View Full Version : Does HA make you stupid?
Sorry for the title but it's relevant IMO.
In the time I've been here on the boards, I've read some pretty incredible things. Irrational fears and scenarios that rival a Stephen King script. In particular, the rabies and amoeba threads along with many, many others, the scenarios created by the HA (and anxiety in general) mind are beyond the realm of reality.
What makes it more puzzling is that for the most part, those posting the threads are intelligent, educated individuals. It makes me wonder... Those that know the facts behind the fears they're posting and those that know fantasy from reality... Why can you not dismiss these fears? When faced with scientific facts, medical professionals opinions, statistics and common sense, why can you not dismiss it as irrational and move on?
It seems HA (and anxiety) can take a totally rational and educated individual and turn them into a blubbering idiot. There are some incredibly intelligent as well as creative individuals on the boards that totally give in to incredibly irrationality and almost science fiction type scenarios.... Invisible bats, living creatures in chlorinated water, 1 in a million medical conditions based on who knows what....
What is it in your mind that despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary that allows you to get into the spiral and truly believe the irrationality?
I have legitimate fears. As a two time heart attack victim and cancer survivor, I do worry about a recurrence. If I get some chest pain or a funny feeling in my head and neck area, yeah... I do wonder.. BUT... I know that the tests were good and I know that my body can and will have niggles.
Whenever I've gotten myself into a spiral, whether it's health related or otherwise, I can look myself in the eye and say "Don't be stupid, you know better!" and that does the trick. I will not allow my mind to tell me something I know is not real.
Just posting this as an observation. I'm curious as to your thoughts....
Positive thoughts
MyNameIsTerry
18-10-15, 06:16
It's like with my OCD, FMP, with the Magical Thinking and Harm Based ones, I knew it was irrational but I couldn't stop it. I had zero control. I would be touching and re-touching, checking and many other compulsions that in reality would not change the situation. Why would stepping on all the dog fouling signs on the pavement keep me safe that day or stop potential insomnia? Why would looking at every lamp post and reading the numbers several times do the same? When having an intrusive thought, why would touching the object again with a pleasant image of my parents faces prevent the harm coming to them that I feared?
The answer is - it wouldn't make any difference whether I did it or not. BUT I still couldn't stop myself.
First it took knowledge in order to understand it and work on accepting it was something I was going through. It couldn't physically harm but that made no difference as it would still make the day extremely unpleasant.
I think you have to reduce the overall anxiety level to allow for greater control. This might explain why CBT fails for some who are too severe and need meds, a combined strategy as NICE overhere recommend in failing cases where therapy isn't working. For me, I know my GAD will spike my OCD with it so it made sense to reduce the overall anxiety and this had a big impact on me regaining the strength to battle my compulsions. Prior to that, I was lost to it 24/7. It wouldn't matter if every human being on the planet explained it or told me it meant nothing, I would still do it.
I think the same with HA. I don't think people lose intelligence, although anxiety will affect cognitions a bit, so some reasoning could be out of the window at a purely chemical level. This is also something to consider since neurotransmitters play a crucial role so if there isn't enough in the tank, and your body can't make more, some functions are affected anyway. Maybe that is part of the answer when people are more severe? Perhaps they can't?
I reckon HA is pretty similiar to OCD and from reading many a thread on this board it seems to me that if people worked on reducing their overall anxiety levels, regardless of rationalising the HA itself, it may bring them down to a level where they are more able to combat it in the way you say. It just feels like that to me from reading threads where people accept it and are struggling fighting when compared to the people who are just lost to it...like I can remember I was to my OCD.
Hi Fmp,
I believe in my case, intelligence has worked against me and contributed to my anxiety issues. I also believe my job role has impacted on this too. I work in safeguarding children, part of my role is to risk assess a situation and to do that thoroughly, I automatically think what is worse case scenario and how can I prevent that happening. Sadly, that way of thinking hasn't helped with my ha, every twinge or pain becomes worse case scenario and my prevention is to seek medical advice.
