Discussion Do you believe you are mentally ill

[ShadowOfTheDay]

On the one hand, humans (like any other animal) are "programed" by evolution to seek pleasure over pain, and survival over annihilation.
As such, suicidality must be a symptom of a malfunctioning brain, right?

On the other hand, suicide seems a perfectly rational option in some cases--not to mention desirable.

Just curious what others think.

 

[Minudah]

Survival doesn't mean pleasure. We want to escape pain, that's normal.

 

[dysfunctional]

Definitely mentally ill. Life used to be full of motivation, friends and good work. Yeah I would get down quite a bit and sad, but now I feel completely stressed out and hopeless at all times. I know its not normal for me or most people- that's why i feel its an illness.

 

[Psilo]

Mentally fucked for sure!

 

[Exile]

Mentally ill my whole life but still often more rational than a lot of people who are 'healthy'.

 

[Thisisme373]

I'm definately depressed but I'm also fully aware of how my life has been and how it's most likely to go considering my circumstances.

 

[DoneFighting]

Yeah I definitely have a fucked up head. It's not normal for your mind to torture you.

 

[FTL.Wanderer]

Mentally ill. I've looked for many, many years for biomedical evidence in support of the neuropathology argument of "mental illness." After speaking with many specialists in the field and doing my best to read the literature in the discipline, I've never come upon any rigorous evidence in support of general biological causation for mental illness. And far too much of psychology (and psychiatry), including both research questions and designs, diagnostic criteria, and the way "illnesses" are defined, lacks precision and objectivity for me to have faith in the expansive mental health industry. But there's good evidence cognition changes with life experiences. And there's good evidence the way we build cultures tends to challenge instead of support mental health. It seems reasonable to me that some just won't have the capacity to acclimate to life's constant challenges while others would prefer not to experience life anymore. Calling such people "mentally ill" is disingenuous.

I don't believe I'm "mentally ill." I believe I'm responding to my environment and life circumstances in ways that are anticipatable and common for human animals. It just happens that life isn't "aware" and so has no interest in providing things like justice, legal access and equity, or security--things many modern people, at least, have been conditioned to yearn for. If there were, as I think there should be, a painless, non-intimidating, nearly instant, widely available and affordable euthanasia means (like state clinics...), I'd never have made it out of my early 20's. And I feel no shame whatsoever about that.

 

[ShadowOfTheDay]

Survival doesn't mean pleasure. We want to escape pain, that's normal.

Right. I guess what has me confused is this: I have a tremendous respect for the medical profession and for those who choose it as a career. However, I'm frankly fed up with life and every psychologist/psychiatrist (there have been many) I've spoken to has treated me with the mentality that I'm not sane. I mean, for God's sake, I've been institutionalized several times for suicide attempts, and each time I was grouped alongside individuals who have legitimate, severe mentalk illness. Sorry for the rant.

Survival doesn't mean pleasure. We want to escape pain, that's normal.

 

[Psilo]

I've been institutionalized several times for suicide attempts, and each time I was grouped alongside individuals who have legitimate, severe mentalk illness.

Same here, but once. A patient with serious mental problem even said to me that I had nothing to do in there, sincere guy at least.

 

[lemmeeleev]

No, I hate when people think I'm depressed or any other mental illness. My death will probably be confused with mental illness, but I can't change that any more than I already have tried.

 

[21Neberg]

I've never been diagnosed but the things I'm doing obviously aren't healthy.

 

[essbet]

I'm very pessimistic and neurotic, but I don't think it's an "illness" except that it keeps me from giving a shit about anything despite my most earnest efforts. I've always been like this, and my misanthropic outlook feels logical to me. I just didn't get the delusional optimism chemicals that most humans do.

 

[FTL.Wanderer]

every psychologist/psychiatrist (there have been many) I've spoken to has treated me with the mentality that I'm not sane.

After a hiatus from this site, I returned about a week ago to publish a vent about a professor of social work at Columbia University who maintains an online blog about why she does NOT support suicide rights. I've followed her blogs (she has another one in which she talks about her own experience with depression...) for many years--not because I respect her or her "work," but instead to keep abreast of the hundreds and hundreds of commenters who, like us, are in the great majority fed up with life and just want a quick, painless way out. Nonetheless, after many years of collecting this (granted, self-selection biased) data, this social worker continues both to remove nearly every comment that is critical of her pro-life therapy-is-always-appropriate position (formal censorship) and to belittle anyone who challenges her--even when this is people just talking about their own lives.

