Physical Illness, Mental Illness, Invisible Illness

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For people who prefer the medical approach that's okay. And particularily if they are in danger of self-harm or harm to others. The approaches to mental health have changed and I think they will again, to include some sociology in the way we look at it - how society impacts mental health - and hopefully also looking at the gifts not just seeing diagnoses that needs fixing. The article I posted earlier in the thread aknowledges that there are more contributing factors than just biomedical, to mental illness.
 
My non-medical not a medical professional opinion: How we view mental and physical health depends a lot on cultural norms. For example, we now accept, rightly so, that being homosexual is not a mental illness. People are genetically predisposed to be attracted to the same or opposite sex. It's finally considered "normal" by most intelligent people because we collectively decided that the biomedical evidence speaks for itself. People are predisposed to preferring their right or left hand - it is no longer a sinful defect. It was - when society could not accept the difference. The same with being homosexual. When it was considered an illness more people felt stigmatized and internalized the stigma due to social pressure to be "normal" and still do in places where they do not feel accepted. That definition of normal was arbitrary and thr experience of not being "normal" was traumatic. If someone has other genetic or biological predispositions, such as mental illness - why is that considered "illness" to be fixed as opposed to a quality to be accepted and society to adapt to (within reason)?The only condition that concerns us is the extremes that lead to self harm or harm to others - those require medical attention. Eccentricities, irregularities, need not amount to illness. What if we looked at mental illness much the same way? If the social pressure was off, to live up to an elusive set of norms, would that ease the internal stigma the person feels and pressure to "get better" ASAP in order to fit those norms? To just be able to be as they are without external judgment? I think so. And as a result they might just feel a whole lot better, faster.
 
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Also...we all need help when we need help and should feel okay to ask for help. There is nothing wrong with that - and I understand that we can't just pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off and be "normal". It doesn't work that way. I just personally don't feel the social stigma goes away by labeling mental illness as such. That has not been my personal experience. I have found it disempowering for myself. That doesn't mean the behaviours and manifestations don't exist for people. It just means that I object to how we view and label it as a clinical thing that needs fixing like a broken arm. I have said so before, though. This is coming from somebody with a visible physical disability, born that way and it can only be "fixed" to a point and no further - that is others' problem to adapt to. I am someone who has been labeled as something "other" all her life so I take no comfort in more labels.
 
Kimmio said:
My non-medical not a medical professional opinion: How we view mental and physical health depends a lot on cultural norms. For example, we now accept, rightly so, that being homosexual is not a mental illness. People are genetically predisposed to be attracted to the same or opposite sex. It's finally considered "normal" by most intelligent people because we collectively decided that the biomedical evidence speaks for itself. People are predisposed to preferring their right or left hand - it is no longer a sinful defect. It was - when society could not accept the difference. The same with being homosexual. When it was considered an illness more people felt stigmatized and internalized the stigma due to social pressure to be "normal" and still do in places where they do not feel accepted. That definition of normal was arbitrary and thr experience of not being "normal" was traumatic. If someone has other genetic or biological predispositions, such as mental illness - why is that considered "illness" to be fixed as opposed to a quality to be accepted and society to adapt to (within reason)?The only condition that concerns us is the extremes that lead to self harm or harm to others - those require medical attention. Eccentricities, irregularities, need not amount to illness. What if we looked at mental illness much the same way? If the social pressure was off, to live up to an elusive set of norms, would that ease the internal stigma the person feels and pressure to "get better" ASAP in order to fit those norms? To just be able to be as they are without external judgment? I think so. And as a result they might just feel a whole lot better, faster.
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What about illness that lead to harm to the individual that don't fall under self harm? Why should that be seen as different from other illnesses? Bring this back to my original post, are they really all that different?
 