I find the psychology and triggers behind ha very interesting, my trigger was the birth of my son and the overwhelming responsibility that came with that. Throughout my pregnancy, medical professionals and family members focused on the hard work that comes with having a newborn, how exhausting it is etc, I was prepared for that, naively, I wasn't prepared for the emotional side, and how much I would love and need to protect this tiny baby.
I also like to feel in control and it feels that this part of my psyche taunts me, as anxiety is a loss of control over your thoughts and associated behaviours.
I haven't had rounds of tests done, my doctors believe by doing this, they will put me through unnecessary stress and fuel my anxiety further.
In my view, if I had the intelligence to get myself into this cycle, I need to use that to escape it. I'm awaiting my third round of cbt, with a view at looking at relapse, this relapse was due to real issues and I'm ashamed to say I didn't cope very well with them.
I've also requested a psychological referral, I feel this would be beneficial for me to go back to where it began.
Does ha make you stupid? At that time, that moment when those beliefs are so real, those fears are a reality, then I would say no. How do I feel after that episode has passed? STUPID.
Xxx
damianjmcgrath
18-10-15, 07:11
Fishmanpa, I could easily be put into the category you describe. I don't think I've got anything exotic like rabies or ameoba infections but I do think my heart is a concern. This is despite the evidence against, such as multiple ECGs, a stress ECG, a 24hr ECG, an echocardiogram and many blood tests. No one can find anything wrong with me. I can also jog 30 mins every other day, albeit slowly, without any pains. I can also identify certain situations that are likely to instigate symptoms, can predict it ahead of time, then it happens. The evidence is pretty overwhelming.
I am also a evidence based person. My job would probably fit into your "intelligent type of person" category, it's highly analytical, and often involves selecting the most likely result. It's obvious that if I was a doctor, and I saw me, I wouldn't have any concerns at all.
However, and this is going to be a small however to you but it feels big to me.....I know my own body. I know how it behaves and works and something feels wrong. As a silly example, for as long as I can remember, I enjoy sitting on the toilet, reading my book, having some peace for maybe 15 minutes or so. Recently, doing that, has made my right leg go numb. This is new for me and makes me wonder why.
The symptoms themselves are also convincing. For example, a million doctors could tell me I'm fine, but if I experience the chest pains, dizziness, breathlessness, etc, then those are so concerning that they overrule everything I've been told. The evidence in favour of a heart attack is the symptoms I can physically feel, and that's pretty strong evidence.
Social media doesn't help. Facebook is forever telling me stories of people suddenly dying, or having loads of tests and doctors missing things, or posts telling me to always push doctors and never just accept something you don't agree with etc. Footballers are collapsing, and celebrities are dying from heart conditions and that's all I can see!
I think the rational part of the brain is overruled by the physical part of the brain, and symptoms you can 100% feel beats the doctor being 99% sure you're fine. In support of this, I found a lump the other day. It didn't hurt and I didn't panic at all, and I thought it was nothing. It went away after a few days. Some people are different but for me, actual physical sensations overrule everything.
Thanks for the replies. And I want to clarity and I know that HA (and anxiety disorders) don't make you lose IQ points... It's the behaviors associated with it in question.
While I don't suffer with anxiety, I have had a couple bouts with depression and deal with a bit of "scanxeity" due to the cancer. I sought some therapy a couple of years ago for that and also used the CBT program that was available here in addition.
I knew I was struggling after my illness and my therapist helped in allowing me to offload my feelings and emotions and offered practical viewpoints and techniques to help. In addition, the CBT offered techniques that in fact I still use in my everyday life (work stress, money problems etc.). I will add that I have a non SSRI med (Buspar) that I can take when things get a little too rough. It has helped take the edge off in those "scanxiety" moments prior to follow-up exams and scans.
