Hi

[Chris87]

Just wanted to introduce myself. Male, 29.. (sounds like a dating website) 2 year old son who I love more than anything in this life. Police Officer 6 years, just about to graduate as a lawyer. Had a rough time around December last year, admitted for a short time. But been suffering my whole life. Nine months with one to two appointments a week with a Psychiatrist later, you can say I know a little about whats going on. I don't listen to diagnoses, and to be honest they are a load of... but only you can figure that out. I have seven 'labels,' from that little book the DSM, but let me tell you when you have a psych that doesn't believe in medication or the way psychiatry is headed, you soon learn where your problems come from. If you really want to know whats going on upstairs and take control of your life, think causes, that's it. What caused the mood, what caused the anxiety? Sometimes the cause is so small or so stupid (perceived) we refuse to acknowledge it, and hence blame it on the label. Toss the labels, lets talk about causes and triggers. I tossed all the medication too, well the majority, but I don't know if I can talk about that here. Anyway, I want to speak with like minded people about life's challenges. Nice to meet you, Chris.

[Chris87]

I have been on a fair few medications from anti-depressants, Beta-blockers, Benzo's to anti-psychotics, and for a long time. The thing is, sometimes you have to make a distinction between people who are really messed up, and people who are just going through a rough time and do a bit of CBT and they resolve their issues in 6 weeks. I am not trying to put down those people in anyway, but a distinction must be made for the best treatment to be made available. I won't tell you the labels from the DSM because I don't think it really matters. I have a complex view on the world, mainly extremely negative, brought about from childhood experiences and mental neglect. I disagree with a chemical imbalance for mental disorder as there is no scientific evidence to support this (if you disagree, please provide a link to a peer-viewed study not paid for by a pharmaceutical company). I admit there are some correlations in the some evidence on brain mapping etc, but these are correlations not causations of mental illness. My life is still very turbulent, but I know there is a cause for everything, even if you can't identify it. The goal is to search your brain long and hard for the trigger, either real or just a mental manifestation. It can be as simple as a thought, or as complex as hearing a gunshot (as in PTSD). Life without meds is tough, don't get me wrong. I have seen 7 different psychiatrists in the past 12 months (for a variety of reasons inc work for reports), who have all given the same diagnosis and suggested similar medications. I see a psych who doesn't prescribe but works on history and causes. You know in most Countries anti-psychotics are only prescribed during the psychotic episode. In Australia, they are prescribing them for long term use. I found it easy to accept all the diagnosis and just say, OK so I have this and that so that's why I feel this way. But there are other ways, and I think the first step is knowing your problems. By that I mean not the labels, but WHY you have the labels? I believe it's genetic or biological etc. It's genetic because of how you grew up. Did you know anxiety is contagious? Really it is. It's the only emotion that is. Stay in the house with an anxious person for a while and you will get anxious. Grow up with one, and you will have anxiety as an adult. It's evolutionary, keeps everyone safe in camp from the bears. Your past holds the key, trouble is sometimes its easier to say, I have x,y,z rather than facing the demon.

[MarkJT]

Chris, out of interest, have you ever sat down with people that are the same or close to the same as you? I mean most people in this forum have one or more mental injuries or illnesses of varying kinds but we are all different in our own ways. Have some open & honest dialogue about what it is like to have so many labels and that a heap of different meds has not overly worked. You obviously have strong opinions on the subject and i think that you are well researched as well. To me that shows that although you have and are still going through some rough times, it will not define who you are which is awesome. I have found sitting down with crew that know what PTSD is like to be sometimes more beneficial than a psych session. Just a thought.

[white knight]

Chris87,

Please allow me to question your self imposed theories.

Firstly you have seen 7 psychs and "all diagnosed similar or same diagnosis and similar medications". A combined wealth of psychiatric knowledge of about 140 years or more likely much more.

But then you went to another psych.

" I see a psych who doesn't prescribe but works on history and causes".

This is obviously been your preferred treatment. However what you are doing is advertising not to seek treatment in the traditional way. In using medications etc.

You talk like you know a lot about psychiatry but I'm worried that you think you know more than at least 7 psychiatrists and probably 90% of those now practicing.

I'm concerned that members here will be tempted to follow your lead and not obtain the psychiatric care they need.

Thats why community champions here, regardless of their experience in offering advice from their all round experiences, do not project to members other treatments other than traditional care eg "seek advice from your GP."

We are not trained in psychiatric care so we don't promote our knowledge as if we do.

As far as labels go there is a good reason for them. Illnesses are different.

