Connect with people who understand what you are going through, seek advice and surround yourself with support. We're free, anonymous, and professionally moderated 24/7.

47,612Members
1,358,869Posts
1,400,000Visitors

Consumed

Unknown userMember25 Mar 2017, 1:11 am AEDT

Consumed

Do you ever feel like your mental illness consumes your life? Like it's your identity?

I find with most conversations I have with friends always my mental health comes up. I know they are just concerned and not mad at them but I'm more then that.

With my family it's always the discussion of medication. I know some of my family members are very scared I'm taking nothing and they know not to push me as I will explode but they always sneak it in.

Do you feel like your illness gets in the way of you living. Like it's a dark shadow always over you crippling you slowly?

Because I'm really getting over it. It shouldn't be the centre of my life. Yes I've got an illness that can't destroy me but I shouldn't really feed it or give it attention. I should be telling it hey I got zero time for you I'm planing a holiday.

2 replies

1 - 2 of 2

In response to: Consumed

DothemoSenior Contributor25 Mar 2017, 1:42 pm AEDT

Re: Consumed

Hi @Former-Member,

Yes I know exactly what you mean! Yes, it can be hard with people who don't understand may "see" you as a mental illness and not the person underneath. That is why it has been always hard for me over the years to make friends with my siblings friends, because my sister always told them - have you met my crazy brother! He has OCD! So I'd always get held at arms length with one exception.

It can be like a dark shadow but I have learnt that the human soul has an almost unlimited supply of strength and can cope and recover from a lot of stuff.

What you say about it being the centre but shouldn't be resonates also. I have learnt that at work, if you don't tell anyone about your illness and you can hide it - this is best. They will treat you normally, it's sad but in my experience true. Sometimes I loved going to work (although I'm a student at the moment) as I was respected highly, they saw me for my efforts. One day these things will change and there will be no stigma, I can't wait for that time!

In response to: Consumed

Unknown userMember25 Mar 2017, 1:57 pm AEDT

Re: Consumed

That would be annoying being addressed with that. But the more annoying part is that every person in the world has OCD. Just sold a lot worse to others.

Thankfully my friends and family know it's my personal business and not to share it. I'm very lucky I got good friends and family. Well actually I lost a lot but the ones that stayed are amazing.

I don't feel my friends nor family see me as a mental illness. Unless my Bipolar has me in a high or low and they go into action mood. I do think they see me as me for most part but they feel they have to address it and I just hate addressing it. Like it's the elephant in the room they need to always talk about.

Sadly with work I had to tell them after having a massive break down and dangerous low session and serve reaction to medication at work. I'm very high functioning multi tasking non stop go person and my medication made me have them repeat a sentence 5 times. So they knew something was not right and always worried about me. But I'm so lucky my place of business is massive and management have to every year learn about working with staff if mental illness. So they treat me like anyone else well actually I get extra work because I love it but when I say no I can't do something extra or I need a day off they don't question it and know something's up with me and make sure work life is good.

1 - 2 of 2