How has mental illness affected your life?

I can't be the only one whose been in an adolescent unit am I?

I can only describe mental illness as a heavy weight just following you around everywhere and it never goes away fully unless you manage to sleep.

yeah i had OCD for nearly 5 years and mine was more obsessive thoughts, intrunsive thinking etc.
1st week envolved me writting what happens when i have those thoughts. Why i was anxious about it, rating the anxiety from 1 being (im bored) to 10 being full blown panic attack (im scared of death). I probably spent most of my time at around 6/7.
I write what im anxious about it, how i feel. And some time later come and explain it logically when im calmer.
Example you probably get the "what if..." thoughts, eg what if i start to hear voices 8, my life would be ruined, etc.. When i'm calmer on and offer a logical explaination, which in most of the time was because i had been reading a LOT about mental illness.

Then moved on to changing the way i thought, i.e "what if.." consciously think it over but "worser" think yes it can actually happening to me, and so what if it happens.

Its complicated to explain to but the basis of the whole thing it to think "so what..."
Example of pure CBT: you're scared of dogs,
See an police dog attack someone
Play with an aggressive dog in its cage whilst you're outside wearing a protective suit.
When you're comfortable, play in an enclosed space
The dog gets out of the cage whilst you wearing the suit.
Whe you're comfortable graudally remove your suit
Play with the dog in an enclosed space
All this someone talking to you explaining that they are some aggressive dogs, but they are very rare. Dogs will attack you if you behave in a certain manner. Also this dog that clearly knows how to attack is trained to attack criminals. Problem with OCD is we like to control everything, and behaving according to the "dog" does bode very well.

Thats the best way i could explain it.. feel free to pm if you want.

Well I had to leave uni in my final year, but I only have my dissertation to finish no exams so I'm just slowing going at it taking chunks out of it when I can Job wise it's not a worry, I have plenty of money (I like to hoard it rather than spend) and I live at home now where I see my local psychiatric services. Have a long term girlfriend, she's pretty understanding so when I get paranoid and don't speak to anyone for days at a time it's not a problem she's there for the days when I'm not feeling quite so bad

Triggers... well there's not being on medication Pretty big and major trigger if I stop medication it all returns within weeks. But what started it all off I have no idea, some people are just susceptible I think.

I don't mind the questions so don't worry

Thanks again for your post.
How long did it take you to get CBT? I've been waiting for about a month now... Did you go to a doctor originally and they diagnosed you?
I know what you mean about reading a lot on mental illnesses etc...because of my OCD and Anxiety, I have been thinking I've got schizophrenia etc and blowing things way out of proportion... so i've stopped googling stuff online as my mind will run away with me.

How is the treatment going for you now?

Does anybody self harm/know anyone who does? According to statistics it's very common but I've never even seen it come up on tsr or anything.

First and foremost is stop reading anything about mental health because it only makes it worse.
i went to the uni counsellor who said it was not uncommon, i work in a hosipital so i managed to speak to one of the psychitrists on an informal basis who then went on to recomend this therapist.
I had the exact same thing as you. I couldnt wait for NHS cause it would've been too long, so i went private. It was £60 ph and took about 10 sessions. The therapists had been doing it for 15-20 years, and was accrediated by all the necessary bodies. but prior to that i had tried about 3 different therapists but just didnt "gel" with them.
Started in mid May and by July I was finished, and havent felt the need to go back to my therapist.
My suggestion is to see you G.P and see what s/he says, tell them about CBT & they may be able to do something for you, just that my GP is utter cr*p

I come from a stable and supportive family; my 'madness' doesn't seem to have any direct link to anything in my past! Is anyone else in this situation?

Wow only 10 sessions, that's awesome. Are you a med student then if you work at a hospital?
I've been waiting a bit over month to hear from my GP and could probably be waiting for quite some time. What would you recommend me doing to get private therapy sessions? Bupa etc?
Also, how severe was your OCD or was it a mild form to be treated in only 10 sessions?

Thanks man

Hmmm its hard sometimes but I try not to let my condition become who I am. Not many people know I suffer from depression ( mainly my mum and close friend at Uni). My friend was suprised because I seemed so happy and friendly all the time to people, she didnt believe me at first but when she saw me one morning after Id done a night of non-stop crying she knew.

My depression has affected my relationships with some people when it gets more sever (especially when I start comparing myself to my friends and avoiding them) but most of the time things are fine but I find it really hard to trust people in general. Also I dont want to get into a relationship because of it and I find it hard eating out when I get panic attacks.
Im finally getting help for it though and hopefully things will improve.

Erm depression certainly has.I used to have it quite severely (breaking down in tears randomly,sleeping and sleeping plus other stuff) and tbh I don't think I've ever really ''recovered'' from it. I don't feel excitement much and if I do it doesn't last long, and I'm never ''truly'' happy, also little things can upset me for days and days. I think I'll always be pre-disposed to it, but I've learnt to manage it a lot better and identify things that are bringing me down. I used to not be able to focus on things and would sleep a hell of a lot, or stay awake for hours on end, but I now I just have a few days feeling down and then start pulling myself together.
This time of the year always makes me remember when I had it.

That sounds like me. Or the last 3 years of my life. Though I do try to pull myself together.
I'm rarely truly happy, and if I am. It goes away quite quickly!