A thread for people to learn some more about mental illness

KatyK - I am gald the thread is helping you and others.

Out of interest, are there things that help your self confidence? Even for a few minutes?

I find this a very moving thread to read. Such honesty and bravery!

When I was a younger I had bouts of agitated depression. I used to say 'I'd rather have anything physical than this'.

When I was forty or so I joined a Women's Consciousness Raising Group.
Very supportive. Also had about six years of Jungian psychotherapy which helped a lot.

These days I don't get much depression.

Actually I suspect that the Prednisolone which I have been taking for the last six years boosts my mood.

soon - Thank you for asking! Yes of course there are things that can boost my confidence. I have to give myself a talking to and tell myself that my daughter has turned out very well and my granddaughter is beautiful and thoughtful so I must have done something right. I don't want to whinge on here as there are other people struggling badly but I think a neglectful, abusive childhood (I lost all my teeth at 11), losing my brother to suicide and my nephew to leukemia and then losing my hair in later years hasn't exactly filled me with the joys of spring! I've never felt quite as good as other people. However, I am still here and healthy.

mishap your poem is marvellous.

I've posted before about my mother having had a "nervous breakdown" (as it was called in the 1950s) and she was in a private clinic and treated with ECT, when she had three children under the age of 5. I've been thinking about her a lot today as a result of this thread. She died at the age of 71 20 years ago next month. It is only because of reading threads like this that I understand her a bit better. Here's a little poem for her:

My beautiful mother
Was taken away
For doing cartwheels in heels
And climbing up a high tree
In a tight skirt.
I can still see her up there
Smiling down at us three.

She was often "not right"
Or "a bit out of tune" but
"I'll be fine again soon".
She was better than good
She looked after her brood
It didn't matter to us
That she had "a screw loose".

She was brave, she was wise,
She was kind as can be.
And sometimes I marvel:
She was the one who reared me.

Your mother sounds a character. Some very famous and talented people had underlying mental illnesses.

Mishap - I love your poem about CBT. If I ran the world, every therapist, amhsw, GP and politician would have a copy pinned over their desk.

Nonnie - your experience is similar to so many people. Coping, coping and more coping and then comes the final thing that tips the balance. To have your experience of mental ill health used as a stick to beat you with is disgusting.

To all of you coping in your various ways and for staying strong

grannyknot your mother sounds wonderfully eccentric and having three babies under 5 must have taken its toll on her and her hormonal system.

I just want to add to this thread, in light of another one, that no matter how much knowledge people acquire about this subject, that that should not stop someone seeing a doctor in the first instance, or advising someone to seek medical help.
At the end of the day, most of us have not had medical training or enough mental health training in this area.

Some people on GN have much more training and qualifications (and experience) than we might realise. But compassion can't be acquired on prescription, can it?

Always better to check the facts first, as we should in the case of mental health problems, and not to assume that you know someone's background and then attack.

Good point Ariadne we have doctors, dentists, other health care professionals, social workers, legal experts, experienced counsellors for all sorts of traumas-bereavement, marital problems, stress , employment issues, also psychologists, and for all I know retired pilots. There is a wealth of experience of all walks of life among our members as well as the university of hard knocks if only we realised!

I've just read this thread in its entirety and I thank you all for being so open and honest on here. It is truly enlightening.

Two wonderful and heartfelt poems on this thread. Well done, Mishap and Grannyknot. So thought-provoking. Thank you both.

but we musn't forget Valium - mothers little helpers - caused misery for millions
You are right, Anniebach, we have experience of someone in the family being prescribed these long-term and I am sure they have caused long-term problems.
I was prescribed them many years ago - wonderful little pills in the short-term and helped me through a depression due to circumstances beyond my control at the time. However, although very depressed and extremely stressed and sad, I wasn't suffering from clinical depression (at least I don't think so) and decided I wasn't going to take them any longer. I am so glad I didn't continue with them.
Some anti-depressants have had very unfortunate reported side effects.

not to assume that you know someone's background and then attack
Ariadne, I did feel 'under attack' (not on here) because I said that not everyone felt they could share their experiences on the forums, which, after all, are out on the web for all the world to see.

So to everyone who needs some tlc - [tlc] and

Valium are/were tranquilisers rather than anti-depressants though. I was prescribed them about 30 years ago for panic attacks and they certainly worked! I only took them as and when though, not regularly.

A friend who'd been prescribed valium for anxiety however was on them for many years and found it extremely difficult to come off them completely.

The first one felt wonderful, like having about 6 sherries

I didn't feel euphoric at all - I was just grateful that little tablet calmed me down enough to make it to the shops and back.

In the 60s, my mother was suffering from depression (menopause, relocation from her home area, emptying nest) and the doctor gave her some tablets, now long obsolete. Unfortunately he didn't tell her that cheese should not be eaten while taking this medication and she got much worse. I was away at Uni at the time and my sisters and father had to cope with this situation. Eventually she got off those tablets and recovered completely although she was always a worrier.

Streuth! If one Valium tablet felt like having about 6 sherries, I wouldn't be euphoric either. I'd be comatose.

I was prescribed low dose Valium as a sleeping pill when doing night duty., it certainly worked!Temazepam (Mogadon) was another common sleeping tablet; it became a popular street drug frequently flogged by grannies in the 70's for a bit of extra cash

I don't think I'd be comatose after six sherries, but I'd probably be drunk. So perhaps I should have said 'intoxicated' not 'euphoric'...

I was prescribed Diazapam when my DH died. It was supposed to be short term but because of other stresses that rapidly followed, serious family fallouts, moving house, debts to settle, I was on it for two years.

Over the two years I slowly weaned myself of it and now have been Diazapam free for over two months. It wasn't easy and I had nightmares and one or two wobbly moments.

I think talking like this on Gransnet is worth ten minutes at the doctors. Talking and writing therapies all very much in favour at the moment so GsNet is providing a great outlet.

Such a wealth of experience to read about, it's marvelous and much cheaper than going to a private Counsellor. They are getting very expensive. Last I heard counsellors were charging £40 an hour.

And when we've had a good "chat" we can go onto another site and cheer ourselves up with lighter subjects - perfect.