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 Sep 29 2006, 08:33 PM
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Forum Super Administrator
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 13,301
Joined: 1-December 01
From: Sarasota, Florida
Member No.: 2
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http://www.openmindsopendoors.com/A NewVideo.wmv QUOTE The OpenMindsOpenDoors campaign revolves around five key messages about stigma and discrimination.
People who have mental illnesses have the same needs as everyone else.
Meaningful work, decent affordable housing, access to health care, a sufficient public education, positive relationships, and acceptance by family and peers matter to each of us.
People who have mental illnesses can and do recover and live productive lives.
Recovery means different things to different people. It can mean being able to hold down a job. It can mean going back to school. Or, it can mean working to one's capacity. Or, it can mean having a close relationship with family and friends. Whether recovery comes from drugs, from traditional therapy, from alternative treatments, or from prayer, one common theme is a feeling of responsibility for one's life and a sense of control over one's problems.
People who have mental illnesses make valuable contributions to society.
Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill experienced depression. Actress Patty Duke and musician Peter Gabriel live with manic depression. Nobel laureate John Nash lives with schizophrenia. Overcoming the stigma associated with a mental illness, seeking and getting treatment, and being part of a support network enable people living with mental illnesses to reclaim their lives and to enjoy meaningful careers.
Discrimination against people who have mental illnesses keeps them from seeking help.
Mental health is as important as physical health to the overall well-being of individuals, societies and countries. Yet only a small minority of the 450 million people living with a mental or behavioral disorder is receiving treatment.1 While one in five Americans lives with a mental disorder in any given year, half of people with severe mental illnesses received no treatment in the past 12 months.2 Fear of disclosure, rejection by friends, and ultimately discrimination are just a few reasons why people with mental illnesses don't seek help.
Discrimination against people who have mental illnesses violates their basic human rights.
Despite the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act and other civil rights laws, people with mental illnesses experience discrimination in the workplace, education, housing, healthcare, and at home. In a survey, people with mental health problems report being denied a job (39%), forced to resign from a job (34%), forced to move because of harassment (26%), and unwilling to apply for a job because of fear of discrimination (69%).3
Breaking down the stigma of mental illness can close the door on discrimination. And open it to opportunity -- the right to affordable housing, health care, equal opportunity employment, and sufficient public education. For those living with a mental illness it's a journey from shame and isolation to dignity and responsibility.
Learn more about what you can do to end stigma and stop discrimination. 1. The World Health Report 2001, "Mental Health: New Understanding, New Hope," World Health Organization, 2001. 2. America's Mental Health Survey, National Mental Health Association, 2001. 3. Jim Read and Sue Baker, "Not Just Sticks and Stones: A Survey of the Stigma, Taboos and Discrimination Experienced by People with Mental Health Problems," Mind, 1996.
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Be Well....
~Lindsay ♥, Forum Super Administrator
Founder, depressionforums.org
Forum Super AdministratorDF member since Dec 2001  ---- "I cannot make my mark for all time...those concepts are mutually exclusive.
"Lasting effect" is a self -contradictory term. Meaning does not exist in the future, nor do I.
Nothing will have meaning, "ultimately."
Nothing will even mean tomorrow what it did today. Meaning changes with the context.
My meaningfulness is in the here and now. It is enough that I may be of value to someone today.
