A thread for people to learn some more about mental illness

That is awful about your brother KatyK
I think everyone still has a lot to learn about it all.

I have suffered with it (and severe anxiety) on and off for about 25 years. I believe mine to be caused by life events - terrible childhood, losing family members young and not so young, latterly all my hair falling out - I won't go on. It was as though my mind became overloaded and something had to give and it did. I have never taken medication because I didn't want to go down that route, perhaps I should have. It is a horrible condition and I fully understand why people who have never experienced it would say 'oh for goodness sake, pull yourself together'. I would have done the same before I began to experience it. Walk a mile in someone else's shoes is a good expression. My brother suffered with it many years ago and ended up throwing himself off a building at the age of 24 (sorry to be graphic but he did). He was constantly being told to 'get over it'. Unfortunately I was also guilty of saying that to him much to my shame now. I did try to get him to seek help but in those days (the 1970s) there was not much help and a lot of shame attached. The poor lad thought he was going mad, which he clearly wasn't. It's a terrible illness, you feel detached from the rest of the human race, and can see no upside to life. Fortunately I have a good family around me and have been able to pull myself up. Good post soontobe.

Wouldn't the complimentary therapist have a Code of Conduct including Duty of Care?
I find that very disturbing indeed..........
Many people with depression can cover it up, I speak from experience, but when it overtakes you then even day to day functioning is nigh on impossible.
And yes, I feared for my career and hence left my last job as I realised I was heading back down the slope into a black hole if I stayed.

I once talked to a complementray therapist, a colleague of mine and he said he has regular appointments by a pilot who suffers from stress.
The pilot has sworn him to secrecy as he will lose his job and presumable his lifestyle if his employers were to find out. He had regular massages and various treatment which he claimed to help.

This implys that a mental health problem which can be kept secret will always be a weak point in anyone who has a responsible job, I often wonder if those who work in air traffic control are checked for mental health issues as they could easily cause a mid air collision if they so choose and so on it could happen to anyone.

It is based on ignorance from day s long gone when people used to point the finger at people who were mentally subnormal, it got mixed up with mental illness and even today I hear people say 'oh take no notice shes mental', meaning someone has had treatment for mental illness. It is going to be a hard prejudice to break.

Thanks for your honesty soontobe.I have experience of I in my close family but not personally .It can be very debilitating and further anxiety is caused by how it might affect future career plans.