Signs of Mental Illness in Psychology

Accidently I tapped into this-- Sad to hear the below-- Personally, I feel the most inadequate sadly thinking about how all has been lost. No ability concentrate- sad all the time- ugly and consistant thoughts of suicide... and killing others. This is so unlike me. I just to have it all together. Now, it is all darkness and dispair. Help

my son has schitzoprenia paranoid and my younger child has ADHD it worries me that she might or could her diagnose change to something worst. I sometimes suffer from asiety thou I have never been diagnosed, I would like all this question answered, but sometimes i am afraid to find out.

If you find out that you struggle with anxiety, then you can get help with it. Sometimes learning the truth is the best thing that could happen - even if it's the hardest thing to deal with.

hi iam a teen i feel so tried of life this is my 12th grade year i should not feel like this . i sholud be right now but i am not ! i tried of being in a foster home i feel so unwanted . and worthless i can deal with a lot of things that have happen in my but for some reason i cant deal anymore. i think its time to die!~

You're right - you shouldn't feel like that! Maybe you're depressed - could you talk to someone at school about getting some help? It's not time to die -- you have alot of good life ahead of you, but you might have to figure out how to find it, first.

Find someone who cares: a friend, guidance counselor, teacher, foster parent. And, ask them to help get over your depression or whatever you're struggling with....because life CAN be really good.

I'd love to hear how you're doing; please do come back and posst here.

- Laurie

my partner is showing signs of psychological health problems. i dont know what it is he could have and no idea how to help him. he wants to sort out his issues but doesnt want to be seen as "crazy" the biggest problem that we have is that he says that it's like there are two of him.good and bad. every few weeks he says he feels he's fighting himself to prevent the bad from being unleashed.when it happens he has no desire for anything, no emotion. just anger and rage all the time. he has spoken about suicide several times and has many of the issues above. i dont know how to help him without him seeing me as the enemy. over the years we've been strong but he's getting worse and worse every time this happens and we go days without me being able to speak to him because his temper is short. i really don't know what to do...

Well, I don't know if there is much you can do. He really needs to get help - it doesn't sound like he can deal with this on his own. If he doesn't take care of his own mental health, I don't know if you can do it for him.....I'm sorry. I wish I had the magic words or the best advice, but I don't. Sometimes we just can't fix our loved one's problems - they have to take care of their issues themselves.

I suggest calling a distress line or a help line, and asking them what resources are in your area. If your partner is talking about suicide, you need to take that very seriously! Find out how you can help him get help without making him mad....and figure out how you can take care of yourself, too.

Best wishes - and please feel free to come back and tell me how you are.

- Laurie

HI my partener has Bipolar mania,schizophrenia and has only knowen a short time .I'm trying to understand how she feels we are engaged to be narried today she tells ne she has no idea what our furture holds . I'm not sure how to handel this i love her very much . I'm tring to proess it in my mind as well as she is . iI'm wonering should what should I do? this is all new to me . Wen she found out she was afraid to tell me she thought i would leave but i told her we would work on it together i ment that but seems she drifting away now she knows she has this and breaks my heart plz tell me how to handel this

I am concerned for my friend and think she may have some kind of mental illness. She talks in different voices when she speaks to different people and being the age of 36 it is a bit disturbing when she talks to men in a little girls voice. She has self mutilated in the past and seems to have an unusual approach to sex as if she is some kind of "sex addict". She often accuses males of "sexually assaulting her" but as it has happened on many occasions it is now a bit disturbing. She has a partner and often accuses males of harming her when she has relationship problems with her husband. She can be a friendly person but often changes into a nasty spiteful person without warning. Am I imagining that she could have an illness? How can I help her if she might?

Your friend does sound like she's a little off, but....we all are in some way! I don't think you can do much to help her unless she actually wants help. That is, if she recognizes that she's creating problems in her own life and isn't thinking clearly - and if she asks for help - then you can help her find a Distress Line, counselor, pastor, etc to talk to.

But if she's happy the way she is, there's not much you can do. Give her doses of reality by explaining the definition of sexual assault, perhaps, and ask why she's suddenly in a nasty mood. Maybe she'll start to realize that her perception and behavior is a little skewed.

- Laurie

I'm a mother of three aged 7 months, 4 years, and 6 years. I'm a full time waitress in a nice restaurant and lately I've noticed that I don't like myself much. Husband was laid off mid August and draws unempolyment but is home all the time. I'm physically exhausted and have trouble concentrating. I sleep A LOT and overeat as well. My job of 3 years sucks and I do have three kids but I'm wondering if something's wrong with me. I get very irritated and anger easily. Like crumbs on floor or my kids out in public with messy hair or something really makes me bitchy and miserable, and being upset about it makes me even more exhausted. What do you think?

Well, it sort of sounds like depression to me - but it's impossible to say over the internet! If you're unhappy, it doesn't matter if it's depression or seasonal affective disorder or just dissatisfaction with life in general - you need to deal with it.

How do you deal with it? Get help or support from friends, family, a counselor, a doctor. The solution to your problems and negative feelings really depends on you, your needs, your goals, and your options.

I'm sorry - I wish I could be more helpful - but I suggest you get help from a counselor or doctor. And, figure out what you want your life to look like, and start taking baby steps in that direction.

Best wishes - and do let me know how you're making out!

Laurie

Hi,my name is Fraser
I'm 17, and i have been through many psychological evaluations from professionals and they dont know what to think. they have thought i had bi-polar, schizophrenia, adhd, anxiety disorders, insomnia, and personality disorders. i myself am not even sure. I do have a member of my family who was born with and professianally diagnosed with psychotic schitsofrenia, so i might have his genetics
this is a basic outline of what im like:
I am very intense, often angry 80% of every day
I am a musician and can preform but i hate socializing, i am often by myself and prefer to have a few close friends instead of wide varieties of aquaintances
I can get REALLY depressed
I have experienced hallucinations
I have a lot of psychotic feelings
I sometimes am just pure evil, saying the most messed up things, completely cold hearted, but some times im really nice and spread mad love
I think clear, i love to learn, and i am over confident and dont like to admit that
I get upset really easy and am very aggressive
I do HATE to be alone so i need a friend over every day
Im very goofy and nutty
I can be hard to interrupt and speak fast and aggressive when im pissed
a lot of my charictaristics are controdictory, id like to see if these few things could help any of you come to some type of conclusion of a possible disorder

i fear of speking with people.feels that i,m dumb.i,m very stress all the time.i,m not socialize.have more confidence for women.generally i cant talk or answer others.this makes me very worried.all the time i think that i,m mad.i have always false dreams about my self every day i saw different things in my dreams.i have lot of confidence for that i,m most talented.icant stand around people try my every possible to stay alone.

i fear of speking with people.feels that i,m dumb.i,m very stress all the time.i,m not socialize.have more confidence for women.generally i cant talk or answer others.this makes me very worried.all the time i think that i,m mad.i have always false dreams about my self every day i saw different things in my dreams.i have lot of confidence for that i,m most talented.icant stand around people try my every possible to stay alone.

Hi my name is drew, i have problems sleeping. talking, my thoughts are all rambled up all the time. i also feel very nervous around people other then my family members and girlfriend. sometimes i dont sleep at all and other times i sleep for well over 12 hours. Been researching and i feel like i may have schizophrenia but i do not have hallucinations, just all of the thought symptoms and odd perceptions on sounds and light.

Hi my name is drew, i have problems sleeping. talking, my thoughts are all rambled up all the time. i also feel very nervous around people other then my family members and girlfriend. sometimes i dont sleep at all and other times i sleep for well over 12 hours. Been researching and i feel like i may have schizophrenia but i do not have hallucinations, just all of the thought symptoms and odd perceptions on sounds and light.

I have problems with motivation. I used to be a great student, my scholarship program called me their 'star pupil' so it's not that I'm lazy. Once I got into college though, I had problems accomplishing even the most menial tasks, let alone my school work and did poorly my first semester. I'm worried that the only reason I ever did well was because I was obsessed with getting away from my mean, obsessive compulsive stepmother and because my father yelled and/or got frustrated with me if I didn't live up to his expectations. Now that I'm away, in a dorm, and happy, I'm afraid that I only know how to function when suffering and I'll never find the motivation to do what society expects from me again. It would also help if I had a fixed goal in mind, but I'm still unsure about my career prospects. That is changing though, I've recently decided to become a psychiatrist, and hopefully that will give me the motivation I need. Do you have any advice?

Hi all. This summer my father went through some major life changes. He was forced into retirement, his mother moved far away and his youngest daughter moved to the other side of the country. Only him and my mother now live together and he is very depressed. I also live in another state but am home for the holidays and have noticed some strange behavior that is far worse than average depression. He twitches uncontrollably..his legs or arms and hides it when anyone else is around. He has also been talking to himself saying that he's going nuts and I hear him when he thinks I'm not around. He also says "stupid idiot" a lot and I believe he hits himself. I think he believes he's going nuts from all of the twitching and the uncontrolled grunts..he spends most of his day trying to hide these things. Whenever you have a conversation with him it is always over the same few issues that he's worried about and can't let go. I just want to help him, but I don't know how to help him stop with the twitching and depression. I know he is seeing a psychiatrist once every couple of weeks. Is there something I can do to help him?? Please help.

I don't know if there is anything you can do to help your dad, other than be supportive and reliable. And, I'd suggest giving his psychiatrist a call - ask him or her if there is anything you can do. His therapist would be most in tune with his needs, and could offer the most help.

Good luck - I hope your dad is able to move past this stage in his life soon. Sometimes, it just takes time and patience...but healing DOES happen!

Laurie

hi i am a teen 18 and i fall in love too often and become obsessed and the emotion is too much, i feel down and have strange mood swings.

When do you take threats seriously? I have a brother who's been estranged from our family for at least the last 5 years. He believes we all ganged up on him. He has threatened to kill people he feels did him wrong, including our own mother. We've always thought he's "all bark, no bite". But that's not the case now. I haven't seen him in years & saw him just recently & thought that he looked haggard & depressed. Our father was a psychiatrist and growing up was pretty interesting because we were introduced into that kind of environment (we lived in a commercial/residential area in a 3rd world country where zoning was different compared to USA). My dad kept patients downstairs & we lived upstairs. Part of his therapy is for patients to mingle with normal people. LOng story short, all of us kids can pretty much detect a "nut". My brother has that "look" now. We'd like to help him, but he hates us. Should we take his threats seriously now? How can someone get him to see a doctor?

If you recognize signs of mental illness in your brother, then yes, you should definitely take it seriously! Don't ignore your brother's threats to kill people.

Call a distress line, talk to your dad, see your doctor -- find some way to protect yourself and get help for your brother. Finding mental help for your brother might be difficult, if he doesn't think he has a problem, but you need to find ways to make sure you and your family is safe.

Need Help
My mother has been displaying irrational behavior for quite some time. Ever since my parents were legally divorced in 2001 she has been getting worse. She is homeless (by choice, she says her father is emtionally abusive and used to stay away from home all hours of the day) she keeps odd trinkets and things of no value. She has been unable to keep a steady job, and has been unemployed for almost 2 years. When she does find jobs, she makes nonsense excuses for quitting. She avoids her family and does not talk about personal situations. She is overly emotional and cries virtually every time we speak. I used to rent an apartment for her- but she lived in squalor. Her apartment was cluttered, she never cleaned the kitchen, her animals would urinate around the house and she wouldn't clean it up. She has always been poor at housekeeping. She says she visits a doctor the shelter she stays at provides, but I cannot imagine how someone would not notice her off behavior. For the past 8 years, if I speak to her face to face, it's like she isn't even there. I call her at least 15 times a week in an attempt to check on her, she never answers. If she calls me back I can't keep her on the phone for longer than 2 minutes and I have to ask a question multiple times to get her to answer. I know the seperation from my dad made her depressed, but all my life she has always displayed an uneven personality. I live in Minnesota and do not know where to find help. My funds are limited and her family will not take any measures to help me. Where can I turn to? I feel guilty for not helping her, and angry for the path shes turned. Her behavior has had a vast effect on my emtional health and I feel like I just can't do it anymore. I want to walk away but I never do because I'm the only one who hasn't. She's my mother, and I want her back. The woman she is now is not my mother. I feel like I've tried everything. Do states have mental health centers where you can take someone to be evaluated if you cannot afford the costs? I am worried for her safety seeing as how she lives in a shelter and wanders the streets all day long. What can I do?

I'm sorry to hear about your mom, and I understand you wanting her back -- the way she was, not the way she is now!

