Mind games

[alfayeds-spy]

The person below has said that she feels her child has Tourettes. Many people self diagnose themselves thesedays and I feel it is an excuse or coverup for inexcusable behavior. If a child is misbehaving then that child must have ADHD, if a child is swearing then that child must have tourettes. Why can't parents take responsibility for their children, take them in hand and sort them out. Tourettes indeed!

[alfayeds-spy]

Don't get uptight because someone isn't agreeing with you.

[whiskeysheri]

Where's your reasoning behind your 'opinion'? Are you aware that it is IMPOSSIBLE to fake a mental illness?

[Sasha13]

WTF??? I really think you're getting confused here and I realise that this is your opinion (thank god, not shared by the majority) so I'm not going to tell you you're wrong - but adults categorically can develop mental illness later in life - I've witnessed a perfectly normal, stable adult turn into someone who was unrecognisable to me. The drugs put them right for a while until their next episode. This happened for 12 years until the drugs were changed and now hasn't happened (thank god) for 16 years.

I respect your right to have an opinion, but I don't agree with it and more to the point could prove that your opinion is not scientifically sound. And I resent the fact that you appear to be expressing your opinion merely as a means to cause a bit of controversy when this subject is one that is close to my heart.

And you still haven't responded to my previous post.

[alfayeds-spy]

All opinions cause controvesy. I myself have been close to the edge before and it is very easy to think to yourself that it would be easier to go down that path of oblivion and numbness, but even in the state I was in I thought to myself "no, I will not let this happen" and forced myself to come through it. I could easily have gone down that path of self detruction but i chose not too. I am not saying that mental illnesses are made up, what I mean is there IS a way out. It's a choice that has to be made, you can either take the road of despair or pull yourself out of it and be stronger. So I'm sorry but to say that drugs control a mental illness is wrong, they control the person that is controlling the illness.

[whiskeysheri]

As in depression? Then why does medication correct the chemical imbalance in the brain that causes it?

[Sasha13]

I could understand your argument to a certain extent if it were limited to depression - I have suffered from this in the past and I feel that although drugs help some people, there is a huge argument that says that it is up to the person to try to help themselves too - they need to take action to help themselves.

But not all mental illness is depression.

[alfayeds-spy]

As I said, I know that facts, very many facts indeed but all I have said is my opinion from my own personal experiences.

[alfayeds-spy]

Sasha13, I do beleive that many, if not all forms of mental illness stem from depression. You have to be in a depressed state of mind to get to the stage of mental illness.

[4getmenot]

but you are saying tourettes is made up

[unruliejulie]

You're talking about depression , not mental illness in its many other forms. Say what you mean!!!! . For the record, depression is due to a chemical imbalence in the brain, therefore, there is NO choice to be made. Real depression is very serious, however, i do think that the word depression is the most overused one in our language! That might be what you mean. Feeling down is not depression and should not be confused with it.

[4getmenot]

julie is right it is a chemical imbalance so how you can snap out of it I dont know, same as post natal depression

[whiskeysheri]

What was your original name on AB, alfayed?

[alfayeds-spy]

Ok, let me clear a few things up.

Number 1. I do believe that many parents and adults use torettes and other things like ADHD as an excuse for behavioral problems, there MAY be genuine cases but from what I have seen there doesn't seem to be.

Number 2. When it comes to someone who has been in an accident of somesort and has actual physical damage to their brain then that is different.

Number 3. I beleive that mental illness as a whole stems from depression. I think that depression is an excuse for oblivion and that it can be helped. You have to help yourself, you help yourself through the depression and the rest will not follow (ie, the mental illness side of things) like I said before, chemical imbalances etc, I know the facts but this is trully what I believe as I have experienced it before, and chose the right path. had I chosen to let depression take me then who knows what I would be like but i do believe we have a choice in what we can do, we all feel crappy some days which is often (wrongly) described as depressed but I am talking about suicidal depression, and uif people want to help them selves then they will.

[4getmenot]

I believe for every drop of rain that falls....

[unruliejulie]

If Tourettes is only used by bad parents as an excuse for badly behaved children, how does that explain adults with the condition? The manager in a sports shop in my town has it! Answer that one if its not real? Do you think hes a naughy boy hiding behind his grunts and ticks??????

[cazzz1975]

alfayed, if you saw a child who was suffering with a condition you would be left in no doubt about it.

It is not a grey area kind of illness, definatly a lot more to it than some general naughtiness

[Pippa68]

I have to say I have read some trollop on here, but this one takes the biscuit.

Come back Ruskie..all is forgiven :o)

[Bev2007]

Well well well. As the subject of this original post I will have my say.

Spy. You have the right to free speech, but you really should not be surprised when you get flamed for not being able to substantiate or coherently argue your case. By arguing 'everythings the fault of the parents' you have managed to jump on just about the only bandwagon even bigger than that you accuse me of being on.

I have no problem self-diagnosing in principle, the doctor is no more educated than I am and as a GP will be caught on the hoof when I walk in the door. Doctors are useful and extremely valuable members of society but they are not gods, they are not infallible, they are not as interested as I am in my daughter and the pass rate for each of their exams is not 100%!

My child does not swear and no-one else has mentioned her tics - I do not feel the need to make excuses to anyone or 'sort her out'. My post asked exactly that - should I just let it lie?

My final point is about you. You mention that you have been depressed in the past and have taken the hard road to a cure....perhaps it hasn't been as effective as you think? For example I dont feel the need to come on here and rage at a bunch of strangers who are whiling away their afternoon. I always wonder with people like you (and theres always at least one about) what you do with that agression when you aren't posting?

[unruliejulie]

a round of applause for Bev, very well said and very well put! That cetainly doesn't sound like the ramblings of a crappy parent trying to lay the blame elsewhere to me! :-)

[fran2]

Hello Wardy. Still having a pop at people with Tourettes I see! Oh and ADHD etc.