It is enough that I make a difference now." ~Lindsay
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Sep 30 2006, 10:19 PM
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Admin Team
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 10,700
Joined: 15-June 04
From: United States
Member No.: 4
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QUOTE(Gonzo @ Sep 30 2006, 09:05 PM)  FYI: People in the US are covered by the American With Disabilities Act which protects even people with mental illness. Also, most are also covered by the Family Medical Leave Act which provides upto 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year to take care of medical problems of yourself or a family member without being fired. Mental health is covered under this as well. QUOTE Know Your Rights The ADA, or Americans with Disabilities Act, came into effect on July 26, 1992. This important legislation prohibits private employers, state and local governments, employment agencies and labor unions from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, job training, and other terms, conditions and privileges of employment. This act applies to employers with 15 or more employees. Are You Covered? Persons covered by this act include anyone who: * has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; * has a record of such an impairment; or * is regarded as having such an impairment. Although clinical depression is a mental impairment under the ADA, not everyone with clinical depression will qualify for coverage. In 1999, the Supreme Court ruled ( Sutton v. United Airlines, Inc., Murphy v. United Parcel Service, Inc. and Albertson's Inc. v. Kirkinburg) that the determination of whether a person has an ADA "disability" must take into consideration whether the person is substantially limited in performing a major life activity when using a "mitigating measure". T his means that even though clinical depression is a permanent condition, if you are able through medications and therapy to perform major life activities without difficulty you will not meet the ADA's definition of "disability."Some feel that these decisions weakened the ADA as it applies to those with depression. Those diagnosed with depression will no longer automatically fall under the ADA's protection. This does not mean, however, that persons with depression are without recourse. Instead, it means that they must prove that they continue to experience limitations despite their medications and therapy. If your job performance is compromised by your illness despite the fact that you are in treatment, you would still be protected under the ADA. Drug and Alcohol Abuse Because self-medication with drugs and alcohol are so common among those with depression, it is important to note that the ADA does not cover those with a substance abuse problem. Any employee with a substance abuse problem can be held to the same standards as other employees. If your employer does not know about your depression and then later discovers a substance abuse problem, you will not be protected.What Are Your Rights? Under the ADA, employers are required to make what is called a "reasonable accommodation" to those with a known disability if it would not impose an "undue hardship" on the operation of the employer's business. Undue hardship is defined as an action requiring significant difficulty or expense when considered in light of factors such as an employer's size, financial resources and the nature and structure of its operation. An employer is not required to lower quality or production standards to make an accommodation. Examples of reasonable accommodation for those with depression might include: * clear delineation of performance expectations, * schedules which incorporate flex-time, * part-time positions or job sharing, * time off for scheduled medical appointments or support groups, * the use of break time according to individual needs rather than a fixed schedule, * physical arrangements (such as room partitions or an enclosed office space) to reduce noise or visual distractions, * extending additional leave to allow a worker to keep his or her job after a hospitalization, * allowing workers to phone supportive friends, family members, or professionals during the work day, * joint meetings between the employer, supervisor, and job coach or other employment service provider. Next 2 Source:- about.com Updated: June 13, 2006
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~Lindsay, Forum Super Administrator, Founder  Hotlines
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Oct 1 2006, 11:20 AM
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Assistant Administrator/Mod Coordinator
Group: Administration
Posts: 18,567
Joined: 6-September 04
From: Santa Rosa CA
Member No.: 637
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I was terminated from my last job as they were unwilling to train me into another position as my doctor suggested. They were, as far as I was concerned, very cold in reaction to my being bipolar and having sever depression. In college, I applied for and was granted special privileges with my classes via the ADA. I had to prove I had a mental disability. With my doctor's help, there was no question that I needed help. Most disability cases are viewed from a visual impairment. In other words, what can't be seen does not constitute a disability. People with mental illnesses have to prove and fight for recognition of their disability. We with mental illnesses receive deferential treatment and are often denied benefits. As far as FMLA, I received 6 months of it from my former employer in hopes that the extra time would allow me to recover. Having it kept my job open and prevented them from terminating me during that time off. We in the US have a lot of privileges that other countries do not. We should be glad that we have them but it's unfortunate that people with mental illnesses have to fight for recognition of their impairment. Sheepwoman 
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It is not the life I lived; but the life I leave behind. Sheepwoman |
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Nov 1 2006, 04:08 PM
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Newbie
Group: Newbie
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I was fortunate enough I was able to use FMLA until I could get back to work. They have even made some allowances for me to take a reduced position so I don't have as much stress. They are trying to help me from having a reoccurance.
Kevin
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Nov 5 2006, 06:55 AM
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Just Registered
Group: Just Registered
Posts: 3
Joined: 5-November 06
Member No.: 11,377
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I was off on Short Term Disability from my employer and the day I returned (5 months later), they fired me. I can't believe in this day and age companies still discriminate like this. And this was a large insurance company, too. I have sought legal advice and am in the process of taking action against them, but it doesn't help my situation any, now I have to worry about how I'm going to support my family.
