I "do" understand mental illness.

The first reports of the pilot were that he was having a panic attack. Well, if it was just a panic attack, he would not be hallucinating or talking about afghanistan and jesus in that context. There is missing information that "we" don't have - it might have been some PTSD, but not "a lot" of PTSD includes that level of a break. It might have been a manic episode of bipolar, or he might have been under the influence of a drug either taken or slipped. We just don't know enough.

Chances are he will be taken care of. All criminal behavior is initially arrested. The problem with pilots, and police officers, etc. is that they believe they must keep all mental illnesses hidden - if any medications are taken or diagnoses made and leaked, they will be suspended. As a result, I witness to you that we have a number of police officers and pilots and every other career walking around unmedicated with mental stresses. Until as a society we don't shame mental illness, we will continue with this problem.

As for personality disorders, YES, everyone has small elements of narcissisic behavior, borderline, histrionic, etc - as long as it does not interfere with daily functioning or with relationships, it's not a problem. PDs are notoriously difficult to treat and "fix." Insurance companies do NOT PAY for the treatment of personality disorders. There is a giant spectrum of Personality dsorders - likely if you have known someone with one on the heavy end of the spectrum, you have disliked them, had lots of problems with them, or just avoided them. The prison system is filled with them - particularly anti social personality disordered folks.

Even the professionals struggle with this stuff. I go to conferences all the time with pros packing the house trying to get a better grasp on how to treat and how to better understand this stuff.

One of my colleagues once said, you know you're with a full blown narcissist when you want to run out of the room. You know you're with a borderline when you are careful with every word you say. you know you're with a histrionic when you have a headache. (How's that for accurate diagnostics?) LOL

We `paroled` quite a number of inmates/residents of our psychiatric hospitals some years ago ...

... and the authorities said at the time that they would provide group homes for them ...

... but they were minimally funded at the time, and inadequately, since, I think, so many who`d been let out ended up on the street, with a number being minimally able to cope.

So in recent years a number of them, having run afoul of the law in one way or another, inhabit our jails.

Seems like a poor trade - for I`ve heard (minimally corroborated) that annual cost of keeping someone in psych. hospital is much lower than of having him/her as a jailbird. With, quite likely, the cost of maintaining that person in a group home the least expensive of the three.

ole joyful

Amyfiddler is spot on. Even the mentally ill have to be held accountable for their actions. It is a fine line but the price of freedom is accountability. Hopefully with a huge dose of compassion thrown in.

We no longer keep the mentally ill hidden away but we have a far way to go in raising awareness. It is still so much a taboo subject and just like cancer it needs to be brought out into the open.

The brain is an organ just like other organs...liver, kidneys etc. When for some reason something is not wired right or get broken in the brain our behavior is a symptom of that. We are just barely beginning to understand how the brain works so our ability to "fix" the brain when it goes awry is limited but hopefully will improve with time. Not too long ago people didn't even realize that the problem was a medical one! It is dreadfully sad to have someone that you love with a mental illness and you can't fix it. It is also doubly dreadful because there is very little compassion for the mentally ill.
Joann

Thanks so much for the responses. They are helpful.

Even the professionals struggle with this stuff. Your statement was particularly helpful, Amy. I guess it's nice to know that "it isn't easy for any of us" struggling to understand/deal with. I have someone in my life who was diagnosed recently as Borderline PD. I'm trying to learn more about it. Most of the time I am just very puzzled & have very mixed feelings about it all. I guess having a diagnosis in itself is a step forward, along with the therapy, in trying to have more healthy interpersonal relationships???

There is one form of therapy tested useful...DBT. I will let you look into it. Also there is a classic read....."I Hate You Dont Leave Me".

I don't understandmental illness either,, I am as crazy as an outhouse rat,,but in my own little way,,,i live with it and enjoy it.

I'm very curious as to what happened to the pilot whom everyone seems to say was not a troubled person. I'm thinking something physical happened to him causing this mental breakdown. Perhaps he had a mild stroke or a diabetic reaction or something much more to it than just mental illness. Perhaps he was even having a drug reaction or was drugged?

I'm not a doctor or psychologist or any medical expert, but I am pretty sure I am "neurotic". I have moods, good and bad. I get distracted easily and I'm always losing things like keys, important papers. Maybe ADD? I "organize" things excessively. Like my money in my wallet, it's always in order by denomination and faces up.I eat one food of a kind off my plate. All the meat. All the potatoes. All the vegetables. OCD? I'm always turning off lights in my house. Cheap? I'm frightened of things that crawl or slither, but especially spiders. Phobic ? I admit I'm "crazy", but I've never piloted a plane. I have a fear of heights also. I'll let the courts and doctors handle this pilot. At least all the passengers are safe.

I personally feel the label "disorder" is used too often. It seems the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders adds new disorders all the time, and when I read about them I often think, that's just the way some (very normal) people are.

For example, Attention Deficit Disorder has been around a long time. So many of my friends are in the arts, and creative people are often easily distracted, with limited attention paid to things that don't interest them. Conversely, they tend to hyperfocus on things that do. Classic ADD. Two of my kids and myself fit this profile. I used to be fine with the ADD label, but no more; I've seen it way too often, among people perfectly content to be this way. I don't regard us all as disordered.

