Mental Disorders

[paladinoflunaria]

Has anyone been diagnosed with a mental disorder? If you haven't been diagnosed, do you exhibit symptoms of a disorder? Talk about it if you wish.

I was diagnosed a few years ago with OCD. I used to wash my hands all the time- left them cracked and bleeding a few times. Don't do that anymore, but I have a few other obsessive-compulsive habits. They're very minor, and don't affect my life much anymore. I should probably go ahead and finish them off, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

[CosmicDust]

ADD - although there's much debate about whether this set of quirks qualifies as a "mental disorder." Whether some of my issues are related to this or to temperament strikes me as a chicken-and-egg problem - the attentional inconsistencies of ADD may have contributed to certain aspects of my temperament, but then, the issues of my temperament might have mimicked or dominated over ADD issues. In any case, a lot of ADD cases/tendencies seem to run in my family, and the ADDers, fringe-ADDers, and suspected-ADDers seem to vary quite a bit in temperament (MBTI, Enneagram, stubbornness, demeanor, and what-have-you). Natural tendencies toward not having easy access to a "middle focus" state seem to be the core of ADD, although in my family there tends to be some form of impulsivity (e.g., open mouth insert foot) in many cases, including my own - I have a history of foot-in-mouth, at least, and so does my dad.

I also have some anxiety- and depression-like issues, but not to a clinical degree - I tend to be high-strung, under-motivated, and non-self-assured.

[paladinoflunaria]

Argh. I absent-mindedly put it in the wrong category.

[paladinoflunaria]

Yeah, I have depressive tendencies, but I don't think they're "clinical strength." But they could be. I'm not suicidal, but I contemplate it every once in a while. I'm very unmotivated, apathetic, etc. I don't think that some of those tendencies are really bad, but that's not what this thread is about.

[jittus rye]

it isn't a disorder unless it causes a problem, and who is to say that mental disorders cause problems?

[Melody]

I have not gone to any psychologist/psychiatrist/pediatrician or anything, but before I took the MBTI test, I was certain I had ADD, now I can't tell, and my opinion is that of CosmicDust's. I have mild OCD, but this seems to me to be similar to the ADD thing. I also have mild Tourette's Syndrome / tics. My neck twitches. It is not noticeable, though. You would have to live with me to notice it.

[Melody]

Oh, yeah. Also insanity and mad genius.

[int]

I'd see a shrink but I'm paranoid he/she won't let me continue being this disaster.

That and I'd rather deal with my own "issues" myself anyways, so the point seems moot. I am what I am.

[Melody]

Yeah. Although it would be interesting to see if I would be diagnosed with anything, I would not take medication if I was.

[int]

Everyone of my siblings was diagnosed with ADD. Depression seems inevitable. The sibs get on me for it, apparently their shrinks spread themselves a little too thick imo. We've never met and I'm concluded and judged...only I get to hear it second hand. I've also got some OCD tendencies but wouldn't be concerned there.

But I'm facinated by entropy, so fsck 'em.

[HairlessBluetick]

I have OCD (varies in degree depending on the time of year, stress level, etc; can get pretty bad) and SAD (seasonal affect disorder; basically seasonal depression) plus a couple of anxiety problems and now and then a pretty severe bout of depression (seasonal or not.)

[CosmicDust]

I do take the speed for ADD, but I have mixed feelings about it. I haven't noticed the harm it's done to anything other than my ego, but I don't have adequate reason to completely dismiss all the horrible things I heard...grr...I'm just not J enough sometimes, or don't have enough Fi, or something. I'm neutral or split on almost everything.

[ohnoaninfp]

It seems that a lot of people in here have OCD. I wonder if it is linked to certain personality types. Do you think I should start a poll on it? Of course I am not an INTP, so my vote shouldn't be counted.

[jittus rye]

I have a very light form of it, it isn't a big deal.

[Vagabond]

I'd see a shrink but I'm paranoid he/she won't let me continue being this disaster.

That and I'd rather deal with my own "issues" myself anyways, so the point seems moot. I am what I am.
Ditto. I was close to seeing a shrink recently though, I had reached a point where next step scared the shit out of me and I thought I needed some help to take it (this phrase sounds greek I am sure, but I am too lazy to rearrange it now :P); but the idea of a stranger being an 'authority' on something I know better than anyone (that would be my inner world) changed my mind. I am sure there are shrinks that could really help out there, however I don't know which ones they are. I didn't feel like taking chances - one wrong push and I would end up back to where I had started, plus lacking the strength to start all over again.

Oh, and I am only talking about depression.

[shaytana]

Argh. I absent-mindedly put it in the wrong category.

fixt

[Crazy]

Mild OCD, suspected ADD, closet (that just looks all kinds of wrong, and I don't know why) evil genius, benign insanity. (All conditions are unconfirmed, I don't like those head doctor guys)

[purple13]

anxiety, depression.

Also, obessive, but apparently not the compulsive part.

yeah, don't cold turkey paxil. I felt like my brain was short-circuiting.

[purple13]

closet (that just looks all kinds of wrong, and I don't know why)

that does look wrong.

[Laeskis]

never been diagnosed with anything. Thought I was crazy...what a let down; I'm obviously not (but crazy people can be so...obliviously happy...darn.)
Any way I might have some kind of emotional disorder or other...then again maybe that's just repression.
I'd say I'm fit as a fiddle, but oh-so-wierd.

[ohnoaninfp]

I have OCD. It has been hell. I also suffer from depression. I just can't seem to shake off the depression. I also worry a lot, about never measuring up and about my future.

