How does living with mental illness affect different areas of your life?

dustytrucker02 said:I didn't tell them, but before you can even get an appointment, you have to bring a clearance from your doctor stating whether you have any underlying conditions or a clean bill of health.

That is absolutely insane! That’s just not right. Your medical history is your own business, period. And look, it’s not "psychosis"—you mentioned you’re dealing with depression, if I heard you right.
Besides, there are plenty of people out there working professional jobs while managing psychosis and staying on their meds; they function just fine.
Honestly, I think you could take this to court. You should look into it.
As for me? No one is firing me. Not a chance in hell.

dustytrucker02 said:Of course I agreed. But then it started—"Oh, we don't have a psychiatrist available this week." So I asked, "Fine, when can I come in next week?" And they just keep saying, "Maybe try somewhere else instead." It’s the same runaround every single time. Honestly, there's no point now anyway; I lost my job because of my "condition" (I was upfront with my employer about why I couldn't get a medical certificate immediately), so there's nobody left to cover my sick leave. My boss's reaction was basically: "You need to work with paperwork, not people—especially since you handle money. What if you say something rude to a client? It's bad for business; we'd always need someone watching over you..." Lesson learned: if you suffer from depression, you're apparently aggressive toward people and prone to burning through cash for fun. Pure primitive thinking.😲
And considering the federal government just signed that resolution on mental health protections two months ago, I am very curious to see when or if they actually intend to implement any of it.

What kind of freaking discrimination is that? I seriously can't believe it. Is it the 21st century or what??????
Are you saying if you have a mental illness, you're totally useless??????🙂
I swear, Joe is right, God knows those doctors and your boss deserve a massive F.
Karma's gonna hit them hard, mark my words. I've seen it happen more times than I can count. Everyone who ever screwed me over or bullied me ended up paying for it with their own health.

Don't let them win, you can take this to court. This is straight-up discrimination.
It's disgusting. Who is even supposed to protect us????
We're already dealing with our own illness and the struggle of living through it, and now we're expected to lose our livelihoods too? We probably work harder and push ourselves way more than some lazy person who happens to be mentally healthy.🙂

casualpilot13 said:It’s not that I feel undeserving, but sometimes it’s just heavy—seeing how much my anxiety impacts him and his life. His world has changed because of me. And honestly? That weighs on me.

I also feel for my parents and my sister. They want to step in and help so badly, but they don't know how—they can't. It hurts to see them saddened by seeing me this way, knowing there's nothing they can do to fix it.
I think part of their pain comes from the fact that they don't truly grasp what this is like. They say they understand, but they don't—not really. They try, they talk to me about it, but they still can't wrap their heads around the reality of being unable to function simply because I'm spinning out—feeling physically sick to my stomach, or feeling like my heart is going to burst out of my chest. There's no physical cause for it, which makes it harder to explain. I don't blame them, though; I doubt I could ever fully grasp it if the roles were reversed.

Anyway, I've gone on a bit of a rant here 😁. It isn't about not deserving love—it's just hard to watch the ripple effect my condition has on the people I care about.

Hey everyone, I'm new here! Honestly, I am just so fed up with this entire situation, and I sign everything you just said! I can't even tell anymore if I'm having a bad day because of my own internal struggles, or if it's because the guilt is eating me alive—knowing all the people around me are suffering because of my condition and there's absolutely nothing I can do to change it! Most days, I just want to run away from myself, but there's nowhere to go.

It’s hitting us everywhere, honestly...

I don’t feel defined or even diminished by having an ADHD diagnosis. I’ve always maintained that I am far more than just a label on a medical chart—I am my own person, period. The setbacks, the moments of losing things, the constant searching, the uphill battles—that’s just what life is. Whether you’re living with ADHD or you aren't, you’re going to have to fight for something in this life. Personally, I’ve made the conscious decision to be grateful for who I am and simply for the fact that I’m here.

Honestly, I don't feel disabled at 38 either. Back when I was younger, maybe in certain ways... so I get everything you guys are saying. I always had this gut feeling that there'd come a day when people would start scrutinizing those medical files, so I stuck with private doctors and bought my own meds whenever possible. If money was tight, I’d just go once a month. Given the direction this country is heading, things could get even uglier regarding discrimination in the workplace...

silvermason72 said:Honestly, I don't feel disabled at 38 either. Back when I was younger, maybe in certain ways... so I get everything you guys are saying. I always had this gut feeling that there'd come a day when people would start scrutinizing those medical files, so I stuck with private doctors and bought my own meds whenever possible. If money was tight, I’d just go once a month. Given the direction this country is heading, things could get even uglier regarding discrimination in the workplace...

I’m with you on that. If you can afford it, just stick to private care.

18.09.2011 02:16
Joe

I mean, just looking at the big picture—in what areas of life are we actually getting shortchanged because of mental health struggles?

Well, probably everywhere, right?
People basically look at us through this lens of "positive discrimination." 🤣

I’m not even gonna try to list every single reason why I am the way I am, because honestly, it’s a lot...
Honestly, just getting ready for a night out takes some serious mental prep, and any kind of big social thing—like being around more than one or two people—feels like a total marathon to me, plus I haven't really been able to pull off those smaller hangouts much lately. I’m totally fine with just a tiny group, and they all know that if we grab drinks, I’m sticking to zero alcohol, whether it's because of my meds or just because I can't stand the feeling of being buzzed... there’s more to it, but that’s the main thing on my mind right now. College and classes aren't even that big of a deal as long as I don't have to talk to everyone constantly, since at the end of the day, the lectures aren't nearly as important as just putting in the study time, so I can basically be a hermit whenever I feel like it 😁
I usually skip the get-togethers where there's food involved, mostly because I need to control exactly what I eat, especially since I'm currently in recovery from bulimia
And when it comes to sex, I'm just not the type to jump into anything randomly; I need to really know someone for a while and feel completely relaxed and safe with them first. (It hasn't happened yet!) It's not like I'm desperate for sex or anything, it's more about finding that real closeness, but I won't let just anyone get near me because besides trust, they really need to have a ton of patience and be willing to work through things with me... so I totally get it if someone isn't up for that.

