Posted by finelinebob on May 10, 2004, at 11:13:10
In reply to Re: The stigma and loneliness of mental illness..., posted by Speaker on May 10, 2004, at 9:39:26
wrt loneliness:
Geez, sjb, what you said about not having a passion hits pretty close to home! For me, though, I don't feel lonely anymore ... I think I fried that part of my brain from overuse! I guess I have a little too much patience as well ... I know one of these days I'm going to "re-engage" with the rest of the world, but right now I don't like the particulars of my life and I don't want people to have to deal with me in this state.wrt stigma:
I'm kinda like gardenergirl on this one. In a past life I was a research psychologist (not clinical) and educator. I felt I had the knowledge and training to be "out" about my disorder and take on people's discomfort about it head-on. I'm not in-your-face about it, but I don't hide it and I treat it as matter-of-fact-ly as I would if I had diabetes.I did pay for my openess on one job, tho. Condescension. Total lack of understanding. I was going through some medication problems and was having some wicked "side" effects. I asked for some "reasonable accommodations", as we are guaranteed to have through the Americans with Disabilities Act (if your disorder is found to have a biological component, you are covered). Well, all I have to say is that the EEOC has a lot of re-education of itself it needs to do. I was told my case basically wasn't important enough -- the discrimination wasn't high profile enough -- for them to bother with me. I lost my job, anyway.
So, I can't blame anyone who feels a need to hide their particulars from co-workers or other associates. All the same, my past experiences aren't going to stop me or change how I approach it. Hah! I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment ... and there is NOTHING anyone can put me through that can compare to what I've put myself through in the past! Wimps!
I don't know how all y'all feel about the term "mental illness", but I refuse to use it ... unless I'm trying to make a point. I don't have an "illness". I haven't been infected or otherwise invaded by some foreign organism. What I have can't be "cured" by pills or bedrest. Not only is there so much stigma tied to the words "mental illness", but the very concept of what an illness is helps perpetuate it. Illnesses are temporary if you have them, and preventable if you don't. If you've caught one, then you must have done something stupid like going out in the cold with wet hair and no coat, only worse.
Okay, so what do I call it? I say I have a chronic neurological disorder. Most people respond with, "What?" and working from that blank slate I think I have a better chance of opening their minds and reforming what they know about depression.
flb
PS. I'm glad I got out of that job. I didn't want to work with such Neanderthals, and it encouraged me to switch careers to something I enjoy much more.
poster:finelinebob
thread:345273
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040503/msgs/345356.html