Mental Health Advocacy I Dislike

[L83201]

Hi everyone.
I think everyone has heard the argument "Mental illness is just like any other type of illness. You don't shame people who have heart disease so you shouldn't shame people with mental illness".
I agree, but I dislike this argument because I think it does not include people with PTSD.

I'm also affected by mental health stigma but my genes are not what caused my disorder. I realize and support the idea that there is nothing wrong with those who have heart disease or any mental disorder caused by genetic mutations - but that is not me.

I miss the healthy neurochemistry I could have had if only I had not endured horrific trauma. People whose DNA is mutation-free are in no way better than those who have genetic mutations. AND I feel sorry for my mutation-free DNA because thanks to it I could have had a healthy chemical balance in my brain. I grieve what my brain could have been.

I respect and support people who were born with a chemical imbalance in their brain. I also think people who were born with a healthy brain and then developed a chemical imbalance because of actions perpetrated by other people deserve a voice.

Mental health stigma affects all of us with mental illness and the argument "it's just like heart disease" only helps some of us. I was not born with an illness. I was healthy - much stronger, much more confident, much more capable and all - let me say it's not like being born with an illness.

Being born blind is not like becoming blind. In the second case, you get to remember color and grieve it. This is not to say "oh they have it better PTSD is the worst", in fact I also know well enough mostly-genes-related-mental-illnesses. But I still dislike that argument.

It's so not like breaking a leg or myopia or heart disease. It's so not "always been part of me", it's something that should have never happened to me, that was not supposed to happen at all and that was not caused by misfortune - like some types of cancer.

It was someone else's decision to cause my mental illness, I suppose that is worth mentioning. It's relevant and important to me that God or Nature or Biology is so not responsible for this. I can't accept it like I can accept the fact that without glasses I am basically blind because another person did not make me blind - but they made my life really awful.

I think it's a lot different for people who were born - for instance - with OCD (I mention this because I know how OCD feels). Sure, it's an everyday struggle. Sure, mental health stigma is awful, other people think we should just try harder or just decide to stop the behavior (but uhm it's called compulsion for a reason). But with PTSD, we're also blamed for it - because we are blamed for the traumatic experience - or worse, they deny we endured trauma at all.

And when I face stigma around PTSD, I can't say "no really it's a mutation in my gene so and so in the chromosome so and so, I can't just decide to get over it" - and if I say "it was trauma" they go "it's your fault" or "that's not trauma" and "you didn't go to war". Truth is, I can't name a gene that caused this, I didn't go to war, AND it was real trauma, it did happen, it wasn't my fault and it is why I can't function.

So that's all, I just wanted to talk about my experience with mental illness and why that argument does not help me (and maybe others as well). Thank you for reading so far!

 

[whiteraven]

Wow, thank you so much for this. I find it interesting on so many levels. I was thinking about my own journey, first of all. I've been struggling with depression and DID for a long time. Recently, though, I've been unable to find any sort of relief for the symptoms of my depression. (And as I have been considering it, it's truly been years since I've been able to find any relief for those) I've been seeing this therapist for 4 years now, and about 2 years ago I had a very traumatic experience (in my estimation, more so, I'm sure, because it was "just" another re-traumatizing of everything I've already been through) when my psychiatrist of 14 years abandoned me by certified letter. I was, according to him, not keeping up with my bills (I owed 58.00 at the time). So much more to the story, but suffice it to say it resulted in eroding my trust in professionals to this day. I try, but it just never works out.

Since then, many difficult things have happened, many beyond my control. My therapist finally acknowledged (after I completely *lost* it at a doctor's appointment) that I seemed to meet all of the criteria for complex PTSD (and this from someone who has actually written the book on PTSD - what is wrong with these people???). It took almost a year - just a week ago - before he finally said he thinks that maybe my symptoms are not primarily MDD but caused by reactions to past trauma.

I've been telling him this for at least 2 years. Over and over. That what is going on is not "inherent," but that it is because there were awful and terrible things that happened to me and I am having trouble dealing with them. Up until now, his repeated and constant mantra has been, "If you want to be happy, you have to choose how you are going to do that." It's been making me crazy for 2 years. Crazy and suicidal. Because I felt like he just didn't get it.

And he is an *expert* in PTSD.

There *is* a difference. I think that PTSD and other mental illness can exist co-morbidly. And, in fact, PTSD can lead to other stuff. But if you don't look at and treat and HONOR the PTSD for what it is, you are ignoring a huge part of the individual.

 

[Stickler]

Disease can also be caused by chemical exposure, disability can be caused by accident or acquired infection...mental issues can be caused by head trauma.

Type 2 diabetes may be partly caused by lack of good diet choices and lack of exercise among other things, but you don't see people just telling type 2 people to get over themselves.

Look, some people have a good reason to not want to get it.
If they helped cause your trauma, didn't protect you from your trauma, or are in denial about their own trauma, then they're denying yours for a reason.
Meaning they likely will never admit you have a legit reason to be all messed up.

Don't wait on their approval, give yourself your approval.

 

[Teddy Bear]

It is hard but we have to know that we are not alone and that we have to keep speaking up. Our voice will be heard. Unfortunately, the problem is that society doesn't want to think about it, talk about it, or help. For years people have been put down or made fun of because they had a mental illness. I feel that it would be different if they had a better understanding of what truly was the matter. Though there are also those pricks that will bully just for the fun of hurting others.

