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The Mental Health Support Thread
« on: October 04, 2021, 01:04:37 PM »

Offline nickagneta

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I wanted to start this thread so that those of us in our community that suffer from mental illnesses might share their stories and experiences and we might be able to discuss them, sympathize with each other and maybe even do a little group therapy.

Here are some facts from the National Alliance for Mental Illness:

Quote
1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year
1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year
50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-34

You Are Not Alone
20.6% of U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2019 (51.5 million people). This represents 1 in 5 adults.
5.2% of U.S. adults experienced serious mental illness in 2019 (13.1 million people). This represents 1 in 20 adults.
16.5% of U.S. youth aged 6-17 experienced a mental health disorder in 2016 (7.7 million people)
3.8% of U.S. adults experienced a co-occurring substance use disorder and mental illness in 2019 (9.5 million people)

Annual prevalence of mental illness among U.S. adults, by demographic group:
Non-Hispanic Asian: 14.4%
Non-Hispanic white: 22.2%
Non-Hispanic black or African-American: 17.3%
Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native: 18.7%
Non-Hispanic mixed/multiracial: 31.7%
Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 16.6%
Hispanic or Latino: 18.0%
Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual: 44.1%

Annual prevalence among U.S. adults, by condition:
Major Depressive Episode: 7.8% (19.4 million people)
Schizophrenia: <1% (estimated 1.5 million people)
Bipolar Disorder: 2.8% (estimated 7 million people)
Anxiety Disorders: 19.1% (estimated 48 million people)
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: 3.6% (estimated 9 million people)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: 1.2% (estimated 3 million people)
Borderline Personality Disorder: 1.4% (estimated 3.5 million people)
Mental Health Care Matters
44.8% of U.S. adults with mental illness received treatment in 2019 
65.5% of U.S. adults with serious mental illness received treatment in 2019 
50.6% of U.S. youth aged 6-17 with a mental health disorder received treatment in 2016 
The average delay between onset of mental illness symptoms and treatment is 11 years
Annual treatment rates among U.S. adults with any mental illness, by demographic group:
Male: 36.8%
Female: 49.7%
Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual: 49.2%
Non-Hispanic Asian: 23.3%
Non-Hispanic white: 50.3%
Non-Hispanic black or African-American: 32.9%
Non-Hispanic mixed/multiracial: 43.0%
Hispanic or Latino: 33.9%
10.9% of U.S. adults with mental illness had no insurance coverage in 2019
11.9% of U.S. adults with serious mental illness had no insurance coverage in 2019
55% of U.S. counties do not have a single practicing psychiatrist
The Ripple Effect Of Mental Illness
PERSON
People with depression have a 40% higher risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases than the general population. People with serious mental illness are nearly twice as likely to develop these conditions.
18.4% of U.S. adults with mental illness also experienced a substance use disorder in 2019 (9.5 million individuals)
The rate of unemployment is higher among U.S. adults who have mental illness (5.8%) compared to those who do not (3.6%)
High school students with significant symptoms of depression are more than twice as likely to drop out compared to their peers
Students aged 6-17 with mental, emotional or behavioral concerns are 3x more likely to repeat a grade.
FAMILY
At least 8.4 million people in the U.S. provide care to an adult with a mental or emotional health issue
Caregivers of adults with mental or emotional health issues spend an average of 32 hours per week providing unpaid care
COMMUNITY
Mental illness and substance use disorders are involved in 1 out of every 8 emergency department visits by a U.S. adult (estimated 12 million visits)
Mood disorders are the most common cause of hospitalization for all people in the U.S. under age 45 (after excluding hospitalization relating to pregnancy and birth)
Across the U.S. economy, serious mental illness causes $193.2 billion in lost earnings each year
20.5% of people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. have a serious mental health condition
37% of adults incarcerated in the state and federal prison system have a diagnosed mental illness
70.4% of youth in the juvenile justice system have a diagnosed mental illness
41% of Veteran’s Health Administration patients have a diagnosed mental illness or substance use disorder
WORLD
Depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy $1 trillion in lost productivity each year
Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide
It’s Okay To Talk About Suicide
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-34 in the U.S.
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S.
The overall suicide rate in the U.S. has increased by 35% since 1999
46% of people who die by suicide had a diagnosed mental health condition
90% of people who die by suicide had shown symptoms of a mental health condition, according to interviews with family, friends and medical professionals (also known as psychological autopsy)
Lesbian, gay and bisexual youth are 4x more likely to attempt suicide than straight youth
78% of people who die by suicide are male
Transgender adults are nearly 12x more likely to attempt suicide than the general population
Annual prevalence of serious thoughts of suicide, by U.S. demographic group:
4.8% of all adults
11.8% of young adults aged 18-25
18.8% of high school students
46.8% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual high school students

