D. Armenta
PlagmanLend me your beers and I'll sing you a song
Hello all you beautiful Aussies, Newzies, Hosers and Yanks! I'm back, and this time I'm signed in. I peeked in on some of you whenever I could, but it didn't count for diddley since I wasn't on my computer and had limited access.
Well, I've got news. I have now joined the elite 19% of the world's population who have (cue up ominous chord) ~~a mental illness~~ omigawd!!
Yep, I have been officially diagnosed with manic depression. I've since learned that there are hundreds of different flavors of depression..for awhile there everyone's money was on good ol' garden variety chronic depression; then the odds were on dysthymia, which hung in there for a long time. Neither quite fit. Many CAT scans and dumb questions and drug experiments later, they've finally hit on it.
At least it's a cool one..Jimi Hendrix wrote about it. "Dysthymia" sounds like something some putz like Jewel would write about, all open strumming on an acoustic guitar with unicorns and rainbows and shit.
Manic Depression. Yeah, I like the sound of that.
Actually, I've had it for years; I just didn't realise it wasn't normal. Freakishly energetic highs, bursting with creative and physical energy, life of the party, all that bit. Then---crash!! Weeks of lethargy, dragging around, lying in the bed all day. Hiding from friends and not answering the phone. Hiding on breaks while playing somewhere--the thought of talking to people just made me panic. Then black black times, the kind where you thoughtfully and methodically review ways to kill yourself. Of course I didn't--it would kill my Mum, and there's no way I'd do that to her. But I still fantasized about it, staying up all night and drinking large amounts of alcohol...
Why am I telling you all of this? How should I know? I'm mentally ill!! Haven't you been paying attention?
Just kidding. Actually I'm spilling because I also have learned that the whole thing has got a bad stigma attached to it. I'm doing my bit to dispel that by giving you all a golden opportunity here: I'm opening up the forum to any and all questions. Don't be shy..ask away. The sooner people find out the facts about it the better off we'll all be. So... Ask a nutter!! Get the straight dope right from the crazyhorse's mouth!
Just to get things rolling, I'll start with a few of the more common beliefs that are totally bullshit:
-The meds we take are not "happy pills". Those are reserved for the dangerously and violently insane. The meds are generally SSRIs, or the newer SNRIs. They regulate specific hormones that are absorbed by the brain. They don't change your personality and they don't make you a zombie.
-Not all of us need psycho docs. I don't. My problem is a simple chemical imbalance in the brain, not repressed horrors from childhood. Some do have those and go to see a therapist every so often. Big deal. How many people unload on their bartender? Pretty much the same thing, except the psycho doc is trained to identify whether or not you need meds, and what specific kind of problem you have. Also, the bartender doesn't charge as much and gives you beer.
-Intelligence is not affected. I tested 147 on the standard I.Q. exam while on my current meds.
Okay, questions? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
P.S.-PMs are welcome if you don't want to post publicly.
Well, I've got news. I have now joined the elite 19% of the world's population who have (cue up ominous chord) ~~a mental illness~~ omigawd!!
Yep, I have been officially diagnosed with manic depression. I've since learned that there are hundreds of different flavors of depression..for awhile there everyone's money was on good ol' garden variety chronic depression; then the odds were on dysthymia, which hung in there for a long time. Neither quite fit. Many CAT scans and dumb questions and drug experiments later, they've finally hit on it.
At least it's a cool one..Jimi Hendrix wrote about it. "Dysthymia" sounds like something some putz like Jewel would write about, all open strumming on an acoustic guitar with unicorns and rainbows and shit.
Manic Depression. Yeah, I like the sound of that.
Actually, I've had it for years; I just didn't realise it wasn't normal. Freakishly energetic highs, bursting with creative and physical energy, life of the party, all that bit. Then---crash!! Weeks of lethargy, dragging around, lying in the bed all day. Hiding from friends and not answering the phone. Hiding on breaks while playing somewhere--the thought of talking to people just made me panic. Then black black times, the kind where you thoughtfully and methodically review ways to kill yourself. Of course I didn't--it would kill my Mum, and there's no way I'd do that to her. But I still fantasized about it, staying up all night and drinking large amounts of alcohol...
Why am I telling you all of this? How should I know? I'm mentally ill!! Haven't you been paying attention?
Just kidding. Actually I'm spilling because I also have learned that the whole thing has got a bad stigma attached to it. I'm doing my bit to dispel that by giving you all a golden opportunity here: I'm opening up the forum to any and all questions. Don't be shy..ask away. The sooner people find out the facts about it the better off we'll all be. So... Ask a nutter!! Get the straight dope right from the crazyhorse's mouth!
