to ask what you think 'severe mental illness' means?

[ButteryPie]

Something recently has made me think that most people think it means something different to what I think it means. So, if someone said they were unable to work due to suffering from a severe mental illness, they had children and a dp who works part time, what is your assumption?

(please don't worry about offending me etc - I'm genuinely intrigued as to what people think from that sentance, whether more detail is needed, etc)

My brother had a severe mental illness - schizophrenia and he would never have described himself in that way. He thought the medics were part of an evil plot against him.

I'd say it meant a problem that (uncontrolled) made them unable to function normally, as in their own basic care, leaving the house, paying bills etc.

They might well be able to write normally, but not to be able to leave the house.

I should add that although my brother's illness was constant, for others it occurs in episodes and is managed by meds, they can get on in life like anyone else but still have the severe mental illness, but kept mainly under control.

Ok, would you assume they were able to look after the children? How about do voluntary work?

This is all related to a smalk bit of writing that I did, that I knew would get adverse comments, but some of them were less 'strange internet person' and more 'genuinely misunderstood what I wrote'. I'm planning to write a longer thing (obv much more well than I am writing now) that won't have the possibility of comments, so I'm trying to make it clear without harping on, if that makes sense.

Give me enough happy pills and I'll have a go at writing a tried and tested guide to finding nirvana Stealth

It's not difficult (and please don't flame me here) to persuade your doctor that you are more 'mentally ill' than you are. It really isn't. Not proud of it, but I have done this in the past

My assumption would be who looks after the children, while the DP works part time, if the mental illness is so severe they cant work.

Obviously based on that statement alone, without knowing any other details.

People with severe mh probs are all different- some def wouldn't be able to look after kids; others might manage their illness and accept support, recognise signs of an episode and be fine bringing up kids. It's too big an area to generalise.

I have depression which is at times severe (hugely improved recently due to new meds). I have children and a husband who works part time. I am unable to work due to things like not wanting to go out anywhere there are lots of people (an office, shop, street), not being able to concentrate, not being able to take anything negative (stubbed toe, missed bus, soft criticism) or talk to people without completely dissolving. There are lots more things, but you can see it affects my life.
With regards to the children, when I am particularly ill, DH takes time off work, my mother and MIL help with the children, we use a nursery and sometimes I just cope for half a day til dh comes back.
With regards to producing a coherent piece of writing, some times are better than others, a piece of writing may be changed and revisited, and done in a comfortable setting. And even mentally ill people can be (and often are) very intelligent.
Not a sarcastic comment: are you confusing 'mental illness' with 'learning disability'?

"would you assume they were able to look after the children? How about do voluntary work?"

I'll be honest, as I understand severe mental illness, I would think that they would possibly struggle with those things without support. Because my understanding of severe mental illness is that it is of a severe enough nature to stop a person from being able to function 'normally'.

I have been in a mental health unit myself. Anything less than mental health unit doped up on trifluoperazine isn't 'severe mental illness' to me.

So many people have mental health problems. So many. And yet it's something that just isn't talked about and anyone who does admit to a mental health problem is marked for life. Try getting a job if you admit you've been in a mhu! People really need to understand that the mind is just a part of the body. Nobody runs away screaming if you break your leg, or sprain your wrist or have a nosebleed or whatever. Or if you mention that any of those things have ever happened to you.

I considered putting in more details about diagnosis etc, but the point of the piece was just that I can't work, so the reason wasn't the main focus, except I needed to convey it being something that both totally put work out of the question for the next few years at the very least, but allowed times of being able to do stuff.

Would more details have helped, do you think, or would they just confuse matters?

Stripey, I'm not pretending to know much about mental illness, I really know very little. But I have a friend who's Mum has bipolar and both of them suffered hugely because of it since my friend was a small child. My friend still has huge issues and feels she would have been better off being brought up away from her Mum when she was bad.

However, I have anxiety issues (mild though), am waiting to have cbt and sometimes use medication, and I manage my children perfectly well, have a job I love and do lots of volunty work.

If someone was too seriously mentally ill to work I would not expect them to be able to look after children.

In fact, I would consider it dangerous and irresponsible to leave them in charge of children while they were so sick.

I would not think it remotely strange that they could be lucid, write intelligently, paint, make music, hold conversations, read books, or do lots of other non-stressful things with their time.

Without knowing what the mental illness is, it's hard to be more specific.

Thingamajig, is that question directed at me?

sorry thread has moved on

I've been signed off for the last 6 weeks because of my depression and anxiety, really I should have been signed off for the last 6 months. I'm getting better now but a few weeks ago I considered it a good day. If I managed to have a shower, if I managed to e.g. phone to make a GP appointment, cook dinner or go to the corner shop then I considered it a good day. I think that can probably be classed as severe mental illness.

No claw, I hadnt read your comment when I posted.
Are you feeling paranoid?

Should I tell my situation, so the mn collective genius can think of a brief way of putting it, or should I wait for more assumptions?

Genuinely not wanting to discuss the actual situation (I've done that, at length, at various times on here already), just wondering how to put it without misleading people or sounding like I'm looking for sympathy. I'm getting quite into politics etc, and have decided not to hide my illness as it often adds a bit of context, but I don't just want to write 'how I went mad', iyswim

LOL no thingamajig, just a bit insecure

She cut off their tails, do you think that if someone is too physically ill to work, they to should not look after children?

I would think 'severe mentall illness' where the person is unable to work because of it, would be, well quite severe for starters and could be anything from depression to anxiety to psychosis. The label covers quite a wide area.

thingamajig

Of course.

Looking after children is work, if you're unwell you'll do it badly, and it could make your condition worse.

The attitude towards people with mental health issues and children is awful. It is the reason many people with these problems are not getting the help that they need because they are terrified they will lose their children, Which is a catch 22 because the longer these things go untreated the worse they get.

I'm glad your getting help "QueenStromba", It really does get better :)

Whoops! QueenStromba

I'm still not sure what you are getting at Buttery, but if you are talking about telling more people about your illness, I would bear in mind that MNers are quite enlightened about these things compared to many, maybe because we find it easier to talk about on internet.

I would call your illness by it's given name, and possibly drop the word 'severe'. Mental illness is mental illness, and while you want people to understand, you don't want them to pre judge.