I'm mentally ill

I've lived with depression for some years; two or three years ago it got (much) worse and I was basically in bed for eight months. I'm on drugs which work just now, so although I feel sad at times like everyone else I'm not depressed - I do have bad days every now and again but I suspect everyone does, really. I can't really experience joy or happiness on the drugs, but I don't get the crushing lows either.

I wouldn't fly a plane into a mountain, nor would I shoot someone. Nor would anyone who's depressed - it leads you to harm yourself, not other people (though others can certainly be harmed by your emotional unavailability and by you withdrawing from life in general, that's not a deliberate act).

There's a good piece on what it's like to be badly depressed by Sally Brompton, who sadly took her own life earlier this year, at User Posted Link (it starts after the passage in italics, which is her obit).

There are excellent books by her, Matt Haig, myriad others as well.

A very small number of mentally ill people are dangerous to others. I've never been that, and neither have the huge majority of mentally ill people - we're mostly dangerous to ourselves.

Trying to put people into categories and then blaming some perceived or narratively-imposed intrinsic of that category for their unacceptable behaviour is seldom wise, or helpful.

Posted By: Old Man on June 17th 2016 at 13:28:33

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