getting older (30)
Wow, the overflow of positive feedback for my post has been incredible. :) I was a bit worried after I posted... not about what I wrote, but the fact that for a moment, lost somewhere in my passionate feelings for the subject, that I am actually posting on a dating site. LOL... I thought, yep, that is for sure a great way to meet someone... NOT... haha... just spilling out all my baggage before a "hi, how are you"....
But the truth is, I do feel so passionate about this subject, not only because of my own experience, but because of the wonderful people I have met during the course of my illness, who are experiencing this excruciating pain and are still beautiful people, beneath the horrible illness.
I know I am young, and have thought at numerous times over the past few years about doing something to do with mental health for a career. I have started a social work degree, but due to my lack of motivation at studying externally, and lack of income to study full-time without working, I have had to postpone for a while.
If I could do anything with my life, and money was no issue, I would love to go around talking to people about mental illness... a positive spokesperson I suppose you could call it, and bring it out of the shadows, and you know what? Even if it didn't bring it out of the shadows for everyone, because I know that is a long way away yet, if at all, but I just wish I could make a difference to people suffering right now. If by speaking out about my experience, I managed to save just one person from heading down the road of suicide, everything I have been through would be worth it.
I would never choose to have a mental illness, however, as contradicting as this sounds, I am not upset that I have suffered. Everything I have been through has served a purpose. I have met some great friends along the way, and I have become a better person. A more supportive person... a person that is loving and open-minded. If I could have my life over again I am not sure that there are too many things I would actually change.
xx
But the truth is, I do feel so passionate about this subject, not only because of my own experience, but because of the wonderful people I have met during the course of my illness, who are experiencing this excruciating pain and are still beautiful people, beneath the horrible illness.
I know I am young, and have thought at numerous times over the past few years about doing something to do with mental health for a career. I have started a social work degree, but due to my lack of motivation at studying externally, and lack of income to study full-time without working, I have had to postpone for a while.
If I could do anything with my life, and money was no issue, I would love to go around talking to people about mental illness... a positive spokesperson I suppose you could call it, and bring it out of the shadows, and you know what? Even if it didn't bring it out of the shadows for everyone, because I know that is a long way away yet, if at all, but I just wish I could make a difference to people suffering right now. If by speaking out about my experience, I managed to save just one person from heading down the road of suicide, everything I have been through would be worth it.
I would never choose to have a mental illness, however, as contradicting as this sounds, I am not upset that I have suffered. Everything I have been through has served a purpose. I have met some great friends along the way, and I have become a better person. A more supportive person... a person that is loving and open-minded. If I could have my life over again I am not sure that there are too many things I would actually change.
xx
Wow - kudos to you Kat for your terrific posts. And fantastic that you have found a way through it all and come out the other side with such a positive attitude and spirit.
I really hope you find a way to use your skills to help others - perhaps volunteering might be an option if you have the time?
Good luck and bless.
I really hope you find a way to use your skills to help others - perhaps volunteering might be an option if you have the time?
Good luck and bless.
freominx: Hi Kat, thanks for your very honest reply. You are young, my son is around your age, and has suffered depression since he was 16, he is now 26. He doesn't like "society" or "people", they frustrate him no end to the point where he doesn't want to be alive. He has just recently had another setback where he now has Hodgkins disease, and is currently undergoing chemo for it, however getting him to have the treatment has been a long, hard and still ongoing battle, as he feels he would rather just die from the cancer. He is highly intelligent, where it gets to the point you just can't talk to him "normally". He is also a fantastic musician, songwriter etc. I feel he is wasting his life away, but obviously he doesn't, as he hates life according to the way the rest of us live it.
Hi Freo - Your son sounds very much like my son - now 28. He has finally been diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome. This diagnosis has explained so much of his behaviour, as a child and now. Check it out for yourself.
I hope with all my heart he doesn't give up, he sounds like a beautful human being!
And thanks Kat and everyone else for your wonderful, insightful and supportive posts about depression.
A Very Big Boo to the Federal Govt for decreasing the number of visits to a psychologist a person with a Mental Health Plan can access.
I hope with all my heart he doesn't give up, he sounds like a beautful human being!