I hear what you're saying in that you know what you're doing and can't help yourself. For me, when I found myself dwelling on the negatives or stressing too much, it made me angry. Angry because that's not me! Angry because I viewed my depression and "scanxiety" as an outsider trying to take something away from me and it pissed me off. Most of all, angry because I'm smarter than that! I knew I was Ok. I knew why I was feeling the way I was feeling and I knew it was irrational to feel the way I was feeling. While it was understandable considering the circumstances and trauma I had been through, it pissed me off nonetheless. I used a lot of positive self talk and inner fortitude to keep those "things" from taking my life.
In a sense, that's what it's really about I guess.... You have to fight the enemy and the enemy is in your mind. The weapons you have are your intelligence and common sense as well as techniques learned in therapy. And it's not like you defeat it once and you're done, you have to maintain a diligent watch on the borders and if the enemy encroaches, fend it off. It's an ongoing defense that for many (including myself) is for life.
Positive thoughts
I see my HA as a type of addiction. On that basis, it doesn't make you stupid, it just...well, keeps you living in a vicious cycle. Like alcoholism, it's an addiction that's also treated as an illness. It makes you stupid only insofar as the inability to stop yourself from repeating the irrational and harmful behaviour. In my case, I can't help researching diseases and then the possibility of false negative tests off the back of it. People might call you stupid, but these people tend to have a limited perspective.
I see my HA as a type of addiction. On that basis, it doesn't make you stupid, it just...well, keeps you living in a vicious cycle. Like alcoholism, it's an addiction that's also treated as an illness. It makes you stupid only insofar as the inability to stop yourself from repeating the irrational and harmful behaviour. In my case, I can't help researching diseases and then the possibility of false negative tests off the back of it. People might call you stupid, but these people tend to have a limited perspective.
Interesting perspective and again I'll emphasize my wording is descriptive and not the reality. In many cases, those suffering are highly intelligent and creative individuals. They research their fear to the point of knowing every nuance of the malady they fear. I'd venture to say that they know as much, at least in the written form from Dr Google, as some health professionals. That in itself is a detriment as we all know that Dr Google will show you what you want to see and feed your anxiety.
In many ways, what you're saying can be compared to having a fear of fire and continuing to play with matches. Or, like you said, an addiction. It's a known fact that anxiety sufferers are more prone to addition issues thus those we see that have alcohol problems or smoke while worrying about lung cancer.
Positive thoughts
I don't see my HA as an illness but more of a condition empowered and fuelled by my own thoughts generating physical symptoms. I do have power over it and have the tools to override it...but it's not straightforward and is very challenging.
Interesting perspective and again I'll emphasize my wording is descriptive and not the reality. In many cases, those suffering are highly intelligent and creative individuals. They research their fear to the point of knowing every nuance of the malady they fear. I'd venture to say that they know as much, at least in the written form from Dr Google, as some health professionals. That in itself is a detriment as we all know that Dr Google will show you what you want to see and feed your anxiety.
In many ways, what you're saying can be compared to having a fear of fire and continuing to play with matches. Or, like you said, an addiction. It's a known fact that anxiety sufferers are more prone to addition issues thus those we see that have alcohol problems or smoke while worrying about lung cancer.
Positive thoughts
Addiction aside, I think the wealth of information pertaining to disease has some good points, but equally (if nor more) bad points. I know of people who don't suffer from HA in general, but end up feeling very anxious about a specific illness if researched online. The sad bit about that is many people no longer have seek out an illness online anymore. Online newspapers now publish lists of signs and symptoms of specific diseases in their articles. Particularly when it comes to 'person dies of x and hospital failings for y sufferers. It's everywhere.
The danger with the net is, yes, you can gain a lot of knowledge about x and y, but it's most people's inability to appropriately interpret that info that's dangerous, particularly when it comes to self-diagnosis
The danger with the net is, yes, you can gain a lot of knowledge about x and y, but it's most people's inability to appropriately interpret that info that's dangerous, particularly when it comes to self-diagnosis
And of course selective reading/hearing. There could be an article that is 99% positive and the anxious mind will grab onto the 1% negative to continue the spiral.