Some states do offer help for people struggling with mental illness, and you might have to do some digging around to find what exists in your community. Start by calling the distress lines, help lines, hospitals, social services offices, and other mental health organizations.

And remember that in order to get help, your mom needs to be able to accept help. I know a woman in a similar situation, who is content to live the way she does and so there's really nothing others can do! It's sad, but we can't force people to change.

I also suggest that you talk to a counselor to find ways to manage your own emotional health and well-being! You need to find a balance between supporting your mom, and letting her go for your own sake. A counselor would be able to help you with this.....because it sounds like you're nearing the end of your rope!

Best wishes, best of luck, and take care of yourself,
Laurie

Hello.
I am 18 years old recently moved to the US from another country.
I believe I suffer from something yet its quite difficult to explain.
I cannot stand being at home especially when I am alone. My brother is here but I dislike him and I usually have to keep someone here with me at all times or I have to be around someone.

I feel angered and depressed being at home and I constantly fight with my mother and brother to be let out or get someone to be at home with me.
Being alone makes me feel uneasy and annoyed, i get high mood swings and lash out at people.
Yet when I am at someone elses home I feel comfortable and more like myself. I dont fight with anyone or anything like that.



Im just wondering if I have a mental illness.
BiPolar and anger management runs through my family

The only way to know for sure if you (or anyone) has a mental illness is to see a doctor. And if you are struggling with any type of illness, you need a doctor's help in finding solutions!

I encourage you to talk to your family doctor, or someone you trust. Sometimes we go through rough patches in life - that's normal - but sometimes we need help getting through.

Warm regards,
Laurie

hi i think i have a problem.. a mental problem ..that's why i research the internet and saw your site..
i was disturbed when someone just told me.. she saw me smiling and laughing alone.. and some sometimes when im at work i just talk sometimes...
i just smile bec.. i think of something i think its hallucinations...
sometimes i cant control it.. but im trying to help my self.. by reading books so that i could focus on those words and to avoid hallucination... do you think it will work??sometimes i also forget things easily... but i cant see the doctor,,, bec im too busy with work but sometimes while im working.. itss like i can really do the job great but im..doing it.. you know like uncontiously.. but im on m some kind of daydream it really sucks...

hey. i am 19 years old girl and wish that i could be able to socialize with people but i can't and it makes me really sad. the doctors before told me that i might have depression or something, but it's just not normal to not be able to talk at all. i want to figure it out and i want to go out and do things. but i just can't. I'm scared to socialize with people and it's terrible.

I have a friend who is happy 24/7 like literally bouncing and humming to herself all the time. We have confronted her about it because it just seems strange... that nothing seems to change her mood she is just always happy. Is there something psychologically not right with her? We are her new friends and she doesn't seem to want us to meet her old friends. her family acts a little strange, different than our families. They are very religious, this could add to it but it seems like there's more.

Hi. My name is Dani. I'm 14 years old. Going on 15. I'm not sure what's wrong with me, so I decided to research. I get angry too easily, which is not normal. For example, when I see my crush or boyfriend even talking to another girl, I get overly angry and upset and jealous. I lash out when there's no need to. I have no close friends because I'm not good at talking, and am afraid of what those around me may think. I'm very very depressed, and suicidal. Sometimes, I get so mad the people Im talking to are scared of me, grow to hate me, or think I'm going crazy. I do need help. I don't know what's wrong with me. See, things at home aren't good. My dad abuses me, emotionally. So maybe that's what's wrong with me. I just need help. I want to be normal. A normal 14 year old girl, going out with friend, meeting different guys and having fun, laughing and having sleepovers and gossiping about this and that. Instead, I'm setting in my room, no friends, no sleepovers to attend, just sitting there thinking "What if." What if I was normal? What kind of life would I be leading today? Please help me. Pray for me, anything. I'm scared to tell my mom. Scared of what she would say, think, or tell others and what they would say or think. Espcially my dad. He would laugh. And say I have a mental problem. I know I do. I don't need to be reminded constantly. I just need help. I need a friend, someone to help me through this. :(

Oh, Dana, my heart goes out to you! And, I admire you for recognizing that you need help and that your dad is emotionally abusive. You're very insightful.

A few things come to my mind:

1. I grew up with a mentally ill mother, and I ALWAYS wanted to "just be normal." But I didn't know what normal was -- and as a grown adult, I keep learning that there is no NORMAL. We're all messed up in little ways; some people just hide it better than others. But normal isn't something to strive for. It's overrated and unachievable; nobody really knows what normal is! How can you be something that you can't define? But, that said, if your behavior, thoughts, or emotions are destructive or hurting yourself or others, then it's not normal -- and it needs to be dealt with.

2. You probably aren't mentally ill - you may just be struggling with tons of teenage hormones that make your mood fluctuate all over the place, and make you overreact to things, like your boyfriend talking to other girls. Hormones are chemicals that do crazy things to our moods, reactions, bodies - you've heard of PMS, right? That's due in part to hormones. So, you may not be showing signs of mental illness.....you may just be a normal teen, coping with normal circumstances. And no matter how normal people are, they still overreact sometimes! It's just part of being human.

3. The worst thing to do when you're dealing with anything difficult in life is to NOT talk to people about it. When you talk about your feelings and thoughts, you often realize that they aren't as "bad" as you thought -- just saying things out loud can make you feel better, and help you realize that you're going to be okay. Plus, talking about it allows others to say "Hey! I've been there too, I know EXACTLY what you're talking about! Here's what worked for me....". If you really, really don't want to talk to your mom, talk to the guidance counselor, a favorite teacher, your pastor, your friend's mom, your aunt, or any adult you trust.

To find out if you're struggling with a mental illness or just dealing with your own personality traits, which sometimes lead to overreacting to stuff, you need to talk to a counselor or doctor. I can't tell you what you need to know, because I don't know you.....but you need to talk to someone in person.

It's scary - but, what's worse? Avoiding your problems, or dealing with them? (many people people choose avoidance, which leads to worse problems!).

Do update me,
Laurie

Hi. I am a 16 year old girl and i need some help. Since i was younger, sometimes at night when i try to go to sleep, i feel very heay and then i start to hear alot of voices in my head, the tempo of some are very fast, and the others, the tempo is very slow. When i get up and walk, there is a big thud in my head every time i take a step, then the voices continue. If anyone talks to me when this happens, there voice sounds very loud and the tempo is very fast. Things seem either very close or very far away. This sometimes happens in the daytime too. When i walk places, when i hear people laugh, i always think they are laughing at me and think that people are going to batter me as they did until i was 13 years old. I keep getting sharp pains in both sides of my head and keep wakung up feeling dizzy. I have a very short temper and sometimes end up hitting things like walls and doors. I lose my concentration very easily and always have to fidget with something. I am also always very hyperactive all the time but i sometimes feel down for unknown reasons. Please could anyone help me? I don't want to go to a doctor because i hate them and i think that they will think i am crazy. Thankyou to anyone who can help me.

If you find the right doctor, he/she won't think you're crazy -- but he'll be able to help you deal with whatever's happening!

A medical condition or mental health issue can't be diagnosed and treated over the internet. You need to set aside your feelings about doctors, and get the help you need -- otherwise you could be dealing with this for the rest of your life.

I encourage you to talk to an adult you trust, and ask for their help in making an appointment with someone.

Let me know when you do this -- I'd love an update!

All best,
Laurie

Hi there, I am worried there is something wrong with me. I have lost all interest in a job I used to love, I have made up stuff to get out of going in and when I do go I am almost always late. I have had trouble sleeping for a long time but I am just getting less and less these days. I frequently take double my dosage of painkillers which I know is stupid but I can't seem to stop. I also have a problem with hurting my cats. It absolutely disgusts me that I do it and it is not a malicious thing, if one of them scratches or claws me, I tend to hit them. I hate that I do it and I break down after I have but again I can't seem to stop. I don't hurt myself but I do think about it and I have done in the past.
I suffered from depression as a teenager but I thought I had grown out of it, I am 27 now. I was in a two year abusive relationship which ended like 5 years ago. I have tried talking through some of these issues with my doctor but he seems unwilling to do anything about them, he just keeps telling me to stick it out for another 6 months and then we'll see.
I am worried that there is something really wrong with me, what should I do? Please help!

Don't ignore these signs of depression and unhappiness any more! I can see letting it go for 3 or maybe 6 months, but it's time to take action.

You have several options, such as seeing a different doctor, reading up on depression, taking an online depression test, talking to a counselor, or calling a distress or help line for guidance. Also, telling a close friend or family member how you feel and how you've been reacting to your cats is really important! It's so healthy to talk about stuff -- and the less you want to talk about it, the more important it is to get it out.

I also suggest filling your life with things you love to do -- from the big stuff (travel, changing jobs, moving to a new city) to the little things (taking a class, taking up old hobbies, going on a day-long road trip).

After you've taken a step or two towards solving your problems, let me know how things go! It might be easier than you think to get yourself back to "normal".......

I am so worried abouth my son; he is 18 years old, and he was diagnosed with schizofrenia.He does not want to go to the doctor.He lives on the streets.He hurts himsself. he talks abouth dying.he believes that I want to hurt him. I dont know wht to do. How can I help him?

I've heard that the majority of the people living on the streets struggle with mental illness - and schizophrenia is one of the more common ones. I'm sorry your son is dealing with it; it's such a tough disease!

Please call your local experts, who run the drop in centers, food banks, soup kitchens, and shelters. I don't know what services are available in your area, but the people who work there would have a good idea of how you can help your son.

Trying to reason with him or coerce him into getting help may not be effective, because he may not be thinking rationally. As far as he's concerned, he's behaving normally and everyone else is having problems! It's hard to break through that type of thinking.

I'd also suggest finding a schizophrenia support group, and meeting with them regularly. You need to be with people who are dealing with similar situations, and to talk your feelings through! They'd also be a good source of ideas or ways to help your son.

I hope this helps a little, and wish you the best of luck. Do let me know how you're getting on.

Laurie

if everyone was without any one of these "disorders" wouldn't the world seem a little like I-Robot?

Hi I have grown up with mental illness in my family and My ex-husband has sever anger issues that has landed him in jail a few times. Now to the problem, my 16 year old son is displaying explosive anger over the smallest things. He screams at me to "F" off, punches things, breaks stuff, then he cries and feels shameful. When he is angry he scares me, when he is not angry he is such a delight that is hard to believe that he could ever be angry. Its alarming because it the same person but the extreme changes in behavior would make one think its a totally different person. These outburst are becoming more frequent, at least once a day, is this normal behavior for a teen or should I take him to see a doctor.

Teens are more prone to emotional outbursts because of their hormone fluctuations, but your son's outbursts seem uncontrollable and frightening. That, and the fact that they're increasing in frequency, make me think that seeing a doctor or counselor would be wise -- especially in light of your ex-husband's anger issues.

It's always better to be safe than sorry. Take him in for a little check up -- and if it's normal behavior for a teen, that's great! You'll just live it out. But if it's not, you'll be able to deal with it now, before it escalates.

Best of luck,
Laurie

Hassan:
hey we have to do a research in school about suicide., can i have an idea for presenting it infront of the teacher and friends., and about (Misciellaneous) in general.

my friend is 19 and has had many things in his past that he has resentment to and has had quite a few relationship problems. he tends to get very attached to a girl really quick, most of the time too quick so the girl leaves him. he is anxious to find the right girl, get married, have kids and settle down. when his past relationships have failed he feels his whole world comes crashing down which causes him to only see the bad in his life which makes him feel very depressed and alone. he has said he wants to die many times. he sais he wants it all to end. he's even given me a goodbye note. but he has not attempted suicide and he does not hurt himself. he thinks music somehow speaks to him and the television sends him hidden messages. i always try talking to him by making him feel cared about and wanted. i try to make him realize everything he has. it usually works but not for long. Is there anything else i can do for him or is it beyond anything i can do?

You're being a good friend! You're supportive and caring, which goes a long way.

However, not only is your friend showing signs of mental illness - it sounds a little like he's showing symptoms schizophrenia. He'd need to see a doctor in person to make a diagnosism though.

For any mental illness, support and friendship is wonderful! But, it can't treat the underlying mental health issue, as you're finding with your friend.

I suggest talking to his parents -- or, even better, persuading him to see a doctor. But sometimes a person struggling with mental illness isn't eager to see the doctor, which is where parents, partners, or other family members come in.

Again, you're being a good friend! But, I caution you not to ignore his good-bye notes or signs of mental illness, because he could do something destructive.

Another option is to call a local distress line or suicide helpline. They'll be able to tell you what resources for mental illness exist in your area.

Good luck! Let me know how things go.

