Originally Posted by Brokenfriend

I know what you mean. I'm about the same age as you,and they knew Nothing!!!,Nothing!!! at all when I needed help when I was a teenager. They just gave me Valium in the late 60's. I had a psychiatrist in about 1970,but he wasn't very helpful,and he didn't let me know that lots of people suffer like this. My sister told me resently that she laughed at what I had when I was having panic attacks in my mid teens.

My mother told me something about what I did when I was under ten years old,and she was laughing so hard,she could hardly say what she wanted to say. I heard it all my life,and then my sister told me the same thing. I told them all don't you understand what that was? That was a obsession,(running down the steps),and the other was a compulsion(I grabbed the curtains at the bottom of the stairs over,and over till my dad gave me a spanking. I then got up,and said,"Now can I do it.") I said that's OCD. Didn't you know? I'm diagnosed with OCD also. I heard them recall this periodically when I was growing up,and it made me feel stupid,and they thought that I was for a while. I had many learning difficulties,and ended up in Military School. They didn't know about spacific learning difficulties either.

They did not talk about things like this until about 1980. I felt like I was THE ONLY ONE that had problems like these until 1980.In 1980,"The Phobia Clinic" came into being,and my dad said he understands now,and helped me get in the program.

No one talked about these issues for the most part in the public,and there was no comfort in the public. They did not talk about mental health issues in the media. They still don't talk about it enough,and there are millions of people out there struggling. Our voices need to be heard. We need a place to go to get encouragement,and comfort when we need it. I'm not talking about the psych ward,or anything like that.

I saw the movie,"What about Bob?"with Bill Murray,and Richard Dreyfuss in about 1990,and they where saying things that I could relate to. I remember Bill Murray told the other actor in the movie,"Yeah,I've got that too".So that comedy touched on Phobias,like Monk goes through his OCD thing. They don't show him getting depressed though. There's plenty of that too. BF

Originally Posted by Abasaki

I wish the media here would be more open and talk about suicide.... I wish in the obituaries, it would say that's what happened.... it's easy to tell that it was a suicide when the person is young and says they died at home.

I mean they list cancer, cystic fibrosis, and other illnesses...but they never list depression or bipolar or any of the mental illnesses as a cause of death...

I think if everyone would talk about suicide the stigma would eventually end.

Oh well... that's just my two cents worth...

for all!
Abbie

Originally Posted by Alffe

Ok...I believe in the message...I'm not sure about the messenger. Thank you Nikki for posting the link...I just watched it and I ordered the T Shirt.

I guess the important thing is that a lot of people watch this show so hopefully a lot of people will get the message.

I must take a look at ASPS's site and see if their opinion was any different than the warning they gave about Will Smiths movie...7 (something) or if they even have one.

And on a selfish note....I've missed you Nikki and continue to keep you in my heart and prayers. Please remember that you are loved around here.