[Jean]

I have manic-depression. While I sought treatment, I know that many people do not. Does American culture and society in general frown on mental illness so much that many people suffer alone in silence?

User Detail :  

Name : Jean, Gender : F, Age : 30, City : White Lake, State : MI Country : United States, Education level : Technical School, Social class : Middle class, 

[Matthew]

I don't know if it is so much that people are ashamed as they just don't know the signs. Some of us have become so caught up in a negative cycle that we just assume 'that is the way we feel.'

User Detail :  

Name : Matthew, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 45, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, 

[Ronald-V29448]

I think hiding our weaknesses and illnesses is human nature. What we can't hide, such as blindness, deafness, etc., has become acceptable. However, Patty Duke and other stars who have suffered with mental illness have done much to destigmatize mental illness. Some people are unable to pay for their medication and hence live in a deep hole as a result. Some people are just plain uneducated and believe that being with a person who is mentally ill will affect their own mental health. In the Bible, Matthew 25:36 speaks volumes: 'I was sick and you looked after me.' This was written in a day when leprosy was a social stigma. Whether it is physical, emotional or mental illness, we need to take care of one another, even if it is not a common thing to do. Mother Theresa pointed out that one of the worst diseases in the Western World is loneliness, which is very easily remedied by a listening ear.

User Detail :  

Name : Ronald-V29448, Gender : M, Religion : Christian, Age : 49, City : Edmonton, Alberta, State : NA Country : Canada, 

[Jessica]

I have suffered from clinical depression since I was a child. For many years, I never knew there was something wrong with me. I just assumed that was the way I was. It wasn't until high school that I realized there was something wrong with me that could be fixed. I began counseling and medication. Ultimately, I decided to stop both, because I found that neither really helped me. I eventually came to a place where I decided that I was going to be in control of how I felt, not the doctors, not the drugs and not the people around me who I had previously been convinced were 'out to get me.' For a while, I was fine. Then I entered into a relationship with an emotionally abusive person, and that sent me right back to the bottom. One of his opinions on mental illness (and on psychology and Western medicine in general) was that 'mental illness is just something that white people made up to make excuses for their bad behavior.' While I agree there have been bad people who've used psychology to excuse unacceptable behaviors and actions, through my relationship with that person I have become more determined to stand up for people with mental illnesses. For people who've never experienced what it's like to be depressed, it's incredibly difficult to understand where the depressed person is coming from, and how he or she perceives reality. I believe it is a stigma in our culture. We associate mental illness with institutions, straight-jackets, shock therapy and frightening behavior.When I was in high school, I didn't care who knew I was ill. Now I'm extremely cautious about who I tell because I don't want to be stigmatized. I don't want to be the 'mental case' in people's eyes. I don't want to be someone who requires special consideration or treatment because something's unbalanced in my head. I don't want to be discriminated against. I am afraid to come out because mental illness is regarded just as that: an illness. Physical illness is regarded as an invader destroying the body, and one who is ill is given sympathy and encouraged to keep fighting the infection. Mental illness is seen as a reflection of the mind. One who is mentally ill is avoided, because it is their mind that is affected.

User Detail :  

Name : Jessica, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White and Arab, Religion : Christian, Age : 24, City : San Diego, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : student, lifeguard, swim instructor, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[mary]

I myself do not have a problem with it, I'm a natural optimist. I've lived in Seattle/Tacoma area for about 4 1/2 years and 'they' say that area has one of the highest suicides rates in the nation because of the rain. I am a native born Texan and when I came back to Texas I noticed that a 'lot' of people that I meet were 'manic depressive' The clinical term is manic with highs and lows. These people stay awake for three days on their 'high' and sleep for 2 - 3 days on their 'lows'. The majority that I have meet were not that manic. Just depressed in their natural states because of their living situations, or their occupations. Some of them seem like they are making excuses to get by and not have to take responsibility for their actions. In reality manic depression is a lack of seratonin in the brain that would normally effect that area, the one that makes you happy. Some people that I have meet take a natural holistic approach to their ills....

User Detail :  

Name : mary, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 31, City : austin, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : ADMIN, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Alice-M]

I work as a Mental Health Worker and society does view them differently. The mentally ill knows when some is giving them dirty looks, which also cause them to act out there paranoia especially when they feel the looks or hear the whispers.

User Detail :  

Name : Alice-M, City : Lompoc, State : CA Country : United States, 

[Sarah28416]

I also have Manic Depression and I feel the same way.

User Detail :  

Name : Sarah28416, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 20, City : Troy, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : cna, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[Daniel G.]