Laurie

i think something might be wrong with my 9 year old daughter. She is showing signs of puberty. But she has also began behaving strangely. She doesn't communicate verbally like she used to. She has a hearing deficit but is fine with her hearing aids in. This evening she completely closed down and her pupils became large, and her eyelids where drooping half way. When trying to talk to her it was like no one was home. Our ins. does not pay for mental health. could this be hormone related, or is this normal for a 9 year old to just shut down.
Other family members have also noticed a social change in her "she behaves wierd" they say. Almost like a three year old at times. She is a very good student, and has participated in several camps this summer doing well with all. your input would be greatly appreciated
thank you c. bosch

I suggest taking your daughter to your family doctor or a school pychologist. The only way to know for sure what she's going through - whether it's pre-teen angst, a physical health condition, or a mental illness - is to get a professional opinion. The sooner you figure out what's going on, the better able you'll be to find the best treatment.

Good luck, and do let me know what the doctor or counselor says,
Laurie

i am 21 and lately i have been feeling like i can not do anything right. its like my mind is not functioning correctly. i can not remember anything and i have found it increasingly hard to focus on anything. i am supposed to be writing an essay right now, but i just can't focus. i have been feeling a little depressed here lately also. when i was 15 i was diagnosed with depression, but i stopped taking the medicine when i was 16. i hated the way i felt. also i have been losing my temper at the smallest things lately and every little thing makes me cry like the world is ending. i have no insurence and i can not afford a doctor right now. do you have any idea what is wrong with me?

I'm sorry -- it's impossible for anyone to tell you what's wrong over the internet, without actually seeing you! Even doctors should do this, because it's unethical. There are too many things that are going on, and it's so difficult to get a sense of all those things over the internet.

Something to consider: your symptoms may not be "signs of mental illness" as such. Are you eating properly? Getting the proper nutrients and vitamins every day is CRUCIAL to your mental and emotional health! If you're not eating a balanced diet and drinking enough water, you'll feel confused, sluggish, unhealthy, fatigued, and generally bad all over. Even some signs of depression are caused by not eating properly.

I'm not saying that all you need to do is eat well, and your problems will disappear. Rather, I'm pointing out that you need to see someone in person!

There are free clinics and distress lines; I suggest you look for those types of in-person support in your area. You're clearly struggling with something, and it could be mild depression or anxiety -- or it could be lack of nutrients. I wish you could afford to see a doctor! But again -- the free resources may be helpful to you.

I wish I could be more helpful, and encourage you to take a look at your diet, sleep, and lifestyle habits. Do come back and let me know how you are -- and try to find free support in your community!

All best,
Laurie

Hello Laurie,
I am very concerned about my ex girlfriend. We stopped talking for about 2 years, but have recently come back into each others life. She is sooo intelligent and smart. I am starting to agree with the saying that “There is a thin line between genius and crazy”. She is brilliant, BUT I fear she is little off mentally, along with some others that used to be close to her (one says bipolar, another schizophrenia). I have researched online trying to figure out what her diagnostics is. When we dated she was very unclean--not to say she didn't take a bath, but she was messy and wouldn't wash her clothes. So I did it for her and found a critter in her clothes. She also doesn't seem to have any close friends, and it is because she does things to push them away it seems. She faults them (with reasonable reasons, yes, but she never sees her own faults in what she has done. The whole time we were together (4 months), her "work" was an entrepreneur (constantly on the computer)--no incoming funds. Which there is absolutely nothing wrong with, but the weird thing was her notes consisted of various numbers that look like scribble with no meaning. Gibberish. Just a bunch of numbers. She went around to a bunch of house properties that go for millions of dollars, and made appointments with the salesperson to walk thru them, and one of them she made arrangement to buy the place (keep in mind she doesn’t have any money). Lastly, she makes comments to me while we have been broken up--such as: I want to buy you a yacht and name it after you, or I want to get a place next to you and watch you thru your window. I feel she says these things to show that she cares for me, but again she is my ex and she is still with a guy that came in between us and had started seeing while we were together (in 2005). It kind of hurts when she makes statements like this, because I feel she doesn't mean it because she is still with this guy. I just wanted to get your thoughts on this, and if you think there is something mentally wrong. How do I go about getting her to get help without her completely shutting me out. I really care for, and never stopped loving her all these years, and just want her to confront the issue--if there is one. Any suggestions and thoughts will be greatly appreciated

It does sound like your ex-girlfriend needs help -- hygiene is very often neglected when people are struggling with mental health issues.

I suggest you make it clear that you love her as a friend, and you can't go back to your old relationship. Be firm that your friendship now is as far as it goes.

You may have to get comfortable with the idea that getting help for her or talking about her "issues" may put a rift in your friendship. It could be temporary -- and you could resume your friendship after she's more stable -- or it could be a permanent rift. If she is struggling with a more serious mental illness, then she won't just happily accept your perspective and suggestions! Or, maybe she'll be relieved that someone cared enough to notice and help her. I don't know -- it depends on her.

Regarding getting help, I'd do two things: 1) gently point out her abnormal behaviors and ask what she thinks is going on; and 2) call a local distress line, hospital, counseling center, community health center -- any place that offers mental health services. They'll be able to tell you what services are available in your area. Plus, talking to someone in person or over the phone will help you clarify things in your own head.

It's a tough situation, and definitely puts you in an awkward position! But she's lucky to have you for a friend.

Good luck, and let me know how it goes,
Laurie

Hello. I know a bubbly five-year-old boy, with two older and two younger siblings. He is generally full of life and physically healthy, but shows some worrying tendencies. He dislikes making friends in his own age-group, and usually prefers to play rough games with older boys. He has a very vivid imagination and often vocally fantasizes about inflicting violence or torture on someone. He is fascinated with guns, and likes to say shocking things to his parents and siblings. Does he just say them to frighten them, or is he really attracted to violence? At school, he has trouble learning to read and to do math, but shows intelligence in concocting bawdy practical jokes, or in inventing tricks to irritate his sisters. He likes to play football and is good at it. I feel a little worried about what he might grow up to be. Do you think he has a mental illness or a personality disorder? What kind of help does his family need to seek?

Hi, looking for help or directions. My sister is 49 and has mental disease most of her adult life. local mental centers just give her meds and they make her worse. No proper dignoses because no insurence. Shae has beeen living with my eldery mother for years and is terrerizing her. We have had her involuntarly committed three times, same thing happens they dope her up for 30 days and send her right back home to the local mental center. Nothing changes and she is getting worse. Dont know where to turn !!!

Regarding the little boy with violent tendencies: the only way to determine if he has a personality disorder or some sort of mental illness is to take him to a school or child psychologist. An online diagnosis is impossible -- in fact, testing and diagnosing someone in person for any kind of physical or emotional health issue isn't always 100% accurate, either.

Some kids have vivid imaginations and aggressive tendencies, but not necessarily a personality disorder or sociopathic leanings. Others hide their violent tendencies until they lash out (like the boys at Columbine).

Getting this boy tested is the best way to determine if something is amiss -- or if he's just on the extreme end of imagination and "just being a boy."

Sorry I can't be more helpful. Is there a child psychologist or school counselor in your area?

Laurie

Regarding the 49 year old sister with the mental illness: I'm sorry for your situation. How stressful for your and your mom -- and for your sister, too (this can't be fun for her, either!). Very sad.

I don't know what the options are in your area, but I suggest calling places you haven't already been to: a senior's help line, distress line, community health centers, even a suicide hotline. You can't keep doing what's already been done, as you well know!

I suggest focusing on getting your mom her own place. You might not be able to help your sister any more than you have; the next best thing is making sure your mom is safe in her own home.

Can your mom move to a senior's home? Is there a friend or family member she can live with?

Can your sister live on her own? Is she supported by the state? Finding a way to get her on her own would be ideal.

The idea is to get them in their own places -- because at this stage, your sister isn't likely to overcome her mental illness, unless she gets a proper diagnosis and can stick with the treatment.

I wish I could be more helpful, but I don't know what's available in your city. You might also call the distress lines and mental health resource centers in a different city in your state -- they might have better suggestions for you.

Good luck, and I hope you find a solution! It's out there, but it may require a bit of digging.

Also -- talk to different doctors or nurses at the hospitals or mental health institutions she's already been to. They all have different perspectives and ways of doing things....and you might find buried treasure there.

Laurie

i dOn't know if I have a mental illness ,but everytime I am aLone i Speak And think that somebody is with me that i am talking too...Wat dO u think about it?everytime i am alone i am pretending that i am talking with somebody

I'm actually looking for advise, My husband recently had a gastric by-pass and lost 250 lbs. At the same time the conceal carry laws were enacted and now he is OBSESSED with guns. He never leaves home without one, and doesn't care that I hate them...It's all about HIS rights ! He constantly looks at gun web sights and feeds off of negative news media, He talks about "The war" that he says is coming and his right to defend himself, He refuses to go into places that do not allow guns or he carries illegally since the fine is of no great amount of money. He's even willing to give up church since they do not allow guns. His attitude with me, is quite simple...I have no rights. He's carrying the guns, if I don't like it I can stay home. This man once was a loving caring person, he cared what I thought and we discussed issues. Now it's quite the opposite. His life seems to have been consumed by fear ! could this be a mental disorder?
Thank You,
Pat

hi! im just writing back. i wrote to you on Jun 19, 2009 about my 19 year old friend. he started seeing a psycologist and he's doing better now. thanks for your help. i'm glad i visited your page.

I'm glad your friend is getting help -- that's great! And, thanks for stopping by and letting me know how you're doing :-) I sure do appreciate that.

To the wife whose husband is so focused on guns: I've compiled a list of articles about psychological disorders and mental illness -- because I do think your husband needs to get help.

Just click on my name in blue at the top of this page, then click on "Read Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen's blog" on the right side. Scroll down to "Resources for Helping People With Psychological Disorders." You'll also also find it in the July, 2009 list on the side panel of that page.

I hope it helps. It may not be easy to find the right help for your husband -- or convince him to accept help -- but that short-term pain is better than risking long-term damage or a serious incident.

Good luck, and let me know how things go...

Laurie

hi,

my wife once stood behind me with a knife when i was sleeping. And again similar incident has happened in her house also. she says that she is unaware of scun incidents. She is also saying something when she roams about with the knife. Please do help me, whether it is mental illness or pssychological disorder, if so level of disorder

Your wife needs to see someone in person to figure out if her sleepwalking is a sign of mental illness, and if it can be treated. She can't be diagnosed and treated online -- she has to see someone in person.

Talk to your or her doctor about getting a referral to a psychologist or counselor. It's probably best to do it as soon as possible, before something bad happens!

Good luck,
Laurie

My name is Robert Recently, my best friend, Allen, informed me there is too wide a "gulf" between our political views & he no longer wants to communicate with me. I'm very middle-of-the-road politically, but over the past 8 years or so (approximately the Bush administration) Allen has grown more and more ultra right-wing & outspoken. Our friendship started in the Air Force & has lasted 43 years. Though we live in different parts of the U.S., we have often vacationed together, sailed together, and used to enjoy lively, wide-ranging phone chats every few weeks. During the past eight years however, Allen has grown more and more judgmental of human frailty. He now believes President Obama is a "thug" backed by a shadowy coterie of nameless "traitors" who are purposed on destroying the nation & delivering it into the hands of our "enemies." Allen lives alone in a beautiful but isolated rural setting and is pretty much estranged from his brothers and sister. He does still communicate with his father, who is around 90 yrs old & mentally alert. I'm very worried about my dear old friend & would like to talk with his father about him, but don't know if Allen's dark thoughts rise to the level of mental illness. Also, don't want do disturb his elderly father unnecessarily. Any advice would be enormously appreciated!

Hi Robert,

I suspect Allen's father is aware of his behaviors and thought processes, since his dad is mentally alert and in contact with Allen. That said, it wouldn't hurt to share your concerns in a gentle, nonthreatening way. That is, I wouldn't recommend saying "I think Allen is showing signs of mental illness and needs help!" (which I doubt you'd say, anyway)

Rather, you could share your sadness that the friendship seems to be ending. You could ask his dad for suggestions on developing a better relationship, and also ask for his thoughts on how Allen is doing. His dad might be totally oblivious, or completely aware...and it may be worth finding out.

It's awfully hard to help people who don't want to be helped, or who don't think they're struggling with a mental or physical health issue. Many people with mental health issues believe that the problems are "out there" -- which is why they retreat and isolate themselves. There may also be physical changes happening in his brain as he ages, which can cause irrational or disturbed thinking or behavior. But again, it's hard to help him if he's not willing to be helped!

