What's with all these bi-polar people?

[Kev]

I've just read some more of this thread and to be honest it is winding me up so much I can't read anymore.

There is some silly cunt bird on daytime T.V that was spouting off about overweight people the other day and saying "it's quite simple, you just need to have some self control and discipline" Just eat less and exercise more" "There is no excise for being overweight, it is just greed and laziness" My advise to her and anybody else is keep you mouth shut about things you know nothing about. Yes, some people are lazy fat greedy wasters and regards depressions, some people have a couple of bad days and start with "Ooh I'm depressed" but don't generalize, mental health is a huge issue. Why can people be physcical unwell, but not mentally. When somebody has stomach bug, should they just tell themselves that they are better and then it will be so? The brain is so complex and even the slightest imbalance somewhere can cause huge problems for people.

Anybody that thinks depression is for the weak and that that everybody has bad days and you should just 'pull yourself together and be strong', I sincerely hope you get severe clinical depression and then I would like to hear your views on the subject.

so are you saying the reason you are fat is because you are also mental?

That is absolutely possible mate

Well I weigh less 10 stone now so must be the sanest person in the house. No wonder the rest of you disagree with me all the time. You're all fatties.

[VictorCharlie]

I deal with a fair amount of people and mental illness in the military. It is very real and serious but unfortunately there are people who will make some poor choices and use it as a scape goat. Really pisses me off b/c it lends to discreditng the Soldiers that have real issues and need help.

[Youngblood]

I deal with a fair amount of people and mental illness in the military. It is very real and serious but unfortunately there are people who will make some poor choices and use it as a scape goat. Really pisses me off b/c it lends to discreditng the Soldiers that have real issues and need help.

curious about this. is it ptsd that you feel is being exploited, most prominently? or just all mental illnesses.

[VictorCharlie]

I deal with a fair amount of people and mental illness in the military. It is very real and serious but unfortunately there are people who will make some poor choices and use it as a scape goat. Really pisses me off b/c it lends to discreditng the Soldiers that have real issues and need help.

curious about this. is it ptsd that you feel is being exploited, most prominently? or just all mental illnesses.

PTSD probably makes up around 75% of the issue but its not uncommon for someone to do something stupid and then claim they have been dealing with depression/bi polar for years. I'm no psychiatrist but with some people its hard to believe and I hate the way a group of selfish asshole makes me question people that may very well have a real problem.

[Youngblood]

I deal with a fair amount of people and mental illness in the military. It is very real and serious but unfortunately there are people who will make some poor choices and use it as a scape goat. Really pisses me off b/c it lends to discreditng the Soldiers that have real issues and need help.

curious about this. is it ptsd that you feel is being exploited, most prominently? or just all mental illnesses.

PTSD probably makes up around 75% of the issue but its not uncommon for someone to do something stupid and then claim they have been dealing with depression/bi polar for years. I'm no psychiatrist but with some people its hard to believe and I hate the way a group of selfish asshole makes me question people that may very well have a real problem.

I'm not surprised to hear that, actually. I think it is just part and parcel to shitty human nature. That the same type of people would likely exploit other types of things, ie "oh my back!" free holiday, paid time off in other walks of life either. Just much easier because of the nature of your work to attribute it to ptsd etc.

[Gandalf]

I deal with a fair amount of people and mental illness in the military. It is very real and serious but unfortunately there are people who will make some poor choices and use it as a scape goat. Really pisses me off b/c it lends to discreditng the Soldiers that have real issues and need help.

curious about this. is it ptsd that you feel is being exploited, most prominently? or just all mental illnesses.

PTSD probably makes up around 75% of the issue but its not uncommon for someone to do something stupid and then claim they have been dealing with depression/bi polar for years. I'm no psychiatrist but with some people its hard to believe and I hate the way a group of selfish asshole makes me question people that may very well have a real problem.

It is that kind of behaviour that makes me question mental illness and whether people are really struggling with something or else just making excuses. Clearly there are serious cases and terrible things happen as a consequence, but to what extent is it also about major pharmaceutical corporations trying to sell their latest product and also people trying to justify weird and irresponsible behaviour on mental health grounds? Having said that there are a lot of people out there who probably need some kind of help.

This thread appears to have run for a few pages and a variety of opinions have emerged, so a job well done IMO. If anyone seriously has some kind of disorder and I have appeared inconsiderate or mean, then I apologise. Though somewhat blase and dismissive, I have taken the devils advocate position somewhat too and that role on an issue such as this means I have to take an extreme and somewhat uncaring view. It doesn't neccessarily mean that I dismiss all mental health patients as frauds because I don't, but I do actually think some are abusing mental health for various reasons and that big business does not operate in a vacuum.

[Howlin Mad Missy]

conformity miles. goes for both those working in mental health care and those under their care. mad people should behave this way, the same for doctors.