Mental Health The Mental Health Social vs a place for our voices

[Venrak]

Here is a social thread especially for those that visit this forum. It follows all the same rules as other socials--no drug talk, no triggering posts or photos.

Here is part of an article that I found pretty interesting:

Shamanism & Schizophrenia
What we call schizophrenic is, as Joseph Campbell has discussed, called (positively) visionary or mystical in shamanic cultures, hence is valued, not feared or sedated with chemicals. As he clarifies in the well-known [1988] TV series, "The Power of Myth", 'The shaman is the person, male or female, who . . . has an overwhelming psychological experience that turns him totally inward. It's a kind of schizophrenic crack-up. The whole unconscious opens up, and the shaman falls into it. This shaman experience has been described many, many times. It occurs all the way from Siberia right through the Americas down to Tierra del Fuego.'
Hence working with sufferers of schizophrenia from a shamanic angle can be helpful, since the shaman has in all likelihood experienced similar experiences to those of the schizophrenic. Mainstream reductionist psychiatrists, on the other hand, by and large presume that if an experience (such as chronic depression) is unpleasant, it must be stopped or band-aided, but because an experience is painful or difficult, it doesn't necessarily follow that's it's not valuable, or therapeutically worthwhile as a 'wound which heals'.

It's how I cope with the world. I don't know if I would be worse off if I didn't, but I think I'm doing okay...

 

[endlessnameless]

Delighted to see Mental Health has its own dedicated forum - so too with Sober Living & Recovery Support.
Tis indeed an absolute pleasure to make your aquaintences...oh and on the subject of dealing with our own most dire of dilemmas, Poetry is my catharsis.

And I unthroned bore fists of rage
My mind alone wandered the grave
And to the most unholy shades
Drew my gaze: Depraved

~ Endless

 

[tripnotyzm]

NSFW:

Craziness.
One of my really close friends has taken a pretty unstable turn for the worse recently..

I have been chatting to him about some personal issues for about 3 years now, trying to help him understand his self a little better, as he is allegedly suffering from PTSD, brought on by a really heavy experience several years back, which involved him having to (while waiting for police for 20 minutes or more) physically restrain a very strong, violent & dangerous man who was trying to rape and kill him during a freak trip.
One thing that he would do on a very regular basis, is frequently ask me seriously in-depth questions about his mind and about the universe, about "coming back", etc etc.. Often, these questions he'd ask me would be way too deep and complex for me to even comprehend.


About a month ago he finally seemed to be showing strong signs of recovery and "normality"..
It felt so good to help a dear friend progress through such heavy phases of an experience like that..

But it all came crashing down a few weeks ago.
We were at a small house party with all our friends there.. When i arrived, i noticed that something was wrong..
He was basically unresponsive most of the time, just zoning in and out of reality on the couch.

I had a chat to him, and found out that his ex gf and his ex best friend were at the party somewhere..
The problem here is this; When my friend's lengthy relationship with this girl came to an end (roughly 6 months ago), his best mate immediately took advantage of the situation and had sex with her less than 24 hours later.
What's worse, is that this f*#%wit then went and immediately bragged to my already fragile friend about screwing his ex-of-24hrs..
The very next day, that backstabber and that hussy got on facebook and announced the formation of their new relationship, and never spoke to my poor mate again..
From that day onwards, my friend's mental health rapidly got worse and worse.. Then a little better, but then worse..
Every day he would question the unquestionable.. Thinking excessively about the damage that has been caused by two people who were closest to him..
In the end, his thoughts about the couple became so overpowering, that it became literally the only topic he would discuss with me and with others..
In fact, it bothered him so much that he eventually pushed aside the difficulties he was experiencing with ptsd and souly focused on this new-couple.
I would always stress the importance in finding a therapist or psychologist and sticking with them, but he would barely ever arrange appointments.