Mental illnesses come in all sorts of forms and degrees of severity. They are treated in all sorts of ways from medication, therapy, family support, shock treatments, hospitalization, meditation, prayer and others. They all work to various degrees and most often one receives or participates in multiple manners of healing to mitigate the effects of the illness(es).

And mental illness does not affect just the person that has it, the illness can be devastating to loved ones that deal with the illness. Watching a loved one suffer, especially if that loved one doesn't try to properly deal with their mental health can tear individuals and families apart.

Support and education can mitigate the effects of mental issues. Self awareness is vital to tackle the problem and lessen the effects and control that a mental illness or issue has over you. Thinking over feeling before doing is a motto I try to live by. And why? Well, I have made no secret of it on this board that I have mental health issues.

So let me share some of my experiences:

I was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder as a young child. I went to therapy both at a medical facility and at school with a guidance counselor on a regular basis to talk, though at the time, I had no idea why. I didn't start on meds until I was nearly 30 years old.

I often got depressed and self isolated and never felt comfortable in large groups and child peer pressure created terrible anxiety and anger. Witnessing the deleterious effects of the disease in my mother didn't help. It tore our family into pieces with my siblings always looking to me, the strongest, most intelligent and most resourceful of us for support. This pressure to help them only manifested in poor behavior and eventually self medication to cope, as my parents never told me about my own issues or why I was seeing therapists and guidance counselors. I only found out why and what I had decades later from them after my own problems began to rip apart the fabric of my own family.

I am bi-polar, though more depressive than manic. I have seasonal depressive disorder that hits me rather severely in the spring. I also have social and other anxiety issues. Getting these things under control, understanding them, and doing all I can to remain healthy, has been a 30 year struggle.

Many things helped. The love, support and understanding of friends and loved ones was huge, but my wife never understood and it eventually lead to a divorce after 28 years of marriage. As I said, mental health issues don't affect just the person with it, it affects those closest to them as well. The crippling effects of it on my mother hurt everyone from my dad, my siblings and I, our significant others and even her grandchildren....my children....who saw and experienced it from both their grandma and their dad.

All this can lead to some very poor decisions, such as hiding your problems, trying to spend your way to happiness with money you don't have, self medication that can lead to alcoholism, gambling addiction  and drug addiction, and eventually to thoughts and implementation of suicide.

I was very close to suicide twice in my life. The darkness that takes hold of you as you spiral down into a place where all you want is for all the pain and suffering to end is devastating. Hopelessness and regret takes over simultaneously, which is why so many who commit the act write apology letters to loved ones.

Luckily, I sought help and kept thinking of my three boys and how it would affect them. That kept me alive. That led me to help to education to self awareness and eventually to relative control over the illness. But I still suffer. I can have bad weeks. Yes weeks. Those with mental health don't have bad days. The effects don't come and go in a day. The linger for long periods of time.

Well that's my story. If it helped or gave hope to even one of you, my CelticsStrong family, then this thread has done it's job.

One thing I ask is as people share things here, be positive and respectful. There is already a stigma regarding mental health that those that suffer have to overcome. Please, I beg you, don't bring that to this thread.

Anyway, I now open the floor to all of you.
« Last Edit: October 04, 2021, 01:09:44 PM by nickagneta »

Re: The Mental Health Support Thread
« Reply #1 on: October 04, 2021, 02:03:37 PM »

Offline Donoghus

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Thanks for doing this, Nick.


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Re: The Mental Health Support Thread
« Reply #2 on: October 04, 2021, 02:37:06 PM »

Offline nickagneta

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Thanks for doing this, Nick.
Thank you, Dons, for the kind words.