And thanks Kat and everyone else for your wonderful, insightful and supportive posts about depression.
A Very Big Boo to the Federal Govt for decreasing the number of visits to a psychologist a person with a Mental Health Plan can access.
Kat1985: Wow, the overflow of positive feedback for my post has been incredible. :) I was a bit worried after I posted... not about what I wrote, but the fact that for a moment, lost somewhere in my passionate feelings for the subject, that I am actually posting on a dating site. LOL... I thought, yep, that is for sure a great way to meet someone... NOT... haha... just spilling out all my baggage before a "hi, how are you"....
But the truth is, I do feel so passionate about this subject, not only because of my own experience, but because of the wonderful people I have met during the course of my illness, who are experiencing this excruciating pain and are still beautiful people, beneath the horrible illness.
I know I am young, and have thought at numerous times over the past few years about doing something to do with mental health for a career. I have started a social work degree, but due to my lack of motivation at studying externally, and lack of income to study full-time without working, I have had to postpone for a while.
If I could do anything with my life, and money was no issue, I would love to go around talking to people about mental illness... a positive spokesperson I suppose you could call it, and bring it out of the shadows, and you know what? Even if it didn't bring it out of the shadows for everyone, because I know that is a long way away yet, if at all, but I just wish I could make a difference to people suffering right now. If by speaking out about my experience, I managed to save just one person from heading down the road of suicide, everything I have been through would be worth it.
I would never choose to have a mental illness, however, as contradicting as this sounds, I am not upset that I have suffered. Everything I have been through has served a purpose. I have met some great friends along the way, and I have become a better person. A more supportive person... a person that is loving and open-minded. If I could have my life over again I am not sure that there are too many things I would actually change.
xx
Very talented in your writing alone. Cant imagine what other talents you have just waiting to burst out.But the truth is, I do feel so passionate about this subject, not only because of my own experience, but because of the wonderful people I have met during the course of my illness, who are experiencing this excruciating pain and are still beautiful people, beneath the horrible illness.
I know I am young, and have thought at numerous times over the past few years about doing something to do with mental health for a career. I have started a social work degree, but due to my lack of motivation at studying externally, and lack of income to study full-time without working, I have had to postpone for a while.
If I could do anything with my life, and money was no issue, I would love to go around talking to people about mental illness... a positive spokesperson I suppose you could call it, and bring it out of the shadows, and you know what? Even if it didn't bring it out of the shadows for everyone, because I know that is a long way away yet, if at all, but I just wish I could make a difference to people suffering right now. If by speaking out about my experience, I managed to save just one person from heading down the road of suicide, everything I have been through would be worth it.
I would never choose to have a mental illness, however, as contradicting as this sounds, I am not upset that I have suffered. Everything I have been through has served a purpose. I have met some great friends along the way, and I have become a better person. A more supportive person... a person that is loving and open-minded. If I could have my life over again I am not sure that there are too many things I would actually change.
xx
You go girl!
Both my parents were psychiatric nurses in their working life.
Just wondering now if i was adopted
Maybe they got a huge discount for taking me,
Coz i probably drove the other patients mad
Just wondering now if i was adopted
Maybe they got a huge discount for taking me,
Coz i probably drove the other patients mad
Lookin4missright: Both my parents were psychiatric nurses in their working life.
Just wondering now if i was adopted
Maybe they got a huge discount for taking me,
Coz i probably drove the other patients mad
i think were all mad lol we hav to be were on cs hahaJust wondering now if i was adopted
Maybe they got a huge discount for taking me,
Coz i probably drove the other patients mad
pebblesinastream: i think were all mad lol we hav to be were on cs haha
Morning pebblesinastream yeah I think there is a bit of crazy in all of us we need to lol a lot more than we do.
But take it a step further and committ suicide is so very sad what I find even sadder is according to a lot of people no one saw it coming when a dear friend or family member kills themselves
So far in my life I have been fortunate not to have experienced anyone close to me commit suicide and hope I never do. My heart goes out to all of you CS peeps that have had this trauma in your life. I hope your life gets better and more happiness than sadness. Smile don't be sad. Kat1985:
But the truth is, I do feel so passionate about this subject, not only because of my own experience, but because of the wonderful people I have met during the course of my illness, who are experiencing this excruciating pain and are still beautiful people, beneath the horrible illness.
