Zealotry and Rules for Discussing Mental Illness

Hey - Found you today and glad I did. Great article and argumanet. Do you rreally get idiots like that remarking here? How rediculous some people can be? Do they actually think intelligent people listen to them?
Anyway - I have some news to share with you - hope you want to get involved and can spread the word.
I have decided to do a linky - its called Monday Madness and its for those of us who blog and have some connection to mental illness. ;D I'd love a community of us to find out about one another and support each others blogs. These things notoriously take time to get going but I'm starting it now. Of course please come and link up too if you participate in such things.
wordsinsync.blogspot.com
Shah .X

Just wanted to say I agree with all you say in this article. People usually respond with outright hatred and abuse when they're scared. Scared because they think either that you're right, which means that they might have to change (the way they think, behave etc), or that they are therefore wrong in some, or all, of their beliefs, and might have to change ( the way they think, behave etc).
"The pain is in the effort it takes to hold on to the thought that you're not going to be able to survive the feeling. . . " I saw this the other day and it struck a powerful chord. Fear IS the mind killer.
Annie

"we learn more about the human brain, mental illness and treatments every day, and I’m unprepared to “pick a side” when it makes much more sense to be in the middle."
As my wife says, the brain is the final human frontier. Very rarely do we get to use the object under observation to study the object under observation. Talk about bias! So it takes a while for the results and ideas to coalesce into something useful. Thanks for discussing this, Natasha!

Hi Annie,
That's a good quote alright. A lot of pain is fear, it's true.
- Natasha

Hi Meredith,
Thanks for chiming in. I hope it brings some levelheadedness.
- Natasha

Ah, I love this! And sometimes I think bipolar folks have some kind of mind-meld going on...I put up a post along the lines of "we all have a different take on being bipolar, why can't we just get along?" yesterday (based on recent experiences with people who disagree with my views). I've made it pretty clear that I am anti-long-term-medication, but yeah, bottom line, treatment is so freaking personal. My hope is that people take time to educate themselves, do the research, ask the hard questions of themselves and their providers, and then make truly informed decisions (a tall order indeed, considering many p-docs don't even have the full story, or refuse to share it). And beyond that, my hope is that we can be compassionate with each other.
I'm so sorry some people feel the need to hurl abuse in your direction. The fact that they do so means you're pushing some buttons, which is a necessary component of change. And the fact that you keep writing so honestly regardless speaks to your immense inner strength!
And even though we may be in different camps on treatment, I really value being able to read a fellow bipolar voice. We don't have to agree on every detail to make each other feel less alone. So, thanks. :)

Hi Natalie,
It's strange how many bipolars say I mind-meld with them. I'm the ultra-mind-melder.
"I am anti-long-term-medication, but yeah, bottom line, treatment is so freaking personal"
Yes, thank-you for saying that. I won't argue necessity of long-term meds, but I really like that you can respect the personal nature of someone's decision. None of us know what it's like to live another person's life, after all.
"hurl abuse in your direction"
Honestly, I can take it. Or delete it. Or whatever. But what upsets me is how it impacts other people. I feel the need to stand up to propaganda and thus take on every fight and not let nasty, hateful things go unanswered. My concern is for all the people who see it and then don't get help for their illness. That's what I worry about.
"And the fact that you keep writing so honestly regardless speaks to your immense inner strength!
And even though we may be in different camps on treatment, I really value being able to read a fellow bipolar voice. We don’t have to agree on every detail to make each other feel less alone. So, thanks. "
Now that is incredibly kind, gracious and generous of you.
Honestly, I saw your name come up on my comment list and I was preparing for something contentious and I was thinking that I didn't have the strength for that right now. (I guess it goes to show what I've come to expect from the internet.)
But I was completely wrong, of course. I would like to thank you for having a differing opinion and being so entirely reasonable about it. I think you make a fine contribution to our group of commenters here.
Thanks for being part of the discussion.
- Natasha

I agree with so much of what you said. I am soooo tired of being treated as a manipulative, pain in the butt by police, EMTs, ER doctors and psych nurses. I have been diagnosed with BPD and the things I do are not meant to hurt others at all. The self-harm behaviour and the frequent trips by ambulance to the hospital are not done intentionally to make life difficult for others. The stigma attached to BPD is so abhorent that I just want to stay completely alone in my home and connect with no one. This is what I do as much as I possibly can. I have no friends and no one to share these awful feelings with.

Hey Natasha...I agree with being in the middle when it comes to some groups or opinions, especialy when in the past I am always going every where in my head any way...(Racing thoughts) Could not even make simple decsions let alone be apart of a group.......You make sense.

Hi Richard,
"You make sense."
Ah yes, on my good days...
- Natasha

Hi Heather,
It can be hard to get out from under a label, I'm sure many people can identify with that, mentally ill or not.
Remember though, you are you no matter what other people think. And there will be people who care about the real you.
- Natasha

In reality mental illness are conduct deviation that harm any global functioning. The last neuroscience knowledges uncovered many enigma on their truthfulness. But it remains still a lot vague ground in this sensible matter. Therefore, attitudes and opinions in public about mental disability are often ambigous or debatable. The crucial role in this direction have socio-cultural features of environment where the mentally ill person live and work. The same should consider overcarefuly, when we ought to deal with psychiatric patients. Five rule that You Ms. Tracy have mentioned in above writing should receive with hospitality. While the hindmost recommendations on indispensable respect to these awkward people is highlight mesage on humane treating, as inherent need of everyone.

I found you today. I'm not sure what to say. Today was a good day? Took the meds, and a shower, went OUT of the house, I may even cook dinner :) Thanks doll