Back to the party..
After he told me this couple were at the same party, and how he had not faced either one of them since the break up, i knew that this was why he was acting so out of character....
Then, the couple walk in :-/ .. They said hi to everyone, then awkwardly said hi to him (the guy actually hugged my friend)...
I dunno what happened inside his head at that moment, but it didn't look nice on the outside.
From that moment, to this day, my friend has just lost his fucking mind.. To the point where I can't even help him anymore, and either can any of our buddies.
He immediately sat back in to his chair at the party, and started showing really disturbing signs..
All night long he would be sitting there, or walking aimlessly around, talking ABSOLUTE gibberish to himself..
I dont even think he uses real words when he talks to himself.. It's scary, and he has not changed over the past 3 weeks either..
he just starts talking to himself, then he starts pulling his own hair, as i watch extreme amounts of confusion and instability build up in his face.. And he just keeps going and going and going and going, until I or somebody else can manage to talk him back down to earth for a very short amount of time.. Then something triggers his mind and off he goes with his craziness again.. and again and againnnn.....
It doesn't make sense to me at all :'(

Anyway, i decided to be firm and straight up with him the other day, and tell him how i feel about it..
I told him he's gone crazy, and no longer has control over himself..
As much as I want to help, i can no longer guide him, until he helps himself out and arranges frequent meetings with a therapist/psychologist.
I got pretty deep into his head when i was unloading all this on him..
And since then he has been to one appointment...
He said he is going to reschedule more appointments with her, but i bet $100 he wont go.

As i said, he's one of the closer friends in my life, and he was such a stable strong-minded dude before any of this unfolded.
Im hoping something good happens with him soon.
It is just so god damn frightening to watch a close friend lose touch with everything in such a way :'(

 

[drscience]

just got out of the psych ward...self admitted...damn depression...and i must say after that 3 day stint im feeling MUCH better. i was given a script for 25mg zoloft and clonazepam...talked with some people who are going through what I am...and the social interaction REALLY helped (just knowing im not alone in this) i had been abstaining from food and social interaction for past couple weeks and i think thats why i got so depressed....but a few good meals and some friendlly convo's and i feel alot better/less depressed

 

[ad lib]

I'm happy you feel better now drscience I hope things continue to look up for you!

 

[Captain.Heroin]

just got out of the psych ward...self admitted...damn depression...and i must say after that 3 day stint im feeling MUCH better. i was given a script for 25mg zoloft and clonazepam...talked with some people who are going through what I am...and the social interaction REALLY helped (just knowing im not alone in this) i had been abstaining from food and social interaction for past couple weeks and i think thats why i got so depressed....but a few good meals and some friendlly convo's and i feel alot better/less depressed

Yeah dude the social interaction is what helps me the most.

If you ever need to reach out and talk to someone, feel free to PM me. I know we don't live anywhere remotely close to each other, but I can always video chat on skype or in a chatroom of some sort.

NSFW:

Craziness.
One of my really close friends has taken a pretty unstable turn for the worse recently..

I have been chatting to him about some personal issues for about 3 years now, trying to help him understand his self a little better, as he is allegedly suffering from PTSD, brought on by a really heavy experience several years back, which involved him having to (while waiting for police for 20 minutes or more) physically restrain a very strong, violent & dangerous man who was trying to rape and kill him during a freak trip.
One thing that he would do on a very regular basis, is frequently ask me seriously in-depth questions about his mind and about the universe, about "coming back", etc etc.. Often, these questions he'd ask me would be way too deep and complex for me to even comprehend.


About a month ago he finally seemed to be showing strong signs of recovery and "normality"..
It felt so good to help a dear friend progress through such heavy phases of an experience like that..

But it all came crashing down a few weeks ago.
We were at a small house party with all our friends there.. When i arrived, i noticed that something was wrong..
He was basically unresponsive most of the time, just zoning in and out of reality on the couch.

I had a chat to him, and found out that his ex gf and his ex best friend were at the party somewhere..
The problem here is this; When my friend's lengthy relationship with this girl came to an end (roughly 6 months ago), his best mate immediately took advantage of the situation and had sex with her less than 24 hours later.
What's worse, is that this f*#%wit then went and immediately bragged to my already fragile friend about screwing his ex-of-24hrs..
The very next day, that backstabber and that hussy got on facebook and announced the formation of their new relationship, and never spoke to my poor mate again..
From that day onwards, my friend's mental health rapidly got worse and worse.. Then a little better, but then worse..
Every day he would question the unquestionable.. Thinking excessively about the damage that has been caused by two people who were closest to him..
In the end, his thoughts about the couple became so overpowering, that it became literally the only topic he would discuss with me and with others..
In fact, it bothered him so much that he eventually pushed aside the difficulties he was experiencing with ptsd and souly focused on this new-couple.
I would always stress the importance in finding a therapist or psychologist and sticking with them, but he would barely ever arrange appointments.