Just to get things rolling, I'll start with a few of the more common beliefs that are totally bullshit:
-The meds we take are not "happy pills". Those are reserved for the dangerously and violently insane. The meds are generally SSRIs, or the newer SNRIs. They regulate specific hormones that are absorbed by the brain. They don't change your personality and they don't make you a zombie.
-Not all of us need psycho docs. I don't. My problem is a simple chemical imbalance in the brain, not repressed horrors from childhood. Some do have those and go to see a therapist every so often. Big deal. How many people unload on their bartender? Pretty much the same thing, except the psycho doc is trained to identify whether or not you need meds, and what specific kind of problem you have. Also, the bartender doesn't charge as much and gives you beer.
-Intelligence is not affected. I tested 147 on the standard I.Q. exam while on my current meds.
Okay, questions? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
P.S.-PMs are welcome if you don't want to post publicly.
youranter
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opinionatedranter
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I wondered where you'd been, IQ, perhaps I should try some of those pills.
katyzzz
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katyzzz: Sorry, we're out of strawberry..you can have Pina Colada or Trail mix flavour, haha! I'm partial to Watermelon, myself.
Interesting note about the I.Q.-it's always varied between 135-145, dropping to the lower numbers as I got into my late 20s..which bugged the hell out of me. I've since discovered that now, with my concentration at a normal level, the score is back up--plus 2!
Aimzster, you gorgeous creature! Not brave--just indignant. Don't want to see others suffer due to the load of crap that's passed around about depression; also don't want to see others waste 30 years in denial and suffering like I did..that's most of my life!
Wasn't trying to boast about I.Q., by the way--I think the tests are inconclusive anyway--but I did want to point out that depressed/mentally ill people are not "retarded", another lie that's been fostered.
Thanks you guys! I'm so glad to read you all again...
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
Great post - love when people can admit to what`s wrong... and with a sense of humour. It`s like you get diagnosed with something like this and people reckon it may be catchy.
I used to be on 'happy pills' - yeah right! They sound like a drug addicts wonderland... but as you say all they do is level out those trippy chemicals to the normal level... c'est tout!
Glad you have found that inner maniac... it`s always fun to let her out now and again... ya know give everyone something new to talk about behind those raised hands, maybe sneeze over them every now and again and watch them scrutinize for the crazy bugs.
Good on ya D!
ash
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
Thanks for backing up that "happy pill" fact--that seems to be one of the most popular misconceptions...
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
Sheesh.
Infognito
CONGRATS on finding out what was wrong!!
The first step to any recovery is identifying the problem.
I too suffer from a mental illness, chronic depression, and do have some aspects of manic depression as well, but not by the usual standards, as I have had friends who were extremely manic depressed, and when they go into a high...watch out...its a real ride and a half!
Although, I wrote my opera in three days...non stop...so maybe there is a little of the manic in me...tee hee....and yes I got it produced and staged and it was well received.
However, there are so many levels of affect in various forms of depressive and manic illness.
And it is fantastic that you have 'come out' so to speak.
When one looks at society, there is little evidence that proves we are of a minority...in fact, it would appear that 'mental illness' is by far the norm for human beings.
I would not give mine away for anything, as I use it to create, which is probably what you have been doing.
It is also nice to see you that recognized you were self medicating, the booze, as this is very common before people know what is wrong.
Openness brings relief and freedom, and anyone who rejects us, are not worthy of thought, nor inclusion in our lives, in the first place!!
cheers and no jeers!
fog
P.S.
IQ tests can be fun, for the ego if you score high, but, they are but one small measure of one's intelligence, as you would well know D. and you could join MENSA if you wished, might be fun...you could prick some egos there...tee hee!!!
P.P.S.
By the way, anyone else reading this who feels like they are a dummy, (coz they don't have a high IQ score) do not fear, there are many tests which deal with the wider scope of intellect that do not involve maths, for instance, and measure your creative genius, which is what it all really is about, not just how fast you think.
P.P.S.
and D I know you are brilliant...your domain name suggestion is top of my list so far! hehe!!
fond foggy thoughts to you!
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
And yes, to reiterate--there are so many different kinds of intelligence, the standard I.Q. test doesn't really delve deeply enough to convince me it's of much use.
Mensa? Nahhhh!! I'm not that insecure...
Infognito
yes, I know what you mean about MENSA!!
Your comment made me giggle...BUT....I would love to see someone spoil their ludicrous self delusion....well not all of them are like that I guess, I've known a few, and at the end of the day, it really is all about ego, and maybe impressing a potential employer!
anyhoo, I look forward to hearing about how you educate the ignorant!!