Positive thoughts
And of course selective reading/hearing. There could be an article that is 99% positive and the anxious mind will grab onto the 1% negative to continue the spiral.
Positive thoughts
Completely agree, sir.
On a separate note, if anyone has anxiety, there's a relatively cheap adrenaline producing activity that really helped me this weekend. Go karting! There's nothing quite like an hour of racing around a track in a kart doing 40mph with your mates! All hail adrenaline
Completely agree, sir.
On a separate note, if anyone has anxiety, there's a relatively cheap adrenaline producing activity that really helped me this weekend. Go karting! There's nothing quite like an hour of racing around a track in a kart doing 40mph with your mates! All hail adrenaline
Yes, but you'd need to be able to concentrate to do that successfully
I didn't have time to read everybody's posts in response, but I will say a lot has to do with arousal in the brain. When I am irrational and upset over a health-related issue, I KNOW I am being irrational and I know why, however in that moment I cannot calm down and reason with myself. There's some science behind it, and I am not well-versed in brain terminology, but here's what I know.
It's about fight-or-flight and arousal really. Anxiety is fear-based, and fear is a survival emotion. When we are afraid or think our lives are in danger, whether our rational brain knows better or not, on a certain level we get kicked into fight-or-flight mode. This releases adrenaline and all those other chemicals that get us energized and ready to fight for our lives or flee the scene. It is how we evolved, it is so biological that rational thought cannot always override it.
When we truly believe our lives are in danger and are emotionally aroused to a certain level (i.e. panic and anxiety attacks) we literally CANNOT be cognitively rational or make a cognitive shift. Our arousal levels have to come down before we can do any cognitive work. If we can calm ourselves down enough, we can do some cognitive restructuring, CBT, etc. But if we are aroused beyond that point, it just won't work. So when people seemingly do not listen to reason, it is because their arousal response has gotten too high and they cannot reason at that time.
Hope that helps a little.
MyNameIsTerry
19-10-15, 05:26
I didn't have time to read everybody's posts in response, but I will say a lot has to do with arousal in the brain. When I am irrational and upset over a health-related issue, I KNOW I am being irrational and I know why, however in that moment I cannot calm down and reason with myself. There's some science behind it, and I am not well-versed in brain terminology, but here's what I know.
It's about fight-or-flight and arousal really. Anxiety is fear-based, and fear is a survival emotion. When we are afraid or think our lives are in danger, whether our rational brain knows better or not, on a certain level we get kicked into fight-or-flight mode. This releases adrenaline and all those other chemicals that get us energized and ready to fight for our lives or flee the scene. It is how we evolved, it is so biological that rational thought cannot always override it.
When we truly believe our lives are in danger and are emotionally aroused to a certain level (i.e. panic and anxiety attacks) we literally CANNOT be cognitively rational or make a cognitive shift. Our arousal levels have to come down before we can do any cognitive work. If we can calm ourselves down enough, we can do some cognitive restructuring, CBT, etc. But if we are aroused beyond that point, it just won't work. So when people seemingly do not listen to reason, it is because their arousal response has gotten too high and they cannot reason at that time.
Hope that helps a little.
Yes, I agree very much on this.
We talk about adrenaline and serotonin a lot but perhaps we forget that these are not the only ones in play. Ramp up your glutamate (the most abundant neurotransmitter) and you will be in overthinking hell hence you need enough GABA (the 2nd most abundant) to balance it. What interacts with GABA? Benzo's. So, we can talk about eating enough to replenish our low serotinin all day but if we don't consider the other important ones, how do we know we are doing the right thing. This is where it can all get very complicated with diet but you can't slam down a load of gluamine in a high protein shake and then wonder why you feel so "activated" in your thinking. This without an anxiety disorder will be fine but if our GABA production isn't enough, it's a problem.
