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Snakes make wonderful pets, though.
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Yyyyyeah, those are idiot-priced drugs because of stupid conditions in the Medicare program. They are antiviral and anticancer drugs. I agree that it is stupid, but it really has very little to do with psychiatry.
As for your second point, not really. Serious psychiatric disorders are rather well described, and even if the details may be slightly off, the treatment used is relatively cheap, largely entirely safe, and can be tried with good confidence in most patients. That much of the brain is unknown doesn't really change this, so I am not sure what the second article is there to say.
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Its taken a while for me to open up about depression, it wasn't until may this year that I realized I had it and have worked to counteract it. In my case it was the strong lengthy consideration of suicide which made me accept that this is something I needed to sort out. At the age of 33 I talked with my doctor and made the decision to leave work and go back to college. This has helped just by being a change of pace and environment of course I happen to be the oldest member of the class so there is that.
Another thing is I am trying to get both more involved with my various hobbies and get back into some of the more constructive ones. So I don't know if that description helps others or not, of course being in Scotland and not having to pay prescription costs for my pills could be a helpful factor too.
Thanks
Arran (EtG)
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I got a doctor. I got on medication. I got a job. I was living a normal life, but it took so much effort, because even with the medication, it's like straining a muscle to hold back all that crap that's deep down. I was doing good at my job - my mediocre, nothing special but at least it was 9-5 regular hours with benefits job.
I had a couple panic attacks at work. I went to the hospital for the first one, thinking "well, I'm having a hard time breathing and I'm dizzy, I should see a doctor" to which the doctors said "get to the hospital immediately, and the hospital spent six hours running tests to reply "Physically you seem fine. You're probably anxious."
Anyone who knows anything about panic attacks knows that it becomes progressively more difficult to return to the scene of one, but I went back to work, and of course it happened again - and I left work, and went home, and it stopped, and now I'm like...well...s%&*, there goes that job.
Mental health problems suck, because when you start to think they're going away, and you might just be a normal human being again, they kidney punch you and drag you back down to where you were. And because I live in a country where mental health costs are hundreds to thousands of dollars a month, from doctor's fees, to insurance, to medications, to taking time off to GO to doctors because those m*!#&!@$#*~&s don't give a s!@! that you might want to live a normal life and have a normal job - no they never have weekend or night hours (specialists don't at least), to therapists, to testing - I now wonder how I'm going to pay for the treatment that has even gotten me this far when I inevitably can't bring myself to walk into the building that employs me anymore out of terror that I'm going to be unable to breathe again.
It's been a s~&~ty two days.
Sorry to hear about your anxiety attack. I know exactly what you mean in everything you said, so I can totally relate. Just hang in there and know there are others here you who know where you're coming from if you want to talk.
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I work part time. Mornings, mon., wed., and fri. Any stress and I start to shut down so I don't attack the (expletive deleted) who's giving me grief. The boss saw me nearly pass out when he he was demanding I clean the floor in a way that just didn't work. He tells himself I tire easily. He knows better.
I'm usually ok with the short hours.
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I work in psychology and am state licensed. Over the years I have observed (to be clear, NOT officially diagnosed) many players I've played with who demonstrate various mental health symptoms which may or may not meet clinical criteria for a MH diagnosis. As a practicing clinician, I've had a few clients over the years, who at some point stated that they were into RPGs.
It is my observation that quite a few gamers have had varying degrees of social deficits or other personality quarks that probably don't reach the level of a clinical mental health diagnosis.
As far as players with bonna fide mental health issues, I have GM'd a number of players who have previously been in treatment for clinical depression (Dysthymic disorder, major depression) and bipolar disorder (they have stated to me).
I think that the most common MH condition that gamers who I've known have had, is attention deficit disorder (ADHD). A large number of players I've known previously have told me that they have ADHD. I don't know if I'd go so far as to venture that 'gamers' are 'more likely' to have mental health issues than non-gamers, but my personal opinion is that this may be the case.
And if you have mental health issues, stay in treatment as needed and take your medications as prescribed. And live healthy and happy :)
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I work in psychology and am not state licensed. I have gamed with people who have had diagnoses running from depression to schizophrenia, and gaming has helped all but one of them deal with their issues in some way.