You could also call the mental health organizations in his area, and ask for their suggestions. There might be a local distress line or social services organization that might offer helpful solutions.

I'm sorry I don't have better suggestions! I wish you the best of luck. It's so hard seeing a such a long friendship peter out like this, and seeing a good friend struggle with his life and health.

Best wishes,
Laurie

tive never mentioned to anyone anything about my psychological problems. im now 18, going to first year university, and ive finally conluded that i have something wrong with me. it started when i was roughly 13. this is when my first signs of psychological problems occured. i would always imagine people such as my mom with my friends parents like laughing and talking in their houses..it was rly weird, i would picture them like laughing at a table drinking their coffee or some crap. when i was around 14 or so i looked at life as a game...where everyone did everything for a reason, and im talking about to piss other people off. for example, if someone was to question me about something, i would think to myself that they only did it to test me..and if i couldnt answer it that they would 'win' and have some type of more power over me...and this went for EVERYTHING! even if people coughed or laughed around me i would take it as if they were doing it to point out that i was doing 'something' wrong, and they were hinting me to fix it..this later led to something more recent..i used to ALWAYS think that ppl did absolutely everything to piss me off..like if my friend were to tell me his plans with other people next week, i took it as if he was trying to brag to me about his other friends that i dontt have and completely flip out..or if my mom would ask me to do the dishes i would take it as an insult and think that she only wants me to do them to get up and do something..or if my mom would ask if i have plans at all, id think she would only ask that to piss me off, knowing that i never have any plans..i have anger issues, i get mad at everything. i hate getting into a car that has music on, or walking by myself in the gym or through halls, i always think people are looking at me and judging me. i think weird shit to myself, like suicidal thoughts and be rly down about myself. then the next day i might be completely happy. i get very hot and feel uncomfortable when around a large group of people.. also when i was younger i would get migraines in the middle of everynight to the point where id cry of the pain. and i would get white spots on the top of my arms that indicate stress and anxiety, this was also when i was around 16. as of today i still get pissed off easily, im confused about everything. im smart, going to an amazing university and the whole nine yards, but yet i still have these fd up problems...i dotn know whats wrong with me...this is only 25% of it.

thank you

Corey,

I apologize for the mix-up about the comments -- you're right, you do have a healthy angry side! Sometimes the comments section here on Suite can be a little wonky; it's not the smoothest system. And, I'm always reluctant to let comments appear that contain swear words -- even if it's not the whole swear word.

But, to your question: I'm not sure what you're going through (it's almost impossible to say over the internet), but I think it would be good if you talked to a counselor or therapist in person. Some of what you talk about is normal, but not to the extremes you describe.

Five years is a long time to deal with what you've been going through -- it's way too long. And, university brings its own set of stresses and challenges, which strain the psyche of even the most well-adjusted, happy student.

Talk to your doctor about a referral to someone who can help, or call a counselor on your own. Some therapists offer lower rates for students. The university may even have a mental health office for students -- I think most of them do.

I wish you all the best, and hope you find someone to talk to in person. Once you get the ball rolling in terms of solving your problem, you'll feel much better! It's difficult to get everything sorted out, but it's way worth it.

Good luck, and feel free to post again -- without the colorful language :-)

Laurie

can you explain what is somewhat normal from what i decribed? i dont mean to sound rude im just curious. it will hopefully make me feel less crazy knowing that im not thet only person who thinks like this, or somewhat to it...

There are several normal things in your comment above, Corey -- you're not totally alone in your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors!

For instance, many people get uncomfortable in large groups of people. I went to a Pink Floyd concert years ago, and felt like I was going to suffocate because of the hundreds of thousands of people there! It was awful, and ever since then I avoid big concerts, hockey games like the Stanley Cup playoffs, or any place that has throngs of people.

And regarding feeling that people are looking at and judging you: we all feel self-conscious at times. That is totally normal. It's hard to be in busy places (such as a crowded hallway at school) and be alone. Again, that one thing isn't necessarily a sign of mental illness or that anything's wrong!

We all have quirks, weaknesses, foibles. But when those quirks interfere with our life, interaction with others, and day-to-day functioning, then it's a sign that there could be a problem. And, many emotional health issues are easily fixed!

But the first step is to reach out and get help. You've already done that here, but you need to talk to someone in person. A doctor, counselor, or someone who can help you get help!

Best wishes,
Laurie

i really dont want to talk to a counselor nor a doctor, its embarassing. is there anything i can maybe try doing to help with this?

You could try taking an anger management course, or a workshop that focuses on people skills or getting along with people in general. You could figure out what your biggest 2-3 problems are -- the things that are causing you the most difficulty in life and with people -- and focus on squaring with those (by taking classes, reading books from the library, joining support groups, etc).

The best way to solve any issue in life is to get to the root of the problem. You'd need to sit down - preferably with an objective, trained therapist - and figure out what's causing the problems. It's really important to get objective help, because we can't be rational and objective about our own selves, emotions, and behavior. You could try journaling or writing in your personal diary about all the things that you think led up to your current situation. You'd then need to work through those issues -- and it's exceedingly difficult to do on your own.

And remember -- psychologists, doctors, counselors, etc deal with all sorts of problems ALL day long! There's nothing to be embarrassed about with them; people with problems is their job. And, unless you tell your family and friends, they don't even have to know about it.

I'm afraid I can't offer any more in-depth solutions than that, or any psychological advice -- this is just a general psychology website with basic articles and information. Specific individual help has to be sought in person.

I wish you all the best.

Laurie

Hi im 21 i got most of things that are listed i have troubles concentrating i forget things quickly, i get mood swings i feel like i wanna kill someone sometimes, im starting to hate people for no reason. I tend to think every one is selfish and rude from previous experiences, i also have to work hard to solve problems than others for example i can study all night which is equivelent to some1 studing 4 or 5 hours and in the end the one who studied less gets higher marks while i just pass. Also im starting to gain weight i use to be muscular 2 years ago but im starting to get out of shape. Why is life such a bitch like this.

My mom is probably mentally ill.
1. She retells painful stories from her past over and over. Everyone has them memorized and knows when they are coming.
2. She has trouble socializing. She cannot carry on a light conversation with another person. She has trouble with boundaries. She tells very personal things to people she doesn't know, but she has no close friends.
3. When we were children, she would bait my brother and me by telling us to do one thing, then criticizing us when we did it. She liked to ridicule us.
4. She denied me the opportunity to make friends by not allowing me to participate in social activities. Then, she constantly ridiculed me for "being a bookworm". She found something wrong with everything I wanted to do. For example, girl scouts, school band, dances, etc. were off limits, but then she criticized me for anything I found to do at home.
5. She was very loud at times. She could really go on and on with her criticisms of everyone, even though she did not know them. For example, when we saw an obviously happy family with 6 children, although all were well dressed and well behaved, she ranted to me about people who have too many children. However, her own family consisted of 6 children. They were very poor. She says she wouldn't take anything for her large family.
Until the last few months, I did not realize how bizarre her behavior was. I though there was something wrong with me, because, of course, she always said there was something wrong with me. My brother recently came for a visit and started talking about all of the crazy things she said and did when we were children. It made me feel better to know that he felt the same way I did.
Is my Mom mentally ill or just mean?

Hi,

From your description (which was very thorough and well-written, by the way!), your mother doesn't sound emotionally stable. But I can't tell you one way or another if your mom is mentally ill. The only way to get a "real" diagnosis is for her to see a doctor or psychologist.

But you don't need a real diagnosis to figure out something huge and meaningful about yourself! The important thing to remember is that she may not have a realistic perception of the world or the people around her. And, she doesn't have a realistic perception of YOU. This means that she can't accurately say that anything is wrong with you, or that you're any of the bad things she said about you!

She withheld alot of really great things from you, she criticized you alot, and she doesn't have great social skills. I'm sorry you had a childhood like that...life is hard enough when we have totally fantastic, normal parents! But, you have to remember that you are not who she said you are. You need to figure out for yourself who you are, and try to not let her words dictate how you feel about yourself.

The beauty about growing up and being an adult is that we can choose to be who we want to be. We don't have to be who our parents, siblings, friends, teachers, or anyone says we are. We can develop our own strengths, personalities, and lives.

I hope you can separate who you are from who your mom is, whether she's mentally ill or just plain mean. I hope you blossom into the woman you're meant to be...even though you had a rough start in life! You could start by searching for information on "personal identity", "authentic living", and "letting go of the past."

Best wishes,

Laurie

hi, I am a fresh year college student;
my father had gone through a lot of issues in his life, and the most issue that affected him was like 3 years ago, he was putted into jail and tortured without any reason. after that he started to lose his mind gradually, he started suspecting of people, one by one.
first he lost faith on people around, then he started suspecting my mom,, that she's poisoning him, and works with an agency that want to torture him until he gets crazy, and he was saying that she's giving us ideas to torture him, and follow him and etc..now if he hears anything, anything, he suspect from it.
one year ago he told us to travel to our country,, and he stayed alone for 1 year and didn't communicate with us at all, and now i came to him alone,, to see how is he going on,,i found that he already divorced my mom, he said her cover have been revealed that she was against him,, and when he hears any thing, or anyone talking or the sound of the horn outside the house,,he says that they are torturing him by doing this noise to make him get crazy and that his strong and will never be crazy,,and I really started to get mad from him because if there is any thing or any voice he says they are torturing me and start shouting all over the place, and some times he talks to himself in his room,, coz he thinks that the people that are after him have recording spy machines in his room,,and are watching him all the time, and he talk coz he thinks that they hear him and listen what his saying ,, where no one is really there or anything..
when I tell him it’s ok , nothing is going on,, he start to be sarcastic on me and says don’t be stupid we studied this things along time ago, he means by that,,that I am also working with the agency too,,and he also says sometimes to me remove the sound receiving from your ear,,and never wants to hear an advice,, and talks to all people as they are his enemies..he lost his job he don’t trust no one,, and he is about to through me off from his life,,and his living in a very delusional world..and that his going to go to court and put all people who are following him to jail,,he already went to many lawyers around the world and they all rejected him,,,and he says that they r taught to do that by the people who are following him,,,and he thinks the people who are following him is the world health organization.
please, WHATS THE NAME OF HIS DISEASE,, I need heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelp!!!
h

Hi Peter,

Your dad sounds like he’s struggling with many mental and emotional health issues – I’m sorry you have to go through this.

I can’t make any psychological diagnosis, but it sounds like he’s dealing with symptoms of schizophrenia. Signs of schizophrenia include paranoia, auditory hallucinations, bizarre behaviors, illogical thinking, and dangerous actions.

Your dad needs psychological help, but it might not be as easy as making an appointment for him to see a doctor! Many people with mental illness or mental health issues aren’t thrilled with the idea of seeing a psychiatrist or psychologist – they sometimes think the problem is the world and people around them, not within themselves.

To learn more about helping him, you might find “Resources for Helping People With Psychological Disorders” helpful. To read it, click on my name in blue at the top of this page. Click on "Read Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen's blog" on the right side. Scroll down to the article. It’s also in the July, 2009 list on the side panel.

I hope this helps a little, and that you can help your dad through this. I also hope you remember that you can only do what you can do – you’re not responsible for his life, his feelings, or his actions. You can only do so much to help him…which may not feel like enough.

Best wishes, and feel free to return anytime you need to share your thoughts or feelings.

Laurie

I need answers for my personal disorder(but, i don't think it's critical). I just want to know! I am 24 year old, single and never had a boyfriend. now my question is..Is it fine to be alone? because, i don't like to be with somebody except for my family. i hate socializing, and got bored of city life. I made my own decisions and don't keep insisting of my suggestions, especially in company meetings. I do not follow instructions, i hate to be manipulated. I felt like i'm in a cage, if someone shows me love..it's like a burden. Please help, maybe I have a mental illness but knows how to be normal although i am not normal anymore!?

Hello, I was wondering about extreme emotional responses. When me or another family member talks to my Mother about everyday issues,even when they aren't negative in fashion, she will accuse me/us of blaming her and just "go off"; yelling over others, interrupting, slamming doors, walking away from the conversation. She will start yelling even when I/us talk to her in a calm tone. Her reaction is extreme. I know this is not normal and must have something to do with her thoughts and feelings. She does tell me she is depressed, but I was also wondering about anxiety too.please let me know where to look and how I can help her.

Thanks for your comment; I’m sorry your mother is so emotional and unpredictable. Anxiety and depression are sometimes found together, so it’s not too surprising that you recognize both in her.

I wrote a blog post called “Resources for Helping People With Psychological Disorders” that you might find helpful.