---------- Post added at 05:26 ---------- Previous post was at 05:19 ----------
The danger with the net is, yes, you can gain a lot of knowledge about x and y, but it's most people's inability to appropriately interpret that info that's dangerous, particularly when it comes to self-diagnosis
And of course selective reading/hearing. There could be an article that is 99% positive and the anxious mind will grab onto the 1% negative to continue the spiral.
Positive thoughts
I completely agree with this. I'm an outsider as I don't have HA and I can tell you that I have no problem reading any articles or using Google to find information. I've used Google sevreal times to help myself by looking into physical health problems to find strategies to help myself BUT someone with HA will not look for that on concentrate on the problem whcih is another issue. The issue you raise about the 99% is something that affects people with OCD too, bearing in mind there is no such diagnosable condition as HA but it's an umbrella term used outside of the medical community that scoops up certain forms of OCD and some GAD people as well as the Somatoform Disorders, but it's why I try to push for people to understand Cognitive Distortions on NMP.
If I find a lump, I dismiss it easily as one of the many minor things we get throughout our lives but the HA person heads for Google and find the worst whilst ignoring all the counter evidence that dwarfs their chosen illness. I very typical case of multiple Cognitive Distortions straight away and next comes some of the others as they Mind Read about their doctor's mannerisms, Catastrophize, etc.
Some really good points on here that I can really relate to..I am also an intelligent person with a job to reflect this but as far as HA goes, it seems to go out of the window. I am sat in front of my PC at the moment ( I work from home which I don't think helps) and keep having waves of panic which make it very hard to concentrate. I feel waves of what feels like adrenaline rising from my stomach through my chest and throat area, I get stitch like pains in my chest and stomach, I have a constant upset stomach, pain in my left arm and am convinced something is very wrong with me and feel incredibly low and anxious. I am constantly checking my symptoms and reading messages on here as opposed to working and am really struggling, as an intelligent person, to find a way out of this cycle.
Hi Fishmanpa.
We know a bit about each other and firstly may I say that though sometimes straight to the point,you always give good advice.
I regard myself as reasonably intelligent and my doctors over the years often have to be very careful what or moreso how they say anything to me, as I nearly always attach two or three meanings to what they have said and then my mind runs riot usually over nothing it is just the way my brain has adjusted itself to this way of thinking.
I would also like to put something else into your thread and that is age. Does a younger person think differently to a much older person when it comes to HA or perhaps they either deal with it in a more rational way compared to those who are unintelligent.
I had an aquantance in Spain who was older than me and without being rude he was a simple but kind man.He came over to me to tell me that he had been going to the doctors and was now diagnosed with prostate cancer.
He wasn't frightened, he actually didn't even know what the prostate was, and said the doctors would deal with it, which they did.
I often think back on that day and wish my make up allowed me to be like that.
I wonder if it is an intelligence issue or that some people are born positive throughout their lives whilst others are the opposite.
The age part interests me too Ricardo, it saddens me the amount of young people posting on here with crippling anxiety that has a huge impact on their ability to live their lives.
Completely agree, sir.
On a separate note, if anyone has anxiety, there's a relatively cheap adrenaline producing activity that really helped me this weekend. Go karting! There's nothing quite like an hour of racing around a track in a kart doing 40mph with your mates! All hail adrenaline
Not at my age :ohmy: That's why I asked the question about age in my post.
MyNameIsTerry
19-10-15, 11:36
The age part interests me too Ricardo, it saddens me the amount of young people posting on here with crippling anxiety that has a huge impact on their ability to live their lives.
Yes, it truly is sad. My GAD only first developed when I was 30 and before that I had a good life. It has robbed me of a large proportion of my thirties and thats depressing enough let alone thinking of going through it all when I was young and should have been enjoying life.
Looking back to my generation (I'm 39) I just can't see as many young people being like this. I know I knew veyr little about anxiety when it hit me but even so you would still see people acting in ways you didn't think were normal to you or were nervous people and I just can't remember seeing people around me like this much. It seems now there are so many and it makes you wonder when you consider the rise of the internet, social media, TV programming and general access to information which all came after I left school.
