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Forums - General - Is being Bipolar and Depressed the new medical epidemic of our time?

theprof00 on 28 March 2013
pokoko said:
We're talking about real disorders, but they are only part of the problem.

My sister was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, and yeah, she's the real thing. Paranoia, unpredictable mood swings, long periods where she won't get out of bed or wash her dishes. I let her move in temporarily for what was supposed to be a few weeks when she got evicted but that turned into a few years, most of which was spent on the couch. Believe me, I know. However, she's also obsessed with mental disorders. She's something of a hypochondriac, as before she professed to having everything under the sun, but then I made the mistake of letting her borrow my Abnormal Psychology textbook. Now she analyzes EVERYONE, and everyone is supposedly mentally unstable.

The big problem, though, the real problem, is that her mental illness has become her shield and her crutch. She hides behind it to escape any and all blame or responsibility. She is constantly angry with everyone, especially her family, for not "understanding" her--never mind that she makes no effort to understand anyone else. We're all supposed to bend over backwards because she is mentally ill. She once wrote a letter threatening to keep her daughter away from my mother and everyone else because we are all a "sick and unhealthy family". The irony is sad beyond words.

Mental problems, for some, has become the new entitlement of choice. It lets those who want to take advantage milk it for all it's worth, to escape any repercussions for anything they've said or done. In their eyes, it lets them demand everything from other people, to demand sympathy and special treatment.

That's the part that annoys me, along with health professionals assigning blame to everyone else around the patient. I mean no offense to those who do not behave this way. It's those who see having a mental disorder as their own personal "get out of jail free" card that need to wake up.

lol who are these shadows you're pointing fingers at?? Who "gets away" with stuff for having mental problems?



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pokoko on 28 March 2013
theprof00 said:
pokoko said:
We're talking about real disorders, but they are only part of the problem.

My sister was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, and yeah, she's the real thing. Paranoia, unpredictable mood swings, long periods where she won't get out of bed or wash her dishes. I let her move in temporarily for what was supposed to be a few weeks when she got evicted but that turned into a few years, most of which was spent on the couch. Believe me, I know. However, she's also obsessed with mental disorders. She's something of a hypochondriac, as before she professed to having everything under the sun, but then I made the mistake of letting her borrow my Abnormal Psychology textbook. Now she analyzes EVERYONE, and everyone is supposedly mentally unstable.

The big problem, though, the real problem, is that her mental illness has become her shield and her crutch. She hides behind it to escape any and all blame or responsibility. She is constantly angry with everyone, especially her family, for not "understanding" her--never mind that she makes no effort to understand anyone else. We're all supposed to bend over backwards because she is mentally ill. She once wrote a letter threatening to keep her daughter away from my mother and everyone else because we are all a "sick and unhealthy family". The irony is sad beyond words.

Mental problems, for some, has become the new entitlement of choice. It lets those who want to take advantage milk it for all it's worth, to escape any repercussions for anything they've said or done. In their eyes, it lets them demand everything from other people, to demand sympathy and special treatment.

That's the part that annoys me, along with health professionals assigning blame to everyone else around the patient. I mean no offense to those who do not behave this way. It's those who see having a mental disorder as their own personal "get out of jail free" card that need to wake up.

lol who are these shadows you're pointing fingers at?? Who "gets away" with stuff for having mental problems?

I ... just told you?  Right there in the text?  Should I use more question marks?



theprof00 on 28 March 2013
pokoko said:
theprof00 said:
pokoko said:
We're talking about real disorders, but they are only part of the problem.

My sister was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, and yeah, she's the real thing. Paranoia, unpredictable mood swings, long periods where she won't get out of bed or wash her dishes. I let her move in temporarily for what was supposed to be a few weeks when she got evicted but that turned into a few years, most of which was spent on the couch. Believe me, I know. However, she's also obsessed with mental disorders. She's something of a hypochondriac, as before she professed to having everything under the sun, but then I made the mistake of letting her borrow my Abnormal Psychology textbook. Now she analyzes EVERYONE, and everyone is supposedly mentally unstable.

