How has mental illness affected your life?

Yeah I'll have a chat with them. Tbh, my self harm isn't that bad and I haven't actually been diagnosed with depression so the only thing my GP would have to tell the army in the medical forms is that I had a previous history of self harm. But yeah, I'll talk it over with my recruiting office. Thanks for the reply

Gosh, I'd forgotten about this thread.

So far 10 weeks of psychotic episode and no sign of it ending anytime soon. My meds have been increased and I've been given a new diagnosis of nonspecific psychotic disorder. Nonspecific coz I'm that special and confusing. Urgh

Gosh, I'd forgotten about this thread.

So far 10 weeks of psychotic episode and no sign of it ending anytime soon. My meds have been increased and I've been given a new diagnosis of nonspecific psychotic disorder. Nonspecific coz I'm that special and confusing. Urgh

I hope you get better.

Ouch. As a prospective psychiatrist wannabe, you must be seriously unique and confusing to warrant a diagnosis like that!

Suddenly the "rapid cycling" tag to my bipolar doesn't seem like such a curse, at least things like that don't drag on for quite so long. o.O

I seriously hope you get better soon, I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Thanks




Yeah, they don't really know what to make of or do with me. On the plus side they're fairly sure it's not bipolar or schizophrenia (which was what I feared).

I dunno, "rapid cycling" bipolar sounds like my idea of hell. 10 weeks is annoyingly long but the last episode I had was six months, so it could be far worse. I don't think I'll ever be that ill again though. It was horrendous. I don't even remember most of it now

Well, I suppose that's something. Still, I suppose the name they put on it is largely irrelevant to us; all we care about is trying to stay as sane as possible, right?

It's certainly not pleasant. I spent the last 3/4 days in a pretty terrible dysphoric mania, and that almost finished me. I can't even imagine being acutely ill for 6 months (I mean, I've been depressed for longer stretches than that, but somehow it's not quite the same).

I know exactly what you mean. I remember pretty much nothing from my manic episodes. I suppose that's probably my brain doing me a favour, to be honest.

*hugs*

Well the fact that it's not as severe as schizophrenia means I feel able to trust my convictions a bit more than I might have done otherwise. Schizophrenia seems a much scarier label

That must have been horrible for you Yeah, I think it's the brain's way of protecting us I told my therapist that I want to remember and she questioned whether it's important to remember and I guess for the most part it's not

That's true. I know for at least a month after my bathroom splintered into a million shards of glass I had to check everything I was seeing with my girlfriend, "just to make sure". It's not cool doubting everything you perceive, amirite?

It's definitely the worst state I can end up in. Thankfully they don't last too long, though. I'm certainly feeling the effects now I'm back on the planet again; 3 hours of sleep in the last 96 takes its toll!

I know I'd definitely rather forget some of the things I've done while manic.

Had depression/bipolar since i was 11, it made school difficult, i struggled though uni (though eventually graduated). I've lost friends, relationships and jobs because of it. It caused me to hurt myself. It's made me suicidal and i've nearly succeded in taking my own life several times. Its put stress and worry on my family. Its led to me currently being unable to work.

In short its made life a lot more difficult than it ever needed to be.

Woah, that's very little sleep I hope you manage to catch up on lots soon

In short its made life a lot more difficult than it ever needed to be.

When I talked to the RAF recruitment office, they told me that they won't accept anyone who's had more than 2 distinct "phases" of self-harm. I didn't think that was very clear to be honest, but I knew I was well above that so didn't bother following it up. Anyway, I don't know if it's the same for the Army, but that may be of some help?

Confusing... Does that mean that they won't accept someone who's self harmed more than once or someone who's self harmed then stopped then self harmed and stopped?

I've been to my GP twice about it but I don't think they could class it as 2 distinct phases as the first was to talk and I was told to come back a few months later (which I did and I was better) so I think it'll be fine.

Gosh, I'd forgotten about this thread.

So far 10 weeks of psychotic episode and no sign of it ending anytime soon. My meds have been increased and I've been given a new diagnosis of nonspecific psychotic disorder. Nonspecific coz I'm that special and confusing. Urgh

I've suffered from pretty severe OCD for five years now; it crushed myself confidence and made me a pretty messed up individual.

Only now am I kind of coming to terms with the fact that I really do need help (taken long enough)..and I'm so tired of having to pretend everything's okay- I daren't moan about it incase I annoy people.

My parents still don't know but I hate to admit I can't help but feel ashamed and embarassed even though I know I shouldn't.

Anyway, I'm interested in how people handle it whether it's yourself or someone you know.

I think that there should be more of an emphasis on recognising mental illnesses because in my experience nobody really talks about them because they're kind of invisible if you get what I mean and my parents have often just labelled me as a 'hormonal' teenager :/

May I ask what sort of symptoms you get with your psychosis and whether or not you are consciously aware of them being unusual or out of the ordinary when they occur?

Sorry if I seem incredibly blunt by asking, it's rare that I come across other people with experience of psychosis thus I like to get their perspective on it, what it's like, how it impacts upon them, etc.

You don't have to answer if you don't want to, or you could reply by PM. Either way it'd be nice to hear of your experiences and how you cope with them

Depression, anxiety, chronically low/no self esteem and self harming here.

*waves to all*

Currently awaiting to see a pyschiatrist, not looking forward to that at all, and on 10mg of cipralex.