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Nov 5 2006, 12:44 PM
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Junior Member
Group: Junior Member
Posts: 130
Joined: 3-October 06
Member No.: 10,527
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QUOTE(Gonzo @ Sep 30 2006, 08:05 PM) FYI: People in the US are covered by the American With Disabilities Act which protects even people with mental illness. Also, most are also covered by the Family Medical Leave Act which provides upto 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year to take care of medical problems of yourself or a family member without being fired. Mental health is covered under this as well. Gonzo, Bringing up FMLA was very helpful, however I recently learned that the interpretation of the law has changed since 1992, and not in a way that helps people with disabiliities. The current interpretation is that an employer is obligated to hold an employees job for them as long as they take no more than 12 weeks unpaid or paid leave during the previous 12 months. And this only applies to companies with over 50 employees - so forget FMLA if you work for a small business. To illustrate, my employer will provide up to 2 months sick/short-term disability leave at full pay (which is very generous). But If I take the full two months (8 weeks), plus just one month (4 weeks) unpaid, they have no obligation to give me my old job. I would have to find another position in the company, but after that kind of leave, I'd probably find it hard to do that - so I'd be out of a job. In addition to the above, the 12 weeks do not have to be consecutive; if you are out of work due to your illness, or the illness of a family member, for more than 60 days total in a 12 month period, you may lose your job. If this happens, it is not considered discrimination, because the employer is only following company policy, based on FMLA. In my opinion, it is used as a smoke screen to allow anyone with a disability to be fired if their disability affects their attendance. From an employer's standpoint, I can see how this makes sense. However I find it ironic that 12 weeks is ample time to return to work after many kinds of physical illnesses, or surgery, but can take much longer than that to recover from an episode of severe mental illness. It just doesn't add up.
This post has been edited by Joyous56: Nov 5 2006, 12:47 PM
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To be is to become: but the world has committed itself to being, delights only in being; yet wherein it delights brings fear, and what it fears is pain. Now this Life Divine is lived to abandon pain.
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 Nov 7 2006, 09:00 PM
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Just Registered
Group: Just Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: 25-August 06
Member No.: 9,556
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*link removed per our TOS* reports that because of lack of recognition and acceptance throughout communities relating to disorders people dont receive the help they need. That too surprised me. We need to be more accepting.
This post has been edited by sarah-nicole: Nov 8 2006, 02:08 AM
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Nov 21 2006, 05:46 PM
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Newbie
Group: Newbie
Posts: 6
Joined: 21-November 06
Member No.: 11,828
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Thank you for posting this. When will folks learn that mental health stigma is just another prejudice? It's a no fault condition!
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Nov 22 2006, 07:41 AM
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Newbie
Group: Newbie
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Joined: 22-November 06
Member No.: 11,843
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Indeed. We have the disability act her ein the UK. But, when I asked my local mental health charity over here if it is advisable just to "come out" I was strongly advised NO! Apparently it is all too easy to get discriminated against. Do not know about you, but I get exhausted with keeping it all a secret. I am amazed that everyone does not know already anyway. You must live with 2 burdens, depression and secrecy. It really hurts, C QUOTE(mindboggled @ Oct 29 2006, 12:23 PM) In Italy and many more countries I'm afraid it's not even question of raising the subject. I remember talking about this with a trade union consultant and she recommended never-ever! raising this issue unless i was in their office (in private) or in confession with a priest, or a psychologist. What makes me uncomfortable is that people may find out about my depression by looking or talking to me. In a small city you must keep your dirty little secret even when you change your occupation - your past work experience is in your C.V. and employers know one another pretty well. If you belong to a different ethnic minority that adds to the stigma. However, the fact that more (and more...) folks work on a temporary basis does not help them very much though no matter where they live.
M.
