Mental illness.

[fudgeflaps]

I was reading the other day (can't remember the source), that 1 in 100 people have bipolar disorder, more commonly known as manic depression; that stastistic in itself implies there are a few of us here who suffer! The highs and lows of a Dibble rant; a psychotic Lex Luger comment; a dejected Jock Strap telling us how skint he is. !wink!

In light of the excellent recent programme with Stephen Fry on the subject, and without naming names etc, what are your experiences with depression, biplar or people who have suffered? I'm intrigued........ it's normally another forumite, olayphtangphtangbiscuitbarrel, who talks about this personality disorder-related gubbins.

Is it the speed of life that is precipitating this? An over-stressed, debt-proliferating nation? Burnt-out Britain?

All comments appreciated......... please don't blame Tony Blair as an easy cop-out, he's probably suffering too. !tumbleweed!

.......and is porn the best antidepressant? !wink!

[Jock Strap]

I suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and depression.

[fudgeflaps]

I've got OCD too- I'm typing this after having wiped my arse 1025 times with a personalised velcro wipe, typing on top a special stool (positioned so that it doesn't go over one of the cracks on the wooden floor or my mum will die in 3 day's time) surrounded by 6 hand-picked Glasgow ducks quacking in e-minor at 4 octaves each.

Not much to ask for.

[fudgeflaps]

I thought Bruno was unipolar?

Bipolar is quite an 'intelligent' condition- ie it can be a by-product of high intelligence; in addition to heredity it can be acquired by clever folk who have too much expectation of themselves (Milligan, rock stars et al) and then- SNAP! The 'final straw that breaks the camel's back' scenario- and said person has lost it, akin to blowing a fuse.

If Freddie Starr has it, it rules the 'intelligent illness' bit out.

[fudgeflaps]

How are you anyway, Jock? Not seen you here in a wee whilee..... not been around much myself, tbh.

Although whenever we do chat, for some reason, Morrissey comes into the equation..........

.......and he's playing here on Sat, yay! Roll out The Smiths' hits..........

Hope all is well. !wink!

[Jacques]

The figure is actually one in six will suffer from depression at sometime in their lives and one in twenty is clinically depressed (according to Mind).

So there are plenty here with exprience themselves....

[Arginald Valleywater]

No laughing matter. I deal with severely mentally ill people for my job, scary how badly some people can lose the plot. BiPolar isn't that common, but when it hits it completely ruins a person's ability to get through day to day tasks like going out of the house, shopping, sleeping etc. Hallucination is the worst part along with paranoia.

[Phil mCc]

I was once Diagnosed psychotic with possible Schizophrenia, so what do these educated idiot know with there 1 in 100 theory's. I think you would need to mad not to be mad. I used to have a mate that carried around his discharge papers from Castairs Mental Hosp just so he could say look I have proof I am not nutts, Have You,

Phil McC and Phil McC off for tea for 2,