What it's like living with mental illness
Mental illness often appears in unsuspecting ways, and cannot be identified by an extra five pounds. Here, three Canadian women share their stories
Text and video by Meaghan Philpott
We spend a large part of our lives trying to perfect our physical health. But, mental health is an equally important aspect of well-being. Mental health issues can affect anyone, but most illnesses are highly treatable by working with a physician and psychologist or psychiatrist.
Best Health has created a series of web videos to explore mental health issues. The following are three Canadian women who share their experience about the symptoms, diagnosis and recovery of their illness.
Inside mental illness: Anorexia
Jessica has been battling anorexia for over half her life. Her illness has forced her to put her dreams and education on hold as she says, “You can’t work or go to school with a full time eating disorder.” Since this video was shot, Jessica has made tremendous progress at a live-in eating disorder treatment facility.
Inside mental illness: Schizophrenia
Laura has taken everything she learnt from her diagnosis with schizophrenia to help others accept their own mental illness. In 2009, she was awarded with the Inspiring Lives Award from the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia for her advocacy and work with various mental health organizations. Laura is currently pursuing a Masters in Drama Therapy from Concordia University in Montreal.
Inside mental illness: Alcoholism and bipolar disorder
Susan is a mother, wife, friend and business owner, first. She is also a recovering alcoholic and lives with bipolar disorder. After her long awaited diagnosis, Susan reclaimed her life and is now a beacon of hope and recovery. Through hard work and determination, she has lead a stable life for over a decade.
Web exclusive, April 2012
Early this morning I posted what I thought was a very helpful post for people - well thought out and from my own experience. Nothing offensive or anything like that. I agree that such posts should be moderated, but it's hours later - back from work and see it's still not there. O.K. no more posts for me.
The part that is extremely depressing is family members who suffer from mental illness who are not diagnosed with anything themselves like depression for example gang up on an individual who is upstanding and has no mental illness in order to have that individual diagnosed with something which is impossible not to if talking to psyciatrists. The hospitals require two weeks to decifer if an individual is bipolar yet they cannot keep you in the hospital for longer than three days if they do not invent at least one diagnosis paving the path to another disorder so as to avoid saying - sorry - there is nothing wrong with you - sorry about depriving you of two weeks of your life while you were forced to anwswer questions like do you hear things that are not there and do you see things that are not there - after you explain it is your family who are the ones who are crazy they point the finger at you since it is you who observes your family - psychiatrists are trying to diagnose everyone as suffering from at least one type of mental disorder in order to try to assert themselves and simultaenously making profit - drugs administered to help people are far from helping anyone with all the negative side effects - exterme drowsiness you cannot even speak - extrmeme thirst you cannot go five minutes with drinking water - diabetes - heart disease - the list goes on - i almost had one heart attack while on those anti psychotics in the hospital and no one took it seriously. Thankfully after getting discharged from the hospital the second psychiatrist i had to visit heard what i said - i do not want to stay on any goddamn drugs - in other words i am going to sue you if you do not understand i do not like getting treated as a type of goddamn labratory experiment.
Who doesn't get annoyed or angry at times? In particular if your family is not agreeable - if you do not talk to them they cannot put you in the hospital for long - if you leave terrible messages on their answering machine you might do two weeks or longer if threatening.