I feel that I have been depressed for so long that I can't even remember when I was happy. All I do is look at the world around me, and then I find happiness. When I start to look at how beautiful the world is and how beautiful it is to be alive, I forget all about anything that can bring me down. This is much easier said than done, but you have to keep a positive attitude, surround yourself with people who have the same values as you, and most importantly keep reminding yourself that you are most happy with where you are at in your life. In this day and age, most people aren't happy with where they are in their life, and that is the first sign of a possible depression. Too many people are afraid to let people know about the situation they are in, for many different reasons, but the main reason would be that they don't think this person would understand. Either let them know about your situation or try not to be around them. I would like to let you know that I am proud of you for seeking treatment, and pray that each new day is the best day in your life. 'Stretch your hands as far as they can reach; grab all that you can grab.' -Yoruba Proverb.

User Detail :  

Name : Daniel G., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, City : Iowa City, State : IA Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Alice-M]

I work as a mental health worker and can say that society does view people with mental illness differently. Mentally ill people know when someone is giving them dirty looks, which also causes them to act out their paranoia, especially when they feel the looks or hear the whispers.

User Detail :  

Name : Alice-M, Gender : F, City : Lompoc, State : CA Country : United States, 

[Scott T.]

I'm Manic Depressive with General Anxiety Disorder. Ten years ago I wouldn't have told a soul. People would just look down on you. But in today's day and age I've found people to be understanding, curious and often wanting to be helpful. It's no longer a stigma like it used to be. People have been given the proper information and been educated. It's a lot better now than when my grandfather found out about his illness.

User Detail :  

Name : Scott T., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 27, City : Minneapolis, State : MN Country : United States, Occupation : Advertising Copywriter, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Michael]

I'm schizophrenic. I voluntarily signed myself in to mental health because I would have been involuntarily put in if I hadn't. The medication and 'counseling' they gave me bothered me more than what was being 'fixed.' I was probably a little bit out of it when I went in, but the people that worked at the hospital would tell me things that were blatantly untrue. One night, the heater in my room was malfunctioning, so I told the nurse, but she told me that I was hearing things and gave me my medication early. Later onm somebody else eventually complained about the heater. They took away my cigarettes because I am a minor. The food was ass. I was only permitted one brief phone call per day. No privacy. Etc. What really bothered me, though, was group therapy. I was in there because of schizophrenia, a hereditary problem. I have never had disciplinary problems and wasn't in there for being some type of hooligan; nevertheless, I had to go to group therapy and, after the second day, start making up bad things I had done to earn my phone call for the day. After getting out, I had to go to therapy about twice a week, but currently, I am not going to therapy and I am also not taking my medication. I still hallucinate often, but I can live with it. I think many people just live with what they have because they're afraid of being treated like prisoners when they've done nothing wrong.

User Detail :  

Name : Michael, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Disability : Schizophrenia, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 17, City : Pittsburgh, State : PA Country : United States, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[John P. Martin]

I was severely depressed for a good (or not-so-good, rather) 15 years. I'd been forcibly hospitalised a couple times, gone through various councellors, taken loads of medication -- none of these things kept me from the constant barrage of self-loathing, suicidal thoughts with which I was plagued. See, I couldn't stop thinking that these therapists and councellors and social workers and psychologists are paid to do this. They're paid to help me out, they're not doing it just because they care. I ultimately rejected treatment for a few reasons: I know myself much more intimately than any of these people -- I can find and solve my own emotional problems, the people here to help have a monetary stake my well-being while lacking an emotional one, and having some pretty nasty asthma as a younger child left me having always felt a bit overmedicated -- I don't need any more. And I'm doing much better, now. I've never felt frowned upon for it ... possibly because I tried not to feel victimised by it -- I looked at it as simply 'something that happens to some people'.

User Detail :  

Name : John P. Martin, Gender : M, Race : Human, Religion : The Order of the Unique, Age : 24, City : Brooklyn, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : unemployed, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Lower class, 

[Alexandra31366]

After growing up in the northeast (New York and Rhode Island) and then moving to the midwest (MI), I've come to think that when it comes to psychological disorders, there is MUCH more understanding and tolerance and acceptance among folks in the northeastern part of the US, especially in large cities. While of course you still find some stigmatization there, there is much less of it compared to in the mid-west and in smaller cities and towns. I think this is because there is, on average, more sophistication regarding mental illness.

User Detail :  

Name : Alexandra31366, Gender : F, Age : 40, City : Detroit, State : MI Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[ShirleyAvery]

American society still has a double standard about depression. On one hand, they agree it's a real illness; on the other hand, they same to feel we are lazy if we can't work full-time and function more normally, even with meds. More severe mental illnesses scare people because they believe (sometimes justifiably) that psychotic people who are untreated are dangerous and unpredictable. I used to wonder why some of these afflicted folks refuse to take medication that clearly helps their psychosis. Now I know that some of those meds have very unpleasant side effects or seem to turn one into a zombie. Life is unfair Just Curious

User Detail :  

Name : ShirleyAvery, Gender : F, Disability : none, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 52, City : st. louis, State : MO Country : United States, Occupation : writer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

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