Serious? Complex? Severe?

For myself, I indentify with each of these categories. I attach no stigma to them, as the descriptions are accurate and useful in quantification.

As a service Sane caters, I believe, to any body who uses it. Each response in my experience, has been appropriate to the person, rather than the condition.

And that is the point. It is the people here who make up the community. It is not the desciption of the diagnosis or symptomology which keeps this community functioning.

Again, only speaking forr myself, I have found it useful to be able to contribute on any level I can. And I have been able to find experiences that others share that make me understand I am not alone in the complexity of my condition.

A thing to remember

Any mental distress is a challenge. What has always impressed me and it's something I share when I work with non peers, We are the most resilient, strong, dignified capable people I have ever come across.

We live with an invisible illness. We are often traumatised by systemic ignorance that leads to at best disinterest and at worst real harm. Yet, we continue. We care for each other. Not because we know each other but because we won't let a person suffer alone. Our humanity is immeasurable. We do not compare or judge.

I have been away and have been though another hell. But when I talk to others about resources to access, I always talk first about the Sane forum. I have even gone so far as to recommmend to registrar psyches that they have a look to properly understand the life of the person whose life is influenced by a MI.I've said this in the hope that they develop empathy. That when they treat the us they treat the person not just the symptoms.

Sane , thankyou for providing us this network , which has grown into a true community. I have been away, but when I came back, it was like I had not left.

However we see ourselves label wise we are supported not judged and I for one am slowly learning to apply that same humanity to myself.

Not a bad effort, for an online forum.

Bless you

R

My take on the questions.

Servere; I think of this as the most debilitating. This would be someone collecting welfare on a mostly ongoing basing, rarely in employment, needing regular ongoing care and support, maybe have community treatment order. Particularly though I think of Servere as someone with no insight into their illness. They do t believe they are sick, and this belief is unchanging.

Complex sounds like multiple disorders.

Serious sounds like .... I'm not sure.

In terms of encouraging or deterring, whatever is chosen would need a big push to educate people about the term within the context of language that frames MI.