If I could add to my OP, just remember people, you are not alone. There are many of us and the more we share, the better we all can get.

Covid has not helped and has caused massive anxiety issues in people that never experienced such things. Better to talk about it, than hold it in and allow it to manifest itself into something worse

Re: The Mental Health Support Thread
« Reply #3 on: October 04, 2021, 03:02:22 PM »

Offline MattyIce

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I really appreciate this info Nick, I am going to share this with friends and family, take care everyone

Re: The Mental Health Support Thread
« Reply #4 on: October 04, 2021, 03:02:44 PM »

Offline Celtic Fan Forever

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Thanks for this, Nick. And thank you for sharing your story. I’ll eventually work up the courage and time to share mine as well, but I really appreciate you creating this space to talk about this topic.
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Re: The Mental Health Support Thread
« Reply #5 on: October 04, 2021, 03:18:21 PM »

Offline Roy H.

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I take medication for anxiety.  I had my first panic attack my junior year in college, but I managed fine until my early 30s.  Then, more and more stress turned into anger, sometimes explosively.  So, I take a daily med, which works 99% of the time.  For the 1% that it doesn't, I used to take an as-needed benzo, but my primary care doc got suspended for over-prescribing addictive medication.  So, no more benzos, even if I was taking them maybe twice per month.

Anxiety is probably one of the less stigmatized MH diagnoses, but there's definitely still a stigma for almost any diagnosis.  Depression, bi-polar, schizophrenia, borderline...  It can be hard treating those conditions, and both a professional and a peer support network is so important. 

I co-chair a court diversion program, trying to help low-level offenders avoid a criminal record by getting them to engage with local resources.  In terms of crime, we focus on three areas:  Mental health, substance abuse and poverty.  All three are drivers of crime, and unfortunately all three have a stigma attached to them.  Imagine having all three! 

One of the few cool things to come out of the pandemic is the rise of telehealth for therapy.  It takes down some of the barriers.


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Re: The Mental Health Support Thread
« Reply #6 on: October 04, 2021, 04:26:47 PM »

Online celticsclay

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I’ll probably expand on this later, but short version is I lost my mom to suicide and have battled depression off and on the last 20 years. Was probably in a better spot than I had been in quite some time until covid lockdowns and very heavy isolation led to a real downward turn. Went back on medication for the first time in about 5 years and have been unable to fully bounce back even after things have started to open up and become more normal (pandemic wise).

Re: The Mental Health Support Thread
« Reply #7 on: October 04, 2021, 04:35:51 PM »

Offline nickagneta

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Thanks to all that are sharing.

Regarding anxiety attacks or panic attacks as they have been poorly labeled for decades, it feels like you are having a heart attack and it's ridiculously scary to feel. I have had two.

Pains in my chest, weird sensations going down my left arm, shortness of breath, an overwhelming feeling of dread, feeling like you are going to pass out(some people actually do). It can be terrifying as you think about your own mortality because you don't realize it's an anxiety attack and not a heart issue.

Really, no fun at all.Some athletes have come forward discussing such anxiety issues and sadly have had to face the blowback of the stigma that exists over these issues, often being labeled as weak minded or soft. It's really not cool when people do that

Re: The Mental Health Support Thread
« Reply #8 on: October 04, 2021, 04:51:14 PM »

Offline Celtics4ever

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Lot's of brave people in this thread.

Re: The Mental Health Support Thread
« Reply #9 on: October 04, 2021, 04:54:30 PM »

Offline MattyIce

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Lot's of brave people in this thread.

no cap, respect

Re: The Mental Health Support Thread
« Reply #10 on: October 04, 2021, 05:51:38 PM »

Offline mef730

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Warning: Probably long. Sort of going with stream of consciousness.

I've got the winning combo of OCD/Depression/Anxiety. More O than C (i.e., no compulsive need to wash my hands but horrible ruminations). The depression was the worst and kicked in in high gear about 10 years ago after going through a job loss, family illness and move. It was the move that really did it. I found a good doctor and have a drug dosage that works (most of the time). Mornings are still always difficult, but once I get myself moving, I'm usually in good shape. I still have my bad days, but rarely have terrible ones.