I would say that claiming there is an overrepresentation of mental health issues among gamers is a statement that I would like to see qualified before I accept. What is known scientifically about the demographic is, as I understand it, that gamers have a slightly lower rate of violent crime than others (brought on by investigation of the satanic panic claims), and not much else.
I work in psychology and am not state licensed. I have gamed with people who have had diagnoses running from depression to schizophrenia, and gaming has helped all but one of them deal with their issues in some way.
Nice to see someone else from the MH field on the message boards. Regards.
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Sometimes there are problems with using games to help people deal with their mental issues. You can have players who, rather than deal with them, decided to see just how deep the rabbit hole goes. After watching a few Alices, you begin to wonder.
It depends far too much on the individual. I've had to significantly alter campaigns more than once when I've noticed someone is beginning to chase the rabbit. I won't even run some adventure paths because I have players I know are not in a mental state to handle them.
one must always be cautious in choosing adventures for their audience. I have messed up there before, and it has been not fun.
I work in psychology and am not state licensed. I have gamed with people who have had diagnoses running from depression to schizophrenia, and gaming has helped all but one of them deal with their issues in some way.Nice to see someone else from the MH field on the message boards. Regards.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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<MH BS to represent> The one thing I have noticed about most gamers <RP CCG Mini's etc.> is introversion seems to run rampant.
The only other odd thing is I've noticed a fair portion are Highly over-opinionated about (comparatively) unimportant things.
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The only other odd thing is I've noticed a fair portion are Highly over-opinionated about (comparatively) unimportant things.
I believe the DSM-V diagnosis for that is "Generalized Humanity Syndrome (otherwise unclassified)."
10 out of every 10 people will suffer from GHS at some point in their lives, many episodes occurring in late infancy and continuing for 75-90 years. Working together, we can find a cure for GHS in our lifetimes.
This message brought to you by the American Foundation for GHS Research and Elimination. "It'll probably take robots of some sort" (TM)
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The only other odd thing is I've noticed a fair portion are Highly over-opinionated about (comparatively) unimportant things.I believe the DSM-V diagnosis for that is "Generalized Humanity Syndrome (otherwise unclassified)."
10 out of every 10 people will suffer from GHS at some point in their lives, many episodes occurring in late infancy and continuing for 75-90 years. Working together, we can find a cure for GHS in our lifetimes.
This message brought to you by the American Foundation for GHS Research and Elimination. "It'll probably take robots of some sort" (TM)
I laughed out loud. People stared. Thanks.
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Oh my... psychopath?
Difficulty empathizing with others... no I sometimes over empathize with others letting their emotion cloud my own.
Impulsive? Nope not at all. Well I might get an impulsive moment here and there but most of the time I am a pre-planner.
Do things without considering the consequences? Yeah I have fallen into this trap repeatedly.
Inability to be shocked by horrific imagery? The opposite. I get dizzy and nearly pass out at the sight of blood. And I have walked out of horror films because I couldn't handle the fright.
So probably NOT psychopathy...
In a study they found that most CEOs are psychopaths. So it might be a trait and not a drawback. That, or America is really screwed. :P
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I have worked in mental health for almost 15 years. Stigma remains the biggest daily obstacle I face professionally. I talk about it in every group I run, with everyone on my caseload. It is a generational plague that refuses to die. Education is the only thing that can even begin to counter it.
And since we're still in November, there's still time to grow a mustache and get involved / help a colleague raise funds.
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In a study they found that most CEOs are psychopaths. So it might be a trait and not a drawback. That, or America is really screwed. :P
Are you sure it was CEOs? I thought it was if you were to examine a corporation as a person, all corporations would be psychopaths?
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No. Actual CEOs. They are apparently the most cunning and selfish individuals on the planet.
"1 in 5 CEOs are psychopaths, study finds. An Australian study has found that about one in five corporate executives are psychopaths – roughly the same rate as among prisoners. The study of 261 senior professionals in the United States found that 21 per cent had clinically significant levels of psychopathic traits. The rate of psychopathy in the general population is about one in a hundred."
...statistically you just need a random population of about 30 to get a good representation... ... .. the study had a population of 261! :)
Breaking the rules behavior is rewarded in the Corporate world, and they call it creativity or other nonsense.