To get there, just click on my name in blue at the top of this page, then click on "Read Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen's blog" on the right side. Scroll down to “Resources for Helping People With Psychological Disorders” – you’ll also find it in the July, 2009 section on the side panel.

Best wishes,
Laurie

To the person who asked a question on Oct 9: I’m sorry I missed your question until now!

I think you’re right that you don’t have a serious psychological or personality disorder – but you’re not happy, and you feel burdened by the love of others. This isn’t healthy, and I suggest you talk to a counselor or therapist about building a happier, more fulfilling life.

I also suggest figuring out the root of your emotional responses. Are you afraid of being loved – were you hurt in the past? Are you worried about not being able to love someone back? A counselor or therapist would be able to help you figure out why you’re struggling with love.

And, I wrote a blog post called “Resources for Emotional Healing” that you might find helpful. It lists links to articles about being mentally healthy.

To get to my Psychology blog, just click on my name in blue at the top of this page, then click on "Read Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen's blog" on the right side. Scroll down to “Resources for Emotional Healing” – you’ll also find it in the Sept, 2009 section on the side panel.

Best wishes,
Laurie

Hi I have a problem I hope you can help or at least point me in the right direction. My mother to say the least has been through alot her husband died in 2003 her soon to be husband after that who took care of her while she was dieing and pulled thrugh he died 6 months later but at the time my mom was dieing my sisters son passed she is an alcohalic and we balieve she is using drugs. She has been diegnosed with depresion and bipoler disorder she is on medication and is seeing a siciatris and counsler and doctor but it is not helping she is starting to take it out on the grandchildren and now we found out she is takeing out on my step dad who has recently had a baby with another woman my mom and him have not been together for about 12 years she says she wants to make that baby her greandchiled she is extreamly abousive bothe verbaly and fisicly well if you can help I would greatly apreceate it her counsler and others that she is seeing are not helping she need more. Thank you very much.

Hi,

I’m sorry to hear about your mother – it sounds like she’s dealing with a lot of life’s most difficult challenges. This makes it more difficult for you, too.

One thing that may help is to call your local abuse hotline or distress line. They may have more information about resources in your area, such as support groups, workshops, or classes about parents with mental health issues. They may also be able to give you specific information about how to help your mom.

I’ve also written a post for my Psychology blog called “Resources for Helping People With Psychological Disorders.” It lists articles about helping someone who is dealing with emotional health issues.

To read that post, just click on my name in blue at the top of this page, then click on "Read Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen's blog" on the right side. Scroll down to “Resources for Helping People With Psychological Disorders” – you’ll also find it in the July, 2009 section on the side panel.

I hope this helps, I wish you all the best with your mother.

Laurie

I am 16 years old. My grandparents are Nazi's. I am Black. My grandparents have had no influence on me. I have recently learned a thing or two through the pseudo science, Black science, and it has done little more than educate me and feed my cynical outlook on the human race. I HATE people. I can't comprehend why it is that people do the things that they do. After "hanging out with friends"(which I do very rarely) I usualy regret saying half of the things I have said. I feel like a whiner for saying all of this but I am curious to see what a persons response might be.

I need answers for my personal disorder(but, i don't think it's critical). I just want to know! I am 24 year old, single and never had a boyfriend. now my question is..Is it fine to be alone? because, i don't like to be with somebody except for my family. i hate socializing, and got bored of city life. I made my own decisions and don't keep insisting of my suggestions, especially in company meetings. I do not follow instructions, i hate to be manipulated. I felt like i'm in a cage, if someone shows me love..it's like a burden. Please help, maybe I have a mental illness but knows how to be normal although i am not normal anymore!?

I think you’re right that you don’t have a serious psychological or personality disorder – but if you’re not happy, then you might want to think about coping with whatever is holding you back. Some people are perfectly happy staying single all their lives, while others aren’t happy that way…but can’t overcome their emotional health issues to connect in a meaningful relationship.

Yes, it’s fine to be alone – unless you want to be in a relationship.

If you do want to be with someone one day, I also suggest figuring out the root of your emotional responses. Why don’t you like socializing? Are you afraid of being loved – were you hurt in the past? Are you worried about not being able to love someone back? A counselor or therapist would be able to help you figure out why you’re struggling with love.

And, I wrote a blog post called “Resources for Emotional Healing” that you might find helpful. It lists links to articles about being mentally healthy. To get to my Psychology blog, just click on my name in blue at the top of this page, then click on "Read Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen's blog" on the right side. Scroll down to “Resources for Emotional Healing” – you’ll also find it in the Sept, 2009 section on the side panel.

Now that I think about it -- you might be more interested in my “Resources for Extroverts and Introverts” article. It sounds like you’re an introvert, and the more you know about introverted personality traits, the happier you’ll be! That post is in the May, 2009 section in the side panel of my Psych blog.

I hope this helps a little!

Best wishes,
Laurie

Hi, I am 21 years old, and have recently stopped going to college. I still have one semester to go but my parents have been pressuring me to graduate so at the end of last semester i told them i had finished. i'm still not finished my degree, but i cant bring myself to tell them. what is wrong with me? and how can i deal with this situation? it would break their hearts if i told them i hadn't finished college, i'm the last of three children, all college graduates. i feel like such a failure. what do i do??

Hi,

There’s nothing wrong with you, my friend! You simply don’t want to disappoint your parents. It’s normal to feel like a failure when you don’t live up to people’s expectations.

The best, healthiest thing to do is to figure out what YOU want out of your life. It’s really difficult to separate your parents’ expectations from how you feel about yourself, but that’s what being a healthy adult is all about.

One of my favorite articles is “Letting Go of Other People’s Expectations” – I suggest you Google. I wrote it for my website, See Jane Soar, and it’s all about giving yourself permission and finding the strength to let go of what other people want, and embrace what YOU want out of life.

By the way, feeling like you should live up to other people’s expectations and being reluctant to disappoint them is NOT a sign of mental illness! As I said, it’s healthy and natural.

Read that article, and tell me what you think either there or here.

And, ‘fess up to your parents. Carrying that burden is worse than facing the moment of truth. It’ll be difficult, but you’ll feel much, much better after you talk to them. Explain why you made the decision you did and what your future plans are. And, remember that this will NOT break their hearts. They may overreact and get emotional – but in the grand scheme of things, not graduating from college is not the end of the world. You’re physically healthy, strong, able-bodied, willing to work at a job (I hope!), mentally and emotionally healthy, and you have plans for your future. Tell all this to your parents.

Good luck and best wishes,

Laurie

I am writing because something happened today that scares me a little. I woke up with a headache (I have migraines several days out of each month) and had my husband take care of the kids (ages 1 and 2) until I got up around 1pm. I took some excedrin which helped my headache, but I couldn't bring myself to do anything. I was hungry, but couldn't make myself get lunch. When the kids woke up from naps I was able to get my husband and interact a little with them, but after an hour I just say on the kitchen floor for a while, then laid down on the floor for about an hour. I had thoughts of what I would rather be doing, but couldn't make myself do them. I wanted to interact with my kids and hubby, but couldn't. The only way I have been able to express my thoughts is to write them down. I was able to eat the dinner my husband prepared. I am concerned because I have never had this happen before. It is like I am trapped in this body that doesn't want to do anything. My husband says he thinks it is mental and has to do with me being concerned about other people's problems. He also thinks I am just unmotivated to do these things. What should I do? Has anyone else had this problem?

I am a bit worried because i have all the signs of mental illness under problems with feelings and two to three in other feilds. I need help what should i do?

To the guest on Nov 3:

I’m sorry that it took me so long to respond – what you experienced sounds frightening! I don’t know what it is, or if your husband is right and you’re “just” dealing with the stress of taking on other people’s problems. Indeed, stress and anxiety can affect our body and mind in powerful ways.

But even if your physical feelings are a result of your mental health, you still need to cope with them! You can’t just ignore the symptoms and chalk it up to stress.

I suggest you make an appointment with your family doctor right away. And, you could read up on depression and anxiety. Symptoms of people who are depressed include fatigue, listlessness, lack of energy, inability to make decisions, inability to get out of bed. It’s not really “lack of motivation” – it’s the result of brain chemicals and hormones that aren’t balanced.

I’m not saying you’re depressed – you need to talk to a doctor to get a real diagnosis. But, I do suggest you read my blog post called “How Do I Get Help for My Depression?” This article applies to ANY type of mental health struggle, not just depression.

To get to my Psychology blog, just click on my name in blue at the top of this page, then click on "Read Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen's blog" on the right side. Scroll down to “How Do I Get Help for My Depression?” – you’ll also find it in the July, 2009 section on the side panel.

I hope it helps, and welcome you to respond either there or here.

Best wishes,
Laurie

To the guest on Nov 5:

I’m sorry to hear that you’re struggling with all the signs of mental illness under the “feelings” category! That’s a difficult place to be. But – you aren’t alone, my friend. We all struggle with our mental and emotional health at some point in our lives. The key to health and healing is to get help as soon as possible!

Since I can’t list links here and I want to give you more information, I wrote a blog post called “I Think I Have a Mental Health Problem – What Do I Do?” There, I list several steps you could take, plus links to helpful articles and websites.

To get to my Psychology blog, just click on my name in blue at the top of this page, then click on "Read Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen's blog" on the right side. Scroll down to ““I Think I Have a Mental Health Problem – What Do I Do?” – you’ll also find it in the Nov, 2009 section on the side panel.

I hope it helps, and welcome you to respond either there or here.

Best wishes,
Laurie

yea my dad probably is bipolar he is incapable of doing the littleist thing for his family and throws huge fits when asked to do something i honestly want him to die im only 13 and i can tell my dad is never going to change he is a drunk peice of dirt and refuses to accept that he has problems he also is completely against working he thinks that would make him look like hes unsuccesful and believes that the internet will make him millions and that he dosent need to work i am honestly going to disown him if he still refuses to get help

this information is very helpful ..though it just makes me think more of myself to be a patient of some psychological disorder..depression runs in my family so i have always thought ill be getting that one day too & that day isnt far.
i feel helpless, hopeless, worthless and lonely almost all the time. i dont take care of myself much (not that i roam around unhygienically) or my home. music just makes me think about old times i had with someone who was very special to me it also makes me make up stories of my life and how it can be turned into a very happy one , now i dont know if its that im tryna be positive or i have some mental illness..im jus worried that i cant deal with my life anymore and that im going along with the flow of life aimlessly.( i had to go through a major traumatic heartbreak last year ...i guess thats where it all starts)
im not perceptive at all. wen im out with my family i roam around the place quietly thinking about the life i want and i dont have. i love my parents and brothers but i dont like hanging with them and i do get really moody wen i cum home from school and let my anger out on them (im 16 in 11th grade) but in school or wwith my close friends im alrite ..i feel myself infact i AM a lil hyper with them...
i try convincing myself to be happy all the time but i feel so insecure and that i need someone special in my life ..
life is easy with my friends ..i just CANT stay home alone..i love going out with my friends and spending time together but for some reason i also feel as if my friends are using me or they will leave me sumtime ..the smallest thing they do can hurt me alot and i keep thinking about that then ..i can be really possessive about them and i want them to be mine forever (not that i dislike it wen they talk to other..im perfectly okay with that)
its hard for me to think positive and i do think about suiciding alot of tyms..i can also get very very aggressive at tyms..
i hope you can help me out with my problem..ill be gratefull.

What is wrong with me? I've been quiet all mt life, have few friends, wish I had more. It's soo hard to talk. (afraid I'll say something wrong, and hate my accent). I am so slow with hands on work and I just don't understand some aspects of life. I recently moved far away, and see more of how lost in life I am. I hate being so quiet, I'd like to be happier in life too. I want to be more 'normal'. (outgoing, spontaneous, etc). What do I need to do??

My boyfriend or x boyfriend has these symptoms. He has asked me to marry him, but then he has so many issues. I have not seen him with a steady job, he is on medication, his lack of hygiene bothers me. I love him and am having a hard time letting him go. I am worried about having a family with him. He has been irresponsible like drinking when he is not suppost to be ... while on medicaiton.

I think my mother has mental illness and i cannot cope with any more, i gave up my job last year which i had held down for over 13 years and was good at my big mistake a job gives you stability and a normal life sorry i sound selfish but i have a strong survival instinct and this is killing me, the constant playing with my mind is making me short tempered and anxious even with my son in this country there is no real social care its all words spouted out by a fat politician no help whatsoever in reality, so what happens to are loved ones ? Do you say well put them in a home and hope for the best if there was just a little help and good advise but, nothing, i give up i have to for my own sanity and my sons.