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Nov 30 2006, 12:46 PM
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Newbie
Group: Newbie
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Joined: 27-October 06
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I've just been diagnosed with depression and have been trying to get things straightened out at my university. Profs have not been very nice about it. My couselor reccomended I not be too specific with them if I didn't feel comfortable about it. So, I wasn't. Some of them were fine but 2 in particular have not been nice at all. I'm afraid that I'm goign to fail my courses and it isn't fair at all. I've been working hard all term but I'm such a slump now that I can't seem to get out of it. My GP says it's an illness so my profs should give me a little extra time for assignments and to know that I"m not skipping classes on purpose. I hate this a lot. People attach such stigmas to people with mental health issues. It makes me angry. All I want to do is finish my courses and get decent grades!! People just expect you to snap out of it, to wake up happy. Unfortunately depression isn't like that. I sure wish it was.
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Dec 15 2006, 10:38 AM
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Just Registered
Group: Just Registered
Posts: 3
Joined: 15-December 06
Member No.: 12,570
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Ah Stigma. If you come to think of it, its associated with everything. I remember when I was in high school. I used to get the best grades in class and everyone just had a great time ridiculing me. I didn’t cheat nor did I ever help anyone cheat. I was considered a nerd. Everyday of my life I had to bear the thought of going to school and being called a nerd. Additionally, I enjoyed wearing shorts. Winter or summer. I wore them because I felt comfortable. “You’re so poor you can’t afford jeans!” I would hear from all corners. Seniors and juniors they all just had a blast.
Depressing. Very depressing. Stigma just worsens depression and in my case it was a cause. Even today I feel the effects. I’ve even experienced a personality change. I overreact to situations. Having lived in such a scenario, I now am prepared to “answer back” quite harshly to anyone who seems threatening. Some think I am paranoid. Probably am.
People don’t and will never understand depressed people. Why should they, they’ve never experienced depression. Many don’t even believe it exists. The world revolves around the notion “If I haven’t seen it then it doesn’t exist.”
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Dec 15 2006, 11:15 AM
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Gold Member
Group: Gold Member
Posts: 1,394
Joined: 26-October 06
From: lala land
Member No.: 11,138
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I know the feeling. I'm bp with panic, and in school i changed my major 5 times. i graduated with over 200 credits only getting 1 bs degree. now i'm back in school for something else. its a vicious cycle i can't end. i would be doing very well, getting all As, then i would just have a breakdown and get c's, d's, and f's. its so unlike the person i want to be, but when schools look at your transcripts, they dont see that you have bipolar and maybe this is an effect from it. they see you like you cant make your mind up. i plugged away and am still plugging away, because i want to do well. but there are just so many mental road blocks i have to deal with. its unfair.
as far as work. i try to stick out longterm with an employer. i do have many ups, downs and panic attacks. its such an awkard siutation to be in, because i try to hide it best i can. i, too, am afraid of the stigma attached to my mental disease. i know in a perfect world, we should be treated fairly, but in today's world thats not always the case. employers want efficiency. and i dont blame them, but if they can just be fair and understand that sometimes when i act funny, its because i can't help it. i just wish they'd understand, because if they did... id be an employee for life.
as far as relationships. this mental illness has built a barrier for me. i'm afraid of what my family would do if they found out. they already look for excuses to not like me. they would think that im just trying to seek attention. which is so untrue, because if anything i dont want the attention; i just want to be normal. this has also affected friendship relationships too, both personal and professional. i hear all the jokes people make. if they knew the real me instead of the one i let them see, they would probably only me nice to my face but then distance themselves from me. no one ever gets close to me, i try to make that not happen. i just cant deal with the rejection, i cut things off before others do. as far as significant others, this affects me too. early on, i would hide it because i was embarrased- that turned into breakups. my husband is supportive now, but there are days where i just want to be alone. not because i dont like him, i just can't mentally even out. hes the only one that accepted me for who i am, that it scares me because im so used to my defense mechanism of pushing people away before they hate me.
as you can tell, this stigma has affected me in all aspects of my life; school, work, and relationships. i think if i didnt have to keep it a secret, it would help my mental healing process. this is a good thread.
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Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'
Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.
-Family Guy
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Dec 15 2006, 03:01 PM
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Newbie
Group: Newbie
Posts: 6
Joined: 15-December 06
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unfotunately, it's me who has the stigma about me
i think i judge myself much more harshly than anyone else. i resent myself for not being able to "just get over it" although logically i know it doesn't work that way.
