Do you suffer from an affective disorder?

[cobalt124]

Nice thread, I've posted a bit about depression on other threads, better to speak out than hide.

To anser the OP, I've only voted for what I've been given a diagnosis for, depression and OCD. But I suspect I have/have had any in the list between eating disorder and other (inclusive ) to varying degrees.

 

[Borek]

By reading the posts, I get the impression that you don't so much suffer from mental illness as you luxuriate in it.

Nice word, luxuriate. I didn't know it up to now. In a way fits my thinking.

 

[zoobyshoe]

This is all a matter of where do you draw the line between illness and a lack of. If I am in a gloomy mood does it mean I have a depression?

The line is drawn at functionality. When the symptoms make you dysfunctional for a significant period you're likely to end up getting routed to a shrink and getting diagnosed.

Famous case is the autobiographical one reported in Zen In The Art of Motorcycle Maintainence. After an incident caused the author to lose faith in Academia he took to his bed and didn't get out of it until he was discovered by a friend two weeks later and taken to the hospital. Suicidal thinking and attempts are another obvious indicator a person is not merely "gloomy".

 

[rhody]

I discovered through a life time of reading, self introspection that certain symptoms of OCD fit me to a T. I think I have a mild form of it and have had it all my life, only recently recognizing it through reading two books that discussed it and what people do to cope with it. I went throught a period or denial at first, then bargaining, and finally, acceptance. Along the way I discovered some things that help to alleviate the worry that do not involve taking drugs, quite by accident to because I was not expecting it. These provide temporary relief from worry, a big plus IMO. Looking back, these same symptoms were present in family members, so there may be a genetic component to this as well, at least in my case.

Rhody...

 

[Borek]

The line is drawn at functionality. When the symptoms make you dysfunctional for a significant period you're likely to end up getting routed to a shrink and getting diagnosed.

Good point.

Do anyone believe only 6 out of 27 voting people so far were never dysfunctional because of mental problems at some point of their lives? I look around - and I find it hard to believe.

Unless PF is not only a magnet for crackpots, but also for psychos.

 

[cobalt124]

It's good to see posters voting none, given the vast amounts of creativity in members, given the "supposed links" between creativity and depression.

Humour helps!

I voted for none. I didn't see it there at first and naturally I assumed that someone was trying to set me up as some kind of nut case. People always are you know. Sometimes when I'm walking, I can feel their eyes on me. When I turn around to see them they hide, but I know they're there waiting for their chance to get me.

I feel better these days. No longer are they all out to get me. We are all out to get you! Look out!

Damn Crazy, Frigin Nuts...

My symptoms may be milder than yours. One sandwich short of a picnic, one slate short of a roof, and so on.

Does being a physicist count?

No, being a closet penguin does !

Maybe a penguin that is a physicist counts

Sharing helps!

avoidant personality disorder

I'd never heard of this. The Wikipedia article gives a frighteningly accurate description of my experiences.

I didn't realize how debilitating it was until it was gone.

You never do while you are "on the inside".

Now in my forties it's anger...It feels like a progression.

Mine is a similar experience, though I'm probably not angry enough.

Discussion may help!?

My immediate thoughts are that discussion can help, but at the end of the day, no matter how wise, you cannot reason yourself out of depression, in many cases reason can reinforce it. It seems that you have to rely on a trusted individual diagnosis, that is why I only voted on my diagnoses. At the end of the day, a sufferers view has to be taken into account, as, as has been said, a lot of people live their whole lives in a state of what might be called depression and will see it as normal, as "that is how things are". It does have to be dealt with subjectively, and on a case by case basis, and not pigeonhole sufferers into a diagnosis with a treatment. And the sufferer has to see the problem, and has to want to do something about it. I seem to be saying what Borek is saying in #27, but with less clarity, and from a sufferers point of view. I don't think classification is a problem, but that a narrow pigeonholing of sufferers would be, and marketing may well encourage this. I need a better word for "sufferer", too depressing".

As Jimmy Snyder says in #30, I'm sure plenty of people luxuriate in depression, though I don't see anything unusual in the numbers for this poll.

 

[zoobyshoe]

By reading the posts, I get the impression that you don't so much suffer from mental illness as you luxuriate in it.

Anyone with a manic or hypomanic component to their condition is likely to make gross fun of the whole thing. "Inappropriate humor" crops up in a lot of diagnoses, including neurological ones. Here's one I recall from Oliver Sacks:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witzelsucht

 

[nobahar]

Mentally ill sounds too harsh, what would be a better way of saying it?

I try to use the term mental health issue.

I voted OCD and anxiety disorder, although OCD is an anxiety disorder. I assume the person who made the poll is referring to general anxiety or social anxiety with anxiety disorder. I have social anxiety. For those who have OCD and depression, they have quite a high comorbidity. Heres the Stanford University website:

"Patients with OCD are at high risk of having comorbid (co-existing) major depression and other anxiety disorders. In a series of 100 OCD patients who were evaluated by means of a structured psychiatric interview, the most common concurrent disorders were: major depression (31%), social phobia (11%), eating disorder (8%), simple phobia (7%), panic disorder (6%), and Tourette's syndrome (5%). "

I think bouts of depression are likely with OCD and other anxiety disorders. Since they can take their toll.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I try to use the term mental health issue.