These so-called therapists simply can't admit that they cannot help everyone (I'm being generous). They refuse to acknowledge the wealth of published data challenging the hypothesis that prevalent therapies (CBT, DBT, pharmacologic...) are effective management interventions as measured over the long-term (far too many patients are lost to follow-up...). And they never address the valid philosophical position, given the lack of corroborating evidence for their biological basis of disease model, of self ownership. Psychology and psychiatry are among the most grievous examples of personal and cultural biases masquerading as science and exploited, therefore, to empower laws that enable the indifference, ridicule, and barbarism so often thrust onto those who hold different values and world-views from the status quo's.

 

[ShadowOfTheDay]

Survival doesn't mean pleasure. We want to escape pain, that's normal.

After a hiatus from this site, I returned about a week ago to publish a vent about a professor of social work at Columbia University who maintains an online blog about why she does NOT support suicide rights. I've followed her blogs (she has another one in which she talks about her own experience with depression...) for many years--not because I respect her or her "work," but instead to keep abreast of the hundreds and hundreds of commenters who, like us, are in the great majority fed up with life and just want a quick, painless way out. Nonetheless, after many years of collecting this (granted, self-selection biased) data, this social worker continues both to remove nearly every comment that is critical of her pro-life therapy-is-always-appropriate position (formal censorship) and to belittle anyone who challenges her--even when this is people just talking about their own lives.

These so-called therapists simply can't admit that they cannot help everyone (I'm being generous). They refuse to acknowledge the wealth of published data challenging the hypothesis that prevalent therapies (CBT, DBT, pharmacologic...) are effective management interventions as measured over the long-term (far too many patients are lost to follow-up...). And they never address the valid philosophical position, given the lack of corroborating evidence for their biological basis of disease model, of self ownership. Psychology and psychiatry are among the most grievous examples of personal and cultural biases masquerading as science and exploited, therefore, to empower laws that enable the indifference, ridicule, and barbarism so often thrust onto those who hold different values and world-views from the status quo's.

Thank you for this response:-)

 

[catwalk]

Ofcourse I am, I've been diagnosed.

 

[anuglymale]

Yes, wanting to kill myself is 100% not the way my brain should function

 

[bigj75]

You can use rationality and logic to justify suicide. This whole mentally ill thing is just a prolife label used to save face and feel comfort. It's easier to pretend something doesn't exist than to face the realization. So of course "suicide" is considered mentally ill only by most people.

 

[Redt2go]

You can use rationality and logic to justify suicide. This whole mentally ill thing is just a prolife label used to save face and feel comfort. It's easier to pretend something doesn't exist than to face the realization. So of course "suicide" is considered mentally ill only by most people.

You can use rationality and logic to justify anything including homicide... Or genocide... (Well maybe not rape )

 

[WhiteRabbit]

I have depression because I have multiple painful physical illnesses. I think a lot of the time suicide can be completely rational.

 

[Partial-Elf]

Good thread.

1. I can't tell whether I'm mentally ill or whether I'm responding in a rational way to an environment lacking the necessary rewards and stimulation, or a combination of both. I think about this question often
2. I will say that since I started seriously considering suicide as an option, it's become more difficult to muster the energy to make necessary changes in my life, changes that would make me less likely to consider suicide in the first place
3. Ironically, I think psychology and psychiatry become quackery with they masquerade as a science. I've benefited greatly at various times from psychologists who viewed their role as that of confidantes and guides
4. This is only tangentially related, but I think the involuntary commitment laws are messed up

 

[Worthless_nobody]

I do not think of myself as mentally ill even though I was diagnosed with depression, ptsd, anxiety. For me all those things are attributed to traumatic circumstances/physical pain that happened in my life. This will be a fully rational decision for me.

 

[Meretlein]

I have been diagnosed with OCD and GAD so yeah. I just don't think it should stop me from suiciding because permanent damage around your face is not temporary.

 

[TAW122]

Mentally ill. I've looked for many, many years for biomedical evidence in support of the neuropathology argument of "mental illness." After speaking with many specialists in the field and doing my best to read the literature in the discipline, I've never come upon any rigorous evidence in support of general biological causation for mental illness. And far too much of psychology (and psychiatry), including both research questions and designs, diagnostic criteria, and the way "illnesses" are defined, lacks precision and objectivity for me to have faith in the expansive mental health industry. But there's good evidence cognition changes with life experiences. And there's good evidence the way we build cultures tends to challenge instead of support mental health. It seems reasonable to me that some just won't have the capacity to acclimate to life's constant challenges while others would prefer not to experience life anymore. Calling such people "mentally ill" is disingenuous.

I don't believe I'm "mentally ill." I believe I'm responding to my environment and life circumstances in ways that are anticipatable and common for human animals. It just happens that life isn't "aware" and so has no interest in providing things like justice, legal access and equity, or security--things many modern people, at least, have been conditioned to yearn for. If there were, as I think there should be, a painless, non-intimidating, nearly instant, widely available and affordable euthanasia means (like state clinics...), I'd never have made it out of my early 20's. And I feel no shame whatsoever about that.