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Dec 21 2006, 11:48 AM
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Newbie
Group: Newbie
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Joined: 7-December 06
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This interesting and helpful information, although I can see a tough road for any employee who needs to rely on this. I've had 2 employers ask me if I was on drugs, because my short term memory is lacking. It improved when I got off Serzone and on Wellbutrin. It's been difficult for me, at 39, to distinguish absent mindedness from aging from mental health causes.
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Dec 26 2006, 12:58 AM
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Newbie
Group: Newbie
Posts: 28
Joined: 26-December 06
From: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Member No.: 12,828
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Depression is the one of the few last acceptable grounds of socially acceptable discrimination, unfortunately.
It's bad enough that our mood brutalizes us; then we have to endure the ignorance and lack of understanding of those lacking the capacity to empathize with or understand our plight.
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I have spread my dreams beneath your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. - W.B. Yeats
If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them. - Henry David Thoreau
The best way out is always through. - Robert Frost
To live is like to love--all reason is against it, and all healthy instinct for it. - Samuel Butler
Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly. - Lanston Hughes
The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live. - Elbert Hubbard
Happiness resides not in posessions and not in gold; the feeling of happiness dwells in the soul. - Democritus
He who know most grieves most for wasted time. - Dante
Money is a wonderful tool, and a tyrannical master. - Author unknown
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Dec 26 2006, 01:55 AM
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Newbie
Group: Newbie
Posts: 17
Joined: 22-December 06
From: Houston, TX
Member No.: 12,776
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QUOTE(SomberJD @ Dec 25 2006, 11:58 PM) Depression is the one of the few last acceptable grounds of socially acceptable discrimination, unfortunately.
It's bad enough that our mood brutalizes us; then we have to endure the ignorance and lack of understanding of those lacking the capacity to empathize with or understand our plight. Very well said JD...I may have to borrow your words sometime...with proper credit of course! What has been hard for me to cope with is when the discrimination comes from friends that I believed to be true. I believe that people are basically good...it's just unfortunate that something real to all of us seems to scare some so badly. Mary
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It's a fool who looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart. Ulysses Everett McGill -- Oh Brother, Where Art Thou
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Dec 27 2006, 12:55 PM
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Newbie
Group: Newbie
Posts: 28
Joined: 26-December 06
From: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Member No.: 12,828
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QUOTE(mksw @ Dec 26 2006, 01:55 AM) QUOTE(SomberJD @ Dec 25 2006, 11:58 PM) Depression is the one of the few last acceptable grounds of socially acceptable discrimination, unfortunately.
It's bad enough that our mood brutalizes us; then we have to endure the ignorance and lack of understanding of those lacking the capacity to empathize with or understand our plight. Very well said JD...I may have to borrow your words sometime...with proper credit of course! What has been hard for me to cope with is when the discrimination comes from friends that I believed to be true. I believe that people are basically good...it's just unfortunate that something real to all of us seems to scare some so badly. Mary Thank you, Mary. Of course you can borrow it - especially if it helps you convey your thoughts on the matter. I borrow other peoples' ideas all the time. And I agree with you that people are basically good, too, but that ignorance (not stupidity) interferes with the capacity to understand.
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I have spread my dreams beneath your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. - W.B. Yeats
If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them. - Henry David Thoreau
The best way out is always through. - Robert Frost
To live is like to love--all reason is against it, and all healthy instinct for it. - Samuel Butler
Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly. - Lanston Hughes
The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live. - Elbert Hubbard
Happiness resides not in posessions and not in gold; the feeling of happiness dwells in the soul. - Democritus
He who know most grieves most for wasted time. - Dante
Money is a wonderful tool, and a tyrannical master. - Author unknown
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Dec 27 2006, 01:16 PM
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Platinum Member
Group: Platinum Member
Posts: 3,912
Joined: 1-December 06
From: Journeying :)
Member No.: 12,150
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QUOTE(SomberJD @ Dec 26 2006, 06:58 AM) Depression is the one of the few last acceptable grounds of socially acceptable discrimination, unfortunately.