I voted OCD and anxiety disorder, although OCD is an anxiety disorder. I assume the person who made the poll is referring to general anxiety or social anxiety with anxiety disorder. I have social anxiety. For those who have OCD and depression, they have quite a high comorbidity. Heres the Stanford University website:

"Patients with OCD are at high risk of having comorbid (co-existing) major depression and other anxiety disorders. In a series of 100 OCD patients who were evaluated by means of a structured psychiatric interview, the most common concurrent disorders were: major depression (31%), social phobia (11%), eating disorder (8%), simple phobia (7%), panic disorder (6%), and Tourette's syndrome (5%). "

I think bouts of depression are likely with OCD and other anxiety disorders. Since they can take their toll.

There's a lot of co-morbidity going around. I have a diagnosis of Major Depression, but this is most likely an epiphenomenon of a seizure disorder. Something like 49% of people with seizure disorders also have symptoms of Major Depression.

One book I read about Asperger's asserted it almost never happens in isolation, that it is usually co-morbid with something else, common things being OCD, OCPD, Tourettes, Depression, Seizures, and Bipolar Disorder. I don't know how accurate that particular book was, but my impression is that it's actually rare to find a clean, insulated case of any mental diagnosis, one without features of something else.

 

[Dembadon]

So, I guess micromass needs to decide whether or not he wants the poll to reflect those who've been clinically diagnosed? Do each of the illnesses in his poll require a clinical diagnosis to be debilitating? I don't mean to be pedantic, but I think the results of the poll would benefit from his input on what he wants.

 

[zoobyshoe]

So, I guess micromass needs to decide whether or not he wants the poll to reflect those who've been clinically diagnosed? Do each of the illnesses in his poll require a clinical diagnosis to be debilitating? I don't mean to be pedantic, but I think the results of the poll would benefit from his input on what he wants.

I drew a line for Borek's benefit, a definite mark beyond which a problem cannot be denied, but there are many people who'll go to a doctor when they sense they're in trouble and are approaching the line without having crossed it. There's a gradient and a person doesn't have to have been outright debilitated to seek treatment or merit a diagnosis. It's certainly a lot smarter to go to a doctor if you simply feel depression is escalating than it is to wait until you can't get out of bed and hope you die, for example. Likewise, if you have to have to get back out of the car and check and make sure you locked the front door more than once a trip, it's probably time to see a doc rather than wait until you miss work because you spent the whole day getting back out of the car to make sure you locked the door.

However, I think the poll should be limited to people who've actually gotten a diagnosis from a doctor.

 

[micromass]

So, I guess micromass needs to decide whether or not he wants the poll to reflect those who've been clinically diagnosed? Do each of the illnesses in his poll require a clinical diagnosis to be debilitating? I don't mean to be pedantic, but I think the results of the poll would benefit from his input on what he wants.

Well, I'm not after a serious study on the health of the PF members. I just wanted to make people feel that they're not alone. So I'm not going to say that you need a diagnosis to vote on something. Maybe a better title for this poll would be: "what mental illness do you recognize in yourself?" or something...

This poll is just a "You're not alone"-poll, it's not meant as a scientific survey...

 

[Pythagorean]

micromass...

you're not alone

=)

 

[Borek]

We love you micro.

 

[cobalt124]

This poll is just a "You're not alone"-poll, it's not meant as a scientific survey...

That was how I read it. I did vote only on my diagnoses as I trust them more than my own judgement on this issue, which would slant to having everything going. And I'm finding new ones here! I've just managed to convince myself I don't have Witzelsucht. Hard to resist with a name like that, but at the end of the day I just have to face up to the harsh reality that I am just not funny.

You're certainly not alone. Just feels like that sometimes.

 

[Dembadon]

Well, I'm not after a serious study on the health of the PF members. I just wanted to make people feel that they're not alone. So I'm not going to say that you need a diagnosis to vote on something. Maybe a better title for this poll would be: "what mental illness do you recognize in yourself?" or something...

This poll is just a "You're not alone"-poll, it's not meant as a scientific survey...

That was my interpretation of what you wanted.

 

[Evo]

I try to use the term mental health issue.

I voted OCD and anxiety disorder, although OCD is an anxiety disorder. I assume the person who made the poll is referring to general anxiety or social anxiety with anxiety disorder. I have social anxiety. For those who have OCD and depression, they have quite a high comorbidity. Heres the Stanford University website:

"Patients with OCD are at high risk of having comorbid (co-existing) major depression and other anxiety disorders. In a series of 100 OCD patients who were evaluated by means of a structured psychiatric interview, the most common concurrent disorders were: major depression (31%), social phobia (11%), eating disorder (8%), simple phobia (7%), panic disorder (6%), and Tourette's syndrome (5%). "

I think bouts of depression are likely with OCD and other anxiety disorders. Since they can take their toll.