The big problem, though, the real problem, is that her mental illness has become her shield and her crutch. She hides behind it to escape any and all blame or responsibility. She is constantly angry with everyone, especially her family, for not "understanding" her--never mind that she makes no effort to understand anyone else. We're all supposed to bend over backwards because she is mentally ill. She once wrote a letter threatening to keep her daughter away from my mother and everyone else because we are all a "sick and unhealthy family". The irony is sad beyond words.

Mental problems, for some, has become the new entitlement of choice. It lets those who want to take advantage milk it for all it's worth, to escape any repercussions for anything they've said or done. In their eyes, it lets them demand everything from other people, to demand sympathy and special treatment.

That's the part that annoys me, along with health professionals assigning blame to everyone else around the patient. I mean no offense to those who do not behave this way. It's those who see having a mental disorder as their own personal "get out of jail free" card that need to wake up.

lol who are these shadows you're pointing fingers at?? Who "gets away" with stuff for having mental problems?

I ... just told you?  Right there in the text?  Should I use more question marks?

lol YOU'RE the one enabling her! If that's what you mean by 'people taking advantage', then please kill yourself. ;P

EDIT: I figured you had actual examples, but you didn't which is why I asked. Your only example is a sister who you enable, and are saying all society does that, I guess. But what do they do? Not slap them when they're acting up? Hold a door open for them? What are these grievances?



HesAPooka on 28 March 2013
pezus said:

They're real disorders, if that's what you're wondering. One of the major reasons why they're becoming more apparent now than they were is that they are more accepted now as real disorders/diseases and there's not as much stigma around them.

They're worse than HIV/aids in the West, I agree. It's really amazing to see just how much the treatment for it (aids) has advanced. 20-30 years ago, being diagnosed with HIV was a death sentence, really. Now they can live like a normal person almost as long, if not as long, as people who don't have it.


They are real disorders but I think they are mainly caused by the really poor life styles most people have these days along with processed foods that promote hormonal problems. Most peoples minds are always on the go these days what with t.v, computers, phones, cell phones, e-mail, and a constant bombardment of electrical stimulation which leads to stress ---> lack of sleep ----> lack of exercise ----> anxiety ----> depression. Throw in the terrible western diet, and it's no wonder 10-20% (not sure of the exact number but I remember reading something along those lines before) of Americans are on antidepressants. We have all these things to save us time and work yet we are more busy than ever before.



I was walking down along the street and I heard this voice saying, "Good evening, Mr. Dowd." Well, I turned around and here was this big six-foot rabbit leaning up against a lamp-post. Well, I thought nothing of that because when you've lived in a town as long as I've lived in this one, you get used to the fact that everybody knows your name.

pokoko on 28 March 2013
pezus said:
pokoko said:
We're talking about real disorders, but they are only part of the problem.

My sister was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, and yeah, she's the real thing. Paranoia, unpredictable mood swings, long periods where she won't get out of bed or wash her dishes. I let her move in temporarily for what was supposed to be a few weeks when she got evicted but that turned into a few years, most of which was spent on the couch. Believe me, I know. However, she's also obsessed with mental disorders. She's something of a hypochondriac, as before she professed to having everything under the sun, but then I made the mistake of letting her borrow my Abnormal Psychology textbook. Now she analyzes EVERYONE, and everyone is supposedly mentally unstable.

The big problem, though, the real problem, is that her mental illness has become her shield and her crutch. She hides behind it to escape any and all blame or responsibility. She is constantly angry with everyone, especially her family, for not "understanding" her--never mind that she makes no effort to understand anyone else. We're all supposed to bend over backwards because she is mentally ill. She once wrote a letter threatening to keep her daughter away from my mother and everyone else because we are all a "sick and unhealthy family". The irony is sad beyond words.

Mental problems, for some, has become the new entitlement of choice. It lets those who want to take advantage milk it for all it's worth, to escape any repercussions for anything they've said or done. In their eyes, it lets them demand everything from other people, to demand sympathy and special treatment.