I suspect the increasingly bloated "disorder" classification justifies the existence of the profession (and I say this as a former psych major), but I don't think the profession needs further justification.

I often think, that's just the way some (very normal) people are.

I am right there with you, Alisande. People can get labeled as .... lazy, irritable, stingy, selfish, arrogant, etc. etc... all those various negative connotations for people who might be lumped as "difficult". But then there is a "diagnosis" applied & it ~seems~ that they're no longer *as* responsible or accountable. --> They have an "emotional disorder", they're on medications, they're in therapy. And there's a part of me that just wants to say.... grow up, be responsible, stop the wallowing.

Thanks Amy, for the tip on the book. Our library has it & I shall check it out & also read about DBT. I'm hoping I can understand this person more.

My grandmother would quote an old saying, "Folks is all queer, save for thee and me...and I'm not so sure about thee."

I don't understand the use of meds designed for mental illnesses being touted for pain and 'fibromyalgia' -- does fibromyalgia even have a clear medical definition?

Also, doesn't Tylenol work in the *brain* to dull pain? I don't believe it has the anti-inflamitory action of aspirin.

In my limited, layperson's experience, there are too few psychiatrists today who are trained in or who are practicing *therapy* beyond prescribing and 'monitoring' drugs. Drugs are useful tools -- even life-savers -- but they can only take a patient so far without talk therapy. (Not life-long, Woody Allen-type talk therapy. Short term is adequate for most people!)

Lots of things to think about, but what concerns me since advertising for drugs have been allowed on the media, is there seems to be a pill for everything--just ask your DR-- or I have even seen--tell your DR. And sad to say some of the medical personal seem to go along with what you want. I know they cannot know everything or even something about every pill out there, but I do wish that some sales people would stop pushing ""there pills"" for the Dr's to buy. Guess that is how they get so many free samples. Many Drs due to time and patient load can only glance/read what is on the literature is left. If I am given a new med, I go on line and review it myself--side effects, what it goes with etc, and I do have a very good pharmacy that does research if I ask.

The diagnostic manual for mental illness imo is politically slanted. A therapist who doesn't bill insurance has very little need to diagnose...
Except maybe to establish a pattern and recommend meds for bipolar or add or depression.
Otherwise, a diagnosis can be debilitating, or limiting, or crutcheork. Everyone has neuroses. Some more than others. Everyone employs defense mechanisms (ie passive aggressiveness, rrscuing, avoidance, etc) to some degree. When there is a pattern of destruction or problems in relaionships, that is when therapy can help...to i.d. the issue (usually it manifests in the therapy room) amd to find alternative ways of thinking and behaving. Problem with personality disorders is that tje defense mechanisms are so ingraned that the person often cant "see" it, even with a therapist

Earlier I stated that I am as crazy as an outhouse rat. (for those who don't understand that statement, ask yourself this, what is in the panty of an outhouse that any sane rat would find attractive?)
I am not a psychiatrist, psycologist, or even a health care worker for that matter however I feel qualified to speak on this subject because my level of expertise comes from the other side of the table. For the greater portion of my life I have dealt with PTSD and an advanced Bi-Polar condition technically diagnosed as stage 4 Manic/Depression with OCD tendancies and Debilitating Anxiety (panic attacks).
Some people have mentioned that they exhibit some or the symptoms of mental illness, and to that I would say, you are absolutely correct. In fact, at one time or another everyone exhibits many of the symptoms of mental illness, and that is perfectly normal. The difference is that you only exhibit those symptoms temporarily. By example, typically you have the same old mundane life as usual average routine and if your house burns down or someone near & dear dies, you go into a state of depression which we call "Grieving" whereas if hubby pops in with the unexpected bunch of flowers, you win a few bucks on the lottery or your kids stop in unexpectedly with the grandchildren you are elated, but for those of us who are Bi-polar, such is not the case.
I have no normal days. In my world there is no middle ground. I am either on a high and the life of the party or I am in a deep funk, often near suicidal and there is no symptoms or warnings as to when or where those moods might change. When I am on a high it may last for months where I am continuously out and about, mixing with people, a social butterfly and always the life of the party but little do the people around me know that without any warning my mood can swing in a matter of minutes , and when it happens I will just quietly walk away, with not so much as a by your leave or goodbye to anyone. Now that generally is not a problem if I am just sitting in a coffee shop or in a meeting at a local civic or social organization but it may also happen while at work. I could not begin to tell you how many lucrative jobs I have walked away from, and not just walked away, but left all my tools and on a couple occassions I left my vehicle behind. (According to Social Sec. records before I retired I had over 55 jobs in 9 different trades in my working career). And when I say I walked away, I don't mean just walked off the job and went home, sometimes I did that, but on a few occassions I literally walked off the job, started walking and hitchhiking down the highway and ended up hundreds of miles away before I decided to stop and begin life again. I once took a job driving truck and I actually lived in that truck for 22 months, never once sleeping in a house or motel during that time. Having been there, I sincerely pray that none of you ever experience the state of deep depression where you don't even take a bath or shower for 5 or 6 weeks at a time.
Fortunately for me, I was on one of my hikes and I got stopped by a cop for hitch-hiking. After talking to that cop for a few minutes he realized that I was a couple clowns short of a circus so he delivered me to the local hospital psyc ward. After about ten days of intensive therapy they managed to pull me out of my funk and they prescribed some mood stabilizing meds for me, which work fantastic, with no side effects. In fact, it was not until after I started taking the meds and finally experience a few average days that I fully realized that I had a problem. prior to that, the mood swings were just my way of life and I saw nothing unusual about it.
ON THE OTHER HAND, it has been suggest by some that they are often miss-diagnosing and labelling ppl, and I could not agree more. The question then becomes, why?
Does your child really have ADHD or ADD? Perhaps, but more often than not they are just normal children with a lot of energy to burn off, and if they burn that energy off by being disruptive in the classroom the schools are quick to label them so you can get some drugs to keep them nice sedate bumps on the classroom log, not to mention the fact that your schools can get additional state and federal monies for dealing with special needs kids.
And many parents don't mind the label on their kids so long as it qualifies them for the $1200 a month disability checks.
Law enforcement loves the labels because once you have been labelled with any mental illness whatsoever, you can never qualify for a firearms license or purchase a gun. Actually I should qualify that statement. They can never get a hunting license or legally purchase a gun, but we all know that if one has money guns are available.
Politicians love the labels because they can get election points for supporting mental health issues.
The medical profession definitely loves the labels because there are fortunes to be made. By example, they can hire a mental health therapist for $50 to $100 an hour and seat them in a conference room with 10 to 20 ppl who are paying $75 to $150 per session for group therapy, and they do that 5 or 6 times a day 5 or 6 days a week.
Having been in group therapy I can tell you first hand, at best its a joke.

