There's no solution to mental illness?

[TamaleHot]

I've seen quite a few YouTube clips and documentaries where mentally ill people still suffering quite badly have been discharged from receiving any care, because they're told nothing more can be done for them. I don't know if I'm the only one, but surely it doesn't help to say this to people who are already feeling extremely bad about themselves? Surely this could potentially trigger them to self-harm or worse? I've witnessed a lot of people generally treat the mentally ill like pariahs or shun them by calling them 'freaks' or 'nutters'. There still seems to be so much stigma attached to mental illness which is preventing any real way of finding effective treatments. But from what I've seen, society actually drives people to give up or harm themselves in some way by making them feel like a problem and forgetting they're actually human beings too.

Treatments are improving and increasing all the time. Sure, things arent perfect yet.

There is a complete lack of provision for people with these problems. Our country is unbalanced at the moment. You will only get attention if you are about to harm yourself our someone else it seems to me.

A many psychiatric disorders can be medicated to the extent that people live perfectly content lives.

Personality disorders can't really be medicated, but a huge part of the issue with those is trying to get the patient to acknowledge the problem, and help themselves.

The people in the videos you've seen are presumably on the throes of ill health, and acting accordingly.

Correct.

The majority of mental health illnesses cannot be cured. It is a shame but there is also a limit to what can be done.

What does annoy me is when it is inferred that the sufferer just hasnt wanted to get well.

Lots of people get better from MH disorders.

Some people sadly don't, and it may become a case of alleviating symptoms or improving quality of life as best as possible.

For some types of MH problem they are better treated in the community as being in hospital actually makes people worse.

But services everywhere are horrendously over stretched. So obviously not everyone is getting the best quality of care. And the only way to change this is for people to make it a priority when voting.

I think many MH illnesses are like chronic conditions - this has been my experience. I have periods of being very well and other periods where I have needed treatment. The treatment helps me improve but will never 'cure' me.

My mental illness will never be cured. It is however treated and generally well managed ( I don't get sick very often).

Some chronic mental illnesses are easier to treat and live with than others. You learn the warning signs and you cope. If there is no cure there is no cure. That's just life.

A Doctor couldn't lie to a patient who was physically unwell and there are very exceptional circumstances to not tell a patient that they are terminal, so it brings up an ethical problem if you are saying that MH patients should be lied to.

The emphasis is generally on managing the condition.

My DD is a Manager in a MH service and sadly has witnessed lots of suicides and attempted suicides, unless we go back to locking people away and over drugging them, then there sometimes isn't an answer.

Resurgam2016 Maybe for you 'that's it', but why should people suffer for the majority of their lives? Assisted suicide should be an option if people are going to dismiss helping people properly.

Seems a radical response. Death is pretty final. But it's an individual decision. I would say that I have, when low, attempted suicide. Now when well I am very glad that it was unsuccessful.

Medicine has never purported to cure everything. I think many people now expect to have all suffering medically removed from life when it is just not possible. Plenty of people suffer chronic physical ailments as well.

Lifestyle and environment also plays a part: the baseline level of anxiety has been increasing on a societal level for some time.

That said, MH services are underfunded and hard to access. Treatments are tricky and require a lot of patient commitment and cooperation. It is a difficult area to work in.

alpacasandwich So of medicine cannot help and society in general likes to dehumanise and demonise the mentally ill, by implying they are 'freaks' or 'burdens', isn't assisted suicide the next step?

Birdsgottaf1y Doesn't your mother perhaps see that allowing people to stop their suffering might be the best way forward? You can't have it both ways: you can't treat the mentally ill like lepers but then not give them the option of a painless, dignified death by voluntary euthanasia.

Why would that be the next logical step? Surely the next logical step is to change society to be more accepting, not to kill everyone off?

I have chronic mh and chronic physical disabilities. The physical is dismissed just as much as the mental - ime if it's not a broken leg that can 'easily' be fixed, HCPs have a tendency to stop trying once they've got things under relative control.

Just because medication doesn't cure mental illness doesn't mean we should be discharged from care. There are many, many people who want to have therapy and guidance as well as/instead of medication, but due to there being zero funding they are cut loose. In my experience, unless a person's suffering causes inconvenience to others they will not be offered much help. I had to fight very hard to get the therapy I need after a pattern of being admitted and discharged over and over. Longterm physical illnesses are treated because they cause an individual alone discomfort and pain, not because they have an impact on anyone surrounding the sufferer.

This is a weird thread. Helping people end their lives when they are probably not in their right minds is never a good idea.

Providing appropriate support and ongoing treatment is an important but totally separate issue.

Saying that because MH provision is not wonderful means society is encouraging suicide is a non sequitur. It is just mad. And I say that as a long term diagnosed mad person.

I think some people can have symptoms managed very well and live lovely lives.
After an extreme trauma I think it can be very difficult or imposssible to manage effectively.
Medications and counselling can work extremely well, but you also need love and family support AND networks of sensible people to assist too. Many people just don't have this and the state cannot substitute. This is where the charities or the church can help too but I don't think either get so involved these days.

Ktown The mental health charities don't actually offer any real support: a few wellbeing classes won't help someone who's been pushed from pillar to post over 2 decades. As for the church, well I don't think sending people to asylums run by nuns is going to make a comeback.

Assisted suicide for the mentally ill! I think the last person to promote this was Hitler! This post has really upst me

Mental health services are seriously underfunded and therefore limited in what they can offer and there is still a huge ignorance and stigma surrounding mental illness in society, lets tackle these issues rather than start killing off people! DH and I have both suffered with mental illness (me depression and PTSD, him psychosis) and both been suicidal, him with multiple attempts. We are both glad that we havent suceeded now we are well. DHs psychosis is likely to be with him for life but is now well managed if not cured.

Am I right in thinking that you are talking about yourself OP and that you are struggling with your mental health and feeling like there is no support?

Tamale: sorry - it wasn't a recommendation! It is just something that happens. I didn't mean it to be flippant.

I agree with nolonger that assisted suicide for mentally ill people is a very very bad idea!!!

I have depression, psychosis & bpd traits mainly controlled by high dose anti depressants & anti psychotics but I don't think I'll ever be 'cured'.

Sometimes my life can be a bit shit as a result & it's scary to think that in some countries you could be offered euthanasia rather than the state paying to find cures or funding proper MH services.

I never forget what the Nazis did to mentally ill people.

I'm lucky to have a good psychiatrist & helpful CMHT even if they are totally snowed under in my area. Unfortunately I've also met bad psychiatrists & unhelpful nurses but as I work in healthcare myself I'm good at speaking up for myself (unless I'm unwell).

There IS a lot of stigma around MH problems- I don't tell anyone about the psychosis or bpd traits, only a bit about the depression & the fact I have epilepsy (another misunderstood & stigmatised condition with no real cure).

I think that part of the problem is that people can't get help early enough where is easy to either cure the problem or learn coping strategies to stop the problem getting worse. People should have to wait until they are suicidal before they can get any help.

NolongerAnxiousCarer Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. Yes I have suffered from depression and anxiety all my life: even suicide attempts during adolescence weren't taken seriously.