Interviews with Everyday People with Extraordinary Issues
Webster's Dictionary defines mental illness as mental illness, mental disease, psychopathy (any disease of the mind; the psychological state of someone who has emotional or behavioral problems serious enough to require psychiatric intervention). With so much information out there, where do you start? Well, I have went straight to the source for some help in answering some questions. Lara (name has been changed for privacy), from Illinois has agreed to speak with me today.
MD: Hi Lara! Thank you for agreeing to help with my project!
L: Glad to help.
MD: What mental illnesses do you face?
L: Depression and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
MD: What are some of the challenges you face in your day to day routine?
L: With depression it's hard to go about the day pretending that there is nothing wrong, pretending that I don't feel this way. It can affect everything from my appetite to my hobbies. PTSD can be triggered so easily. One moment you are washing the dishes and then the next you are reliving your past, not even realizing that it is your past and it's not actually happening.
MD: Are you concerned others are judging you or providing you special treatment and if so, how does that make you feel?
L: People always judge other people but do I think they are judging me because of my conditions, no. Most people don't even know about them.
MD: Are you happy with our current mental health system? What would you like to see fixed?
L: I guess the main thing I would like to see fixed are the doctors actually caring about their patients. I have seen too many who just want put everyone on meds that way they can get their paychecks.
MD: What is the biggest challenger overall you have had to fight or are still fighting?
L: The biggest challenge I guess would be pretending nothing is wrong.
MD: What would you like people to understand about your illness?
L: That they are both serious illnesses, not just cries for attention.
MD: Now that you have been diagnosed, how does your diagnosis limit your daily activities?
L: Depression doesn't really limit anything other than that I have to push myself harder to actually try to enjoy what I am doing. PTSD on the other hand I have to be careful about what I do. I have to be aware at all times so I can try to prevent myself from triggering.
MD: Have you noticed any changes in your friends' or families' attitudes toward you since you were diagnosed?
L: I can say that not much has changed. My family and I are close and I guess maybe this has brought us closer. They try to understand what I am going through as much as possible and if they can they try to help.
MD: Do you feel you are successfully being treated or do you feel that more could be done?
L: For my depression I have been to counseling and on medication. The counseling only made it worse and the medications I was on stopped working and I haven't been able to afford to try others. For my PTSD I have only been to counseling and I stopped going to that after my triggers started getting worse.
MD: When did you first realize you needed help?
L: I was 20 when I realized I needed help for my depression and I was 22 when I decided I needed help for my PTSD.
MD: Do you know if there was a major life event that triggered your illness? If so do you feel comfortable discussing it?
L: I honestly do not know what caused my depression other than I was 11 years old when it started. The PTSD was caused by a traumatic event. I do not feel comfortable going into full detail but I can say I was abused severely by my ex-husband.
MD: What side effects, if any, are you concerned regarding your medications?
L: I am currently not taking any but when I started the ones I was taking for my depression they made me slightly mean.
MD: What advice would you give someone recently diagnosed with a mental illness?
L: Don't be afraid to talk about it. The best "medication" I have found so far are my friends. Even if they don't understand it sometimes your best friends can help you more than anyone else.
MD: What kind of experiences and emotions you feel when not on medication?
L: Well when my medication worked my emotions were more balanced. Now I can go from being happy one moment to crying for no reason. Sometimes my emotions get bad enough I have to have all sharp objects put away.
MD: Do you have any memory issues or black out dealing with your particular disorder?
L: After everything with my ex-husband my mind repressed a lot of memories that I was unable to handle. I have been working to try and remember some of the memories. It's been 6 years and there are still parts that are fuzzy to me.
Knowledge is the first key to being able to deal with any illness you might be diagnosed with. Arming yourself with research, talking to doctors, and other people with your issue may just help shed light on what makes your brain tick and make it work better for you. Stay tuned for more upcoming interviews!
MD: Hi Lara! Thank you for agreeing to help with my project!
L: Glad to help.
MD: What mental illnesses do you face?
L: Depression and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
MD: What are some of the challenges you face in your day to day routine?
L: With depression it's hard to go about the day pretending that there is nothing wrong, pretending that I don't feel this way. It can affect everything from my appetite to my hobbies. PTSD can be triggered so easily. One moment you are washing the dishes and then the next you are reliving your past, not even realizing that it is your past and it's not actually happening.
MD: Are you concerned others are judging you or providing you special treatment and if so, how does that make you feel?
L: People always judge other people but do I think they are judging me because of my conditions, no. Most people don't even know about them.
MD: Are you happy with our current mental health system? What would you like to see fixed?
L: I guess the main thing I would like to see fixed are the doctors actually caring about their patients. I have seen too many who just want put everyone on meds that way they can get their paychecks.
MD: What is the biggest challenger overall you have had to fight or are still fighting?
L: The biggest challenge I guess would be pretending nothing is wrong.
MD: What would you like people to understand about your illness?
L: That they are both serious illnesses, not just cries for attention.
MD: Now that you have been diagnosed, how does your diagnosis limit your daily activities?
L: Depression doesn't really limit anything other than that I have to push myself harder to actually try to enjoy what I am doing. PTSD on the other hand I have to be careful about what I do. I have to be aware at all times so I can try to prevent myself from triggering.
MD: Have you noticed any changes in your friends' or families' attitudes toward you since you were diagnosed?
L: I can say that not much has changed. My family and I are close and I guess maybe this has brought us closer. They try to understand what I am going through as much as possible and if they can they try to help.
MD: Do you feel you are successfully being treated or do you feel that more could be done?
L: For my depression I have been to counseling and on medication. The counseling only made it worse and the medications I was on stopped working and I haven't been able to afford to try others. For my PTSD I have only been to counseling and I stopped going to that after my triggers started getting worse.
MD: When did you first realize you needed help?
L: I was 20 when I realized I needed help for my depression and I was 22 when I decided I needed help for my PTSD.
MD: Do you know if there was a major life event that triggered your illness? If so do you feel comfortable discussing it?
L: I honestly do not know what caused my depression other than I was 11 years old when it started. The PTSD was caused by a traumatic event. I do not feel comfortable going into full detail but I can say I was abused severely by my ex-husband.
MD: What side effects, if any, are you concerned regarding your medications?
L: I am currently not taking any but when I started the ones I was taking for my depression they made me slightly mean.
MD: What advice would you give someone recently diagnosed with a mental illness?
L: Don't be afraid to talk about it. The best "medication" I have found so far are my friends. Even if they don't understand it sometimes your best friends can help you more than anyone else.
MD: What kind of experiences and emotions you feel when not on medication?
L: Well when my medication worked my emotions were more balanced. Now I can go from being happy one moment to crying for no reason. Sometimes my emotions get bad enough I have to have all sharp objects put away.
MD: Do you have any memory issues or black out dealing with your particular disorder?
L: After everything with my ex-husband my mind repressed a lot of memories that I was unable to handle. I have been working to try and remember some of the memories. It's been 6 years and there are still parts that are fuzzy to me.
Knowledge is the first key to being able to deal with any illness you might be diagnosed with. Arming yourself with research, talking to doctors, and other people with your issue may just help shed light on what makes your brain tick and make it work better for you. Stay tuned for more upcoming interviews!
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