 

[Justmehere]

Some people see PTSD like a psychological injury. Like a broken leg. Just as there is reason to shame someone for a broken leg, there is no reason to shame someone for PTSD.

 

[EmmaOwl]

Hi everyone.
I think everyone has heard the argument "Mental illness is just like any other type of illn...

But... isn't there a remote possibility that you or others have had a susceptibility of some sort?
There are more than enough traumas which can and do cause problems for anyone regardless of genetic propensity. And I don't want to argue. It is simply the first question that came to mind.
I'm not a big fan of the "it's just like any illness" thing anyway..not for PTSD.

 

[joeylittle]

I agree, but I dislike this argument because I think it does not include people with PTSD.

<shrug>, far as I'm concerned, PTSD is a mental illness. And I think the majority of the medical community specializing in mental health would agree. It's classed as a mental disorder. Just like many mental disorders it may or may not have a physical component. They aren't certain how much comes down to genetics, how much to circumstance, how much to development...we know PTSD comes as a result of trauma, but (as was mentioned), so does the depression and personality alteration that can follow a head injury.

You can dislike the statement, of course; and I know you're not the only one (even on this board, let alone in the world) who does not agree that PTSD is a mental illness. But, right now, it is.

You can choose to not feel stigmatized by the classification, 'mental illness'. Or, you can believe it's stigmatizing, and push back against it. It's up to you. It will continue to be classed as a mental disorder, regardless.

 

[Freedomfighter]

Hi everyone.
I think everyone has heard the argument "Mental illness is just like any other type of illn...

What a wonderful post, a privilege to read that. When perpetrators cause mental illness the patient will always miss the healthy brain. Your post is the best post about PTSD I have eaver read.

 

[mamachick]

Very good post and many good views here.
I grew up with great family dysfunction, an alcoholic and depressed mother, living with relatives that would take me in, in an abusive marriage, and more. For the first 50 yrs of life, I had no symptoms of ptsd, never a major depression, and only anxiety during things such as divorce or being stalked. I was extremely resilient by all accounts.

At age 48, I had a bad head trauma. Life changed. Depression and anxiety began, personality changes including feeling much more sensitive, frustrated easily, and anger. Two yrs later, I was assaulted and diagnosed with ptsd about 8 months later. Still not absolutely sure I have ptsd but assuming I do-Like you, I hate being stigmatized. I am not the person I was, like the blind who once had sight. I know what was lost. I grieve but remain stuck.

Ironically, I fought to change the stigma that exists regarding mental health before all of this. I was treated so damn much different and there is nothing we can really do about that. I do think that we can change how we see ourselves through our own eyes, and others will follow (to a degree). As long as we think we are suffering the stigma, we will continue to see thru others eyes and we will attract the treatment through our own beliefs.

I think most with mental illness feel this way, but occasionally there will be a person that will step up and speak publicly about how they have suffered through mental illness and about the stigma, without shame or embarrassment.

 

[Nessa7]

I enjoyed reading your post, but I can't follow your logic in a way that is satisfying to me. Many people with PTSD are going to have a genetic factor, and many people with a different mental health issue are going to have environmental factors that have played a role. People that are genetically predisposed to a mental illness might never have one. There are also ways to explain PTSD that are physical. Scientifically, it isn't a distinction that makes sense to me.

And when I face stigma around PTSD, I can't say "no really it's a mutation in my gene so and so in the chromosome so and so, I can't just decide to get over it" - and if I say "it was trauma" they go "it's your fault" or "that's not trauma" and "you didn't go to war". Truth is, I can't name a gene that caused this, I didn't go to war, AND it was real trauma, it did happen, it wasn't my fault and it is why I can't function.

I keep coming back to this paragraph. I think the thing that has me lingering on it is that there's no final response from you/the sufferer. Someone else has the power in that conversation. The answer to stigma and shame is that it is wrong. Period. If one wording doesn't work for you, there are a wide variety of other reasons that people with PTSD shouldn't be treated any differently than anyone else or judged for it.

 

[Tinyflame]

I'm not sure, I have thought about this before.

I can only state from my experience that it results in biochemical changes following trauma(s) that affect the neurobiochemistry of the brain (+/ or structures itself). Similarly, however, how much is co-morbid or due to perspective could be debatable: for example, depression due to neurochemistry or biology (with or without a genetic component), or depression caused from self-defeating thoughts and experiences (including shame and stigma). So much is unknown.

All I know is living under the experience of near-contant internal stress is a killer. :(

 

[Friday]

And when I face stigma around PTSD, I can't say "no really it's a mutation in my gene so and so in the chromosome so and so, I can't just decide to get over it" - and if I say "it was trauma" they go "it's your fault" or "that's not trauma"

In my own life ^^^ is a tell that I'm not actually dealing with anyone else's prejudices, but my own. Because that excuse? Is my own, what I think would make me feel better, or justify things, rather than what everyone else thinks & feels.

I'm curious if you know that? That for many people it's the exact opposite belief that is true for them; if it happened to you, it's not your fault, but if you're born that way? It's entirely you, your fault, who you are. It's something wrong with you, not something that's easily explained -and absolved- by it being something someone else did, or something that happened.