Mental Health

**Kittyhawk** · 22nd December 2007, 22:06

Originally Posted by Robignevil

If thats part of your therapy then no problems. Laughter is the the second best medicine after all.

Second of course to HTFU

Been there done that, question is am I harder than you LOL!

And yes laughter, is the best

**blue eyed savage** · 22nd December 2007, 22:07

chopper reed (i think its reed) has got the best advie for anyone.
its true i was in the army for 5 years and it never let me down, that and a bottle of jim or tui.mmmm think i might have me a drink

**Usarka** · 22nd December 2007, 23:20

I was speaking to someone with MS the other day, told the wimp, HTFU you soft sack of shit, we all get knocked around in life, just last month i sprained my ankle and couldnt walk for weeks.

Then i saw some old granny walking down the road so i kicked her zimmer frame out from under her. Harden up you wrinkly old tart, if i can walk to the shops then theres no need for you to get all robocopped up. you old fuckers are just lazy, htfu.

**Big Dave** · 22nd December 2007, 23:44

Mr Sarka:

http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buel...tml?1198182147

**Oakie** · 23rd December 2007, 08:07

I work at this place http://www.hohepa.com/canterbury.html in an HR/Payroll role as opposed to a 'hands on' role although I still have heaps to do with our residents (I've even given a few rides on my bike). Anyhoo, the most telling sentence I've ever heard spoken there is "Mentally disabled people's greatest disability is how the wider community treats them".

To be fair, the guys at my work all have intellectual disability whereas this thread is more about mental illness (there is a difference) but possibly those with 'mental illness' are discriminated against even more than those with intellectual disability?

**YellowDog** · 23rd December 2007, 08:36

Dan mate, there is a good advert on TV at present. It will take a couple of decades to instill understanding and compassion into society. But how far should it go?

If someone has mental illness, this may be the result of other problems in their lives or upbringing. We are all victims of circumstance. Some need more help than others. Hopefully a situation will evolve whereby such illnesses can be identified at an early age and help provided. I am very conscious that NZ has a ridiculouly high suicide rate. It is also a worry that if too much sympathy and compassion is provided, it may provide a cop-out and they will not need to utilise the best remedy, which is personal motivation to improve by selfhelp.

It is a tricky subject and one which needs to be taken seriously. I worked with an inner city project team in the UK. I saw excellent results with kids and young adults with little or no self worth. I also saw a lot of abuse of the service and thefts of equipment.

It is a tough balance to get right.

**James Deuce** · 23rd December 2007, 09:03

Originally Posted by YellowDog

If someone has mental illness, this may be the result of other problems in their lives or upbringing. .

No, no, no!

The saddest misconception about Mental Illness is that the person involved has a choice or it can be put down to past events.

The brain is a complex series of electro-chemical mechanisms. An imbalance in hormones, or brain chemistry creates mental illness.

Very few people develop a reactive depression in response to events in their life.

You can talk through a neurosis. You can't talk someone out of a psychosis.

People with disrupted brain function or a chemical imbalance are incapable of adjusting their behaviour. The best way to combat their down side is help build self esteem. It takes the edge off.

**MSTRS:Me** · 23rd December 2007, 09:06

Most of us wouldn't know mental illness or recognise it, esp. on here, even if it bit us on the bum.
Would any of us know the difference between depression and 'wallowing in self-pity' ? I doubt it.
So, come across as 'different' on here, expect a multitude of responses, most of which will take some form of HTFU.
The reader is not responsible for the posters' words and can't be expected to be able to 'see beyond the words' to the (supposed) underlying problem.
I'm not trying to belittle anyone who is genuinely affected by mental illness, just trying to point out that most of us won't know what we are seeing....

**YellowDog** · 23rd December 2007, 09:12

Originally Posted by Jim2

No, no, no!

The saddest misconception about Mental Illness is that the person involved has a choice or it can be put down to past events.

The brain is a complex series of electro-chemical mechanisms. An imbalance in hormones, or brain chemistry creates mental illness.

Very few people develop a reactive depression in response to events in their life.

You can talk through a neurosis. You can't talk someone out of a psychosis.