Hi, I'm an 18 year old lady just trying to feel better. I feel kinda of weird bacause on a daily basis i feel like im sick... not physically it just feels like my stomach is always turning and i feel guilty, and almost everyday i just want to isolate from the rest of the world.. i feel like i just want to be left alone and speek to noone and this makes me feel guilty....i feel like im a horrible person..i have goals in fact i want to be a bioedical engineer, also i love dancing and painting. most of the time i feel like im in a argument with myself whether i should talk to anybody or just ignore them all.. i feel like some days i just want to be dead but then i feel even more guilty because i kno that i should be greatful for my life. just about 2 months ago i couldnt be by myself because it would make me think about past events. then i realized i needed to just face my fears but i never feel better.... what do i do? now i just feel numb.....please someone help!

Hello, am a student.The problem is with my friend's mom. From the past 17 to 18 years she's been complaining of physical illness. They use to consult a doctor but now he has affirmed that she doesn't has any physical illness in fact she never had any. she thinks that she is ill and insists everyone to believe it. Now we don't know how to deal with her. please help.

very good, helped my friend so much thanks :)

my aunt suffering from mental tensions from my uncle... he is behaved very rudely plz send me a solution

I look up hundreds of these websites a day trying to find out what is wrong with me. This obsession comes back to OCD am I right? Ok but there are other things that I think are wrong with me. I have been told not only by these websites but by people that I seem schitzophrenic(Sp?), Depressed or Bi-Polar. Is it possible to have all of these illnesses mixed or does it all boil down to one illness?

Hi, My friend gets angry at pity things. When asked for reason for angry gives out hell lot of reasons. She has all symptoms mentioned in the Bipolar mania list and some of the Depression symptoms like Decreased appetite, Difficulty sleeping, interrupted sleep, sleeping too much and the most annoying one Intrusive thoughts of death or suicide.

Usually she looks ok but whenever she gets angry we can't control her. How to help her? Its pain to see her when she gets angry. We tried taking her to a doctor, but she is more annoyed with the thought that she is mad. How to help her, is there anything we can do without taking to doc. Like mental support or anything, please advice.

I have so many question it is crazy but first let me explain the situation. I am married and would love to be happy but my husband puts the family through hell ok I will give more exponation non stop mood change he can be good and happy and I walk out the room and come back he is mad or sad and it is all the time he blows up about small things like I have called him baby for a year now it a problem he is.stuck on my past before I met him always bringing up people I been with he is scared that someone is coming to get him and people can't just be nice they have a motive behind it he sleeps but when he does he dreams non stop and then is mad at me but the dream sometimes think the dreams are real til he wakes all the way up he sleeps with a knife under a pillow what can you tell me he also says he don't need to see someone he just needs money o and he worries non stop and is sorry for the way he treats me when he gets off his high house o and he will make up a fight Bout something that don't make sense or didn't happen?????????????????

I have so many question it is crazy but first let me explain the situation. I am married and would love to be happy but my husband puts the family through hell ok I will give more exponation non stop mood change he can be good and happy and I walk out the room and come back he is mad or sad and it is all the time he blows up about small things like I have called him baby for a year now it a problem he is.stuck on my past before I met him always bringing up people I been with he is scared that someone is coming to get him and people can't just be nice they have a motive behind it he sleeps but when he does he dreams non stop and then is mad at me but the dream sometimes think the dreams are real til he wakes all the way up he sleeps with a knife under a pillow what can you tell me he also says he don't need to see someone he just needs money o and he worries non stop and is sorry for the way he treats me when he gets off his high house o and he will make up a fight Bout something that don't make sense or didn't happen?????????????????

i tried to identify each sentence with my normal behavior and personality, and from all six main topics i could relate to 17 of those points. i think i need to see an actual psychologist . and i have thought of suicide, i am just too scared of the pain.

hi. ive read some of the above comments and i was most glad that u responded. im a 17 year old teenager too and i think im coming up on a psychological illness. the thing is, i cant see a counsler nor see a doctor cuz they are not very available where i am, so im really glad i found this website. maybe u can help me. recently, ive been having to stress in my life, like i can barely find 5 mins to change my clothes and relax.... i come home from school practically dead, i got tests every single day (my school is trying a new system), i got to help around the house, i used to have a job (i wanted to make my own allowance so i can depend on myself and let load off my parents, after all, they already are providing me with food and shelter for me to survive) but i quit it to reduce stress, and frankly, its not working. i feel like im breaking down mentaly or psychologically. i feel like my mind has so much to do that its empty suddenly, like everything is drifting in it and i cant read it. most of the time ihave to try harder to remember the simplest things and thats effecting my studying too. i feel that there is nothing inside, like vacume. if i get mad, and i get mad quickly and frequently, after a short while, i forget why im mad and what happened. and its only until i start the timeline in my head until i figure it out. its like i suddenly blank out. recently, i found that warm water on my legs is very relaxing and sitting in the bathroom on the floor in the corner is even more relaxing. im an artist and painter, but recently, my ideas are getting very wierd. like, i use explosive bright colors together and i write with these perky colors depressing phrases; even my teacher thought they were very strange. not much chance with telling this to my family, they are not very supportive. most likely, they'd think its becuz of the amount of homework, but i feel like its something else. plz help me......:S

hi I am 16 years old, im my last year of school. I always feel stressed and I feel as if I can't reach what I want in life. as well as this, I constantly change my mind about what I want to do and constanly lose motivation when I start a new sudy program, saving for my dream vacation or exercising. I feel as if im isolated even though I'm with all of my friends. I easily get frustrated and get bored easily...whats wrong with me?

informative, and it worries me, i know so many that seem that way, or have some of those symptoms. I have been treated for panic attacks and depression, i just started taking female hormones and have found myself much more balanced in my moods, but i have no drive, i have to push myself to do what little i do, i don't get excited about much, not sure if it's because i'm having trouble finding a job after having to take two years off to take care of my parents.I want my drive back, even decided to go back to school until i find a job, is there anything i should look into to help with this lack of lust for life. I know that times are hard, but i've always enjoyed life and that has seem to have left, i really am trying to find things to snap out of it but nothing seems to help me find that joy in life!

I faceThe following disorder. what can i do.
•Can't remember information.
•Processes information slowly, is confused.
•Has to work hard to solve problems.
•Can't think abstractedly.•Has trouble concentrating, is easily distracted
Loss of interest and pleasure in most things.
malikhaill@yahoo.com age 23 male

My duaghter started having problems seeing, hearing. touching her, smelling things, and always nervous that she is being watched by the things she hears and see, but very clean orginzed, still is very fun laughs, but when this is happing she gets scared and unable to deal what do you think she has???

Hi I have a question for you my dad has something going on with him, he does live far from us but we talk on the phone often he has been telling me stories that (all of a sudden he remembers from his childhood) how he was bending metal with his mind, how he was like superman and healing people, making them suffer when they lied ect. it's really hurtful to listen to this. He is such a smart man but something is going wrong. he tends to slir his words when he talks about these things. (he drinks a lot but even when sober hes still slurring)
Can you help me. What am I supposed to tell him. He wants me to believe him he even went as far as telling 3 of his kids Myself and my brothers that we are not his children. ahhhhh this is very hurtful and frustrationg. Where do I go with this.

the article is rather scarey because at one time or another over my lifetime,I have experianced much of what you describe here. I was actually trying to find information. An adult keeps writing a warped story over and over ( 100's of x's) about force feeding a woman and being turned on by that AND draws this really strange scribbling thing with what looks like sharp edges until the paper literally is almost black, ( collecting literally garbage bags full) what is the "name" of this disorder? What the heck is going on?

i am 14 years old, my mom made me go to counsling about a year ago for depression, she thinks the problem is gone now, but it has gotten 100% worse, i used to just think about suicide, but now i talk to myself more than usual, have arguments with myself, rarely eat or sleep (i get about 3 hours a day), i have to fight myself not to pill-pop, and i have been burning and cutting myself. i have disturbing dreams where i die then watch my parents cry thinking it was thier fault and get mad a myself for socializing. it has been getting worse and worse and i don't know what to do, there is no one that i can talk to

Please help me, my husbsnd is displaying aggressive abnormal behavior.He does not have any friends at work and he is abusive to me and the children including extreme aggression and displays of anger in public. He shouts at friends and family including our small children in our faces, this is very frightening. What should i do, ????

hi my name is drew i excel in sports and school and am very popular but for some reason i have no drive to get a gf or hang out socially with anybody and i constantly feel angry when im around people i also have strange bouts of spasms (tics i think they call em) and i am very goofy at school and laugh at everything. i also dont have much of any emotion or sympathy like other people do i also have problems repeating what other people say and rambling on and on about things that dont make sense

oh and this is drew again and i also dont care about my hygiene as much as other people and i am extremely mentally strong and i enjoy being solitairy the only reason im on this is because my parents think something is wrong with me because i dont hang out with firends

I always care so much about minor problems, and I keep thing that I could have changed what I did in the past. I am nervous when encountering with the strangers. I don't know why. Also, I feel like everyone is laughing at me all the time when I did something wrong. Sometimes, I want to die....what is happening to me?

In 2003, I was a 165 lb college student. Today, I'm a 330 lb layabout, with no job, no friends and no hope. I can't get medications or therapy, as I have no money and no insurance. According to one of George Carlin's routines, a guy like me should just kill himself. And in a way, I guess I am. Slow death by overeating and inactivity. I'm not a functioning member of society and I don't know what I can do as a first or second step in trying to have some sort of life.
Problems:
* Noise bothers me
-- At home, if people are talking, watching television, or opening/closing doors, I get jumpy, irritated and angry. My blood pressure goes up and I have to leave the house.
* Afraid of germs
-- I use my shirt to open doors. I may leave a room if someone sneezes.
* Obsessive compulsive
-- Among other things, I often have to stop what I'm doing and name the objects in the room around me.
* Depression
-- I'm unkempt and overweight. I wear a pair of basketball shorts all year round, even though they're split in the back. My living space is a garbage dump. And yet there are times when I feel good about myself and my future. But these moments are very brief. On the flip side, there are times when I'm so distraught, I wish I were never born. These two extremes often manifest themselves at night when I'm about to sleep.
* Social Awkwardness
* Inability to maintain a job because of severe emotional swings
I've had maybe four or five jobs, all of which I quit on the 2nd or 3rd day. I just get so down I can't bring myself to go to work. After getting a job at a supermarket, I went in the next day, handed my boss my work shirt and while bawling my eyes out, apologized for having to quit.
* Quick to anger
-- I've had two concussions and blacked out both times. I go from calm to rage very fast, usually over small things. And I return to calm almost as quickly. This got me into some trouble with the law, as I got into a fight and was taken to court. I've always been a bit depressed and a bit OCD but maybe these injuries exacerbated my problems.
* My sleeping habits are always changing.
-- One week I'm up during the day like everyone else. But I go to bed later and later, wake up later and later, and before long I'm waking up at 6pm and staying up all night.
* Very low self worth, no confidence and a lot of guilt
-- As a kid, I lived with a dad that would always question my decisions. If asked where we should eat, upon offering up an option, he'd say, "Oh, well, I would have chosen this other place but okay." I'd say, "Okay, let's go there then, where you want to go." Of course, we'd go where I picked but I'd feel bad about it. I was raised on guilt, whether it was money, breaking something, what have you. I was often asked, "What are you doing?!" "What were you thinking?!" I would run away from home sometimes but never go far. One night I walked up to my dad, handed him a knife and told him to put it in me. He brought me to my mom and said, "Here. Watch this kid. I'm going to bed."
* Chain-smoker
-- At college, I made a few friends at the beginning but because I became depressed and no fun to be around, everyone disappeared. I had a bit of a mental breakdown, when in a bathroom stall, I flipped out because the toilet paper kept tearing in the smallest of pieces. I was lonely and unhappy, and so I resorted to stuffing my face and smoking cigarettes. My apartment had a little balcony and I would sit out there chain-smoking, never cleaning up the butts. It got to a point where the entire floor was covered in cigarettes.
* Negative environment
-- I live at home with my parents and brother. My mom is dying from stage IV breast cancer. My dad is always miserable and complaining. My brother is angry and bitter. He, too, is unemployed. I'm not sure if it means anything as far as family history but my uncle was unemployed and living with his mother until she died. He now cleans office buildings.
* Propsects
-- I couldn't get a job even if I could keep one because I have no work experience. And now several years removed from college, the resume just doesn't look right.
-- I have no friends. When I became depressed, slowly they all disappeared. I guess no one wants to hang out with someone who is a downer. My one remaining friend killed himself last February. I didn't know it but I found out he was schizophrenic.
-- I'm not a religious person and that presents its own issues regarding life's purpose, my purpose and the point of this or that.
I'm just not sure what to do. I know that if I don't change, I'll die from either lung cancer or a heart attack.

my husband is good but there are days when he is so stressed at work that he comes home irritable and one wrong word to him makes him so mad at me that he screams and hurts me infront of my kids. im just so tired of him and i think theres something wrong with him. he can be so furious and then the next minute he is ok. he is also very emphatic. He does not care if the neighbors hear but he is so scandalous. you think he is bipolar? he is a bit slow in analyzing and he is overly hyper. do i bring him to a psychiatrist?

guest on march 7th... your husband sounds like my father. he would come unhinged in a split second. i gotta say it shaped me poorly as a young guy. only you know what is best, but you have to think about what your kids are going through.
for me... it really hurt.
I want so bad to be liked and have friends, but i end up looking for fights and ruining evenings. and i shudder the next day at the realization that I am my dad. it sucks.

i'd like to write something to ask for help here, but it sounds like u all can describe how you r feeling. i can't. i just know something is wrong. anxiety... drug problem... socially inept... lucky to have a girlfriend but i can see i am scaring her away. have a great paying job, and i am growing more bewildered as to why. i just dont belong, and i dont understand how others get along so well, and i am always left out. i end up forcing myself out to be social but end up offending everyone or starting a fight. i really feel that there cant be anyone else out there that understands what this is like. i would have taken my life long ago but would never hurt my family that way. i was physically abused by my father and sexually abused by my
older brother. i always told myself those things would make me stronger, but now i can see i never really had a chance.

