis on the possibility of the sufferer, through therapy and medication, having the hope of living a "satisfying, productive life".

Pleh.
Lord save us from the priests at the temple of the great god Medicine.'

My aunt (she died three or four years ago) suffered three mental breakdowns and was in hospital for the majority of her life, coming out to live first in sheltered accommodation and later into a flat of her own. She married someone she met in hospital, who was only there because his mother was unmarried and was never taught to read and write. What a waste! She was the most generous soul. When he died, there were a couple of men vying for her favours.

With

Oh my dear. I have done it again. Lost my letter whilst I was proof reading it. BOTHER

I shall do it again later.

Your aunt sounds a darling.

Much
AR1

My aunt really did have a generous nature. I think the men were after her because of her cooking abilities as well as her good nature. She had at least one long term relationship after her husband died and that chap died too.

As a teenager I remember finding it difficult to hold a conversation with her, as she spoke and thought so slowly (it seemed to me) and we had so little in common.

My mum believed in sheltering me from the problems in life, almost as if they didn't exist, so when my grandparents died (they all died when I was a student), I didn't find out until they had been buried, so I never had the opportunity to say goodbye. Mum said that they didn't want to disrupt my studies. I still think it was the wrong decision.