Well a person - an adult - should have a choice in how they treat the illness. And hopefully they make an informed and reasonable decision. As for physical illness and people telling you what to do? Educate them about your circumstances, but tell them to buzz off for awhile if you have to -you're dealing with it the way you need to deal with it. My mom does it to me all the time. Quite honestly, I tell her to buzz off and I find people I can talk to who attempt to understand. If they walked a mile in your shoes they might not say those things - and my mom's known me all my life. She just always needs to take control and fix what's wrong right now rather than listen and go through things patiently - she's uncomfortable with others' discomfort - so she says inconsiderate things. That's quite common.Sometimes you have to find people in your corner who will advocate for you and block out the opinions of the people making you feel bad if they can't understand. As for an employer, maybe I wouldn't tell them to " buzz off" but know your rights.
 
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My depression/ anxiety and my CP are integrally tied on several levels - they are one and the same in many ways - but I'm afraid I can only handle one "dysfunction" label, given to me by others, at a time - that's how I have chosen to look at it. It just is. I don't feel a huge need to fix it to please others anymore. I fix as much as I feel the need to fix. I'm learning to ignore the "Must be nice to sleep in" (I have a job that starts late and works for me) comments, etc.
 
I can't get to the link by clicking from here. It goes to a registration box. You might have to paste it in your browser. It discusses updated medications...and...a return to focus on psychotherapy. In the US, with obama care, now that insurance companies cannot limit psychotherapy sessions, the approach will change...and we will see the shift up here eventually too. It says, "Clinicians can stop pretending that relationship and social problems have to be shoved into a biological sounding DSM category (such as Major Depressive Disorder or Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and treated with the only thing insurance companies would reimburse long-term: drugs."

I believe that some people do need drugs but these illnesses are over-diagnosed when In many cases, a social approach would be better. In Canada, we follow the trends in the US. I don't think it's any coincidence that many psychiatrists aren't even trained in psychotherapy anymore, counselling is not covered by provincial health plans - only short term counselling if you have a work plan. Drugs are cheaper, and generate revenue for drug companies. But in the next few years, I predict there will be a change in the approach to mental health.

Now, goodnight all. I have to get up before the crack of noon. :p
 
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Is there anything more binary than the Roman urge to divide and conquer with the tendency towards wedges of fear and anger at either end of the psychic spectre?

Then there are folks that believe god is an integral of all the possibilities ... giving a 7th point to the 6-point Myers-Briggs profile ... if approximates Taos. With the exchange of the Latin "d" that provides a substitutionary "th" or "ch" as "E" or "chi" this provides an inner pyre. Without devout learning of the syllabus of word and lettermen ... you'd miss this!

Some closing of the common (Greek hommoe) can create dissonance in the order of authorities that is generally self-centered ... or beyond Avalon as an imaginary Utopia ... albeit Utilitarian in thoughtful principle. Religiously we resist anything as thoughtful ... as per the biblical record as a repot of the Roman nature ... thus the ultimate battle goes on ... until your out of the here and now ... martyr-ism principle? So it goes ...
 
Speaking from my personal experience of resolving the illness aspects of my bypolarity, my illness was not really in the extreme emotional lows and highs, or in the swings between the two, but in what I thought. When "I" or "my mind" or "that-which-thinks" became the master over its own thoughts, then the sick thinking ended, but the emotional fluctuations remained. Now I benefit from being deeply or highly emotional--without the negative thoughts that can accompany the emotional lows, and without the confusions that can accompany the emotional highs.

I realize that this is not possible for everyone. I can speak only for myself, and my bipolarity became a blessing for me personally-- but only after I had overcome sick thinking.


The only sickness is the sickness of the mind.
-Lao Tsu
 
Kimmio said:
counselling is not covered by provincial health plans - only short term counselling if you have a work plan.
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That's not entirely true. The province does cover it here, and I think in some other places as well if it's provided by a nurse.
I don't know the difference between short term and long term counselling, but I think some companies will cover both. School plans offer it too from outside sources, and free services on campus.