Great article, I have not left the house for two years, I talk about past events as though they are brand new, like my ex who left me a year ago I'm convinved he will come back, I cry everyday, when I see friends I feel as though everything is going slow motion, the way I talk, but I read my bible often and throuugh my weakness God shows his strength. I am always suicidle buI feel as though things are so bad emotionally that I can't escape Everytime I'm about to kill myself God blesses me and keeps me from doing it. Praise God :)

My daughter is only 14 years old turning 15 in a month, all her life she's had trouble, she has ADD and like her father she's bi polor, her dad was hard on her up until he died in 2007 (She loves him, he wasn't a bad father just pushed her to get good grades and be a better person then he was). Ever since then it's been like a downward spiral for her. She refuses to talk to her grandpa (her dad's father) becouse she blames him for raising him wrongly and treating his kids like dirt becouse they had knee problems. Her dad was supposed to be going to jail for 5 years but killed himself and when I told her it's been nothing but hell with her. She hates the world and the people in it, she's had trouble at school with her grades and truancy, she's grown distant with her best friends and constantly tries to convince me to pull he out of school, she hates being around people. she's a smart girl, she's kind and caring and has her moments she understands she has to put up with people in her life but says she'll take the road with the least people. She says people are idiots, they're easy to read and they believe anything. More then once she's managed to manipulate her counselor into believing nothing's wrong with her, and she refuses to walk into a church. I understand people can have they're own beliefs but she hates god she trashes him whenever she gets the chance. She's always been a writer, idea's filling her head and pouring out onto paper but latly she's given up. I wish she would finish one of her stories, just to show me she's still her. I'm afraid of how she acts, I'm afraid of her.

Thank you for your sage advice. I am also dealing with an 18 year old son who has severe mood swings, and says the most odd things.. I think he needs help and i have talked to him about it, there are times when he is willing or says he is willing to get help but the next day he will completely be against it. Its getting harder to deal with him, he has outbursts of anger and will punch walls. He tells me he has no friends and doesnt like to be in a crowd. He can be sweet at times and other times very aggitated. I want to get him help but how can i force someone to get help? I am at my wits end, any advice?

Do I really have mental illness?
I'm homeschooled, therefore anti-social, I've come to notice i'm socially awkward around people.
I don't care what happen to me really, example: in a situation that something is going to get me a boost of adrenaline and a heap of trouble I say ' Ehh what do I have to loose' and i do it, 'care-free'? I'm easily distracted by anything that catches my eye, I never finish things I start. I daydream way to much, I cant never stay in one topic, I change it constantly, and sometimes don't even know what I'm talking about or I catch myself doing something I didn't even know i was doing? BASICALLY said , everything that was said above fit's my description, I'm a 16 year old female, do i have an illness, disorder, something? Or is it just natural teenage hormones?

i think that alot of it is very interesting and somewhat useful a lot of the symptoms describes me,my daughter,my son, and my sister. she has no friends at all,but me i have to be somewhat outgoing,but i wasnt always like that but im also on medication. my daughter and my son has always been extremely outgoing.my daughter though had alot of mania at school and still does,but now she is not allowed to be with many family members or friends she has her ged classes at home in a stupid book instead of being around other kids

Hi my name is Laurie as well i am suffering with remembering thingsand concentrating really bad along with bursts of anger and it takes me awhile to cool off. I pretty much struggle to do daily things like housework and so on i tire very easily and sleep alot one day i slept for 22 hours, sometimes i hear things at night before falling asleep but i hear that part is normal? I often imagine things like my death and my funeral as well. I have days were im very happy and days when im really irritiable i hate living like this i always thaught it was normal but i watched a movie about a lady having a breakdown and i often feel like that myself i just feel like everything is too much and i need to escape and go away from everybody and everything. Do you think i should seek help? and if so what kind? and if im suffering from anything besides my own mind then what does this sound like to you?

I clicked on this cause noone can seem to tell me if there is a Personality Emulater Disorder, when I'm around people of similar personality or watch a really good movie, I have to fight myself to avoid Emulating the Primary or Alpha personality of the situation. What makes it worse is I already suffer from Depression, Schitzophrenia, mild BiPolar, and tremmors. the meds only ease these as they've become too strong. Yet SSI wond deem me disabled.

The way I see it is its a beautiful, wonderful , tough ol' world out there and if someone pays you a compliment thats pleasing to you it makes you smile! However if someone smacks you in the face, its bound to hurt! So why is it so hard to understand that if something happens to somebody that impacts hugely and negatively on their life that its bound to hurt their well being and their emotions therefor hurting their perception on life! If you buy a new car, it might be the best car ever designed but if you drive it up and down the country, day in day out and take it on mad rally's and you never pay attention to its maintenance because your too busy running it in to the ground, what do you expect? Its only a matter of time before the car is on the knackers yard being sold for scrap metal! Our Brains are the same as the car! Everything that happens in our lives impacts Big or Small on our emotions! Also everybody is different! Depending on what any person has percieved the world to be and expect from us so far depends on what things makes us upset or not! So, Tweedle dum could fall apart because he has witnessed a violent event where as tweedle dee only needs to see somebody step accidently on an ant on the pavement before they are boo hooing! For most of us, its the usuall things that gets to our emotions and we stack up like family issues, stresses of work, pressures of high expectations and fear of failure etc... I belive that events happen in our lives and they can ware us down! simple as that! After so many negative events have occured (as we individually percieve negative events that is) and impacted us, its only a matter of time before the bruises begin to show! If you keep adding more wine to the wine glass, its only a matter of time before it over-flows!! Some people have larger glasses than others thats all! Some people are percieved to have mental illness for no reason! I think this is rubbish! There's always a reason! Maybe the person cannot quite remember because whatever has affected them happened when they were an infant! or maybe they are just in plain old denial about the cause of their illness! and maybe its a physical fault of the senses!
On a deeper level, People impact on other peoples lives all day, every day, they just do not realise they are doing so. It doesnt have to be something direct to a specific person! Like calling them a "Big Fat waster" or taking a dump on their front lawn! It could be that you have pulled out in front of another car unexpectedly this a.m. on your way to work, causing the other driver to have his/her heart in their throat, causing them a degree of stress, causing them maybe to even feel angry, this person may get over it quickly and go on in their happy life forgetting all about it but others may experience the knock on effect! If something else negative happens soon after its just the glass filling up, then up a little bit more, then something else happens and it fills up some more and then if all comes flooding over the top! and without knowing it you have sent the ball rolling for someone having a really sh**ty day!! Their bad mood, impacts on the people they come in to contact with, them people them impact on other people and it goes on an on, like a shock wave!
I am not surprised to see a young lady below at only 12 saying she feels her life is over because she feels neglected and unloved! How do you expect a child to percieve a parent/s (for whatever reason) not being their to protect them and love them and being left in the hands of (caring in most cases) various many people who only work shifts around them!?? I hope she realises that by surviving and pulling herself through this she can become as an adult,the creator of her own future and make it as happy and love filled as she wants it be! Sometimes we do not have mental illness! Sometimes we are just reacting to the slap in the face we have recieved!!! or dealing with the aftermath of the destruction on our lives caused by other people! Another example its easy to justify or be ignorant that you have created a huge impact on someone elses life, like sacking a person from their job because they "dont fit in with your team" because you do not have to deal with the after effects or pick the peices up for that person! There is millions of examples I could think of, of how people affect the mental well being of others on a daily basis! I wish we would all reallise that if we read the symptoms of mental illness and were totally honest with ourselves then we could all be "mentally ill" the people who do not have any signs of mental illness at all are obviously perfect and wonderful! and fine! Hey isnt that being grandiose about your abilities....

Well, i have 21 of these signs,,, what to do what to do. Do i need help?

friend has been married for 10 years, stated she wanted to commit suicide, suddenly started an intimate relationship with same sex, thoughts/discussions are disconnected, has made up many stories about her family's financial conditions, blames husband for being a bad person, verbally abusive, sleeps with cell phone in her hand, sleeps with same rarely washed comforter, takes comforter with her everywhere she goes when she sleeps outside her home. Husband struggling to figure out if wife is mentally ill or abusing drugs. Is there any way to tell ?

hi please help i ave no idea what has happened to me i have suffered from extreme anxiety over the year and now i have come to a point where the slights wrong thing worry s me to the extent where all i want to do is go to sleep as thats the onkl way of forgetting my problems then i started hallucinating what i hallucinated were things that i expected to be there and even now i feel as though my mind fills gaps like seeing my shadow on the wall for a split second but now it seems to get worse i fear i may be hallucinating things which are in the back of my mind i am also a hyperchondriact so i read up about scizophrenia and i feel as though the more i read about it the worse my problems become i feel as though i am purpsfuly making these things up its like i read paranoid scizophrenic people have thoughts about how cia are watching them and now i have these thoughst although i dont believe it they keep coming up i know if i hadnt read about it i would not have had these thoughts does this mean i am scizophrenic

Hi. Ayesha here..i am of 19yrz..i am too much tense and feel myself mentally disturbed patient..i feel that nobody is with me even my parents they love my siblings more then me and my siblings also make me feel like that i feel myself vry alone. I have no friend and this thing also irritates me. I am too much sensitive. And my anger is increasing day by day i can't control myself. Every time taunts, fights with me in home made me patient. I am doing MBBS but instead of becoming doctor i am becoming patient. I want to handle all this situation but i can't. Mostly i thought about suicide. Death seems to be more easy then this life. I don't know what should i do and what happens to me. Is it a depression or some other disease? I feel myself a mentally ill patient.. Kindly help me..otherwise i ll do something wrong because i am sick of this situation...

People, you do realize that the DSM had classified being a homosexual as a mental disorder? It has since been pulled from the manual. Analyse your problems and figure out what causes them because it's not the first time the DSM has been wrong. I doubt this will be published, but God bless you all.

Depressing and silly. We are not all perfect robots, we are all better or worse at different things. You can get depressed for a short time and get over it, that makes you no better or worse than someone who gets a cold. I don't know anybody without some of these problems and most people get help from their friends, partners and families. Oh if we all did this too much you wouldn't get paid!

I do not believe that I am mentally unstable but ... I have questions about the thoughts I have and actions I have taken. First off I believe that God is a myth or fabrication because no one could be that kind and cruel at the same time. I believe that there are other beings in the universe and they visit our little planet and we are basically a science experiment. I have feelings or thoughts that the human race can cure ourselves of all mental and physical disease by using our mind. I have no faith in human kind as a whole because we are all petty and superficial. I do not trust anyone for any reason because of the preceding sentence. I wish I had super powers. I want to be a hero and save the world. I have thoughts of suicide but realize how stupid it would be ti kill myself. I have the ability to turn off emotions and feel no remorse. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to kill people and get away with it. I masturbate frequently because I think of sex constantly. Sometimes I just do not care about others, what they feel or if something bad happens to them. I feel that if I get depressed that I am a weak person. I have no problem shutting people out of my life. I get upset at the fact that people want change in our country (the US) but only talk and do nothing about it.
There is a long list but that is just an overview....