I can almost hear you strumming away, thinking of lyrics and a tune to uplift the marginalized and inform the unaware.
cheers lovely
fog
youranter
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opinionatedranter
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Infognito
one must learn to read between my lines...and know where humour lurks to prick the egoist's balloon....
and anyhoo, amongst all herds there eventuates a leader...usually better than any other, if history is anything to go by...
so there you go...you are, by your own admission, in the lotto for leader...
but would you be sagacious enough to rule with equilibrium, between the 'burgomasters' and the burger eaters?
Oh, and thanks for the first interaction with me!
Pity you had nothing positive to say, and more of a pity you completely missed the point of my musings!!
cheers and 'McDees' to you!!
fog
youranter
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opinionatedranter
Tales From The Green Lantern
Take care and be well.
Infognito
I wasn't suggesting you were...
Just be honest and say what you feel.
Well I am, and I did!! If you could have been bothered to read it properly you can easily and plainly see I am attacking the ego of MENSA people, not you, not D, not anyone here! and it was a JOKE....
As for me not saying anything positive, please read my first comment. I don't know how you missed it.
Again you missed what I was plainly referring to...that this was our first interaction, not the nice things you said to D, and in your interaction with me, you only picked on a supposed negative, which was a misinterpretation of what I was saying in the first place.
NO MATTER....alls well that ends...well...who knows!!
fog
The Tube Blog
That made me laugh!
Well done, D - on every level... getting checked out, dealing with it well, and doing what you can to de-stigmatise (if that's not a word, it should be).
And although I haven't been around much - welcome back
Hat's off - looking forward to more music....?
Mum's Word
But seriously now, I've heard that manic depressive people actually resist medication because the highs are so unbelievable that enduring the lows are worth it. What say you?
Love & stuff
Mrs M
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
Unfortunately (and I didn't know this) as the condition "matures" the highs get fewer and farther between, while the lows are daily. You keep hanging on and hoping for the next manic episode, but it becomes rarer as you get older--then, when it does come you try and jam everything you've missed into those few days and end up prostrate with fatigue when it ends!
After awhile, you realize that a good steady flow of normal energy beats that occasional manic episode. Kind of like being addicted, if you think about it..
As an interesting side note, bipolar people are the most notorious for resisting meds..so I could be a lot worse off!
Thank you so much for asking and visiting, Mrs. M!! I always enjoy reading your stuff. Tell that middle finger guy he's missed, too!
Thanks, yoda ; )
Fog, Ranter--I love you guys--you both have good points to make, you just arrive by different roads! Mensa solicited me years ago, but to quote the immortal Groucho Marx, "I would never belong to a club that wants me as a member"...
Celebrity Obsession
You're so right about mental illness not being linked to intelligence at all. My best friend is bi-polar. And she has her PhD. I remember her telling me about one time when she was in the hospital and was telling her doctor about her thesis (she was in immobiologist or something like that.....worked on flu virus for the World Health Organisation) and her doctor turned to one of his students and said "see, she doesn't know what she's talking about, she's not making sense". As my friend told me, she knew exactly what she was saying, the dumbass just didn't understand her thesis!!!
I studied psychology at university, but dealing with my friend when she had her psychotic episodes was the first time I had hands on experience. It was kind of weird....she was delusional. But within a couple of minutes of being at the hospital with her, I went along with it and it was fine. Now, it's just a part of her. Sometimes she's kookier than others. I don't think anything of it anymore.
The brain is such a complex organ. The slightest chemical imbalance can mean real problems. So many people still think that to suffer from a mental illness you must be 'weak' or have something wrong with you. They don't get that more often than not it's simply chemical. Nothing anyone could have done to prevent it.
Kylie
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
But imagine the affect a statement like that would have on an insecure kid..devastating.
Rucks and Rolls
Rugby World Cup 2007
It's the 147(percantile) more than the 19(percent) that's messing with my little head...but it all makes perfect sense to me.
I very much appreciate your wit-eral dextrity, candour and humour and the simple and succinct telling of what is a complex truth.
One does not have to be traumatized to suffer.
And I love that you don't suffer fools!
...you're quite something D Armenta...
2 thumps up
Dusk
ps. and I have no idea how Google traslated this!
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
Aw shoot, I.Q. tests are so much
horseshitorganic fertilizer anyway. I place no value on them..and I fart in the general direction of pretentious little societies that feed each others' egos (for a nominal service charge, of course) based on an archaic test.I should go to a MENSA meeting, like Fog said--there are so many fun things I can think of to mess with their heads..."Hello, I'm Dana; 147. Hey, pull my finger will ya?" HAHAhahaha!
Thanks for reading my post and leaving a comment, interesting posts you have written and hard to know what to say at present, which is unsual for me.
take care
Averageguy/kiwiauthor