I was the one that added OCD as a separate choice on the poll. I wasn't sure that people with OCD would know to choose anxiety. As micro mentioned, the poll is not meant to be a medical thread, it's just to let people know that they aren't alone and it's nothing to be embarrassed about. I think creative/scientific people are more prone to these types of things.

The thread isn't about micro either, he did it for others. There was an article last week that said 40% of Europeans are mentally ill, and that's what started the discussion.

 

[rhody]

micromass...

you're not alone

We love you micro.

Seconded, BTW, Micro, were your surprised, relieved to learn that you are not alone ? I bet it makes you feel a wee bit better, no ?

Rhody...

P.S. edit: Sorry Micro, I vaguely remember that from chat on Sunday, Evo put me in my place, no harm no foul intended.

 

[Evo]

Seconded, BTW, Micro, were your surprised, relieved to learn that you are not alone ? I bet it makes you feel a wee bit better, no ?

Rhody...

This thread isn't about micro, he started it to help OTHERS.

Nearly 40 percent of Europeans suffer mental illness

Europeans are plagued by mental and neurological illnesses, with almost 165 million people or 38 percent of the population suffering each year from a brain disorder such as depression, anxiety, insomnia or dementia, according to a large new study.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/04/us-europe-mental-illness-idUSTRE7832JJ20110904

 

[Evo]

Another article (non medical)

Creative minds: the links between mental illness and creativity

At first glance, Einstein, Salvador Dali, Tony Hancock, and Beach Boy Brian Wilson would seem to have little in common. Their areas of physics, modern art, comedy, and rock music, are light years apart. So what, if anything, could possibly link minds that gave the world the theory of relativity, great surreal art, iconic comedy, and songs about surfing?


According to new research, psychosis could be the answer. Creative minds in all kinds of areas, from science to poetry, and mathematics to humour, may have traits associated with psychosis. Such traits may allow the unusual and sometimes bizarre thought processes associated with mental illness to fuel creativity. The theory is based on the idea that there is no clear dividing line between the healthy and the mentally ill. Rather, there is a continuum, with some people having psychotic traits without having the debilitating symptoms.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/creative-minds-the-links-between-mental-illness-and-creativity-1678929.html

 

[micromass]

This is also an interesting article:

http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/content/39/11/36.full?maxtoshow=&HITS=20&hits=20&RESULTFORMAT=&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&tocsectionid=Clinical*&displaysectionid=Clinical+and+Research+News&journalcode=psychnews

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Witzelsucht, from the German witzeln, meaning to joke or wisecrack, and sucht meaning addiction or yearning, is a set of rare neurological symptoms characterized by the patient's uncontrollable tendency to make puns, tell inappropriate jokes and pointless or irrelevant stories at inconvenient moments. The patient nevertheless finds these utterances intensely amusing.

Gaah, just thinking about this makes me sick.

 

[Evo]

Gaah, just thinking about this makes me sick.

 

[physics girl phd]

I think I have misophonia (developed in the last 5 years). http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/health/06annoy.html" I think I'll need to bring it up at an upcoming doctor's appointment.

 

[Borek]

I still have a feeling we are throwing kid with a bathwater. Yes, I have my quirks, but I don't think they should be classified as a disorder. They don't stop me from doing what I am doing, even if sometimes they slow me down. But then I am also slowed down by the fact I am not strong enough to repair the gate to the garage without a help. Does it make me ill?

Now those without problems are 9 out of 34. I guess micromass forgot to add hypochondria to the list

 

[Evo]

I still have a feeling we are throwing kid with a bathwater. Yes, I have my quirks, but I don't think they should be classified as a disorder. They don't stop me from doing what I am doing, even if sometimes they slow me down. But then I am also slowed down by the fact I am not strong enough to repair the gate to the garage without a help. Does it make me ill?

Now those without problems are 9 out of 34. I guess micromass forgot to add hypochondria to the list

Well, you may be one of the "normal ones" Borek.

 

[Evo]

I think I have misophonia (developed in the last 5 years). http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/health/06annoy.html" I think I'll need to bring it up at an upcoming doctor's appointment.

I've known people that have talked about it, but had no idea what it was called.

 

[rhody]

I think I have misophonia (developed in the last 5 years). http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/health/06annoy.html" I think I'll need to bring it up at an upcoming doctor's appointment.

From the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misophonia" quote: "People who have misophonia are most commonly annoyed, or even enraged, by the sound of other people eating, breathing, coughing, or other ordinary sounds. "]

I know someone who has it, a family member, but up till know I always interpreted it as that person lacking empathy or being insensitive. As a person who has been the target of the family member who is annoyed, I must say I am equally if not more annoyed at them being annoyed at me. Does this mean I have "reactive misophonia", let's add that to the recent five year list as well ! I wouldn't be as upset were it not for the fact that in almost every case I can't keep from coughing.

Rhody...

 

[drizzle]

You know, people say that you can know yourself by knowing who you hang with!... WOW.

 

[ArcanaNoir]

Why are some of the poll choices in italics? Also, bipolar is misspelled.