Posted by Cindy W on April 10, 2000, at 10:08:25
In reply to my family is a psychiatrists dream, posted by Carolyn on April 10, 2000, at 0:55:17
> I do lots of geneology and will tell you that there are a whole string of mental disorders. My great grandma died in an assylum, her daughter live 30 years in Camarillo mental hospital, her son my grandpa had shock treatments in the 1930's and died in 1986 of Parkinsons disease. I have 4 siblings, my only brother is profound mentally retarded, I have major depression along with many other things, my 2 sisters are self medicated drug addicts one has narcolepsy and the other panic disorder (from the time she was 4 years old).My other sister refuses to acknowledge her mental problems but the fact that she hits my Mom says something about rage and violence. My 3 cousins all have disorders and take medications and my uncle(schizophrenia and drug abuse) and father(emotionless) have neurological problems as well. So who cares? All I want to do is to be able to get out of bed every morning without having to take 3 naps a day so that I can be a somewhat normal human being. I have raised 5 children (they are very functional although the oldest is only 21) my husband is in government, yes high profile serving the public,and we have everything going for us. Yet, I have to take my drugs (I mean prescriptions)-which I hate, and then about 3 times a day I have this uncontrollable urge to go to sleep for about 15 minutes. If I awake and have my fingers and feet tingling, then I know that my sleep did its job and I will be able to function for 3 to 5 hours till my next sleep.(this symptom drives me crazy, I wish I knew what the cause was and what I could do about it) My husband says it is because I was raised in a "dysfunctional" home. So, who wasn't? by the way we have taken in numerous foster children from the very retarded to the very brilliant, so that they could have love from a functional family. Hahahahahaha. I take effexor XR (will go up to about 400mg.), 75mg. of cylert and 1.5mg of clonazapam, and for essential tremors I take propanol (only when I have to play the piano).I am highly outspoken to help others get help because of the stigma attached to mental illness. Most of my husbands 6 siblings are OCD. Does anyone think that my children have a chance in ? of being clear minded? I love this web sight Dr. Bob\1 Thanks, Carolyn
Carolyn, it sounds like you have done OK, if you raised 5 kids and took in foster kids! You are doing something right! My family too is a psychiatrist's dream (mother and maternal aunt with OCD, father's brother has schizophrenia, husband's great grandmother died in Camarillo hospital). We have a chance to rise above all that though! Hang in there and best wishes!
poster:Cindy W
thread:29482
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000401/msgs/29510.html