Seeing mental illness everywhere

Specialties Psychiatric

Published

It seems like I see characteristics of mental illness everywhere. Maybe its because in our line of work we are geared toward assessing people's behaviors? My patient's parents for example, who as we all know are often in bad shape themselves, but OMG even on the message boards there are times when I'm thinking to myself: "ewww weee I can think of a few meds that might help you with that off the wall thinking/coping pattern". :uhoh21:

Oh yes, I see people with mental quirks all over the place too. All I have to do is look in the mirror and I see someone with whose kids describe as hypomanic, irrational and totally out of touch with reality. And that's all in the hour BEFORE they go to school!!

Really though, I think we do tend to pick out characteristics of people's natures, and subconsciously try to pick out a DSM-IV diagnosis for them. The other day in Walmart I saw a person happily talking away to themselves and gesturing at an invisible person. I was thinking that it would be nice if all psychotic people had such nice hallucinations but then I noticed that she actually had one of those blue tooth phones in her ear and was actually having a conversation with a real person. Thankfully, I didn't try and give her reality orientation, LOL. That could have been embarrasing.

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Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

Mental illness is everywhere in the general population and often the most undiagnosed disorders in medicine. There are a lot of people out there that could benefit from some medication.

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Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.
Mental illness is everywhere in the general population and often the most undiagnosed disorders in medicine. There are a lot of people out there that could benefit from some medication.

and also a lot that are "too medicated" as it is....hence, their problems....

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Specializes in Psych, Ortho, Stroke, and TBI.

Well, if you ask this question: what percentage of the population has a diagnosable Medical or Physical Illness? 85, 90%? Looking at it like that, even if 40% of the population has a diagnosable mental illness (from mild to severe) that number doesn't seem so high in comparison, and even makes the high psych number make more sense seeing as physical ailments are often tied to psychological ones.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I think anyone is mentally ill who is not just like me.:chuckle Seriously, though, don't most of us have some minor traits that if they were exacerbated could be considered mental illness? I keep mine under control with Lexapro

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Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.

I think if you looked long enough and hard enough, you could slap a dx. on just about anyone.....I am a clean-freak....yes, I clean the desk when I get to work....I disinfect....I do wash my hands very frequently at work AND at home...but I certainly am not OCD....I don't get upset if I cannot wash my hands,,,just something I like to do to avoid germs and colds....BUT there is certainly someone out there who may think otherwise....we all have our little quirks....that is called PERSONALITY........not necessarily disorders, just varied types of personalities....now if something interfered with your ability to live day to day life, then possibly there may be a disorder...

No, I do not believe there is such a high percentage of mental illness...just a lot of spoiled people who do not know how to handle stress or life....

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
Mental illness is everywhere in the general population and often the most undiagnosed disorders in medicine. There are a lot of people out there that could benefit from some medication.

Absolutely!

Taking medication for mental illnesses is NOT a stigma or a sign of weakness.

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Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.
Absolutely!

Taking medication for mental illnesses is NOT a stigma or a sign of weakness.

I agree, many benefit from medication; but there are also many "overmedicated" that may be better of without any and learn how to deal with depression, stress and similar maladies of life that we all encounter....

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
I agree, many benefit from medication; but there are also many "overmedicated" that may be better of without any and learn how to deal with depression, stress and similar maladies of life that we all encounter....

I agree that some pts are overmedicated.

However, some people (like myself, unfortunately) can't just "deal" with depression.

I wish it were that simple .

I need medication to treat my depression, no different than someone who needs insulin to treat their diabetes.

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Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.
I agree that some pts are overmedicated.

However, some people (like myself, unfortunately) can't just "deal" with depression.

I wish it were that simple .

I need medication to treat my depression, no different than someone who needs insulin to treat their diabetes.

understood....I am referring to the ones that say for example, a tragedy occurs in their life such as a spouse leaving them....they run to the dr. for a magic pill to make their sadness go away....rather than face the denial, anger, etc. all the facets of life we face when something of this nature occurs....

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

....besides, no pill will take away the sadness one feels when dealing with the bad things that happen in life....

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Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.
....besides, no pill will take away the sadness one feels when dealing with the bad things that happen in life....

a couple Valiums will sure make one oblivious to what is going on....and numb one's feelings....

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