"Typically psychopaths create a lot of chaos and generally tend to play people off against each other,” he said.
“For psychopaths, it [corporate success] is a game and they don’t mind if they violate morals. It is about getting where they want in the company and having dominance over others.”
...that actually sounds like a poster child for the Lawful Evil alignment.
Also, this speech from Avengers 1:
Loki: Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel.
That explains how you know who won the election.
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Trump is a narcissist, in my view. Psychopaths are not the same thing. Psychopathy is a subset of antisocial personality disorder. Both disorders classify within cluster B, along with histrionic and borderline, and the central issue for the group is poor empathy. However, narcissists have a self-image that is utterly miserable, which leads to overcompensation through status symbols, and rage when even slightly criticized. Psychopaths are smiling, power hungry, controlled, and very good at reading others. They fit better with the NE alignment.
It is not going to be a good thing to have a narcissist as president. See, he is going to have to do some pretty hard negotiations. He is a big fish, but the pond is now the biggest one of all. Having a bout of narcissistic rage in such a negotiation is going to cost Trump a lot, Every single time. The man is fighting to keep in control even now. Before, he was the biggest fish around, and anyone he talked to could be fired... Let us all hope he learns control... quickly.
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pokes conversation away from the landmine with an eleven foot pole. As 12 foot pole technology is just crazytalk
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Of all the things I'm annoyed with as far as the direction this thread has taken, let me just say: Can we just stop using -gate to describe scandals? Seriously? It's annoying, and I would bet a good 70-85% of people who do so weren't even alive when Watergate happened and don't understand the reference.
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I also would like the veto puns when it comes to talking about politics it is really degrading to puns to use them in that way.
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Also I think they are locking any thread where politics show up...
So best to avoid them here.
That guy needs to get back on his meds.
It does sound like he should have a talk with a doctor, yes.
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Sounds very much like a paranoia moment. One of my friend from school had one a long time ago. Thankfully the emergency people were able to defuse the tension enough to get close and subdue him.
He got meds treatment and lot of rest and he is nowadays a fit member of society as long as he properly takes his meds.
From my understanding, the meds correct an imbalance in the brain's chemistry that slanted his perception of events, hence the paranoia
Paranoia sounds scary.
It is frightening to think we sometimes can't even control ourselves.
Paranoia sounds scary.
It is frightening to think we sometimes can't even control ourselves.
One of the reasons I don't drink.
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Paranoia is scary. Imagine feeling constantly threatened, but never seeing a reason why. It is not a sensation you can handle, calm down or ignore. It is an instinct down a billion years of life on Earth. Those who ignored it died. And so, eventually, you end up at "either I am insane and can't trust myself, or there is a weird reason I feel threatened". Again, human psychology does not allow for that first possibility. Your actions are generally reasonable, "healthy" reactions to your perceived world. The good news is, it is usually treatable - if it is treated quickly.
He was not well at that moment.
I am by no means a MH profession or involved in the field in any way. My general observations in over 30 years of playing are that gaming attracts people that feel socially awkward whether this is due to shyness or mental health issues. I think that gaming is important for them and they feel a sense of community and acceptance that they don't find elsewhere.
Having said that, I can't honestly say that there is a higher percentage of people with real MH issues in gaming because I don't have any form of training that would allow me to make any real diagnosis. My gut is that it is higher because of my aforementioned reasons.
One of the things that I possibly see happening as gaming becomes more mainstream, however, is that people with mental health issues won't be as accepted in these crowds. I have seen the generic gamer change from the shy, awkward nerdy type that tended to accept other gamers of all types because they felt like outcasts themselves to the mainstream crowd which brings a wider breadth of personalities and opinions, positive and negative.
Outcasts are not, generally, very accepting of other outcasts, though. The worse you have it, the fewer who are willing to give you the time of day, the more insular you become. Witness all the inter-gamer conflicts. Minis, rpgs, computer games, card games, etcetcetc, and all the s++@ these groups say about one another. See the conflicts within gaming clubs, the paltry power games, the blacklisting of certain people, there is a reason for it all.
But of course, you can't play PnP by yourself. I would guess that is the reason gamers are as accepting as they are.
People will tolerate a lot when they are eager for acceptance. Not much so when they feel secure in their place of power
Zen like in its simplicity and truth. Well said.