[MD] chariotness

[MarshaV]

On Jan 10, 2011, at 8:57 PM, Carl Thames wrote:

> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "MarshaV" <valkyr at att.net>
> To: <moq_discuss at moqtalk.org>
> Sent: Monday, January 10, 2011 10:11 AM
> Subject: Re: [MD] chariotness
> 
> 
>> 
>> Greetings,
>> 
>> I do not have access to television or cable programming.  I am sorry for the use of the phrase "mental illness".   A metaphysical interest seems a noble pursuit in light of the craziness that is the state of this country.
>> 
>> Marsha
> 
> Don't worry about it.  As a person who has been diagnosed with a mental illness, it doesn't bother me.  Part of the process of getting better involved coming to grips with the existence of the problem.  (Major Depression, plus a couple of personality disorders.)  It's like alcoholism; it don't get better until you realize it's a problem.  In my case, I spent 6 years denying that I had a problem.  It wasn't all that bad until I was diagnosed, then I spent the next two weeks on the couch wishing like mad that I had enough energy to walk into the bathroom to urinate.  The doctors then started me on the anti-depressant roulette, where they try different ones to figure out if any of them are going to help.  The only thing they did for me, other than one brief psychotic episode, (which I KNEW was caused by the meds, so I stopped taking them) was to leave me with an apparently permanent tic in my left eye.  They never elevated my mood, although they did stop them from reaching some of the depths.  Personally, I feel like they took a depressive episode and made it chronic, and there is some validation of that in the literature, but there isn't much I can do about it.
> 
> As for observing the craziness that is the state of this country, you're right.  Debating almost anything philosophical is preferrable to trying to make sense out of Bernake's economic approach.  (Q: Why are there astrologers?  A: To make economists look better.)
> 
> The practical implications of it is that I don't have nearly the focus and concentration I used to have.  At one time I qualified for Mensa, and now feel that if I had to re-take the test, I would probably get drool on it.  I know the Buddist's believe that if you lose your mind you haven't lost much, but I do miss it.  When I could read something once and have it, now I have to go back over it and over it.  I take a cest la vie attitude toward it, (mostly because it's either that or sit around moaning about what I've lost) and try to get on with it.  I am back in school now.  Vocational Rehabilitation is paying for a Master's Degree, and I'm letting them. <G> I'm going for Counseling, because I've always been good at it, so I thought I would try to turn it into a paying gig.  Not nearly as well paying as Nuclear Engineering, but to me, much more satisfying. :-)
> 
> Of interest, another side effect of the anti-depressants seems to be a dimming down of my creative ability.  It's still there, but it's not constant like it used to be.  I still like obscure facts and weird associations, and love philosophy, although I'm amazingly ignorant of the major players.  I know what a Categorical Imperitive is, but I'm not sure I know the difference between existentialist and pragmatist thought.  Should they be seperate "schools" or not?  Anyway, enough for now. 



Carl,

Sorry, I was poking fun at my own misfitness.   Not being connected to network or cable news, I had no knowledge of the Tucson shootings until Monday morning where I heard about it from my car radio.   It seems the notion of 'mental illness' has become the concept-of-the-week and in some cases is being presented as a simple excuse.  Very sad.   


Marsha


 
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