I have had depression and anxiety before, and on a few occasions its brought me to suicidal thoughts. I have the feeling its slowly creeping back up on me and im so terrified, i feel so alone. i just want to be normal like everyone else.

I'm having a difficult time figuring out how to research symptoms for my friend's mother. They are without insurance and have no source of media, so I informed my friend I would do the research for them.

45-year-old mother, married young to an older man. He just passed away two years ago of a heart condition, and after his death, my friend's mother lost her marbles. She's in no way dangerous to others because she's sweeter than candy, but she does compulsively cook and occassionally pulls stunts, like seeing how long she can leave her hand on a pot of boiling water before she pulls away. Recently, I was visiting my friend while her mother was cooking (again), and we heard a crash in the kitchen. She had been handling a fragile bowl made of glass and squeezed the bowl until it shattered in her hands. It was really frightening - she cut her arms up pretty badly. Other than those acts of self-harm, her only noticable symptom is that she seems to be really distant when others are addressing her. I said hi to her once and we have known each other a long time, but it took her a good thirty seconds to identify me as me and return the hello.

Any provided help is immensely appreciated.

I was divorced from my wife of 20 years 4 years ago. Because of there being minor children, two wonderful daughters, we both had to see a phsycologest 20 times (court ordered). We also took the written test. I came back fine-no issues, she came back with major problems telling the truth, refusal to acept responsobility for anything that she feels has gone wrong, has control 'issues', frequent anger outbursts, constant extream high energy that she can't control. She takes no drugs. She is rarely home. She has stolen Xmas presents I ordered for my daughters out of my mailbox-said she wanted to 'look over them first' preventing them from ariving in time for Xmas, Told others that I failed to pick up my girls for Xmas dinner-when in fact she insisted in writting that she deliver them to my sisters. When confronted she stated "that's all water under the bridge." The doctor caught her trying to fake photos claiming I was a drunk. Now she screams at both daughters for everything including not calling her, when she had taken away their phones that I bought them. She forced my youngest to take 4 honors classes in High School, and complains she is not doing well enough. She put a key logger on the computer, goes through their drawers,limited their computer time automaticly with a timer so they can't compleet their homework. Both girls spend as little time as they can with her and her new husband. My youngest actually asked if she can punch her. This is not healthy. What can I do?

I am concerned for my mother's mental health but also my own. My mother has always been extremely overprotective and overcontrolling, she constantly worries about me to the extent where it just doesn't seem normal, I used to just dismiss the fact that it was abnormal as such but more just caring. I am 16 years old and before I go out with friends my mother seems very tense and worried and asks me a lot of questions, she calls me when she is at work before I go out and always seems quite stressed when I'm going out. She doesn't sleep until I'm home and she even wants to meet me when I come home and it's dark even if it's the bus stop practically next door to my house. She gets very stressed because she always has quite a lot on her plate with work and even at home but she never lets me do anything, she doesn't want me to clean, help her with any housework and when I offer to give her a hand she doesn't let me, I think even though it all stresses her she wants me to keep being the little five year old girl I used to be and because of this I can barely do anything for myself. She has trouble sleeping later than 5am, she will even sometimes get up at 4am to clean. She has been in an unhappy marriage with my father for as long as I can remember, I sometimes wonder if they even like each other at all. She has cried on my shoulder about her marriage and how much she can't be married to my father anymore, they don't manage a day without an argument, but everytime I tell my mother to just get a divorce because it would be easier on both of them and I would prefer that to the living situation...but she refuses to get a divorce so it just seems like the same pointless circle of grief all the time. About a month ago she came home from a night out with friends and yes she was a little drunk but she said something funny that scared me a little bit, she asked me if I'd done anything today and I said no because I couldn't really be bothered arranging and she said; "I'm glad because that means you were home safe." It scared because it doesn't matter if I get older, it doesn't matter because she always going have complete paranoia, everytime I go out she thinks something awful will happen to me and she even says to me when you're out I can't relax. Is that normal?

I better post some of my concerns now. I think living with parents in a very unhappy marriage and living with overprotective parents (my dad is a little overprotective but not to the same extent at all) has made me go a little bit crazy. In some ways I guess I'm a little bit of a hypochondriac but with my mental health I have been getting seriously worried. I hallucinate sometimes, they usually are minor though, like shadows, colours but occasionally I have seen people that aren't there. I have only ever had three auditory hallucinations and they were also minor. I am a paranoid person especially in high school, always worried if people are talking about me and laughing about me, it was pretty bad a while ago to the extent where'd I'd sit and shake with fear that people were doing this and I used to be terrified that people could read my mind and that people were always watching everything I was doing and I always have an obsession with my horoscope in which I believe everything it says about me. Sometimes I'd be talking about things I believed and it was all a bit odd and weird my theories and all and I don't think people always "get me". I dunno I used to think I was perhaps a paranoid schizophrenic but it doesn't seem very likely because my symptoms aren't all that severe. I don't really know what's wrong with me, sometimes I'm just scared that one day everyone will leave me and I'll be on my own and as an only child I do feel alone a lot. It's torture. I always really empty, sometime I'll sit in my room and I won't feel anything and I don't understand, how can anyone not have any feelings? I often feel really spaced out (I don't take drugs at all) and I daydream a lot but I've always been a daydreamer even since I was really young and I've always had difficulty concentrating cause I'm hardly ever here, I'm always in a different world. I have developed some anger issues, never been violent although I'm afraid that if I keep getting angry I will lash out and hurt someone. I get very angry at my parents sometimes and my friends. My friends are amazing they really are but sometimes they really make me feel worthless, they say things to me, hurtful things but because they say it jokingly I feel like I can't say anything back and sometimes when all this happens I feel like I'm going to have an anger burst, like I'm going get so angry that I'll do something really bad, I dunno. One minute I love one of my friends and the next I resent them, I don't think it's them that's to blame, I think it's me, I'm either not sensitive enough or too sensitive. I can often be quite inappropriate with the things I say and I can be really insensitive without even realising it. I can be really wreckless, I'll do really stupid and dangerous things and I think it's all to just to prove to myself that I can be like this despite the influence of my overprotective parents. I also love getting drunk which I don't think is normal, when I go to a party I'm more excited of how paralytic I'm going to get than anything else, I don't have a drink problem, I just like doing that to escape everything I guess. I have also started smoking but I only smoke at parties and that is something I told myself I'd never do, I think I only do it because I find being reckless and stupid an escape from everything. I have self harmed and I think about suicide a lot even though I would never do it.

Any ideas about what might be wrong with me and my mother? thanks.

my mother thrives on negative attention...she's always "sick" and if someone in the family is either ill or about to have a medical procedure done...she automatically comes down with something. Her father has been ill for some time and it seems as though she loves the sympathy others give her. It's like she's a child looking for attention...whether it's negative or not. What is the medical term for this?

My mom is showing signs of mental illnesses, and I feel unsafe around her. She makes up lies and when confronted she swears she never said that and begins to cry, always calls herself the victim, cant sleep at night, asks the most dumbest questions, loses a lot of weight, finds it hard to do simple tasks, does nothing to upkeep the house I do it all and then she will lie and say shes tired cause she been cleaning all day...shes always saying weird things like "If i die everything will be better..." I am really worried for myself and my younger brother. I am 18 and my younger brother does as he pleases and doesn't see the problem because he spends alot of time out the house..what should i do?

hey um i dont whats up with me but ive been feeling down a little suicidal however im my heart i know i dont want to die um i think maybe somthing is up with my brain cuz ive been having these wierd head sensations um somtimes i feel suicidal a little then ill be ok after its wierd but i want it to stop anybody ever go what im going through right now im freaked out

I am a newly qualified prmiary school teacher and currently teach a year 6 class. I sometimes find everything very difficult because of my mind. Im scared most of the time and my partner has to walk on egg shells because neither of us know when i am going to change. It is almost like there is another me living inside me who's sole aim in life is self destruction. When my mood changes i think about hurting myself (i have hurt myself very badly in the past) i shout, i scream, i am particularly verbally violent... Im scared to live in my own body. I have very poor concentration and when i was younger have been diagnosed with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD and obssesive compulsive dissorder but none of these explain my violent mood swings.

Although in my head I am quite ill that doesnt mean life is bad. When i was 16 I used to self harm very badly and have suicidal thoughts. I trully believed that my life would never amount to anything, however with a bit of determination (and no help from anyone i might add) I have managed to get 11 GCSE's, 5 Alevels and a 2:1 degree in primary education and as i said before, now i am a full time year 6 teacher at a prestidgeous school! I have a wonderful (and unbelievably understanding) fiance and a wonderfull apartment, 2 rats and a snake.

To those of you who think that 'now is the time to die' just think how much more of your life there is to come and how much better it can get... to have that beautiful rainbow you have got to put up with the storms. I know that to have my job, my fiance, my house and my wonderful family i just have to put up with the Dyslexia, the Dyspraxia, the ADHA, the OCD and whatever other problems lurk in my head. To have the good, you just gotta make it through the bad...

Hello, I dont know if anyone can suggest anything, but i feel so lost at times. I can feel so happy when my partner and I are out and then if he wants to go somewhere and I say i dont fancy it, i feel guilty. even though he doesn't really say anything to make me feel sad, i still find myself frustrated with myself and then i get upset because we disagreed and I feel so worthless as though i've ruined the night. Sounds pathetic but on most occasions the arguements are due to my neurotic behaviour and i cant snap myself out of the sadness. I really do feel like a loser.

Dears, my brother suffers from two things; 1. He doesn't want to take bath and he says he get suffocated when he puts water on his head. He remains unclean. 2. He says that everyone outside the house is scolding him (hearing voices). Could anyone let me know what is happening to him mentally ? Thanks in advance.

My grandmother I think is mentally ill, because she constantly argues around the house - finds the chores overwhelming, etc. 4 days ago she came down stairs with a pale, distressed face and was looking into outer space, my grandfather asked her "are you ok" - she replied "i would tell you if i was ok" and sat down (it is very unusual that she comes down stairs and watches t.v. with us) anyway i just wanted to know if she was mentally ill?

I feel depressed just reading these comments. I have an idea for EVERY one on this comment board, please read the New King James bible - it helps me when I go through things like that... there is hope for each and every one of us :-)

WE are not created to think or be this way- please!! read your bible!! trust me, it helps :-)

I don't know what to do anymore. It is very hard to live with my husband. He sleeps all the time, at least that is what I see. He says he cannot sleep, he wakes up all the time, and never has enough sleep. He forgets, as what I have seen as on purpose, things he needs to do, such as household stuff, paying bills, going to doctors appointments. He sets out to accomplish things but never does, always waiting for tomorrow, or forgetting when tomorrow has come.He has a few friends but due to their work schedules can never hang out. He is irritable and angry at me for asking him to help around the house, this makes me mad because I do everything when I ask it is because I am near break down and I need a break. He doesn't eat well, will choose chips and junk over cooking for himself. He can keep care of his looks but puts it off until he smells or is really greasy. I have asked him if he thinks he is okay and he says he likes the way he is. I want to support this but when the way he is is so disruptive to our families well being then what? I ask if he can seek help, just to prove he is okay. He went for sleep aid, he is considered to have mild sleep apnea, but he will not go back for the help he needs there. I think there is something else going on. I cannot force him to get help and I am in no position to leave him. I do not know what to do because my quality of life is very pressured and stressful because of the way he is. I am fighting my own stuff, depression at times, because I am responsible for everything and I can get overwhelmed. I used to think it was just me but how can I ignore all of these signs? How do I get him to at least inquire for some sort of help? If he is happy the way he is then why should I bother?

Lately I have been unable to concentrate on anything, I can't study or do homework, I used to be able to put in 100% but now I can't, I can not explain it I just can not to do the set tasks no matter how many times I sit myself down and force myself to do the work, I feel upset, sad, hopeless and worthless all the time, I force myself to snap out of it but I do not get further than a day all the feelings just keep coming back to the point where I'm fighting it on a day to day basis, I always feel sad for no reason and I do not have any hobbies or like to do anything anymore I lost my love for many things that once made me happy, I feel so hopeless, what is wrong with me?

i dont take care of my appearance or cleanliness and im not mentally ill. im just lazy at the moment because im dealing with a hard pregnancy and plus i could care less about what others think. ill take a shower and comb my hair when i feel like it.

iam a 20 year old boy, i don't know what was happening at me some i feel very sad, happy, anger without any reason. when i see a building i first think to jump frm that building, when i saw a blade i first cut my body part with it , i want to give pain to my body i dont know why i think so.......... i totaly lost my control plz help me how to recover from it plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz