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Arjuna Nagendran

Doctor,

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What experiences have made you more comfortable with mental health disorders?

What things make you fearful of mental health disorders? And what experiences have made you more comfortable with it?

In the quest to dispell stigma, how can we help our society grow out of its fear?

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Topics: Education. society Psychiatry mental health society stigma
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    Mark Hurych

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    Oct 20 2012: /
    Arjuna Nagendran

    Like your polar bear avatar seems to express, we are all ashamed of the possibility that there is something deeply and fundamentally wrong with us and I think it is that link with shame that makes your question both difficult and important to address. I also think that working to solve this kind of problem will solve many many others in its wake. I will attempt to gather my wits and data about me, peruse the comments here, and then launch a stunningly brilliant new way of thinking about this. No guarantees but I will attempt.

    Mark
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      elizabeth muncey 10+

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      Oct 20 2012: It's in the words Mark. 'Comfortable' and 'Mental Health disorder'. Hmm. Been on the wrong end of the endless dissection and labelling. DSM IV and ICD diagnostic tools looking down the wrong end of the telescope. Not who is this person and what is making them behave like this. Suggest who is this person and who are they interacting with and what is the combined result of the relationship between the two might be a better place to start. Huge power imbalance between mental health 'professional' and 'service-user' for a start. Stunning is so apt. Often not stunningly clever unfortunately, my experience is usually 'stunningly stupid and judgemental'. Do actually have a sense of humour, love your smiley face. Got to laugh at it all sometimes. Let's face it, it is an employment creator - psychiatrist, psychologist, pharmacy, A mental health disorder gives order to lots of other people.

      • Juniper Blue 10+

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        Oct 21 2012: Elizabeth .. that is such a great point about titles" "professional" and "service user" in NAMI (the national association for the mentally ill) in the U.S. the terms "Professional" and "Consumer" are used. I am not comfortable with the terms "service user" or "consumer" ... I mean ... yuck... I guess it is better than scum-sucker but just barely. With all the money I spend on therapy and medication can I at at the very least be referred to as a client or customer? or even better .. try ... human being?
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          elizabeth muncey 10+

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          Oct 21 2012: Love you Juniper Blue. Think bluebirds as in happiness not as in sadness. You are such a strong person. See my comments further on in this thread about ICD-10 and DSM IV plus updates to those diagnostic tools. Also see my reply to Mark on his single comment thread. In U.S.A psych issues a commodity in an economic model supported by ideas about a productive citizen consumes. In Hitler's pre-war Germany psych patients some of the first to be consumed. Only too easy to disappear with a psych history, if not by your own hands then by society. Juniper Blue keep fighting on and keep posting on TED. We are whole people. Like trees we support so many people, not just our families but the whole edifice of psychiatrists, pharmacy, psychologists etc. We are our own little service -led economies. Love the ideas of Jung who did a lot of work with 'schizophrenics'. Takes one to know one. Made up my own little formula inspired by his obsession with mandalas. C=Ettr2=C. Community, energy btween two people in dialogue, leading to (fill in here - creativity, chaos, care, calm. Overarching C possibly compassion or choice or 'certifiable'. Got to keep a sense of humour in this.

      • Juniper Blue 10+

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        Oct 22 2012: Yes ... I am grateful for my CRAZY sense of humor ... How else can we survive the INSANITY that surrounds us??!!
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          elizabeth muncey 10+

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          Oct 22 2012: Hey Juniper Blue did you know blackberries a brilliant source of micronutrients that might help counteract some of the effects of psych meds i.e. the dehydration and plasticisers. Go and have a look at the debate about 'free will', think still currently active and see my post on that. Love you Juniper, such a useful plant, wonder what it's applications might be for psych meds. Sure you know aspirin is from willow bark. Wonder what part of the juniper bush might be useful, the fruit, the leaves, the berries. Juniper please let go of whatever is making you depressed but be careful what you do with the anger. Use the energy of the anger in a focused way and go for your passion.
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          elizabeth muncey 10+

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          Oct 22 2012: Juniper - am very worried about plasticizers in psych meds, especially given BRCA1 genetic difference in women. Here in U.K. it is now predicted 1 in 3 women will get breast cancer in next few decades. Women always the sponges (not quite right word) for other people's negative emotions and also for the toxins in household cleaning products. Psych meds also contain plasticisers as binding agents and coatings. You will note most women on anti-depressants. You might also note many women getting premature menopause. We are whole people not a mind and a body but a mind within a body. Mind influenced by hornones and electrons as well as lived experience. Point 2. Psych meds also full of talc and of salts. Not good for anyone with neurological issues, especially about the firing of the ganglion and other nerve cells. Not a scientist not in an industry which might listen to me. Can you get these messages passed on for me ? Not Chinese whispers style but through everyone you know involved with psych issues. Suggest not too passionate in front of cold psychiatrists and psychologists and businessmen. Find advocates in NAMI etc. Over here in UK best advocates charity MIND. National charity see their website for ideas. Love you Juniper.
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      elizabeth muncey 10+

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      Oct 22 2012: Mark love you. Please see what I am saying to Juniper Blue on this thread. Applies to men as well about everything, including the hormone balance issue. Testosterone the issue for men. Also the effects on the hormones produced on the pituitary gland i.e. oxytocin, the hormone that encourages social bonding and correct partner choice. Psych meds often just a chemical cosh to shut loud people up, go see what I said on the subject of free will. C=Ettr2=C always.

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