Back to the party..
After he told me this couple were at the same party, and how he had not faced either one of them since the break up, i knew that this was why he was acting so out of character....
Then, the couple walk in :-/ .. They said hi to everyone, then awkwardly said hi to him (the guy actually hugged my friend)...
I dunno what happened inside his head at that moment, but it didn't look nice on the outside.
From that moment, to this day, my friend has just lost his fucking mind.. To the point where I can't even help him anymore, and either can any of our buddies.
He immediately sat back in to his chair at the party, and started showing really disturbing signs..
All night long he would be sitting there, or walking aimlessly around, talking ABSOLUTE gibberish to himself..
I dont even think he uses real words when he talks to himself.. It's scary, and he has not changed over the past 3 weeks either..
he just starts talking to himself, then he starts pulling his own hair, as i watch extreme amounts of confusion and instability build up in his face.. And he just keeps going and going and going and going, until I or somebody else can manage to talk him back down to earth for a very short amount of time.. Then something triggers his mind and off he goes with his craziness again.. and again and againnnn.....
It doesn't make sense to me at all :'(

Anyway, i decided to be firm and straight up with him the other day, and tell him how i feel about it..
I told him he's gone crazy, and no longer has control over himself..
As much as I want to help, i can no longer guide him, until he helps himself out and arranges frequent meetings with a therapist/psychologist.
I got pretty deep into his head when i was unloading all this on him..
And since then he has been to one appointment...
He said he is going to reschedule more appointments with her, but i bet $100 he wont go.

As i said, he's one of the closer friends in my life, and he was such a stable strong-minded dude before any of this unfolded.
Im hoping something good happens with him soon.
It is just so god damn frightening to watch a close friend lose touch with everything in such a way :'(

I've lost a few people to schizophrenia/psychosis in my life. The most major being my ex, as well as someone I used to consider a friend.

My advice: let his family know how bad it's gotten and ask them to take over. Friends can't be there for each other when psychosis/schizophrenia comes into the picture IMO.

I only say this because it's like, someone with schizophrenia is like an anchor; they are quickly sinking to the bottom and they can and will drag you down with them.

If you have your own issues (like I know I do), you have to focus on yourself.

If you don't have your own shit you're dealing with, then you're probably good enough to still be his friend and still try to help him/etc, but just like the old saying goes... you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink.

It's amazing you're trying your best to help your friend out though man. You remind me a lot of myself because of your huge

 

[drscience]

thanks for the offer Cap'n

 

[FnX]

Just put out an order for some supplements to try and improve mental functions and overall quality of life. Feels exciting, sucks not to have been able to afford things like omega-3 fish oil for so long, thank god for decent people who actually pay back money after you loan them, even if it's been years lol.

Calcium-Magnesium complex w/ D-vitamin
Passion Flower Extract
L-Theanine with some Relora on the side
Omega-3 EPA/DHA 2:1 fish oil caps
L-Carnitine Fumarate

Like putting money in the bank except better I'd say hehe. Also trying out Berberine atm, peculiar stuff I'd say.

 

[Libby]

Ohh that looks interesting
I'm gonna copy you! sort of, in a half assed cheap guy kinda way lol.
1. Eat Spinach and black eyed peas outside with skin on arms and face exposed
2. tire self out with errands and chores (i is not have car, I walks everywhere)
3. drink green tea, lavendar oil in the burner on the side
4. tbsp flaxseed oil omega-3 I no hurt the fishes
5. apparently am already producing it in my body

my psychiatrist costs $350 an hour and my cat has started limping on her hind leg :/ also at some point i need to see a dentist about the quarter of a tooth that broke off in my chewing gum few months ago
don't judge my cheapness lol

 

[herbavore]

^those are both good lists except I have a gag reflex when it comes to plain black eyed peas. Do you do anything to them, Libby, or just eat them plain?

 

[Libby]

I just eat them plain I love them lol.
I don't know how to cook, I just shove everything in the steamer for 10mins and then put salt n pepper and a little bit of oil on after, or sometimes I mix up like a sauce with peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger and boiled water from the jug. things that cant be steamed like beans and lentils I just boil and eat plain, or stir into steamed shit. lol. I'm not really fussed with foods, I think everything tastes good so why bother making super delicious if it means i have to do heaps more. I make laziness into an art lol.