Great info, sad for your struggles. Glad you found help...o.dr that help found you as it were. Therapy is helpful for some, not for all. Depends on the issue, the client and the therapist. Sometimes its miraculous.

The US has a big problem seeing that 'the marketplace' should not rule health care. Allowing it to do so is why we spend more on 'care' -- and are less healthy than residents of other nations. We are the only 'First World' nation to do this.

I don't know what's wrong with New Zealanders, but their country and the US are the only ones that permit advertising for *prescription* drugs.

Lazypup, you stated what I've believed in for years.

ADD, ADHD kids whatever the label.....it's far too easy to slap a label on them, give them meds and everything is fine. And the teachers are giving out the meds as well, which I'm not sure is right.

Mom said for years....ever since my nephew was small, and was diagnosed with ADHD that he is no different than my brother (his dad) was. Lots of energy (my brother still has....he can't sit still for a minute; always has to be doing "something").

Lazypup thank you so much for sharing your story. So many people misunderstand what mental illness can do to people and those that live with them.

My DH was diagnosed with BPD in the last decade. If only he had been diagnosed earlier how different our life might have been, especially financially. He has always been high functioning and a hard worker blah blah blah so it was easy to dismiss the erratic behavior.

I can relate to the job walk-offs. One year he had nine different 1099s.

He is stablized with a couple drugs that are pretty side effect free for him also. One of the "lucky" ones who hasn't needed lithium. It will never be perfect but it is so much better than before.

I also agree with you on the over diagnosing that goes on with children. It is the boys that have it worse since the feminization of our society expects them to have the same behavioral characteristics that girls do.

Our children's childhoods are being stolen. They are expected to learn more at an earlier age,have a lengthened school day with less recess,not given opportunity to blow off steam and burn off that excess energy and have every minute of their waking hours micro-managed. Yet at the same time many are still drinking out of those stupid sippy cups and being pushed around in strollers at age 5.

Wish we could edit posts. Meant to say W-2 forms not 1099s. LOL He worked at 9 different places.

Lazypup: You don't have OCD; Its CDO in alphabetical order like its supposed to be!

I have low self-esteem, I get distracted easily, I can't always focus, I'm impulsive, don't think before I speak. I always go back and double check I didn't leave the iron or the oven on; the list goes on. Does that make me mentally ill?

I told my husband I was going into Wal-Mart to buy only 2 things; I came out with a lot more. He was furious that I "deceived" him. Does that make him mentally ill?

Is "mental illness" a one-size fits all label?

lazypup, I was riveted by your story. I learned, from reading about your situation. When you hear about behavior that you always wondered if someone had, it is quite possible, but things like this were not discussed or considered in my younger years. The more I learn, the more I think some people I know, should have been treated.
Women may have the excuse of irratic behavior due to hormones. It's a good thing that conditions like yours and others, can be diagnosed and treated. In the old days, you may have just been admitted to a mental hospital for life! We had one of those in our town.
So, there is progress.

According to my medical records it is "OCD"-short for "Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder."

Jemdandy - no you have it wrong again. It should be C O D. Partial circle, complete circle, squished circle, or in lower case it is a circle with a stick. One builds on the other, see?

Dances - who knows from mental illness, comes from mental illnes, has recognized her own and has help.