I agree and I think the fields of psychology and psychiatry are both pseudosciences that have no concrete evidence other than just assertions, assumptions and subjective claims. As far as being mentally ill, I too, don't think that I am. I am also simply responding to the stimuli and my life experiences from day one until present day.

 

[Endless]

Yes! And I think me being suicidal has a lot to do with my mental illness. Having lived more of my life than not with bipolar disorder is a drain. It's a chronic, episodic illness and with every episode I feel myself getting closer to the edge. It's an absolutely exhausting illness that wears you down and I view suicide as the inevitable end, a kind of terminal illness (unless I get taken out by something unexpected first!)

 

[NoOneKnows]

considering my immediate enviroment throughout my formative years and the circumstances, I would be "mentally ill " (whatever that means) if I am not as affected as I am
- i feel bad that there are still so many of those falling for the fraud of psychiatry, as they screw it for the rest of us who have years of experiences with how this field operates (it took me years to realize it as well)
- for instance, people with debilitating chronic disease that is not going to kill you, but makes your life a living hell. I ve read plenty of studies on suicide, and they intentional suppress the informations about physical impairments of people with such conditions that killed themselves and intentionally accentuate and analyze MENTAL illness as the primary cause . Its obvious they are trying to stigmatized this, so no matter in what conditions you woul find yourself its NEVER and any circumstances ever a healthy state of mind to reach to conclusion to off yourself
- after my 1st ctb attempt ,they asked me my reasons, and as naive and inexperienced as I was I told them the truth. I named my health conditions that are chronic and untreatable and makes not a single day enjoyable and unable to move out from the abusive relative.
They are suppose to quote write down your thoughts as to determine your mental state at that time, they picked up some phrases,( when I read it I would think as well that person there was mad ). She replied it cant be that bad and that I look healthy to her. bang diagnosed me with paranoia, despite me having a tone of positive medical results+diagnosis.
- considering chronic "mental illness" as a reason to ctb - personally, If I d have mild depression throuthout my life, if I d be sad but not utterly miserable and no physical illness , being able somehow to function and being independent - I would never think of killing myself. I dotn need to be succesfull or even having family, i would just humble myself ,accept it and keep on going till I die low key
I dont know if this makes sense to anybody, just wanted to share my view .

 

[Armadillo]

I agree and I think the fields of psychology and psychiatry are both pseudosciences that have no concrete evidence other than just assertions, assumptions and subjective claims. As far as being mentally ill, I too, don't think that I am. I am also simply responding to the stimuli and my life experiences from day one until present day.

I kind of agree. I don't think those 2 disciplines are per se "pseudoscientific" but the approach surely is.
The brain is a thing, studying it is science, it's not the same thing as, for example, demonology, wich "studies" things that are not real.

I'd say that modern psychiatry is to scientific understanding of the human brain what alchemy is to chemistry.

Not to mention that religious like dogma are always a negative thing to scientific progress, and psychiatrists generally have some.
Take Galileo Galilei for example.
"The Earth revolves around the Sun"
"No, you can't say that 'cuz muh Bible".
Same thing for those charlatans.
"Suicide is sometimes the most rational solution"
"No, you can't say that 'cuz muh life is beautiful".

This is why I don't take diagnosis too seriously. Major depressive disorder for example, what do we know about it?
Well it seems to be correlated with
-abnormalities in the serotoninergic system
-abnormalities in the noradrenergic system
-abnormalities in the dopaminergic system
-abnormalities in the opioidergic system
-abnormalities in the glutamatergic system
-abnormalities in the GABAergic system
-some hormonal imbalances
-some genes that we don't really know what are there for
-lack of production of some chemicals like ademethionine
-inflammation
-abnormalities in the amygdala and hyppocampus
-trauma
-rejection
-isolation
-physical pain
-brain injury
-sunlight exposition
-diet
-sedentary life
-the fuckin' bacteria in your guts
-and a shitton of other things.

They're basically labelling hundreds of different things with the same name and act surprised when a medication that is supposed to fix a chemical imbalance that you may very well not have doesn't work.

FFS really, all the psychiatrists I've met are a bunch of buffoons.

 

[Letmego. Please]

Well countless shrinks say i have, multiple admissions where i have met some of the nicest people anywhere, who all seemed to agree that i was one of them.

I cannot deny, i am a few sandwiches short of a picnic.

 

[Philip]

I'm depressed and in pain, but I think the mentally ill people are who enjoy this pointless life.......the end is the same for everyone, so why not speed up the process? Makes sense to me.

 

[FaceOf]

I think so. Most of the time I'm depressed since I remember myself.

I have never been thinking about ctb so badly as now. I talk about it with everyone and I have feeling that soon I'll be in a psychiatric clinic.