Semantics of mental illness

[median]

Mmm, I can't seem to be in two minds on this one (in v. poor taste, sorry) :-\

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6033013.stm

Seems to go back to the old debate of how language defines thought ???

[Dr B]

psychiatry is famous for shifting definitions....apologies to the psychiatrists out there :-[

[seren]

Arrgh!


Campaign to Abolish the Schizophrenia Label (Castle)

Where's the T? That's not CASTLE at all, is it? It's CASL. I'm now irritated and grumpy.


Ok, I can understand the idea of scrapping schizophrenia as a catch-all term for a range of symptoms- that's potentially harmful. But it's perjorative status is based on our fear of mental health difficulties and of mental health service users. That won't change by changing the name. We went from moron to mongoloid to handicapped to Special Needs and each became offensive in their turn. As long as the impairment itself is a stigma, the words used to describe it will be used as insults. Our attitudes shape the usage, and therefore meaning, of the words, not the other way around.

My understanding (working in the disability field but far from an expert) is that it's pretty hard to "label" mental health difficulties because it's a spectrum rather than a "condition" as such. Lots and lots of people experience paranoid thoughts (see Charlie Brooker's excellent Supposing....column on "the face at the window" on the Guardian's Comment is Free. Then read the comments!), totally random superstitions, do irrational things or feel low or unable to cope at times, whilst being considered completely sane. There isn't a "word" for that, it's just our mental health at the time.

[Nicky]

I work as an employment advisor specifically with people with mental illness .. I've worked with people in the past who have a diagnosis of schizophrenia and had to tackle the issue of disclosure ... The term schizophrenia unfortunately attracted negative connotations, largely resulting from poor and inaccurate media portrayal and the sensationalising of misdemeanours involving those with a mental health diagnosis. I always allow my client to decide how, when and if to disclose, but quite often they choose to talk about their illness in terms of symptoms rather than as a label. E.g. "Occasoinally I feel anxious and paranoid", rather than "I'm a schizophrenic". Talking about their symptoms rather than giving themself a label is often very beneficial as psychologically it makes them feel that they can overcome, work through or live with their symptoms and exhibition of their mental health, without being weighed down by an unhelpful and often inaccurate catch-all label.

[kath23]

I work as an employment advisor specifically with people with mental illness .. I've worked with people in the past who have a diagnosis of schizophrenia and had to tackle the issue of disclosure ...


Well I have a label of bipolar disorder and if I put it on the application form it would rarely help me get a job interview lol.

But hopefully with the council and other politically correct companies, they will soon have a quota of 'mentalists' they need to employ and it will count in people's favour.

The article says schizophrenics are stigmatised as having an 'inability to recover, constant illness, constant need for medication and an inability to work.'

The only good thing about that is they'd probably find it easier to get Disability Living Allowance, a benefit that many with mental health problems are entitled to but rarely receive.

Schizophrenia has for a while been known to not be a very useful term.

I knew someone in hospital who got herself diagnosed schizophrenic and I told her she was not, she just had depression and anxiety. She rang me a year later and told me I was right and they were wrong. :) She just had a bloke stalking her at the time and stuff so was understandably 'paranoid.'

Because this lady's mum had schizophrenia she had convinced herself that she did too. Shrinks go a lot on family history, I wonder how many people have been given this label because of this.

Love
Kath

[Jocky]

Well I have a label of bipolar disorder and if I put it on the application form it would rarely help me get a job interview lol.

Hi Kath,

My sister bears that label too, a recent diagnosis after she suffered over 25 years of intermittent problems. As you say, it seems to cut both ways.

On one hand, it's useful for obtaining appropriate treatment, and it's also helped by providing her with explanations for phases of unpredictable behaviour which have caused her great difficulty in the past. OTOH, it's not a label you want to be bandied about too publicly, or people (especially employers) who don't know you will give you a wide berth.

Hope it's working out for you as well as it is (at present) for her O0

Best,

Jocky

[kath23]

On one hand, it's useful for obtaining appropriate treatment, and it's also helped by providing her with explanations for phases of unpredictable behaviour which have caused her great difficulty in the past.

Hopefully (I'm in the process of applying for Disability Living Allowance) it is also seen as a more serious mental illness than depression/anxiety so in theory people with bipolar would find it slightly easier to get financial help that could really improve their quality of life.

This benefit is my campaign at the moment lol. Has your sister applied for it, she could be eligible to an extra £200 or more a month, even if she is still able to work. So few people claim it when they are entitled to it. I know it's humbling but worth biting the bullet to supplement a meagre income from benefits or as something to fall back on.

