I lived with cronic depression and anxiety for years. At age 22 I sought help at the mental health clinic.
there was a 6 month waiting list, so the girl at the counter said if i was sucidial, i could get in that afternoon. (they kept the afternoon open for 'crazy people') so that's what i had to do. Got alot of slack from my family when they found out a few years later. called me every name in the book from retart tolunatic. (they were a big part of the problem). when my sister's wife turned out to be depressed, everyone said it was o.k. and sympathized with her. there is a terrible stigma attached to it. wheni tried to explain that if i needed a heart pill, it would be o.k. but my mom kept on insisting i was just a crazy raving lunatic to be depressed. Thankfully, i' don't need ssi's anymore and don't really suffer from it anymore. Could that have beenwhy i used to jump out 2nd story windows when i was 5???

People, if you feel you might be depressed, do something about it before it's to late.

Which might help explain a lot of the events that have taken place - - - -

How long would one have to wait for a mammogram? to get one's teeth fixed? to get chest pain looked at?

(Assuming one has health insurance or private funding!!!)

The stigma and silence surrounding mental health issues is beginning to lift. Talking about the issues and people getting educated is more common. We all need to "be there" for each other, listen, support, and learn that debilitating depression is not something most of us have experienced or truly can appreciate in terms of it's total grip on the person. Nothing about it is rational or logical. That doesn't mean there isn't hope and help out there, and hopefully we all can be instrumental in helping someone through the worst ordeal imaginable and again get to enjoy life.

This is such a timely topic for me and my extended family. We are currently in the process of trying to have my sister civilly committed. This has been such a heart wrenching journey. She is currently hospitalized, (has been since end of June) but may be released shortly depending on the judge's findings. She doesn't/can't/won't accept that she is ill. She is a danger to herself, is homeless, jobless, and paranoid. For a wide variety of reasons no one in the family is in a position to take her in, and getting help for someone who does not want help is incredibly difficult. I agree about the stigma part being hard for some people...one of my brothers doesn't want anyone to know, and another brother won't tell his wife! Sometimes, I see that "look" in her eyes, and wonder how terrified and confused she must be. Kudos to all who have had the courage to seek help, aren't ashamed or embarrassed, and have embraced help and treatment, sometimes at great personal cost! Mavis...thank you for your insight and thoughts!

Mental illness is all around us. This is not to say that anyone who doesn't fit our perceived norm is ill. Some times its no more than a temporary loss of self confidence or strength. When I lost my second husband I was convinced I was an unfit mother. My own sister has dealt with so much loss in her life she has given up and now turns a deaf ear to all her family about her strange behaviours. My hubby's ex is such a manic hoarder her daughter hires cleaning company once a year to purge and clean her house.
All these people hold/held responsible jobs and did them well. You can see nothing wrong unless they are willing to admit to their unhappiness. My own sister refuses counselling as she doesn't want to open her Pandora's Box.
A suicidal person is like an injured animal who crawls away and hides. Some alcoholics are similar.
There is so much disconnect in our society. I'm convinced all the electronic gadgets haven't made it better if not worse. We are mammals and need face to face relationships.
There is no simple formula. I try to keep my Friends, friends. Family is a one time, if not long relationship. Just be there, listen and love, no matter how painful.
I'm off this afternoon to an infrequent luncheon with 2 women who I've' been to Hell and back with, my life's journey and theirs, over the last 40 years. And I come home to a not perfect life, glad to be alive.

I have a beloved niece who suffers from schizophrenia. It has been a lifelong struggle for her and for her family. She would take meds until she felt better and believe she was well and then stop the meds and then regress again. She was in and out of independent living situations, could not keep a job, wanted to be a movie star, a rock singer, etc. etc. She has finally landed in an assisted living place where she seems to get along pretty well. They supervise her meds and see that she eats and they go places and do things that she seems to enjoy. She is more stable than she has ever been and the other people who live there are kind of like family to her. She communicates with her son and the communications are sensible. We rejoice for the peace she has finally gotten from this horrible disease.

Treatment is so hard to figure out! My sis-in-law was diagnosed with mental illness. The first week the Dr. prescribed a powerful medicine. The next week the Dr. doubled the med. Two weeks later the Dr. doubled the med again! My SIL went off the rails! She has not recovered from all the damage the med caused. I am still angry at the Dr. for the damage done!

I think it's hard for those who have never experienced true depression to appreciate what it does to you. The "snap out of it" response that you so often get prove that. Like so many others, I've been there, done that - been on "that floor" in the hospital....and over the years since i have thankfully learned to recognize the symptoms when they first start and take action, so have been "ok". It makes my heart sick to think of all the people out there who are in that dark place with no one to help.
For those of you ladies here who have been there too....you are SURVIVORS in every possible way.

One of my guild members suffers from depression. Her DD and grands live out of state and she lives alone so no one but her friends to notice when she gets withdrawn. She won't take her medication as she says she doesn't need it. We can't force her to take it. When she does take it she is happy and fun to be around. She feels great so quits taking it. No way to get her to understand she has to take it everyday. Her Drs have told her, her friends have told her, her daughter won't be around her with her ups and downs because she won't take her meds as needed and she won't go visit her daughter because she says she makes her take her pills when she doesn't need them. It's very frustrating to see her go down over and over. After awhile it gets to be it's her own fault and that is the danger.

I want to remind you that he was an alcoholic and drug user. Depression goes with this.