It's bad enough that our mood brutalizes us; then we have to endure the ignorance and lack of understanding of those lacking the capacity to empathize with or understand our plight. So true, I am worried a great deal on this and my future looking for jobs. But, I am trying to not think about that at the moment, as it gives me a lot anxiety, but instead focusing on doing my assignments and do each thing that I have to do in order to get my degree. I really agree with your thought here though! Best wishes Evin
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-- All makt åt Aslan vår befriare --
--- blessed are the last, for they shall be first ---
Från tidernas begynnelse har jag känt dig,
från tidernas begynnelse har jag vetat ditt namn,
sedan tidernas begynnelse har du legat,
i min trygga famn.
Hur det än går i livet,
håller jag alltid din hand
vad som än blir dig givet,
förblir jag din trygga hamn.
-- Evin Lejonhjärta
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Guest_SarahN_*
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Dec 27 2006, 01:31 PM
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Guests
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I just wish more people were more open about their depression, look out the amount of members we have here........there are so many people suffering in silence because they are too scared to talk about it and I blame the **** stigma  SN 
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Dec 27 2006, 01:39 PM
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Platinum Member
Group: Platinum Member
Posts: 3,912
Joined: 1-December 06
From: Journeying :)
Member No.: 12,150
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I agree Sarah, but I also have to blame society a little bit.
Many people here I am sure have tried talking to others about how they feel, many of us have reached out to friends, family and others around us and many of us have also been ridiculed by these very people that we reached out to, or been told to shape up, get over it, snap out of it and so on. So, if our own friends and family (not ALL, for sure!) do this, this is the same message we get in society.
When I first went to the doc regarding my panic, I was told I had developed this due to the way I looked (my weight).
They totally disregarded all the signs of panic in my childhood and instead saw only what was on the outside.
Ive met, as well as many others here, plenty of docs and social workers and others whom have totally annihilated us and our illnessess.
So its no wonder everyones afraid to talk about it.
I hate the dang stigma!!!!
Sincerely
Evin
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-- All makt åt Aslan vår befriare --
--- blessed are the last, for they shall be first ---
Från tidernas begynnelse har jag känt dig,
från tidernas begynnelse har jag vetat ditt namn,
sedan tidernas begynnelse har du legat,
i min trygga famn.
Hur det än går i livet,
håller jag alltid din hand
vad som än blir dig givet,
förblir jag din trygga hamn.
-- Evin Lejonhjärta
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Dec 27 2006, 07:05 PM
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Junior Member
Group: Junior Member
Posts: 70
Joined: 16-December 06
From: canada
Member No.: 12,597
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QUOTE(SomberJD @ Dec 26 2006, 12:58 AM) Depression is the one of the few last acceptable grounds of socially acceptable discrimination, unfortunately.
It's bad enough that our mood brutalizes us; then we have to endure the ignorance and lack of understanding of those lacking the capacity to empathize with or understand our plight. I totally agree! I have been in and out of jobs for the last 6 years, and when I have that moment that I know I just have to get away from work, I have no one to talk to.
I am just wondering if anyone knows what rights there are in Canada, to people who suffer from mental illness?
Since, I am not stable, I am on and off relief (can't even say the word welfare) and there seems no one out there that can help me get work and keep it, instead of being mean and telling me to get a job and keep it... 
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Jan 3 2007, 10:08 PM
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Newbie
Group: Newbie
Posts: 28
Joined: 26-December 06
From: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Member No.: 12,828
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QUOTE(mulder_00 @ Dec 27 2006, 07:05 PM) QUOTE(SomberJD @ Dec 26 2006, 12:58 AM) Depression is the one of the few last acceptable grounds of socially acceptable discrimination, unfortunately.
It's bad enough that our mood brutalizes us; then we have to endure the ignorance and lack of understanding of those lacking the capacity to empathize with or understand our plight. I totally agree! I have been in and out of jobs for the last 6 years, and when I have that moment that I know I just have to get away from work, I have no one to talk to.
I am just wondering if anyone knows what rights there are in Canada, to people who suffer from mental illness?