[s]

I'd see a shrink but I'm paranoid he/she won't let me continue being this disaster.



Hilarious. That needs to be t-shirt... I'd wear it.

[purple13]

I have OCD. It has been hell. I also suffer from depression. I just can't seem to shake off the depression. I also worry a lot, about never measuring up and about my future.

Is OCD like you see in the movies? Besides the handwashing, what other manifestations are there? Is it different for different people? I'm curious, because sometimes I will re-check things that I know I just checked, just to make sure.

[ohnoaninfp]

OCD has many manifestations. This one guy was obsessed with the word shit. People also have obssesions about going to hell, even though they are good people, so they would go to confession more than they are supposed to. Some people get disturbing intrusive thoughts all of the time. These thoughts can be blasphemous, violent and sexual in nature. There was this one lady who had intrusive thoughts about taking her clothes off in church. She never did, but the thoughts bothered her. There are obssesions with numbers, such as counting to a certain number before doing something, and the fear of the number 13. There are many more manifestations of this disease. There is this book called Obssessive Compulsive Anynomonous. It is based off of Alcoholics anynomonous to help people over come their illness.

[waxwing]

I've got manic-depression. I'm currently in a mixed episode meaning I am depressed under the surface with a whole lotta manic energy.....uggh.

I'm coming down from a pretty lengthy manic/hypomanic episode. Hooray.

I was just talking to my psychiatrist about being naturally reflective.... how I do not know any other way to live than to reflect on this sort of constant flux I've always lived with. In some ways, I understand it as part of my personality, but at the same time, it's come to sort of define my disorder. Go figure.

[s]

I have too many symptoms to too many disorders.


Just call me "quirky."

[Chaos Symphony]

Well, I don't suppose I could keep watching forever. Avoidant Personality Disorder is my particular affliction. Manifests fairly strongly, as my own behavior here easily illustrates. I've been reading these forums frequently since mid-April, and despite strong interest, only ever posted briefly when the Forumer board was in its last days. *shrugs* Can't help being taciturn, but I'm working on it.

:hello:

[cloakable]

I have too many symptoms to too many disorders.


Just call me "quirky."

*agrees*
I call it 'my personality'

[Boozer]

Never been diagnosed, but that avoidant disorder fits me to a tee. I'm shy, but wish I wasn't, but still stay home by default. :(

[restoride]

im pretty sure that intellectual people (read: people that try to use their brains alot) are vunerable to inflictions of mental disease purely as a well travelled car is prone to faults through wear.

but how many of you people with "problems" do any kind of mental maintenance, relaxation techniques, regular meditation, occasional shrink visits or anykind of dietry changes according to your condition.

you cant think your way out of thinking too hard, and i suspect (and im in the same bucket with you) that we in some disgustingly twisted way, identifiy with these 'abnorms of the mind' and in further cases, feel that such things prove the one thing we all think but prefer not to state out loud..

that is we think or know we are smarter than the average, or above average joe, and ill bet we even like to consider the possiblilty of being undiscovered geniuses in our own right, which may or may not be true. Surely these eccentric mental states are a small price to pay for being potentials (even if only in fantasy or peers eyes) for the intellectual hall of fame? do you like it when people compliment your brain power?

wew.... this forum is finger straining fun...


ok, btw, my psychologist panel (yeah, three of them) not only ripped my head in two whils trying a "positive probe", but also failed to help me at all. i am struggling to deal with even the slightest emotional provocation... cannot maintain or organise this thing they call "life" and bare sleep 3 hours at a time.... i MUST be a f***n genius!.. if only i could get my life together to prove it! (he he)

and weirdly enough... at times i kind of like (not the attention so to speak) but the chaotic difference that i get in each day. the derranged sense of creative drive through the need to express... (like my rather common lengthy posts?) and other cool shit.... and the attention, especially people that fall for the potential genius act.... suckers... im a total retard really. :D

[purple13]

OCD has many manifestations. This one guy was obsessed with the word shit. People also have obssesions about going to hell, even though they are good people, so they would go to confession more than they are supposed to. Some people get disturbing intrusive thoughts all of the time. These thoughts can be blasphemous, violent and sexual in nature. There was this one lady who had intrusive thoughts about taking her clothes off in church. She never did, but the thoughts bothered her. There are obssesions with numbers, such as counting to a certain number before doing something, and the fear of the number 13. There are many more manifestations of this disease. There is this book called Obssessive Compulsive Anynomonous. It is based off of Alcoholics anynomonous to help people over come their illness.

Thanks for the info. (I posted the question and forgot to come back). My therapist told me it's not OCD if you don't act something out. Otherwise it's just obsessive (the thought -- without the compulsive part).

[booyalab]

I had undiagnosed OCD when I was little. I began cleaning my room out of my own fruition when I was 3 or 4 and I used to try to find the most efficient way to go about it. Then I'd mess it up again and try something different. I got very frustrated with myself when I was 7, as I was cleaning my room sometimes 5-10 times a day. So I spontaneously just stopped. I've also had those obsessive 'intrusive' thoughts. I grew up in a religious family and I always had a fear of the apocalypse. It sometimes bordered on schizophrenia, because one time, for instance, when I was about 13 I woke up one morning in a cold sweat and thought for sure the world was ending. I just sat in bed for like an hour and a half not knowing why or how I came to believe this. Finally I got the nerve to get up and go do something and the feeling passed. These weird episodes have become less frequent as I've grown up and have tried to detach myself from any deep religious thought.