Posted by Simcha on June 21, 2003, at 3:04:01
In reply to Re: People not understanding Major Depression, posted by McPac on June 20, 2003, at 23:38:52
Yeah,
My Mother claims that my depression is no where near as bad as my Brother's and she poo poos my need for medication. Basically my Brother had a very hard bottom with alcoholism and depression where he ended up in the hospital several times. Eventually he ended up in a half-way house, then a 3/4 way house, then a depression support house, and finally he's living in his own section 8 apartment. He's just starting to get his life together after about 3 years after his big bottom.
Since I was able to keep most of the surface things up and I got help much earlier than my Brother, my Mother thinks that my claim of having MDD (varified by a gp and 2 pdocs no less) is just a sham. She's even gone so far as to say, "Well I'm sure that if I went to a Psychiatrist he would give me a diagnosis and medication." Well, to that I did not bite because my Brother and I have been talking about what diagnosis and what medications she needs to be on. She's not so immune from depression herself.
Anyway, basically there is a whole world of people out there who never have to experience the Hell that we have gone through. Some of these people are in their own private Hells and are in denial and have not gotten help. It took me ten years of 12 step programs and talk therapy before I agreed that I needed medication. There is a certain stigma out there to having a mental illness. Unfortunately we have to deal with it.
This is one of the reasons why I'm becoming a Marriage and Family Therapist. I want to help others realize that there is no stigma to having a mental illness and that you must get treatment because these diseases can easily be fatal.
poster:Simcha
thread:235211
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030619/msgs/235763.html