Since, I am not stable, I am on and off relief (can't even say the word welfare) and there seems no one out there that can help me get work and keep it, instead of being mean and telling me to get a job and keep it... There are support groups, right? I mean, you have support groups in your neighborhood that you can join, so that you can discuss your issues, and realize that you're not alone in your struggle? Everyone needs understanding and knowledgeable people to talk to - to discuss these things. Depression is a burden that highlights our human nature. We are not just reflexive animals thriving on basic stimuli. We are deeper and spiritual and have a tremendous desire to affect the world we live in, rather than just letting it affect us. When we realize how difficult changing the external world can be, and if we can't resign ourselves to only work on the internal, we feel overwhelmed. Couple this with the necessity of work, and it can be doubly overwhelming. It's a vicious cycle, too. You seem as if you have trouble maintaining employment because of your depression. But your lack of maintaining employment is probably contributing to your depression. What is the solution, if that is true?
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I have spread my dreams beneath your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. - W.B. Yeats
If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them. - Henry David Thoreau
The best way out is always through. - Robert Frost
To live is like to love--all reason is against it, and all healthy instinct for it. - Samuel Butler
Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly. - Lanston Hughes
The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live. - Elbert Hubbard
Happiness resides not in posessions and not in gold; the feeling of happiness dwells in the soul. - Democritus
He who know most grieves most for wasted time. - Dante
Money is a wonderful tool, and a tyrannical master. - Author unknown
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Jan 4 2007, 01:26 AM
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Newbie
Group: Newbie
Posts: 28
Joined: 26-December 06
From: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Member No.: 12,828
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QUOTE(SarahN @ Dec 27 2006, 01:31 PM) I just wish more people were more open about their depression, look out the amount of members we have here........there are so many people suffering in silence because they are too scared to talk about it and I blame the **** stigma SN I agree. It's great when celebrities come out and admit they're depressed. It puts a human face on the very consequential crisis of depression for the hundreds of millions of people who never gave it a second thought prior, and who certainly don't know just how debilitating it can be.
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I have spread my dreams beneath your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. - W.B. Yeats
If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them. - Henry David Thoreau
The best way out is always through. - Robert Frost
To live is like to love--all reason is against it, and all healthy instinct for it. - Samuel Butler
Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly. - Lanston Hughes
The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live. - Elbert Hubbard
Happiness resides not in posessions and not in gold; the feeling of happiness dwells in the soul. - Democritus
He who know most grieves most for wasted time. - Dante
Money is a wonderful tool, and a tyrannical master. - Author unknown
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Jan 4 2007, 11:38 PM
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Newbie
Group: Newbie
Posts: 28
Joined: 26-December 06
From: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Member No.: 12,828
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QUOTE(Ajumbledmess @ Jan 4 2007, 06:11 AM) Sometimes it bothers me when celeb's "promote" an illness. I dont know why but it does. I feel that way sometimes, too. But if the end result is a greater awareness, greater research interest, more money devoted to finding effective treatments, etc., I know it's worth it. Happy 2007, AJ. :)
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I have spread my dreams beneath your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. - W.B. Yeats
If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them. - Henry David Thoreau
The best way out is always through. - Robert Frost
To live is like to love--all reason is against it, and all healthy instinct for it. - Samuel Butler
Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly. - Lanston Hughes
The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live. - Elbert Hubbard
Happiness resides not in posessions and not in gold; the feeling of happiness dwells in the soul. - Democritus
He who know most grieves most for wasted time. - Dante
Money is a wonderful tool, and a tyrannical master. - Author unknown
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Jan 10 2007, 10:39 AM
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Newbie
Group: Newbie
Posts: 8
Joined: 10-January 07
Member No.: 13,214
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QUOTE(Jaztic @ Nov 30 2006, 11:46 AM) I've just been diagnosed with depression and have been trying to get things straightened out at my university. Profs have not been very nice about it. My couselor reccomended I not be too specific with them if I didn't feel comfortable about it. So, I wasn't. Some of them were fine but 2 in particular have not been nice at all. I'm afraid that I'm goign to fail my courses and it isn't fair at all. I've been working hard all term but I'm such a slump now that I can't seem to get out of it. My GP says it's an illness so my profs should give me a little extra time for assignments and to know that I"m not skipping classes on purpose. I hate this a lot. People attach such stigmas to people with mental health issues. It makes me angry. All I want to do is finish my courses and get decent grades!! People just expect you to snap out of it, to wake up happy. Unfortunately depression isn't like that. I sure wish it was. Jaztic: having recently graduated myself - and struggled with an episode of major depression during that time - there's an added stigma for students, I think. Some profs, in my experience, are biased against students. Some are even contemptuous toward them, and view all their students as lazy, irresponsible slackers who are just looking for excuses to evade their work. And they don't want to have the "burden" of accommodating anyone who has needs that don't comport with their syllabi - unless, of course, you have a profound physical handicap (i.e., "a visible one").