People with disrupted brain function or a chemical imbalance are incapable of adjustin gtheir behaviour. The best way to combat their down side is help build self esteem. It takes the edge off.

I though I was making a similar point to you about helping build confidence and self esteem?

Problems 'may' also be a direct result of personal trauma and upbringing.

The point I read from your post is that you agree that Prozak and other (brain chemistry altering drugs) branded anti-depressants are not a good solution?

**Shaun** · 23rd December 2007, 09:13

Originally Posted by Disco Dan

It has come to my attention that KB has a very poor understanding of Mental Health. There are several members on here that I know of that have a mental illness - whenever they post and/or start a thread the reaction is always so negative and disrespectfull it is a wonder they have not gone and bought one of those "electric bath ducks".

It is about UNDERSTANDING.

This is your chance to ask - I work in mental health, and have been in this sector of work ever since I left school.

If you want to know - here is your chance.

Good on ya man

So many people including myself do not understand this at all, I have learned a lot this year, due to my head injury from my crash! Which is getting really good now!!!!

WOW, the brain is more than I ever thought it to be

**YellowDog** · 23rd December 2007, 09:17

Perhaps this is a deeper subject than we should be exploring on Kiwibiker.

**Sketchy_Racer** · 23rd December 2007, 10:38

I don't understand anything about mental illness, how ever I do believe it to be a problem, and there are people out there that need 'real' help (as in more than just a prescription for some pills etc)

How ever, it also seems that people are starting to use mental illness as an excuse.

For example, so many parents I know all believe that thier kids need to be on ritalin (sp) because they're out of control. Thing is that 99% of the kids are perfectly normal kids, the problem coming from the parents that don't take care of thier kids and wont disapline in an effective manner. To me that quite often seems a coput on the parents part.

Then there are people that love the attention gained from using mental illness as an excuse for the lousy and stupid decisions they make.

As far as im concerned for me personally, Life is what you make of it. Doesn't matter where you've been in the past, you're the one that decides where your going to go in the future.

**Edbear** · 23rd December 2007, 10:49

Originally Posted by Sketchy_Racer

I don't understand anything about mental illness, how ever I do believe it to be a problem, and there are people out there that need 'real' help (as in more than just a prescription for some pills etc)

How ever, it also seems that people are starting to use mental illness as an excuse.

For example, so many parents I know all believe that thier kids need to be on ritalin (sp) because they're out of control. Thing is that 99% of the kids are perfectly normal kids, the problem coming from the parents that don't take care of thier kids and wont disapline in an effective manner. To me that quite often seems a coput on the parents part.

Then there are people that love the attention gained from using mental illness as an excuse for the lousy and stupid decisions they make.

As far as im concerned for me personally, Life is what you make of it. Doesn't matter where you've been in the past, you're the one that decides where your going to go in the future.

Good post. I do have experience with mental illness and it is a real disability when genuine. Your point about parents is far too true, and my wife's work in an early childhood centre graphically demonstrates that many parents have absolutley no idea about how to raise their kids! The Police, too, would readily testify to the incredible incompetence of many parents who either, or both, don't know how or don't care about their kids.

One of the most frustrating things for my wife and others in her type of work is that they are not allowed, by law, to discipline the children - they have to "distract them"...! Of course the kids know this...

Yep! Don't spend time and effort on your kids, just give them money and drugs and it'll all be fine as the Gummint will take responsibility for them..

**Winston001** · 23rd December 2007, 11:43

Cripes, this thread is all over the place but some good thoughts posted. Just a few points:

Every one of us is shaped by our past experiences. To say that we have a choice about how we react is naive. To do so requires insight into our subconcious and most of us can't do that without help.

Some mental illness is caused by brain function imbalances. This can arise from injury, tumors, or neuroreceptor production etc.

The brain is incredibly complex and although we know a lot through research, there is a vast amount still to explore. Doctors do their best and pretty well at that, but the reality is not everyone can be cured or even stabilised.

Pills do work for many people. Not always, not all of the time, never in some cases, but don't dismiss medication because it is imperfect. It saves peoples lives.