Does a younger person think differently to a much older person when it comes to HA or perhaps they either deal with it in a more rational way compared to those who are unintelligent.
That's a can worms right there Ricardo. Seriously.... I've commented on how the age demographic of the boards is getting younger and younger. We see more and more children being diagnosed with autism and psychological maladies than in previous generations. Is it a physical issue, social or a combination of both and other factors? We see young peoples lives revolving around social media and their smart phones. Heck, there's even an actual physical condition that causes back and neck pain due to an unnatural curvature of the neck from looking down at a smart phone! Then there's some that say all the steroids and other chemicals in our food supply have something to do with the state of the younger generation and increase in psychological issues.
Or... has this always been an issue and the information age has just made us more aware of it? My opinion is of the latter with a good dose of the last point. I do believe the information age has certainly had a influence and I also believe that we see more of it due to the same reason. The world has changed drastically in the 50+ years I've been on this earth. Some for the better and unfortunately some not.
There have been some good points brought up. Fight or flight being a good one. Even at that, it seems the response has a short circuit. It's typically an immediate reaction to a real or perceived threat yet it seems the reaction and subsequent adrenaline release affects those with HA for a much longer period of time. Hours instead of minutes... days instead of hours and the anxiety spirals go right along with it despite logic and common sense.
Positive thoughts
Access to Internet and social media has always been both an interest and concern. I have a 15 year old stepdaughter who lives with me, and like the fairytale I am the wicked stepmother (she loves me really), I don't allow her to take any Internet connectable device to bed, they are all shut off at 9pm, needless to say, that's not a welcomed rule, however my reasoning is as follows;
Teenagers today are the Guinea pigs of the future, there is not enough research about the impact of 24/7 social media, app usage, Internet access on social skills, sleep patterns and emotional wellbeing.
The brain needs to wind down and relax, this can't be done if you're anxiously awaiting the next ping
If someone says something upsetting to my stepdaughter late at night when I'm asleep, who's going to comfort her or rationalise with her, you can be more vulnerable to strangers when tired and possibly bored.
I work in safeguarding, mainly with child sexual exploitation, there is evidence to suggest that perpetrators target young people who are 'available' on social media.
Anxiety reared it's ugly head in my late 20's, following the birth of my son, prior to that, I led a fairly anxiety free lifestyle.
I was Ok until I was 5 and sent to an overly strict private primary school. My anxiety went into overdrive for public exams and my checking OCD spiralled during my time at GCHQ which coincided with the Falklands War...
My son was born with multiple physical abnormalities and I lived with him at Great Ormond Street hospital for months. My daughter was diagnosed as autistic at 2. MY HA developed when she was 4 purely I think as I was terrified that I was going to develop a terminal illness and die leaving my children without a Mum. I find that I get phases of HA with real overwhelming symptoms which take weeks to abate. Distraction techniques don't work for me and I just have to wait for the adrenaline to burn out naturally-exercise is ineffective.
I hope I'm not stupid but I find that the HA mental block is incredibly powerful.
I want to reiterate again that I don't think anyone is "stupid". The fears are very real to the individual. What I am saying is it take perfectly rational and intelligent individuals and turns them into a different person.
Positive thoughts
I was Ok until I was 5 and sent to an overly strict private primary school. My anxiety went into overdrive for public exams and my checking OCD spiralled during my time at GCHQ which coincided with the Falklands War...
My son was born with multiple physical abnormalities and I lived with him at Great Ormond Street hospital for months. My daughter was diagnosed as autistic at 2. MY HA developed when she was 4 purely I think as I was terrified that I was going to develop a terminal illness and die leaving my children without a Mum. I find that I get phases of HA with real overwhelming symptoms which take weeks to abate. Distraction techniques don't work for me and I just have to wait for the adrenaline to burn out naturally-exercise is ineffective.