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Jan 10 2007, 11:17 AM
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Junior Member
Group: Junior Member
Posts: 65
Joined: 18-December 06
From: C, eh? N, eh? D, eh?
Member No.: 12,653
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I believe that there will always be discrimination and stigma against people with depression (or any other mental/emotional/spiritual problem).
I believe that, because people who have not experienced depression themselves, don't have the capacity to fully empathize with those who do. They just don't know what it's like. How could they? How can you describe a state of mind in terms that the inexperienced can understand? You can't, just like you can't describe a colour to somebody who has been blind all their life.
Stigma against us is so fully entrenched that it's even within families. I have immediate family members who keep the "secret" to themselves; and that includes me.
As was said earlier, we have a double whammy of the affliction itself, and then the stress of keeping it secret....which isolates us, just making our depression worse. I'm so thankful for at least having found this forum to connect with others of my ilk. It's like a cool drink of water in a desert. Everyone else with it around here keeps it under wraps. I can probably count on one hand the number of times that I've heard somebody I know talk about depression on a personal level.
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Jan 10 2007, 05:59 PM
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Junior Member
Group: Junior Member
Posts: 146
Joined: 1-January 07
From: just this side of sanity
Member No.: 12,971
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Amen to that.
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All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.
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Jan 10 2007, 06:02 PM
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Platinum Member
Group: Platinum Member
Posts: 3,912
Joined: 1-December 06
From: Journeying :)
Member No.: 12,150
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QUOTE(Broken Neuron @ Jan 10 2007, 05:17 PM) I believe that there will always be discrimination and stigma against people with depression (or any other mental/emotional/spiritual problem).
I believe that, because people who have not experienced depression themselves, don't have the capacity to fully empathize with those who do. They just don't know what it's like. How could they? How can you describe a state of mind in terms that the inexperienced can understand? You can't, just like you can't describe a colour to somebody who has been blind all their life.
Stigma against us is so fully entrenched that it's even within families. I have immediate family members who keep the "secret" to themselves; and that includes me.
As was said earlier, we have a double whammy of the affliction itself, and then the stress of keeping it secret....which isolates us, just making our depression worse. I'm so thankful for at least having found this forum to connect with others of my ilk. It's like a cool drink of water in a desert. Everyone else with it around here keeps it under wraps. I can probably count on one hand the number of times that I've heard somebody I know talk about depression on a personal level. So sad but so true!!
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-- All makt åt Aslan vår befriare --
--- blessed are the last, for they shall be first ---
Från tidernas begynnelse har jag känt dig,
från tidernas begynnelse har jag vetat ditt namn,
sedan tidernas begynnelse har du legat,
i min trygga famn.
Hur det än går i livet,
håller jag alltid din hand
vad som än blir dig givet,
förblir jag din trygga hamn.
-- Evin Lejonhjärta
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Jan 10 2007, 08:37 PM
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Gold Member
Group: Gold Member
Posts: 1,394
Joined: 26-October 06
From: lala land
Member No.: 11,138
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QUOTE(EvinLejonhjarta @ Dec 27 2006, 01:39 PM) They totally disregarded all the signs of panic in my childhood and instead saw only what was on the outside.
Ive met, as well as many others here, plenty of docs and social workers and others whom have totally annihilated us and our illnessess. same thing here.. they said that i was a "sensitive child." i've been having panic attacks as long as i can remember.
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Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'
Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.
-Family Guy
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Mental Health Stigma & Discrimination |
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Depression Forums - A Depression & Mental Health Community Support Group > DEPRESSION RELATED FORUMS > Psych Education 101 > Mental illness and stigma: Coping with the ridicule
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Ajumbledmess