That's the part that annoys me, along with health professionals assigning blame to everyone else around the patient. I mean no offense to those who do not behave this way. It's those who see having a mental disorder as their own personal "get out of jail free" card that need to wake up.

Isn't this "get out of jail free" card just a part of the disorder sometimes? 

I suppose that's possible, but it seems to me like it's a new state of mind.  Watch the news and we're told that a person isn't responsible for a crime if they have mental problems.  I think it's a message that's starting to sink in with some people.  I have two family members like that, who believe that being diagnosed with a mental problem mean everyone else is to blame and everyone else owes them.  My mother is paying for my niece's car, she's paying for her car insurance, she pays for her drugs, she just paid for her college class, but now my niece is mad that my mom won't buy her a new dryer and has stopped speaking to her.  She thinks having mental problems means she is owed something by her family and by society.  There is no graditude.



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pokoko on 28 March 2013
theprof00 said:
pokoko said:

I ... just told you?  Right there in the text?  Should I use more question marks?

lol YOU'RE the one enabling her! If that's what you mean by 'people taking advantage', then please kill yourself. ;P

EDIT: I figured you had actual examples, but you didn't which is why I asked. Your only example is a sister who you enable, and are saying all society does that, I guess. But what do they do? Not slap them when they're acting up? Hold a door open for them? What are these grievances?

You kind of sicken me, so I'm going to ignore you.  People should be banned for that stupid, childish "kill yourself" garbage.  Have a nice day and don't quote me again.

Edit:  No, wait, actually, what the fuck are you talking about saying I enable her?



theprof00 on 28 March 2013
HesAPooka said:
pezus said:

They're real disorders, if that's what you're wondering. One of the major reasons why they're becoming more apparent now than they were is that they are more accepted now as real disorders/diseases and there's not as much stigma around them.

They're worse than HIV/aids in the West, I agree. It's really amazing to see just how much the treatment for it (aids) has advanced. 20-30 years ago, being diagnosed with HIV was a death sentence, really. Now they can live like a normal person almost as long, if not as long, as people who don't have it.


They are real disorders but I think they are mainly caused by the really poor life styles most people have these days along with processed foods that promote hormonal problems. Most peoples minds are always on the go these days what with t.v, computers, phones, cell phones, e-mail, and a constant bombardment of electrical stimulation which leads to stress ---> lack of sleep ----> lack of exercise ----> anxiety ----> depression. Throw in the terrible western diet, and it's no wonder 10-20% (not sure of the exact number but I remember reading something along those lines before) of Americans are on antidepressants. We have all these things to save us time and work yet we are more busy than ever before.

sounds like some reaganomics. Those are very fudgy numbers pooka. mental disorders are very real, and well documented and classified.

Here, let me be 100% honest with you.
All mental disorder is real, and likely, 40% or more have it.
However, it is only termed a disorder because of the way society views it. The majority holds their own form factor as ideal. But in reality, there can be no normal brain without a disordered brain. For instance, there can be no genius without the serial killer. In all rights, a genius has as much of a disorder as the murderer, but because his disorder creates things that we deem important, then it is the murderer with the problem. Contrastingly, thousands of years ago, a murderer in your army, or scout force, would be a much better asset to yourself.

So, the reality is that all things have a purpose. This is what is meant by the term neurodiversity.

Now that I've told you that, I'll repeat. Disorders exist and are real, and it has nothing to do with the fuzzy math you're throwing up there. The question is, who are we to decide what is the solution? For example, sociopaths make very good CEO, and in fact CEO's have some of the highest rates of which. People with ADHD might be better at other things. People who have depression sometimes create truly inspiring art. I'm being superficial with these but you understand my point.



theprof00 on 28 March 2013
pokoko said:
theprof00 said:
pokoko said:

I ... just told you?  Right there in the text?  Should I use more question marks?

lol YOU'RE the one enabling her! If that's what you mean by 'people taking advantage', then please kill yourself. ;P

EDIT: I figured you had actual examples, but you didn't which is why I asked. Your only example is a sister who you enable, and are saying all society does that, I guess. But what do they do? Not slap them when they're acting up? Hold a door open for them? What are these grievances?