My mum used to always say to me coz I never wanted to eat what she cooked as a kid, i didnt use to like vegetables (like every kid right)
and if I asked for something yummy she always said no if it tastes bad it means you aren't hungry enough, when you get hungry enough you'll eat it. And I wasn't allowed anything else till I had eaten all my healthy food, even if it took a whole day. It's probably the only thing my mum ever said to me that I actually agree with now. When you're hungry, everything tastes good.

 

[ParappaTheRapper]

im making a porpoise sound in a pepsi bottle. *makes porpoise sound. Then a bird comes by. Ca cawwww

 

[Libby]

What is porpoise?

Edit: Oh I thought you were making a porpoise salad not a porpoise sound lol, I googled what a porpoise was and was like... that can't be right. Hahahahaha :D

 

[ParappaTheRapper]

 

[ParappaTheRapper]

Just put out an order for some supplements to try and improve mental functions and overall quality of life. Feels exciting, sucks not to have been able to afford things like omega-3 fish oil for so long, thank god for decent people who actually pay back money after you loan them, even if it's been years lol.

Calcium-Magnesium complex w/ D-vitamin
Passion Flower Extract
L-Theanine with some Relora on the side
Omega-3 EPA/DHA 2:1 fish oil caps
L-Carnitine Fumarate

Like putting money in the bank except better I'd say hehe. Also trying out Berberine atm, peculiar stuff I'd say.

check out krill oil. is a source of but also helps the absorption of the the EPA/DHA, and converts it into more direct energy. also contains the natural antioxidant astaxanthin.

 

[Libby]

I found this book on kindle, and I like it so far.
I think it would be good for people with mental illness to help them to keep a sense of humour and etc.
I think it'll do me good, and others too, so here..

http://www.amazon.com/Agorafabulous...&qid=1371045541&sr=8-1&keywords=agorafabulous

“I subscribe to the notion that if you can laugh at the shittiest moments in your life,you can transcend them. And if other people can laugh at your awful shit as well, then I guess you can officially call yourself a comedian.”

In Boston, a college student fears leaving her own room—even to use the toilet. In Pennsylvania, a meek personal assistant finally confronts a perpetually enraged gay spiritual guru. In Texas, a rookie high school teacher deals with her male student’s unusually, er, hard personal problem. Sara Benincasa has been that terrified student, that embattled employee, that confused teacher—and so much more. Her hilarious memoir chronicles her attempts to forge a wonderfully weird adulthood in the midst of her lifelong struggle with agoraphobia, depression, and unruly hair.

Relatable, unpretentious, and unsentimental, Agorafabulous! celebrates eccentricity, resilience, and the power of humor to light up even the darkest corners of our lives. (There are also some sexy parts, but they’re really awkward. Like really, really awkward.)

 

[herbavore]

That sounds great and it is just in time--just finished the 2 novels I was reading (Beautiful Ruins and The Orchardist); neither were great but both good enough to recommend. Libby, have you ever read David Sedaris? He writes the funniest book I have ever read about his family and his OCD (pretty extreme symptoms like having to lick the light switch in his classroom as a kid.). If you can laugh, life goes down easy.

Parappa, I saw lots of porpoises today! I have to get a waterproof casing for my camera so I can take it out with me. The otters are the best. Cutest animals in the sea for sure. And they tie their babies in the kelp beds while they nap so they don't float away!

 

[ad lib]

And they tie their babies in the kelp beds while they nap so they don't float away!

I think my heart just melted!

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

Yo guys, so I like to disseminate information. Did ya know that smoking causes depression and increases the likelihood of suicide? I smoke lol, but no way am committing the big s, or small, as people who do that aren't doing anything special, just stupid.

Anyways, I wish the best to y'all. Any advice I can give is appreciated by me. I know tons of psychopharmacology/info about drugs and disorders and what is effective. Ask away! Peace and love.

 

[ad lib]

Yo guys, so I like to disseminate information. Did ya know that smoking causes depression and increases the likelihood of suicide? I smoke lol, but no way am committing the big s, or small, as people who do that aren't doing anything special, just stupid.

Anyways, I wish the best to y'all. Any advice I can give is appreciated by me. I know tons of psychopharmacology/info about drugs and disorders and what is effective. Ask away! Peace and love.

Awesome, thank you!

Since you offered - are you familiar with Dexamethasone inducing manic episodes, or "activating" latent bipolar disorder in a person with no personal or family history of the disease?