does anyone have a family member who also has mental illness?

[Donk]

i remember when my brother confess to me that he attempted suicide twice. this was when i was in my teens. i was shocked. we didnt really share our feelings because we werent brought up that way. then things turn for the worst. he became really paranoid. he thought the family was conspirying against him. he locked himself in his room for days. we were so worried for him. he refused to take meds the doc prescribed because he thought nothing was wrong with him. he insisted that the family was the problem. it turns out he was diagnose with paranoid schzophrenia. there are other stories about my brother but i dont want to make this post too long. anyways...its already tough enough to deal with my own mental illness but makes it even harder to cope when someone i love dearly is going through as much or even more pain than myself. if i cant help myself then how can i support my brother? i always worry that if i ctb then it might encourage my brother to do it as well. thanks for reading this long ass post. for some reason i felt like writing this down.

 

[faust]

Now when I know a bit more about different diagnoses, I think that some of my relatives have problems with mental health and do not even realize.
At least it is hard for me to explain their behavior in a different way.
Ofc they will never accept something is wrong with them.

 

[PoisonedJuliet]

My mother suffered from depression her first year of college. I can tell that more members of my family have mental illness but we don't really open up about that. I have tons of friends who have mental illness though.

 

[SuiSqueeze92]

My dad had BPD and dealt with a lot of depression. I remember being little rubbing his "pressure washer cuts" that were actually done with a razor or times I couldn't see him because he was Baker acted. It's weird when you grow up and then learn after the fact, but after his suicide she wanted me to know some truths. Now she sees himself in me and it scares her to death.

 

[Notwinnernotawin]

My mom has depression, now that I look back I guess she's been with this condition since I was born. And life and people decided to great her awfully so it only for worse. Most of my close relatives have either depression and/or anxiety disorders.

 

[SleeplessSoul]

My mum has BPD and was sectioned when I was around 5. My aunt has bipolar. I guess she's not technically my family anymore but my ex-fiancée has BPD.

 

[rntmss]

My mother and her sister both suffer from depression.
Their mother is a serious alcoholic.

Some would argue that it isn't a mental illness, but my paternal grandmother used the church as as excuse to lie to the police about my aunt's husband (will never call him my uncle) molesting my cousins. Said she lied to investigators because she would "go to hell" for "betraying her family". Brainwashed old bag... whatever secrets she had died with her.

 

[Worthless_nobody]

Mom, grandma and Aunt all have depression and some anxiety and ocd. Dad has Asperger's. I came out with all of it and ptsd and bpd too. That's why I chose to not have children I don't want them to suffer like me.

 

[hybridtheory]

nope. i'm the only one in my entire family who deals with mental illness, makes me feel like a freak.
is that even normal? where did it even come from

 

[terry_a_davis]

he refused to take meds the doc prescribed because he thought nothing was wrong with him. he insisted that the family was the problem. it turns out he was diagnose with paranoid schzophrenia.
anyways...its already tough enough to deal with my own mental illness but makes it even harder to cope when someone i love dearly is going through as much or even more pain than myself. if i cant help myself then how can i support my brother?

Hello there, my brother is paranoid schizophrenic too and refuses to take meds and believes there is nothing wrong with him. I'm also schizophrenic but have no positive symptoms thanks to meds. there's not a lot we can do if they don't realise they are ill and won't take meds. not nice to see them suffering is it and it effects the other members of the family.

 

[Checkmate64]

My uncles and aunts on my mum side all have mental health issues like bipolar and personality disorders. My mum deffo has issues but refuses to admit it or deal with severe trauma from her childhood and there's no way of convincing her to get help, she just goes "oh the past is the past" but some of the things she's been through I'm like you need to talk to someone about that, idk..

 

[dubio]

My grandmother is bipolar and was recently admitted for a third time. I haven't seen her in over a month because of the pandemic.

 

[Tiedie]

I am schizoeffective and so is my twin sister. When dealing with her when she is having flare ups all I can do is listen to her entirely before trying to get her back intouch with reality. When I'm having an episode I just want someone to listen to my thoughts without fear of being locked away. Listening is so important.

 

[toomuchtimetodie]

Depends what you define as mentally ill... Some have undiagnosed OCD, delusions of grandeur, some psychopathic traits.

 

[Rockman]

Full of illnesses. Uncle was huge drug addict and committed suicide. Parents and grandparents in narcissstic abuse & dependent tango. Granddad was huge alkoholic. Half of father family was in psychiatric hospital. Didnt know about majority until i was serious suicidal.

 

[TimeToBiteTheDust]

Yes. My grandparents are depressive. My parents aren't or I don't know. But I knos my grandparents take medications. I am a fucking depressive guy. I wish I could get out of this world. And I just found out my zodiac sign (pisces) is the most easily depressive.