It's impossible to describe depression. It's like trying to describe how a broken arm feels. The closest description that I've seen comes from the description of the Dementors in Harry Potter, about never feeling cheerful again. Another good source is "The Magicians" book series (Skip the TV show.), particularly the protagonist Quentin, his friend Julia in book 2 and, in book 3, Plum. The smallest tasks (including getting out of bed) not only seem impossible but also totally worthless. I mean, why bother getting out of bed if you're just going to be plodding through a miserable day, looking forward just to going to sleep again that night. It's so much easier to skip the "getting out of bed" part and just going back to sleep.

Hmm, let's see, what else?

Depression can't just be "shaken off." It's different from "really sad," and I hate how the two are inextricably linked. Depression involves sadness, but it's more a feeling of hopelessness. I can't shake off depression any more than someone with a broken leg can shake it off and start walking again.

People with depression who do manage to drag themselves out of bed become really good at faking it. It's impossible to explain and there's a certain amount of self-blame, as if there's something wrong with me and I should be able to just ignore it. And yes, there's a social stigma associated with mental health. For all of those reasons, when I was feeling my worst, you never would have known it when you met me. Someone with a broken arm has a cast, but there's no physical manifestation of a chemical imbalance.

A lot of people who have a mental illness don't realize it. They know that something's wrong but have no idea what it is. Again, it goes back to "there's something wrong with me and I should just shake it off." Well, yes, there is something wrong, but it's not something that will get better on its own.

Even the best anti-depression drugs do not work 100% of the time, but the symptoms don't tend to be as bad or as frequent. Think of the COVID vaccine: If you have the vaccine, it doesn't mean that you will not get COVID, but if you do, it probably won't be as bad as if you didn't have the vaccine.

Of course, not everyone needs medication but, for those who do, it can take a long time to find the right combination. I got pretty lucky and found a good combination early on (Wellbutrin and Prozac, with the very occasional ativan). Prozac is frequently talked about in a joking manner, but that stuff is powerful.

Speaking of which, it's always annoying when a talk-show host or somebody with no medical background makes cracks about an overmedicated population. I have no doubt that there are people taking medication that probably shouldn't be. And I'm equally certain that the armchair psychologists have absolutely no right or ability to decide who those people are.

When I first started on pharma, I was absolutely, completely, 100% convinced that the medication would have no effect and that I was doomed to hopelessness forever, particularly since I spend so much time trapped in my own head. I was convinced that my mental intransigence would overcome the effects that the chemicals would have. And I was wrong. It takes a couple weeks but eventually, I started to feel...better. Not 100%, but able to move on. And the effects of the drugs snowballed. I still have to fake it every so often and the combination of depression and anxiety is a difficult one, but I'll give those pharma companies credit: The drugs did their job, despite the fact that I was 100% convinced that it would be impossible.

If you know someone that you think is suffering from mental illness, a phone call to check in with them can be a really, really good thing.

Hmm, that's about all for now. I'm pretty open to talking about it (although it's not something one normally brings up in a typical conversation), so feel free to AMA.

Mike

Re: The Mental Health Support Thread
« Reply #11 on: October 04, 2021, 06:05:36 PM »

Offline gouki88

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Good idea for a thread I think. Good on everyone who has shared. Having more people share their stories about this kind of thing is the best way to attack the stigma attached.

I have anxiety, which fuelled depression when I was younger, but the attacks have become less frequent as I've found myself in a better headspace. However, it had sent me down some pretty poor decision-making paths, mainly in terms of substance use (Melbourne has quite the drug problem) and that whole thing. Thankfully have left that part of my life behind!

But I've been surrounded by people with mental health concerns all my life, which I think has had a positive impact insofar as making me feel comfortable to talk about it ... eventually. My mum had really bad postnatal depression, leading to her and my newborn brother being put on constant watch to ensure she didn't do any harm to either of them - she's now medicated for that. My grandmother had borderline personality disorder and was a severe alcoholic. My partner has severe depressive episodes, and one of my best friends has bipolar disorder. I feel like everyone has someone touched by mental health worries, and I feel as if society is, to an extent, rounding the corner in terms of coming to terms with this. It's much more okay to feel not okay than before, from where I sit.