PM me if you would so like, for more info/links etc Jocky :)
Love
Kath

[seren]

Kath,

I'm sure you know it already, but you do have rights. If you feel you are being discriminated against by potential employers because of the label of "mental health difficulties", you can query and question their decisions. Getting the Disability Rights Commission involved, or sometimes just mentioning the Disability Discrimination Act can get decisions reversed remarkably quickly sometimes. It also helps if you know about Access To Work.

I work for a voluntary organisation and one thing we do is provide information and advice to disabled people trying to get into employment on their rights and services available. If we can be of use in any way please let me know.

[median]

Yet another example of mental health semantics.
This time, suicide.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6036695.stm

[Lord Muck oGentry]

Hopefully (I'm in the process of applying for Disability Living Allowance) it is also seen as a more serious mental illness than depression/anxiety so in theory people with bipolar would find it slightly easier to get financial help that could really improve their quality of life.

This benefit is my campaign at the moment lol.


kath23,

I wish you success in your application for DLA.

However, I am a bit worried by your assumption that bipolar disorder's being " a more serious illness than depression/anxiety" makes it more likely that an application for DLA will succeed. The statute law and case law say no such thing.

Have you taken any advice about the application itself, or about your appeal rights if the application is turned down? If not, I urge you to get expert advice either from the welfare rights service of your local authority or from a voluntary agency with some experience in this area.

Regards

[kath23]

[quote=kath23 ]




Hopefully (I'm in the process of applying for Disability Living Allowance) it is also seen as a more serious mental illness than depression/anxiety so in theory people with bipolar would find it slightly easier to get financial help that could really improve their quality of life.

This benefit is my campaign at the moment lol.
[quote]

kath23,

I wish you success in your application for DLA.

However, I am a bit worried by your assumption that bipolar disorder's being " a more serious illness than depression/anxiety"

I said - "perhaps being seen as" I'm under no illusions of how severe depression is.

As to appeal, my understanding is that almost everyone has to appeal. My partner had to when he was two months shy of kidney dialysis :o I think it's a hurdle they make almost everyone jump in an attempt to discourage claimants.

What I meant about bipolar I suppose is that this is categorised by psychiatrists as a lifelong, chronic condition.

Whereas depression /anxiety are seen as conditions that can resolve/lessen. Perhaps where it's harder for them to prove their case is if they see and are 'judged' for incapacity benefit by a DWP doctor- I know people who have failed this random 5-minute judgment extremely unfairly for anxiety.

Because the label is for life and the episodes are characterised as recurrent, I know people with bipolar who have got this benefit for life. Of course the rate may change if they were symptom free for a time.

The problem is winning the appeal (pretty much inevitable) and getting the benefit they're entitled to in the first place. And you're right I shouldn't have said this is easier to do.

I'm under no illusions how evil the process can be, but anything's an improvement to having £80 a week to cover all my utilities, food and other bills for the last 4 years :)

Love
Kath

[Dr B]

Those who are interested may find something from the work of Richard Bentall (I am a fan) on the failings of psychiatry. A refreshing perspective from a psychiatrist and one us psychologists were taught to think about many years ago. The work of Thomas Szasz is harder to follow, but well worth the effort. O0

A lot of it hinges on whether you accept the 'medical model' for explanations of mental illness.

[kath23]

The work of Thomas Szasz is harder to follow, but well worth the effort. O0



I really like Szasz but the works I had read by him such as 'the myth of mental illness' and I think I read one called 'insanity' are a few years old now. One of his arguments was that this chemical imbalance thing was propounded as if it were truth when there's no evidence for it. Hence my other thread as I wasn't sure how much the books were in line with any new scientific findings.

I'd not heard of Bentall but it sounds right up my street :) Which books of his would you most recommend?
Love
Kath

p.s it won't let me modify my post above which seems to have ended up as one big quote :) :o

[Dr B]

Hiya Kath

I would recommend sensory deception (Slade / Bentall) and more recently, Madness Explained (Bentall). In the latter book he talks alot about the stuff I am into (from cog neuro angles) and made alot of the arguments we have been making for some time - he does it very well in my opinion and also opened my eyes to some of the issues that psychiatrists have faced over the years.

I really like his approach and it is a similar one that i adopt to studying hallucination and strange experience. It works for me and as Bentall shows, it works very well for him too. A good read.

Definately worth a read. O0 Let me know how you get on.

[kath23]

Definately worth a read. O0 Let me know how you get on.


Well as I whinged earlier in the thread, ;DI am skint. But at amazon it says he just brought one out about bipolar, so I will save some pennies and buy it. I looked at his webpage, his work is so in line with what I think. Looking at psychosocial help for those with 'severe' mental health problems who would normally just be drugged.

Most excellent!

Thanks for the recommendation,
Love
Kath

[Dr B]

You are more than welcome - glad to help O0