Is it possible to live a normal life if you have a mental illness ?

[Majed]

Man, all of my problems stem from this shitty illness: weight problems, financial problems, dating problems, family problems... It's exhausting, it's like i'm a slave to my mental illness, i can't function properly even after receiving treatment, life just feels like a burden all the time, as well as me being tired all the time.

[Sugarcoat]

You don’t have to answer but what illness is it? 

[Majed]

@Sugarcoat Ocd, bipolar and adhd. 

[Sugarcoat]

5 minutes ago, Majed said:

@Sugarcoat Ocd, bipolar and adhd. 

Damn that’s rough. Im also going through stuff, but very different

Do you think they are genetic? 

[SwiftQuill]

1 hour ago, Majed said:

@Sugarcoat Ocd, bipolar and adhd. 

I'm sorry to hear about it. That sounds like a really tough combination.

And I'm no psychologist or anything, but to answer your question, I do believe you can live a good, fulfilling life.

I met a teacher once who had Bipolar. She struggled, but overall she had a good life. Husband, career, health, looks (she was hot).

I've met a few people with OCD. Again, I've heard some of their struggles (one of them used to wash their hands excessively). But they all live ok lives (job, physical health, mental health I'm not sure, haven't spoken to them in a while).

I do suspect I have ADHD.

I've also been diagnosed with high functioning autism. Autism is a huge pain in the fucking ass and it makes me feel alienated at times. But really, overall, I have a good life. Family, healthy, a good career, a life purpose.

From the way you describe it to me, it seems more like you suffer more from physical health issues than mental health. If you feel tired all the time, it can be related to your nutrition. Or maybe depression (I consider depression physical health in certain cases).

[Thought Art]

@Majed I am curious:

1. Do you measure your sleep score?

2. How would you rate your nutrition from 1-10 1 being terrible 10 being solid 

3. Do you exercise regularly?

4. Do you socialize?

 

[Hojo]

I dont think so. Ride it out or leave. If you live with a crazy family you cant do much about it besides fight them verbally and get kicked out. Any boundary you draw against crazy parents is a disobedience to them.

Edited 23 hours ago by Hojo

[Inliytened1]

15 hours ago, Majed said:

Man, all of my problems stem from this shitty illness: weight problems, financial problems, dating problems, family problems... It's exhausting, it's like i'm a slave to my mental illness, i can't function properly even after receiving treatment, life just feels like a burden all the time, as well as me being tired all the time.

How severe is the OCD?

If you can reduce symptoms enough you can lead a normal life.  It really depends on how severe it gets.

Medication, proper diet and nutrition, and exercise can go a long way in improving your mental health and reducing symptoms. 

Edited 15 hours ago by Inliytened1

[Sugarcoat]

It takes a lot to overcome one’s problems. For example I had social anxiety and it took me like 4 years of consistent work and emotional labour to finally overcome it. The weird thing is that for me that required a certain degree of self dissolution. Because think about it, if you’re going to change something deep about yourself, something has to die off, and for me it looked like layers to my ego. So it’s a bit of a spiritual process too. If I were to break it down to its core, I’d say it’s important to observe yourself closely, so you can understand the mechanisms behind why you do like you do, the thought processes. Neutral observation also becomes like a practice of detachment. Observing literally means you’re stepping back and simply observing instead of being engaged and feeding. Understanding can help. It’s like a good foundation. Some problems literally survive out of UNawareness of them. Also exposing yourself to your fears, challenging yourself , with things you find difficult, gradually, so you’re not too overwhelmed and it backlashes instead. Also medication can help in some cases if you don’t already take them. In my case they didn’t help me, but I still believe in giving it a shot. 

Edited 14 hours ago by Sugarcoat

[Yimpa]

No, you will never live a normal life if you have mental illness. That is a fantasy and feeds into ableism.

I used to hate mental illness, but now I love it. Because I relate to it in a profoundly different way than how I used to.