Best we can do is reach out to one another.
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Re: The Mental Health Support Thread
« Reply #12 on: October 04, 2021, 06:07:04 PM »

Offline Emmette Bryant

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I don't suffer from any sort of mental illness, but I'm in the Spectrum.

I got my diagnosis late in life. My doctor said she thought I was autistic and I got tested and sure enough I was.

It explained a lot and I felt like Paul on the road to Damascus.

Every day is a struggle for me but I've learned how to hide my weaknesses and magnify my strengths.

My special interests are long distance cycling, cooking, and watching the Celtics.

I'm not really able to have discussions and make friends on these forums. But I enjoy coming here and listening to you guys.

I've read that 1 out of every 60 people or so is autistic so I suspect there are others like me here too.

Re: The Mental Health Support Thread
« Reply #13 on: October 22, 2021, 11:10:39 AM »

Offline nickagneta

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At a town hall meeting last night President Biden addressed mental health in America and the deleterious effect Covid has had causing anxiety and depression. He said some things people really need to hear:

Quote
"How many people do you know -- and maybe some in this audience -- who because of what you've been through, a loss of a husband, wife, brother, mother, father, son, whatever, or you've had something that's really impacted you with Covid, that you really find yourself just down?"

"There's a lot of people who are just down. They're not sure how to get back in the game. They're not sure whether they want to get back in the game."


The President said so many events that people used to look forward to -- a high school prom or a graduation ceremony, he said, for example -- were canceled because of the pandemic. He said people have "a lot of anxiety," and that he often gets asked about what holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas are going to look like because of the pandemic and issues with the global supply chain, which are causing delays in the deliveries of some goods.

"A lot of it has to do with us getting back on our feet and getting back on our feet in terms of our attitudes about what the future looks like for us."

But he urged those struggling with mental health issues, perhaps exacerbated by the pandemic and lockdowns, to seek help.

"There's plenty of help," the President said. "Look, being down, having some problem in terms of needing some, some advice -- if you have a broken spirit, it's no different than a broken arm. You shouldn't be ashamed of it. You should seek the help. There's a lot of people who can help."

The bolded part was really important. A broken spirit or a mental health issue is no different than a broken arm or any other health issue.

Don't be afraid to talk about it.

Don't be afraid of being labeled by the stigma that exists over it.

Don't be afraid to ask for help and seek medical attention for it.

That's great advice.

Biden may have screwed up a bunch starting out his presidency, but he gets the human aspect of the job. The empathic part of the job. And that's been missing from our leadership for quite a few years. Good stuff from Biden on this subject.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/21/politics/biden-americans-feeling-down-mental-health/index.html

Re: The Mental Health Support Thread
« Reply #14 on: October 22, 2021, 03:46:32 PM »

Offline Jvalin

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Great thread, Nick! I wish I could give you 1,000 TPs!


trying to spend your way to happiness
I truly believe money cannot buy happiness. It can certainly make life easier, but that's not the same thing. Personally speaking, I've come down to 2 things that I need in order to be happy:
1. Be healthy
2. Be surrounded by people that I love (and, hopefully, they love me back)

If I can have these 2 things, then I'm happy. Obviously, this is just me. People want different things in life. Can't be happy unless you live in accordance with your own beliefs. 

The happiest person I've ever met (as far as I can tell) was a poor shepherd from a tiny mountain village in the greek island of Crete. Words can't describe how peaceful that man was. His wife was a very nice lady as well. They were both living a carefree life among their loved ones. At the end of the day, that's all I want.


maybe even do a little group therapy. (...) I now open the floor to all of you.
My uncle was battling with serious depression throughout his life. Not sure what his exact diagnosis was, but he was under serious medication for as long as I remember him. A very close friend of mine is bi-polar. We rarely talk about it. I'm afraid to mention the topic, cause I don't wanna make him feel uncomfortable. Not sure whether this is a helpful approach or not. The few times I've tried to ask him about it he was sort of defensive, hence I changed the subject. I believe I'm probably suffering from some form of depression as well, but it's undiagnosed.
« Last Edit: October 22, 2021, 03:54:02 PM by Jvalin »