Poll: Mental disorders and you: Would you get rid of it if you could?

[RoonMian]

The whole concept of clinging to one's bi-polar disorder as part of one's character is completely alien to me. While I'm not bi-polar I've met my share of bi-polars during several stays in psychiatric hospitals and they all had one thing in common: They were all deeply stuck in financial debt. They explained to me that while the manic phase may "feel" quite good it can be as dangerous to one's life as the depressive phase as people in a manic phase might just lose their grasp on reality.

For example one guy I met there suprised his wife one morning with four brand new coach busses he bought with money he loaned from dubious channels. He was in a manic phase at that time so the whole world seemed like his oyster and getting into the travel business was SUCH a good idea. It didn't turn out very well.

As I said I only have second hand information about being bi-polar but in my opinion a bi-polar disorder either may have a special place among mental disorders as it has "positive sides" or people afflicted with it are just avoiding the truth that their lives are fucked up because of their state just like somone with a narcisstic personality disorder may say: "It's not my fault other people can't cope with my greatness". No offense but I lean towards the latter.

P.S.: Please pardon my poor english. English is not my first language and this is not a topic I generally talk about in english so excuse me if I used some expressions in the wrong way. Thank you.

 

[Doclector]

I have aspergers syndrome, and it would be tempting to get rid of it, be normal, be acceptable in normal society. But that's the thing. I shouldn't have to get rid of it to be accepted. If I wasn't like this, I wouldn't see this harmful element in society, I wouldn't have anything to draw my filmmaking work from, and I would not have the ability or opportunity to stop it. And it must be stopped. If humanity continues this path, the path of hate, intolerance and violence towards anyone different, this world will tear itself apart. I'm not portraying myself as some kind of cursed mesiah, but without my condition I would become part of the problem, and if I do not attempt to stop it, who will?

 

[Jadak]

Yes.

The biggest BS is the "it's part of me" part.

Asthma is a part of my life and I'm trying to get rid of it. Same with allergies. I DONT WANT IT.

Since when is asthma and allergies considered mental disorders?

 

[Oneirius]

Not right now, because it's a part of me and has always been, and I have no idea what kind of a person I'd be without it. But if I could retroactively make it so that I would never have been born with it, than yes, most certainly I would have cured it. It has caused me nothing but trouble and grief.

 

[GrimHeaper]

I have aspergers syndrome, and it would be tempting to get rid of it, be normal, be acceptable in normal society. But that's the thing. I shouldn't have to get rid of it to be accepted. If I wasn't like this, I wouldn't see this harmful element in society, I wouldn't have anything to draw my filmmaking work from, and I would not have the ability or opportunity to stop it. And it must be stopped. If humanity continues this path, the path of hate, intolerance and violence towards anyone different, this world will tear itself apart. I'm not portraying myself as some kind of cursed mesiah, but without my condition I would become part of the problem, and if I do not attempt to stop it, who will?

Duke Nuk'em will *crys*
Honestly though there are people with no mental disorders and are very stupid.
Mutations are a good thing towards change

 

[Lieju]

I'm diagnosed with Asperger's and it affects my social interaction quite a lot, as well as things like my hobbies. However, that's not a mental disorder, and I wouldn't get rid of it even if I could, as I wouldn't be myself anymore, not to mention it has a lot of positive things about it.

However, depression and panic-attacks I suffer from and that are partially a result of not being able to integrate with the society, that's being treated and hopefully I'll get rid of those.

 

[Venereus]

You do realize that a lot of people are misdiagnosed for profit, right?

 

[BENZOOKA]

In an instant. I've yet to find any positives sides. It rather fades me to a miserable blank, than making me more like me.

 

[GrimHeaper]

You do realize that a lot of people are misdiagnosed for profit, right?

Like ADHD yeah.
All of the little children are mostly diagnosed with it.
Honestly the being different disease is becoming silly in the way it's treated.
I voted WAKA

 

[RoonMian]

You do realize that a lot of people are misdiagnosed for profit, right?

I didn't want to put it this bluntly but I wondered about this myself... I always thought that asperger's syndrome was a very rare and few and far between condition. A special case of autism which is in itself already a special case.

I'm suprised that every other poster in here is diagnosed with it. If i was evil I'd suggest that this site changed its name from escapistmagazine.com into aspergersanonymous.com...

 

[Natasha_LB]

Very good question, I'm not sure what I'd do. I have MDD, it's not as bad as it used to be, I guess I can thank spending a significant amount of my life in psychiatric hospitals for that, but it's still... crippling. However it's all I really know, I remember when I first came out of hospital and was trying to be happy, I just felt so empty all the time, I just couldn't be happy, instead I just didn't feel anything.

I would not be who I am today without my illness, I met my Partner in the hospital , so I'd still be alone without my illness, and it also fuels my work: I'm a photographer (Well, just a student right now) and the more fucked up I am the better I seem to work.. the best work I ever did was when I was hooked on drugs. My work got a lot worse when I got clean (It's worth it though) and I know it'd be even worse if I was happy.

Ultimately though, it reminds me who I am, and what I've done wrong. With the mistakes I've made, sometimes I'm not sure if I deserve to be happy, I think if I was happy then I'd resent myself for it, either that or I'd forget what happened and that would be an insult to the memory of a good friend who deserved better.

 

[Audun]

No.

What would keep them from coming back?

I am the person i am because of my depression and social anxiety, having so many restrictions, obstacles and lack of opportunities has forced me to grow as a person. Getting rid of such problems is never easy, its not supposed to be. I would have to keep pressing the button every time my problems came back, because i would not have the strength and experience to overcome them.

 

[Leg End]

No. Not ever. It is me. You cannot remove myself from me. I would sooner eradicate all of mankind(with one exception) than "get rid of it". Though, I do not consider it a "Disorder" or "Illness".

Though, the ridding of the people threatening to kill me/set my house on fire would be a plus. (Damn Nazis >.>) But, for them, I have trained myself in CQC.

Not like I can die anyway. :/

Disorder is just another way of saying "you are not like me so you are lesser".

 

[dietpeachsnapple]

10 years ago? Yes, absolutely. It caused me enough pain to say that losing that part of me would serve me well. Now? What I went through has made me a better person. What is left of the disorder is useful.

 

[ksn0va]

(Facepalm) Why Not?

 

[Sunrider]

WAKKA WAKKA WAKKA

I don't have any such illnesses. I don't consider depression a "mental illness", because I have yet to meet anyone who isn't or did not suffer from depression at certain parts of their lives.
I'm not depressed either, just to make that clear.

 

[ReservoirAngel]

The only mental disorders I have are BMD (that's probably not a proper term, it's just what I've been taught to call it) and homosexuality...

I'd definitely get rid of the BMD. That shit's caused more problems for me than I can count, and still makes 97% of people I meet treat me like a fucking retarded.

 

[Wieke]

If it gives me a net gain and doesn't affect my core personality to much. I would do it in a heartbeat. Otherwise it would take some further thought.