Tony WK

[Cornstarch]

I concur with you Chris, the diagnostic system is far from perfect and so are the treatments.

My childhood was swinging door of ongoing parental neglect and parental mental illness. When I was in year 11 and 12 my father was gone to a mental health unit for 9 months, and then when he got home, Mum was admitted to the same hospital, the hospital I spent my first born weeks in myself.

So I don't want to throw labels around & I agree the entire system is so frustrating, but from what you've described you're like me -

not PTSD on the rocks

but complex PTSD.

They are treated completely differently.

I can't see how you could possibly cope with such complexity without creating a healthy therapeutic relationship to clinical psychologist. I hope modern medicine also has something help you too, even if it just alleviates some of the worst symptoms.

Again, a very frustrating process to "shop around".

But it is worth it. Never let them go when you find them, even if you have to travel long distances.

Feel free to share more.

But totally understand that we don't always want to, and we are all very different personalities.

Take care.

[Kazzl]

Hi Chris - here are some refereed journals you might like to look at on the role of brain chemistry and genetics regarding bipolar disorder. As I said, I know what my causes are.

Also, you say 'It's genetic because of how you grew up'. That's not my understanding of how genetics works. From what I understand genetics is what determines your physiology, what you're born with; 'how you grew up' is socio-environmental influence, what happens to you after you're born.

Anyways, here are the articles from psychiatry and genetics journals:

The underlying neurology of bipolar disorder, published in World Psychiatry, the journal of the World Psychiatry Association
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1525098/

Volumetric brain imaging findings in mood disorders, published in Bipolar Disorders, an international journal of psychiatry and neurosciences.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1034/j.1399-5618.2002.01157.x/full

Neuroanatomical abnormalities as risk factors for bipolar disorder, Bipolar Disorders http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1399-5618.2005.00238.x/full

Genetics of bipolar disorder, published in the Journal of Medical Genetics. http://jmg.bmj.com/content/36/8/585.short

[Cornstarch]

I agree with Kaz,

Bi-polar 1, that is in my family, absolutely positively has strong genetic/familial links, threads, what-ever you want to call it. Of course, mental illness is confounding in the sense that scientists as still trying to figure out all of the variables and how they contribute to the onset of such terrible conditions.

Bi-polar II is the controversial one that scientists keep arguing about in medical journals because it can be mistaken for other things for many, many years and people are often mis-diagnosed.

I completely understand your frustration with "the system" Chris, but there isn't a sad story behind everyone's mental illness, it can be just plain old biology that we yet have answers for.

There's no sad story behind the schizophrenia in my family for the last 100 years that triggered it developing per se, but it is a very sad story once someone develops it.

Devastating in fact.

Good luck, and always welcome to vent your frustrations here.

[Kazzl]

Thing is, I think everyone should learn about their conditions, so they can make informed choices and decisions about treatment, medications etc. That doesn't have to mean delving into academic journals (even though I do). But it does mean keeping an open mind, learning what you can, asking questions and, I think, being willing to accept that not all approaches fit all people with mental illness, and not choosing a theory because it's what you want to hear. And certainly not thinking you've found the answer for eveyone.

I researched bipolar when I was diagnosed because I wanted to know what caused it and I wanted there to be a simple treatment or cure. I wanted something to tell me that all I had to do was X and I'd be better. I learned that, as is the case for most mental health conditions, it's not that simple. There is no X. It's a complex jigsaw which, for me, has medication, talking therapy and self-care as the pieces, and even then they don't always fit perfectly.

That is not to say Chris that the approaches you advocate won't work or help people. But what you suggest is just one approach.

Regards

Kaz

[geoff]

hi Chris, if antidepressants weren't able to help and control mental illness for anyone then why do the doctor's and psychiatrist's prescribe them, there are journals on 'chemical imbalance for mental disorder' that's what all the psych's learn about, and when you look at what has happened with you, then why do you feel negative and surely the mental neglect you experienced as a child must mean that you have an imbalance in the brain and was then starting to form this irregularity, and for you to see 7 psychiatrist's in 12 months surely must be telling you something that you didn't agree with any of them, because you had all the answers. Geoff.

[blondguy]

Hi Chris...I have responded above with no judgement as per your existing mental illness

Chris'87 said: " I don't listen to diagnoses, and to be honest they are a load of... but only you can figure that out"

The forums are a safe and kind place to have your say and you are more than welcome to do so.

I think you would benefit from frequent ongoing therapy to assist your mental health issues.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain re your denial of your current mental illness.

Your thread is open if you have a question Chris

Paul