mental illness in the poly community

[Minxxa]

Yeah, we just saw a film on that in my psychopharmacology class a few months ago. While bipolar is actually kind of rare to see in children, many kids are being diagnosed with it and plied with all kinds of antipsychotics-- most of which have NEVER been tested or approved for use with children as they don't know what they do to the developing brain. Some can develop permanent tics like head tilts that never go away even after stopping the drugs.

ADHD can mimic a lot of other stuff. But frankly I'm seeing a lot of overdiagnosis. Hubs most likely is ADHD and his daughter is as well and is on meds (she doesn't live with us yet). My feeling is that meds MIGHT be needed but more likely her behavioral issues are due to her living situtation which is less than optimal. We'll see when she moves down what we're going to do.. but therapy for her and us as a family will be #1 on the list.

[BlackUnicorn]

Hmm.

I have a working diagnosis on Generalized Anxiety Disorder. My doctor never as a matter of principle diagnoses anyone under 27 with anything, but only has a working hypothesis until then (he claims the brain is not fully mature before then, and all sorts of developmental phenomena can be wrongly ascribed to a pathological condition). He is specialized in neuropharmacology and treatment of scizophrenia, and has a very standardized, for the lack of better word (scientific? empirical? experimental?) approach to psychiatry. Basically, he gives a prescription, and if it works, one working hypotheses gathers more support over others. He also treats Flattie.

Thus my Flattie is currently diagnosed with bipolar, since meds for regular depression just made her worse and stabilizers have changed her (our) life entirely. She is the other arm of a platonic vee.

Vanilla's had close to a dozen different diagnosis, and she's just twenty. She's suffered from major depression throughout her youth, but is now off all anti-depression meds and doing great ! We talked about how it would be really weird to have a partner with no experience of mental disorder ever. As if dating someone from another culture, with a different set of defining life experiences entirely.

I'm involved with rainbow Christianity and there's definitely a large incidence of mental disorder, mostly depression, self-harm and suicide attempts, among the crowd who frequents those events. Some people have participated in "healing ministries" for decades, all the while married monogamously to fellow believers of the opposite sex.

So yes, I think there's definitely a common link between unipolar depression and marginalized identities.

[MonoVCPHG]

I see a disproportionate number of people on disability it seems. But maybe I just look for it more because the community is so small.

[vodkafan]

I think there is definitely something in this question, thanks to the original poster. I came to the conclusion some time ago that my wife may well be a sufferer of Borderline Personality Disorder. I believe she always was but her symptoms and behaviours got worse as she got older.
That was the major difference between her idea of "poly" and that on here; she didn't feel constrained by any rules or guidelines or respect for any other individuals involved. And once unleashed, her own jealousies knew no bounds.

[BlackUnicorn]

Personality disorders are such tricky things because they are basically just fairly common traits many people possess to a degree on a dysfunctional over-drive. I feel faintly guilty whenever I catch myself thinking that somebody is behaving narcistically. "Oh Blackie, just because you don't like someone doesn't mean they are narcists!". I try to tell myself that there is a difference between having narcistic tendenciens in one's personality and being a full-blown narcist. On the other hand, if I ever manage to encounter a full-blown real life narcist again, I want to be running in the other direction as fast as I can! So I can't help but to be on my toes a little, and there's something about non-monogamy that seems to attract a lot of people with ego issues .

[opalescent]

If someone gives me the heebie jeebies, then their potential or actual diagnosis doesn't matter. I'm running away fast!