You kind of sicken me, so I'm going to ignore you.  People should be banned for that stupid, childish "kill yourself" garbage.  Have a nice day and don't quote me again.

I said that because you're actually calling yourself the problem. It was irony, and I put a smiley face. Sorry.

Do you have an answer, or are you done arguing whatever point it was you had about shadows taking advantage of the hard workers?



HesAPooka on 28 March 2013
theprof00 said:
HesAPooka said:
pezus said:

They're real disorders, if that's what you're wondering. One of the major reasons why they're becoming more apparent now than they were is that they are more accepted now as real disorders/diseases and there's not as much stigma around them.

They're worse than HIV/aids in the West, I agree. It's really amazing to see just how much the treatment for it (aids) has advanced. 20-30 years ago, being diagnosed with HIV was a death sentence, really. Now they can live like a normal person almost as long, if not as long, as people who don't have it.


They are real disorders but I think they are mainly caused by the really poor life styles most people have these days along with processed foods that promote hormonal problems. Most peoples minds are always on the go these days what with t.v, computers, phones, cell phones, e-mail, and a constant bombardment of electrical stimulation which leads to stress ---> lack of sleep ----> lack of exercise ----> anxiety ----> depression. Throw in the terrible western diet, and it's no wonder 10-20% (not sure of the exact number but I remember reading something along those lines before) of Americans are on antidepressants. We have all these things to save us time and work yet we are more busy than ever before.

sounds like some reaganomics. Those are very fudgy numbers pooka. mental disorders are very real, and well documented and classified.

Here, let me be 100% honest with you.
All mental disorder is real, and likely, 40% or more have it.
However, it is only termed a disorder because of the way society views it. The majority holds their own form factor as ideal. But in reality, there can be no normal brain without a disordered brain. For instance, there can be no genius without the serial killer. In all rights, a genius has as much of a disorder as the murderer, but because his disorder creates things that we deem important, then it is the murderer with the problem. Contrastingly, thousands of years ago, a murderer in your army, or scout force, would be a much better asset to yourself.

So, the reality is that all things have a purpose. This is what is meant by the term neurodiversity.

Now that I've told you that, I'll repeat. Disorders exist and are real, and it has nothing to do with the fuzzy math you're throwing up there. The question is, who are we to decide what is the solution? For example, sociopaths make very good CEO, and in fact CEO's have some of the highest rates of which. People with ADHD might be better at other things. People who have depression sometimes create truly inspiring art. I'm being superficial with these but you understand my point.

What are you talking about? I merely stated my opinion as to what leads to depression. And as for my fuzzy math.
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/19/more-than-1-in-10-in-u-s-take-antidepressants/

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/19/us-usa-antidepressants-idUSTRE79I7FI20111019

11% of Americans over the age of 12 are on antidepressents. Look it up before you question someone.



I was walking down along the street and I heard this voice saying, "Good evening, Mr. Dowd." Well, I turned around and here was this big six-foot rabbit leaning up against a lamp-post. Well, I thought nothing of that because when you've lived in a town as long as I've lived in this one, you get used to the fact that everybody knows your name.

theprof00 on 28 March 2013
HesAPooka said:

What are you talking about? I merely stated my opinion as to what leads to depression. And as for my fuzzy math.
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/19/more-than-1-in-10-in-u-s-take-antidepressants/

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/19/us-usa-antidepressants-idUSTRE79I7FI20111019

11% of Americans over the age of 12 are on antidepressents. Look it up before you question someone.

sigh... the fuzzy math is in your ideas about fast food, tele, and hot air balloons.

EDIT: Although I can see how numbers made you think actual numbers. I merely meant the idea is all fuzzy and grey. Mental disorders have always been and always will be around. TV doesn't exacerbate the problems. Making problems more socially acceptable is what increases the prevalence.