Looking for peer reviewers

[Decadian]

Yesterday - when I saw my new psychologist -  I discussed the possiblity of my son having Borderline Personality Disorder. He completed suicide 30 years ago

I was given virtually no information regarding his state of mind - because he had reached 16 when he saw a psychriatist there were privacy laws involved and all I was told was that he had some depression

How could I help him if I wasn't given useful information myself - and he was not disposed to talk about these issues himself

When I came across the term Borderline Personality Disorder it confused me - what borderline? Was his depression borderline? His ADHD was not borderline - it was full on - what did it mean?

So I read a lot on line - but for the first time I found the fact sheet we have here - and how clearly they are written - indeed - knowing my son's behaviour rather than any labels they might have given him through the years - and those labels were tossed around like sweets bursting out of a pinata.

What sense could they make to me when nothing about him was cohesive - he life, behaviour, habits -

Having had the chance to read a little on BDP and discuss it with a professional it makes a lot of sense. I can see that the borderline is an important place - it is not on the edge but right in the middle

Nothing can change for my son - but I can pray other people can be treated - and for me - I can understand other people better

Decadian

[NikNik]

Hi @Decadian @BlueBay @Former-Member @Former-Member @Appleblossom @VikkiH @Kurra

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read the content and give very thoughtful and insightful feedback.

Tonight I will be passing all of your feedback on to our content team, who are already deeply grateful for your contribution. 

From a very appreciative Nik

[BlueBay]

Hi @NikNik
I am doing a phone survey interview next week for Sane 🙂

[Shaz51]

oops sorry @NikNik xx

Fact vs myth: mental illness basics

Fact vs myth: treatment & recovery

Fact vs myth: mental illness & violence

Fact vs myth: specific disorders

 Congratulations to the SANE team ,

i found them easy to understand and read

and having the resources highlighten is great to have a look and to go back to the fact sheet with no problems and very easy to print out a fact sheet

from Shaz

[NikNik]

That's awesome @BlueBay !

Just in case anyone curious and for your peace of mind, the researcher won't be a member of SANE staff and they make everything anonymous - so feel free to be as honest as you want 🙂

[PeppiPatty]

where is it @NikNik the peer reviewers ?

[PeppiPatty]

I need to do one a night. 

I don't have Apple's cleverness.

The Frist one I read is : Fact vs myth: mental illness basics

It is short ( good) BUT I'm wondering why you did'nt write about how others find is EASY to stigmatise and play..... I am better than you because you have just disclosed that you have an MI. 

in that the Indigenous Community don't just have to struggle through MI but also the Government do NOT understand how important culture and creativity is for healing for Aboriginal People. 

This word "Complex," often is about individuals reeling from the stress of finding that they have a diagnosis and not knowing  what it means, not being able to care for themselves properly even up to the ability of eating properly.

I've included a lot for a beginning paper.

thanx to @Decadian for her message 

[Decadian]

Thanks @PeppiPatty

Two mornings after we brought our adopted son home I told my husband there was something wrong with the baby and I wanted to take him back - and now - nearly 47 years later I know I was not doing anything wrong with that - we return faulty purchases - and this child was clearly damaged - but he didn't let me take the baby back so I committed to him - and for me that commitment grew stronger

Of course when my biological child was born prematurely and with an immature liver and failed to thrive I had not intention of giving up on her - she had been born to us -

Regardless of the right or wrong - I found  I started to love this damage adopted infant and now I know so much more I know he had MI - which ones - quite probably Foetal Alcohol Sydnrome and Borderline Personality Disorder and if I had taken this child back - I shudder to think what would have happened

So yes - so many years ago I stood at that place where we all stand at some time - asking that question "Where do I go from here?" and it was a one day at a time and roller-coaster and despair and among it some joyful moments - some rare but glorious moments - that this child could have been anything - but was brain damaged and he and I suffered the worst kind of ostracism - mostly from my family

How does one deal with the bigotry and prejudice of their own parents and siblings? It goes without saying that it was bad enough that one of us suffered - but both of us did - and this makes me ask those same questions @PeppiPatty

We become caught in a "damned if you do and damned in you don't" scenario - and my mother's contradictory comments were worse that confusing - if there had not already been tension between us there was now - and until the end of her life I never knew what she wanted - and that word "complex" became apparent in many of it's meanings - life was complex, it seemed I had a complex, for a long time no one thought the child had a complex, I am sure my mother had a complex.

How does one handle such a situation?

One thing was the increasing aboriginal appearance of my son - and clearly this was something my family did not like - and it explained a lot to me and now I am rather pleased with this - I found it interesting - and know that had my son not had some kind of MI he could have been anything he chose to be - for his own people - but my family cringed - they could see his colour but never accepted his race - and this has left me with the feelings that closed minds do not help the problem - they make the problem more complex

And alas - we cannot win our side of the argument in these situations - and I reached a stage early when I no longer tried to argue - but stood alone - the most important people to have helped did not - including the adoptive father - who gave up very quickly on the child he wanted so badly

So - if this helps @PeppiPatty - I am glad - in reality I think most people have some kind of mental or emotional disorder - just as most people have some kind of physical imperfection - there are people with both and I guess it might be true that there are people with none - but give them time

But the stigma - why the stigma? - This is society- this is the people at their worst - their fear about the different - witches - demons - whatever they didn't like -

I will leave it at this point without becoming confused myself about what I am writing - life with an MI can and must be very lonely - and so much of this springs from prejudice in the minds of people who think themselves to be perfect - and it has been hard through these years having my own family so unfeeling and unyielding

Decadian

[PeppiPatty]

thanks for you message @Decadian

I will get back to you later tonight. 

Can I ask @Appleblossom to read t too. 

PPx

[PeppiPatty]

Hey  @Decadian,

It's me PeppiPatty,

 we have been left so alone in our roles as a carer and struggling with our own Mi caused by environmental/ organic reasons. 

You write so sensetively , I keep on reading your message, I am also rereading the book by Ann Deveson, "Tell me I'm Here" and the journey her own son has with Schizophrenia in 70s and early 80s.

How are you @Decadian ? 

I feel so ......angry. That when I first remet my darling husband he said...." As soon as I got my diagnosis, my life became hell." Never ever did I beieve it until I went to his :

1. Psychiatric Community thingy hearing ( compulsory to turn up and have his medication) 

2. saw how most of his friends treated him

3. Saw  the treatment of him in public. 

4. Saw the teatment of others when he went to the Psychiatric hospital. 

Of course, during this time, he became so ill, I was waking up everyday thinking: Oh maybe this will be the day that they will take him to hospital..........

I am writing of the second piont now ;

Fact vs myth: treatment & recovery

NOt enough people seek help. 

AGain I onder why if there is a way that can be put in something about unable to speak of asking for help or for diagnosis to be explained. Psychiatrists under the pump in emergency to sit with each person coming in to explain what is happening but also difficulties of follow up and burn out. 

LIke the rest : but maybe something can be commented on that sometimes:

 to be  explained over and over again

a diagnosis ;  

changing medication 

How to live on a timetable stuck up on a fridge OR living a fairly boring life is okay 

Thanks