I hope I'm not stupid but I find that the HA mental block is incredibly powerful.
SO pulisa not only has HA but has to look after what amounts to two disabled (for want of a better word) grown up children, yet still has time for me and one or two others that I know of, practically on a daily basis. She really deserves a medal.:hugs:
Thanks, Ricardo, but I'm just a fellow sufferer with maybe one or two extra bits to bring to the equation...
I've always found the overwhelming physical symptoms to be so hard to justify as "all in the mind" when they are very much constantly "there". I've always tried to avoid going down the reassurance route and I'm lucky in that my GP has never sent me for tests "to put my mind at rest" as that wouldn't have helped me in terms of checking the HA.
My doctors are the same hun, they won't send me for tests either. When I'm well, I can rationalise, when I'm run down or have physical symptoms my mind spirals out of control.
Xx
Anxiety causes real physical symptoms. I know this first hand. I have real health issues, one of which is my heart. Prior to one of my post cancer check ups, I started having some pretty bad chest pain. I kept brushing it off and brushing it off but finally my wife convinced me to go to the hospital. I was tested and all came back normal. It was reflux and muscle pain due to stress and anxiety. Sure, I was a bit stressed about the pain but I had a recent heart check up and stents so I wasn't that worried. Nonetheless, based on my history, I went.
So what I'm saying here is that every ache and pain isn't cancer. You're not going to get rabies from a cat brushing against your leg. You're not going to get some brain eating amoeba from snorting some water in the shower. Every freckle or mole is not skin cancer. You don't have breast cancer or colon cancer or you name the cancer when you've been tested and checked often times from several doctors and scientific tests.
Here's something to try.... start a symptom journal. Write down what you would normally write here in a MS Word doc and save it. Wait a few hours or a day, read it again and then see how you feel. Essentially, try reassuring yourself. Use the things like Ok's from the doctor and tests as your weapon to fight off the dragon. Often times, as has been mentioned on this thread, when you're in an anxiety spiral you just can't see the forest for the trees. Intentionally stepping away for a bit may help you do so. That means staying off the computer and Dr Google. This was actually something I did when battling depression. I wrote down how I felt and a day later re-read it and 90% of the time I felt better.
Positive thoughts
MyNameIsTerry
19-10-15, 22:34
FMP, going back to your point about more autistic children, I think it raises the point about how education within the medical community as well as the public had led to me diagnosis with anxiety & depression. These were dirty words years ago that were associated with failure & weakness. Whilst that will continue to exist food a long time yet, we have become more open about it and whilst technology had it's drawbacks it also has it's benefits... one of which we are posting on now. We also have much more in terms of public awareness with charities & self groups so we are less isolated.
This is a question that I've found interesting because 2 generations back in my family and I would have been fighting in one, possibly two world wars. PTSD is a relatively recent diagnosis given it has been known by earlier names e.g. shell shock, and I would have expected a hell of a lot of people with mental health problems coming out of those life changing events. Surely we haven't changed so much so perhaps part of it is about the ability to even talk about it?
Previous generations had a medical community less willing to believe in the existence of these disorders. So, times have changed to allow for diagnosis. People are longer viewed as crazy and locked away from society to spare it's embarrassment and discomfort over such issues.
Whatever the cause, I think the pace of life in terms of trying to achieve has put major pressures on us as this has greatly changed for the majority of Western civilisation.
Iblametheparents
20-10-15, 08:49
We're all attention seekers, obv.
My HA is about self-punishment. Any malady I fancy myself to have has come about because I've indulged in something I shouldn't have. Sex, alcohol, sun, those are the main ones. It all started before the internet, so I can't blame the wealth of online information. This is down to low self-esteem and being scapegoated as a child.
I think there is a distinct line between having HA and those of us who have actually had a heart attack. Your whole perspective on life changes and having survived it sent me into a deep depression as well as having ongoing HA. It isn't very nice,I assure you.
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