I would never choose to have a mental illness, however, as contradicting as this sounds, I am not upset that I have suffered. Everything I have been through has served a purpose. I have met some great friends along the way, and I have become a better person. A more supportive person... a person that is loving and open-minded. If I could have my life over again I am not sure that there are too many things I would actually change.
xx
But the truth is, I do feel so passionate about this subject, not only because of my own experience, but because of the wonderful people I have met during the course of my illness, who are experiencing this excruciating pain and are still beautiful people, beneath the horrible illness.
I would never choose to have a mental illness, however, as contradicting as this sounds, I am not upset that I have suffered. Everything I have been through has served a purpose. I have met some great friends along the way, and I have become a better person. A more supportive person... a person that is loving and open-minded. If I could have my life over again I am not sure that there are too many things I would actually change.
xx
thanks Kat for sharing your journey, sharing a story that shows your true character and strengths, and above all your honesty.
We tend to meet some very special people in our lives and sometimes it is the hard things that bring those people into your life, to befriend you when you need it, to inspire you to try, and to show you that there is a way through whatever it is that hinders us.
and it sort of puts a different slant on the old saying "what doesnt kill you makes you stronger"
Follow your heart, do what makes you happy, find a way to make your dream/s come true, it will be so worhtwhile for you, let alone the people I know you will help
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Kudos to you for bringing up this subject in a forum. Suicide is a taboo subject in the world today, and families are often making up other reasons as to how their relatives passed away to avoid the judgement of others.
I have personally experienced suicide - from both ends... both my uncle and my cousin have committed suicide. It is a horrible feeling... and for those closest to them you often wonder what you may have done to change the horrible outcome... The regret from not spending more time with them and realising something was wrong... :(
I have also had numerous suicide attempts between the age of 18 - 23ish... Luckily for me, each time someone has found me and I have been hospitalised and recovered... I can see that now... but at the time, I really thought there was no other way to end the depression that I felt... the emptiness, the loneliness, the fear that I was going to feel that way forever... and I got into the distorted view of thinking that my family would suffer less if I was dead, as then they would grieve and move on, and wouldn't be dealing with me and my baggage every day...
For those of you with the stats posted, yes the majority of completed suicides are male. However, there is a much larger percentage of attempted suicides being female. The logical reasoning for this is that males tend to choose more quick acting, definite methods, for example, hanging, shooting, etc, whereas women will a lot of the time take an overdose or something that takes a while to work as it is less messy.
I'm not here to give you an education about suicide, but I believe that there should be more information out there. The fact of the matter is that this IS an issue in today's society, and by sweeping it under the carpet we are never going to deal with it. I know some people argue that by talking about it we may be triggering other people into going through with a plan of suicide. I disagree, by educating the people, by making mental illness and suicide less of a taboo, we will be encouraging people to get help before it's too late.
Depression has come a long way in the last 20 years in respect to acceptance in the community, but there is still soooooo far to go... and as for other mental illnesses, the public knowledge and understanding is very minimal. So many people judge the mentally ill, which is why so many mentally ILL people do not get HELP before it is too late.
Mental illness is exactly that... an ILLNESS... people need to stop the judgement, and encourage people to seek HELP for their ILLNESS... a lot of the time, mental illness can be managed with medication and monitoring. If only the world would open their eyes, stop judging and allow these people to live to their full potential...
thanks Kat for such a great reply.
I hope your depression is better managed now, it is an insidious illness.
You look healthy, to outside people you act healthy, but deep with it there is an emptiness and hollowness that seldom can you fill, and very few can understand unless they have been there themselves. And to try to tell someone the emotions you are experiencing takes so many words that are so hard to find.
Talking does help, immensely, and that can just be on a person to person level, not just to a professional.
Suicide is something that is now talked about at least, it is no longer spoken in hushed tones behind hands like it once was. But the more understanding we can get out there, well maybe, just maybe, one life can be changed, and that one life changes so many others that are affected by the ripple the action takes