uuboa:

From the perspective of someone who has mental illnesses. I’ve been seeing some posts saying that people who are against self diagnosis are ableist and classist. That’s bullshit, and let me explain why:

1. MENTAL ILLNESSES ARE MORE THAN JUST A LIST OF SYMPTOMS - Mental illnesses are serious conditions that manifest in many more ways than just some external symptoms. They affect how you view the world, your physical brain chemistry, how you are affected by different variables, how you deal with your problems, and how you behave (or will not behave) in a given situation.
2. MENTAL ILLNESSES HAVE OVERLAP OF SYMPTOMS - if you are not a trained professional, it is very easy to assume you have one condition or disorder, when it may be something else entirely, something you may not have heard of.
3. IT MAY BE MORE THAN ONE CONDITION - if you have a mental illness, you rarely have just one. Misery loves company, and it’s very common to have two or more related disorders. It’s also common to have a specific condition, but tendencies of another.
4. ONLINE QUIZZES AND TESTS ARE UNRELIABLE - because mental illnesses are complex, there is no one objectively correct test you can take to pinpoint what illness(es) you have. There is also no online quiz to observe your behavior and recognize behavioral patterns, or to tell you if you have more than one illness.
5. PROFESSIONALS ARE PROFESSIONALS FOR A REASON - unless you have a degree in psychology/psychiatry/mental health counseling, you do not have the same level of knowledge of the human mind and of mental disorders that a professional has. They study for years and years to be able to identify and treat mental illnesses. They don’t just memorize a list of illnesses and their symptoms. They learn how the mind works, the chemistry behind it, and how disordered thinking works to determine what the issue is.
6. YOU CANNOT EXAMINE YOURSELF AND YOUR BEHAVIOR TO THE SAME DEGREE A PROFESSIONAL CAN - if you do enough therapy you’ll hopefully learn to be more self-aware of your actions and thoughts, and try to think about your problems and behavior logically. But a professional will be able to look at your situation objectively: they will look at behavioral patterns, family health history, your reactions to stress, AND any symptoms you display before making a decision.
7. UNLESS YOU ARE TRAINED TO, YOU DON’T KNOW THE VARIOUS TREATMENT OPTIONS AND HOW TO PERFORM THEM - I’m talking beyond the obvious, like medications. There is more than one kind of therapy and treatment, and if you’re not educated in the field, you won’t be able to determine which will be best for you. Professionals have an objective perspective, but they also have an understanding of how a mental illness works, the theory/history behind various kinds of treatment, and how to change treatment if necessary based on your response to it.
8. SELF DIAGNOSIS TRIVIALIZES MENTAL ILLNESS - there are still many, many people out there who don’t think mental illnesses are real, or that people who suffer from them just need to “get over it.” People taking an online quiz or reading a Wikipedia article to reach a diagnosis de-legitimatizes the severity of the condition. Giving the impression that a mental illness diagnosis is something that can be reached without a doctor gives off the impression that it’s not something serious, and some people will take it as validation that mental illnesses are just made up.
9. SELF DIAGNOSIS ULTIMATELY ACCOMPLISHES NOTHING - that’s right, I said nothing. Say for argument’s sake that you successfully diagnose yourself. Now what? You’re not licensed to administer medication, and you cannot perform therapy on yourself. So what’s the point? The fact that you proudly say so on your blog and make excuses for not wanting to do things? How does that help? Which brings me to my next point:
10. MENTAL ILLNESSES ARE MEDICAL CONDITIONS - they are NOT fashion statements or convenient labels. They must be treated the same way as a physical illness would be because they are every bit as serious. You aren’t doing the mental health community any favors when you claim to know this shit all by yourself.
11. THE RESOURCES ARE OUT THERE - There are many, many free/low-cost resources out there for mental health, if money is an issue (most schools now have a counselor or psychologist on staff, ffs). Here is a small list for you if you live in the US:

http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/

http://www.power2u.org/peer-run-crisis-services.html

http://www.adaa.org/finding-help/getting-support/support-groups

http://www.carrierclinic.org/programs-free.php

http://teenshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/mhealth_care.html

http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/finding-therapy

http://www.rehabs.org/centers/

These do vary by country and region of course, (nevermind the fact that most European countries and Canada have some form of socialized medicine), but if you suspect you have a mental illness (or are having emotional problems of any sort), it’s up to you to take responsibility for yourself and seek out proper and professional care. If you wouldn’t self-medicate or self treat a physical illness, you shouldn’t for a mental illness.

the-pietriarchy:

me during a zombie apocalypse: are the dogs okay?

(via encourage)

memeufacturing:

nurse: doctor!!! This man needs an IV right away!!!!
roman empire doctor: four??? Four of what????? He needs four of what??????????

(via seimh)

spybean:

Hello my name is I Need Attention and I’m here to scream

(via lameborghini)