Stigmas of Mental Illness

This is a post that I have been working on for a few weeks. I did my own investigation online and did some research from credible resources. Also, I checked out many forums to get opinions and different ideas of the stigmas and prejudices they may have faced.
This post come from my own wondering thoughts and my own experiences. I wanted to make sure I was not alone in my endeavours as a person.
It is a far cry from many decades back, when a mental illness diagnosis almost ment a terminal stigma that will folow you forever. You were treated differently and almost inhumane.

Definition- Stigma- #1 a mark of disgrace or infamy; a stain or reproach, as on one's reputation. #2 a mental or physical mark that is characteristic of a defect or disease.

Most mental illness are chemical imbalances in the brain. Those imbalances have been treated successfully in the age of modern medicine. Usually a mental illness is treated by a "treatment plan." A treatment plan can be set up by a doctor or psychiatrist, possibly even a therapist. A treatment plan is a plan to treat your mental illness in the most effective way.



It sounds perfect, right? Not always. It seems like once you get the treatment plan in order things should turn around for the better. Not always.

My own personal experience with treatment plans have been mediocre at best. Some of them worked well, but had to stop treatment either due to financial or insurance issues. Other plans did not work as well. I felt on occassion that people felt that I was looking only for attention. I was not serious from the start. I just got a bad vibe from the psychologists. The idea that I was only making everything up. Not something that is productive in a treatment plan.

I am going to be going back to a psychiatrist that works on sliding scale fees. It is going to be through a local hospitals outpatient program. They are going to try to get my insurance to pay for some of the costs, but my insurance company did not get rich by writing out checks.

I am going to be developing a treatment plan with the mental health program and use it effectively. I am going to use it to be best of my ability.

This was kind of inspired by a post that I wrote a few weeks back about becoming my own advocate. the blog of ljg: Becoming My Own Advocate
I decided to actually practice what I preached on my blog and do what I wrote. I did reasearch on what I could do without having an insurance plan that would not pay a huge amount towards my care. I discovered that I could apply for free services or sliding scale services that I actually qualified for through charity care programs. I am hoping that I find a successful treatment plan through the outpatient program and be involved within my treatment.

The Samaritans/Befrienders

The Samaritans are a charity based in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, which provides awareness for people that are in crisis at risk for suicide.
They are primarily based in the UK and Ireland, with resources such as a telephone helpline. For the world outside of the UK and Ireland, befrienders.org is also a great online resources for help and crisis intervention numbers.
Since 1994 the charity has provided support for people worldwide in crisis by e-mail, but do not give advise and do not consider themselves a counseling service. They are a "listening needs" for those who just simply need to express their frustrations and what their crisis may be.
They have a code of confidentiality except in rare cases where other types of intervention may be needed.
Due to the rise and use of the internet, their work has extended beyond the UK and now are found in over 400 countries worldwide providing awareness for those that may be in crisis.
Personally, I have used the e-mail service they provide and usually try to respond within 24 hours. They provided a wonderful, confidential service when I was in need.

"A society in which: fewer people die by suicide; people are able to explore their feelings; people are able to acknowledge and respect the feelings of others."

What I Have Been Reading Online.

Recently, I have been reading and researching about bipolar disorder. This is a disorder that I have been diagnosed with for the past 7 years.
It is usually a genetic disorder, which is the case with me.
It is something that can be treated with therapy and medication, although some choose not to do it this way.



The site is called bipolar.com, and the specific link to what I have been reading is here.
Some of these people that are mentioned are very inspiring and can be a resource.

Winter Has Returned

As predicted last week when I posted how nice of a day it was, old man winter has returned.
About 3-6 inches of new snow fell on Thursday Night in most part of the Commonwealth.
Once again, it will become a muddy mess when temperatures rise above 50 degrees later on this week.