 

[Genetics]

i remember when my brother confess to me that he attempted suicide twice. this was when i was in my teens. i was shocked. we didnt really share our feelings because we werent brought up that way. then things turn for the worst. he became really paranoid. he thought the family was conspirying against him. he locked himself in his room for days. we were so worried for him. he refused to take meds the doc prescribed because he thought nothing was wrong with him. he insisted that the family was the problem. it turns out he was diagnose with paranoid schzophrenia. there are other stories about my brother but i dont want to make this post too long. anyways...its already tough enough to deal with my own mental illness but makes it even harder to cope when someone i love dearly is going through as much or even more pain than myself. if i cant help myself then how can i support my brother? i always worry that if i ctb then it might encourage my brother to do it as well. thanks for reading this long ass post. for some reason i felt like writing this down.

My paternal grandmother was reported to be manic depressive, what we call bi-polar now, but she died when I was quite young. My dad, I'm sure, was bi-polar, he committed suicide in 2013. My cousin murdered her husband and killed herself in 1992 (he was abusive but I'm sure she had mental health problems, too), I have borderline personality disorder, bi-polar 1, major depression. My little brother had the signs of narcissism.

 

[MissKatrina]

Yes, but they're in denial. They're religious and pass it off as divine experiences and divine gifts from God and are encouraged by their family. Also a lot of undiagnosed depression.

 

[Genetics]

Yes, but they're in denial. They're religious and pass it off as divine experiences and divine gifts from God and are encouraged by their family. Also a lot of undiagnosed depression.

I know this will probably anger a lot of people but here I go.

I think, MHO, that those that follow organized religions are have mental illnesses. If I told you I believed that there was an all powerful man living in the sky and I talk to him all the time and he answers me. What would you think? I would think that person is has a psychosis (hearing voices, seeing things, unusual beliefs).

I don't mean people with spirituality.

 

[cattalk610]

I know my mother had a depression during her divorced about 15 years ago... She tried to kill herself in front of me. But now she's still here. And somehow, but i'm not surprised, she has absolutely zero empathy about my depression and the fact that i'm suicidal. She even kicked me out lol. Yet she doesn't see the problem of it. She might be a lil crazy ..

 

[MissKatrina]

I know this will probably anger a lot of people but here I go.

I think, MHO, that those that follow organized religions are have mental illnesses. If I told you I believed that there was an all powerful man living in the sky and I talk to him all the time and he answers me. What would you think? I would think that person is has a psychosis (hearing voices, seeing things, unusual beliefs).

I don't mean people with spirituality.

I completely see your point. I wouldn't go as far as calling it a mental illness yet. I imagine those terms are a lot more carefully used in the field of psychiatry. But I do agree some of them should be, especially the founders of these religions are likely mentally ill. Why is one person who calls himself the son of God, blessed and another institutionalised or called a "mad man"? It's just charisma and social standing that makes the difference.

I still believe people are not mentally ill because they believe in an omnipotent being in the sky. Comes from a lack of education, ignorance, being too caught up in the world to think and encouragement of belief taught by your parents and loved ones and in many countries your teachers and the government. It's hard not to believe if it's the first thing you know. Plus disbelief is still punishable by death in many countries.

I do however, look forward to a time where no religion becomes dominant and religious folk are as rare as the people that believe vaccines cause Autism. Noise that not many see, but are aware and disapproved of for existing. Will probably be long past I'm alive, but it's a dream of mine. :)

 

[Poptart]

My mother is Bipolar. My brothers are bipolar. My sister is bipolar. I'm bipolar. Annnnddd my little brother? Perfectly normal.

 

[alice-in-wonderland]

My mom has god knows what. She would say someone swapped her costumes, dresses with cheaper copy. I asked her not to tell me this anymore because it hurts.

 

[awfullife]

Dad has anxiety / depression. Mom was probably BPD. Dad recovered alcoholic. I'm fucked up with depression / recovered alcoholism. I've had one psychotic break that lasted a couple of months. My kids are probly fucked. They are too young to explain it to them. Surprise kids mom is undiagnosed BPD.

 

[Nymph]

Yeah my dad's side family all have mental health issues. I know my dad has and my dad's mom but I haven't met the rest of his family. I basically inherited everything

 

[PDAnnie2610]

Mother's brother had bipolar 1. An aunt had mood issues as well as her older daughter. I've had bipolar 2 (in remission??) and borderline personality.

 

[nihilism44]

My mom has schizoaffective disorder. It's a pretty rare illness, so there's not a whole lot known about it. From what I've read/experienced, I would describe it as bipolar disorder with terrible episodes of psychosis. She's attempted suicide a couple times, and I have been watching her decline since I was a kid. There's not much left of her now. It's definitely traumatized me, but I don't blame her at all. I feel horrible for her. I'm also diagnosed with bipolar II, and I'm terrified of developing psychosis. I have watched her go through hell. My dad has terrible anxiety/depression and alcoholism. I'm a product of both, I guess I was destined to be this way lol.

 

[Largeletters]

Many. It's pretty much hereditary.

 

[Breadbfra]

My dad developed depression after covid. My mom has an insane good mental health but I guess I had to inherit my dad's side. My cousin also has seasonal depression

 

[loopylou]

Almost my entire Maternal side of my family are sick