Blogs
Amanda_HP
As you probably already know, our guest for last Tuesday's show on Mental Illness in the Family had some technical difficulty. The show will air live, this Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 5:30p CT, 6:30p ET. You can read Rebecca's post: My Daughter’s Mental Illness Has Turned My World Upside Down
Amanda_HP
Whether it's a mental or physical illness, it's natural to concentrate on the person who has the illness. Many forget that family members and loved ones are also suffering. The impact of mental illness on families comes in the forms of grief, denial, frustration, exhaustion, and stigma.
Amanda_HP
Hello. My name is Rebecca. I am writing in response to the article I just saw on the HealthyPlace website about living with DID. I am a 33 year old mother of 3 little girls and have spent the past 2 years watching my oldest daughter completely fall apart. I watched her go from being a normal, albeit extremely emotional, little girl to not even knowing which parts of her life are based in reality and what is happening in a reality that exists only within her own head.
Amanda_HP
I don't pretend to understand what it's like to be intersexual. Most of the autobiographical stories, written by intersexuals, that I've read online talk about years of living with pain, shame, confusion, embarrassment and depression. (Read Dr. Croft's blog post: What is Intersexuality?)
Amanda_HP
This post is written by Kailana, who is intersexual. Here, she discusses the impact of the intersex diagnosis and her experieces as an intersexual. She is an upcoming guest on the HealthyPlace Mental Health TV Show this Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009 at 7:30p CT, 8:30 ET.
Amanda_HP
Imagine the psychological torture of being told by others that you look fine, yet inside, you know that your (perceived) physical deformities make you unattractive. That is the crux of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).
admin
Having a baby is a thought to be a miracle. The baby is born and although mom may be extremely tired, in the days that follow, there's also joy and happiness that surrounds the event. For some women, though, it's a very trying time. Mood swings, insomnia and fatigue set in and get in the way of the mother caring for her newborn baby. On the extreme end, some mothers with postpartum depression end up committing suicide or even killing their own child or children.
admin
Imagine you're so nervous about eating around others, you break out in sweats just at the thought of it. And by the time you arrive for the meal, you're sick to your stomach. Our guest, Aimee White, understands the problem. She has social anxiety disorder (social phobia) and on the show, Aimee provided us with insight into how social anxiety disorder has impacted her life; leaving her somewhat isolated and unable to eat around others.
admin
Have you ever been uncomfortable in social situations? Have you ever felt nervous about a first date, before a big presentation or public performance, or maybe your first day at a new job? These situations often make the heart beat rapidly and cause sweat to build.
admin
Abusers are predators. Many have an uncanny ability to portray themselves as caring individuals, pillars of the community. "At home, they are intimidating and suffocating monsters," says Sam Vaknin, author of Malignant Self-Love, Narcissism Revisited and our guest this coming Tuesday.
Thank you for your comment. I'm sorry you're having such overwhelming experiences. That sounds hard.
I would say that when I get really wrapped up in talking to myself because of hypomania, it's similar but I don't feel like I'm in an imagined place or dreaming. That's the part that may be concerning.
If you're experiencing distress because of these experiences, you absolutely should tell your doctor -- and make it clear that it's causing your distress. It does sounds like it falls into the mild psychosis category, but that doesn't occur with cyclothymia. That only occurs in bipolar I. Of course, you may be experiencing bipolar and psychotic symptoms, just in an unusual way. (There is a category of bipolar disorder for this called "Other Specified Bipolar and Related Disorder.") https://www.healthyplace.com/bipolar-disorder/bipolar-types/what-are-the-types-of-bipolar-disorder
Experiences like that are normally treated with antipsychotics. A low dose of one of those medications may be just what you need. Antipsychotics are serious medication, though, so you want to carefully consider whether you think it's worth taking them. Thoroughly discussing your options with your doctor should help you make that decision: https://www.healthyplace.com/thought-disorders/schizophrenia-articles/antipsychotic-medications-for-treating-psychotic-illness
If you choose to go down the medication route, go slowly and continually assess along the way. There are many antipsychotics available, so it can take time to find the right one for you.
It's really good that you've recognized these issues in yourself. Now you can work on lessening them.
Good luck.
-- Natasha Tracy