I’m dusting off this old thread from back in 2011; it saw a brief moment of life in 2016 before being tucked away again.
To be honest, while I wouldn't go so far as to say my mental illness is the sole cause of everything going wrong in my life, it certainly deserves a good portion of the credit for the struggles I face.
My mother’s health issues play a role too, as she’s been dealing with her own battles since long before I was born, and those challenges have trickled down to affect me directly.
So, here I am at 30 years old, living with a schizophrenia diagnosis that was officially confirmed when I was 21, though the signs were clearly there five years prior to that.
Despite all that, I actually managed to breeze through high school with pretty solid grades, but it feels almost like a different lifetime because college just wasn't meant to be; no matter how hard I pushed myself, changed majors, or tried different approaches, I simply couldn't make it stick.
My romantic life has been just as shaky, and honestly, I think I’ve reached a point where I won't even try to find a partner anymore, because navigating dating with this diagnosis is such an uphill battle that even when things seem to be working, they usually end in disappointment for both sides.
Physically, I’m perfectly healthy, so I’m able to take on manual labor jobs, which is essentially how I manage to get by day to day.
I’ve really tried to help myself in every way possible, but I have to admit that the illness has beaten me down more times than I care to count.
If I had to give my answer to this topic, it would be: in absolutely every single area of life.
From my career prospects—assuming I can even stay employed—to my social life and my relationship with my family. It makes me sit back and wonder why I was even born in the first place, feeling this sense of isolation and depression. I find myself asking, is this really what the meaning of life is supposed to be?

In today's social climate...
It feels like I can't just have a regular relationship or enjoy those simple, everyday things everyone else seems to do so easily...
Like just kicking back with a cold beer, singing along to some tunes, and having a good time without any drama...

It seems to be happening across every single sector, unfortunately...

Networking, making connections, influence, pushing through... it’s just tough when you feel like your social skills are totally lacking.

Then there's the whole romantic side—emotional relationships just stall because of a negative mindset, fear, trust issues, and basically not being able to accept yourself...

Personal growth is its own thing too. Other people aren't bogged down by all this stuff, while your only goal feels like just trying to be "normal."

And don't even get me started on the stress, memory fog, focus issues, anxiety, or depression... it drains so much time and energy from you...

Adam Morris4 said:In today's social climate...
It feels like I can't just have a regular relationship or enjoy those simple, everyday things everyone else seems to do so easily...
Like just kicking back with a cold beer, singing along to some tunes, and having a good time without any drama...

Why do you think that is?

Socially speaking, I’m doing just fine.
But when it comes to intimacy, there’s a wall up—a complete shutdown where men are concerned.
I find myself retreating from any real emotional connection.

George Cook said:Socially speaking, I’m doing just fine.
But when it comes to intimacy, there’s a wall up—a complete shutdown where men are concerned.
I find myself retreating from any real emotional connection.

Looking back at everything you've posted, I'd say you still seem pretty fragile—it feels like this emotional insecurity is just baked into who you are right now. You strike me as super capable and tough, especially when it comes to your career and just handling life, but you're way too restless to dive into a deep relationship yet. A serious commitment needs so much stability, responsibility, and focus... and honestly, you're just too much of a free spirit for that right now. I feel like if you did settle down, you'd probably get bored out of your mind after a little while anyway...

Donna White50 said:Looking back at everything you've posted, I'd say you still seem pretty fragile—it feels like this emotional insecurity is just baked into who you are right now. You strike me as super capable and tough, especially when it comes to your career and just handling life, but you're way too restless to dive into a deep relationship yet. A serious commitment needs so much stability, responsibility, and focus... and honestly, you're just too much of a free spirit for that right now. I feel like if you did settle down, you'd probably get bored out of your mind after a little while anyway...

There’s some truth to that.
But I am who I am. I’m versatile, and I thrive when I’m moving.
The only way a relationship works for me is if my partner doesn't mind me heading out on trips or flying solo whenever work or sheer preference keeps us apart.
I have zero interest in anyone who views my independence as an inconvenience.

What I need is someone steady, someone with their feet firmly planted on the ground.

George Cook said:Socially speaking, I’m doing just fine.
But when it comes to intimacy, there’s a wall up—a complete shutdown where men are concerned.
I find myself retreating from any real emotional connection.

Oh, please, elaborate! Do you even feel a desire for it? In what way does it frighten you?

restlesstiger49 said:Oh, please, elaborate! Do you even feel a desire for it? In what way does it frighten you?

I’m a romantic at heart and would love to have a romantic relationship.🤣

I’m afraid of getting hurt, or hurting someone else. I worry about being too easygoing, being laughed at, or being led on. I'm just scared of showing someone that I actually like them.

I missed out on so many incredible experiences during my prime because of this thing called anxiety.
I fear it might be too late.
My life has just been a cycle of health anxieties, constant symptoms, illness, and mortality.
Now, I am trying to reclaim what I can, though I don't know how much I will actually manage to save.
Osakacen at every turn.