Do no private non-work based insurance plans not typically offer it?
 
ChemGal said:
That's not entirely true. The province does cover it here, and I think in some other places as well if it's provided by a nurse.
I don't know the difference between short term and long term counselling, but I think some companies will cover both. School plans offer it too from outside sources, and free services on campus.

Do no private non-work based insurance plans not typically offer it?
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I don't know anyone with a private non-work based plan. What's that? US style? According to the article it doesn't pay for more than 12 sessions. Are you sure that provincial medical pays for it? In BC it is not and there is little in the way of free counselling for low income people, who, unsurprising to me, are a higher percentage of mental health consumers.

Short term is not typically the same as psychotherapy. It doesn't get too deep. It's not about discussing way back to where your problems started. It's about short term goal setting and problem solving. Cognitive-behavioural. I went to some sessions that my work paid for years ago, and she wanted to focus on work performance, for example, not much onissues outside of work. I think they paid for a max. of 6 sessions. It helped a little but it's not the same. Similar, when I was stressed out during a college year. School paid for it. It got me through exams.
 
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People on income assistance, including disability, have to go to a doctor who will typically prescribe meds because there is nothing else available. If a psychiatrist is needed they to prescribe meds and do medication management.
 
Kimmio said:
I don't know anyone with a private non-work based plan. What's that? US style? According to the article it doesn't pay for more than 12 sessions. Are you sure that provincial medical pays for it? In BC it is not and there is little in the way of free counselling for low income people, who, unsurprising to me, are a higher percentage of mental health consumers.
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A private plan is like work plans, but you just sign up yourself. Lots of people have them. Not everyone gets plans through work.

What article? There's no limit to my sessions.

Yes, I am sure the province pays for nurse. My clinic never took my health insurance information until I used the pharmacy. There is no charge. It does not show up on the utilized services for my private plans.
 
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In Ontario psychiatric care is covered under OHIP (but you pretty much have to have a breakdown to actually get in to see one) but counselling provided by social workers, psychologists, etc. is not AFAIK. I have coverage through work (up to $500 per year per person) so have never looked at other options like personal medical insurance.
 
To add...if a psychiatrist does psychotherapy I suppose it would be covered on BC Med. But they typically don't anymore. I have asked repeatedly in the past. I got "medication management". Just follow-ups about symtoms and side effects. Not much listening to life problems. What's left for low income people is sliding scale counselling - often long waitlists - to see registered counsellors with more limited skills than psychologists. Not clinical psychologists - they have private practices normally. If you want a counselling psychologists with extensive training in different methods - that'll cost you $100 hr at least, unless you have a work plan that recoups the bulk of the cost paid up front ( if you can pay it up front).
 
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ChemGal said:
A private plan is like work plans, but you just sign up yourself. Lots of people have them. Not everyone gets plans through work.

What article? There's no limit to my sessions.

Yes, I am sure the province pays for nurse. My clinic never took my health insurance information until I used the pharmacy. There is no charge. It does not show up on the utilized services for my private plans.
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The article a few posts up. You might have to paste the link in your browser. It's a US article. Medscape. So it's based on the US system. Which influences the practices here indirectly - in terms of mental health care method. But what it comes down to is money and who get the money. I was saying I think that'll change - approaches up here will change - as the US system opens up to psychotherapy again.
 
I really don't know anyone with private insurance here. I'm sure it is possible - for people with their own businesses or who decide to for whatever reason - but I don't know a single person here, in my whole life, who has that.
 
Kimmio said:
I really don't know anyone with private insurance here. I'm sure it is possible - for people with their own businesses or who decide to for whatever reason - but I don't know a single person here, in my whole life, who has that.
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It's very similar to work plans. You're just paying the full fee - which is the same with some workplaces.

For example, with my student plan, there's an option to join into a plan once I'm done school. It would no longer be partially subsidized (students still pay for it, just not the full price), the full cost would be on me.
 
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