Do you need help if you have a mental illness?
36 ▪ I AM NOT SICK—I DON’T NEED HELP! be had little effect on insight into their illnesses. Everyone gets defensive from time to time and some are more prone to denial than others—the same holds true for people with serious mental illness.
What is I am not sick I don't need help?
I AM NOT SICK, I Don't Need Help! is not just a reference for mental health practitioners or law enforcement professionals. It is a must-read guide for family members whose loved ones are battling mental illness.
Do half of people with serious mental illness not know they’re ill?
The answer to the question of whether half of all people with serious mental illness don’t know they are ill because they have no information about the illness is actually obvious when you step back for a moment. If you had heartburn that was bad enough THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM ▪ 37
Why is it important to talk to someone with mental illness?
You knew your loved one before the illness struck, which means that you also know the core person who is often eclipsed by symptoms of the disease. When someone who is seriously mentally ill feels that you see him for who he is, and not just for the diagnosis he has been given, he will be open to learning from you.
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Community Reviews
If you have a loved one (or even just an acquaintance) with mental illness it is normal to feel that you have to try to talk them into believing they are sick. Dr. Amador gives you first-hand advice on how to respond to this person....what to say/do and more importantly what NOT to say/do to get this person the help they need.
Review
I strongly recommend this book for [both] families and therapists. - Aaron T. Beck, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania --University of Pennsylvania
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This is possibly the most helpful book I've ever bought. Without going into too much personal detail, I will say that I was facing a situation very similar to the author's. Reading this book completely changed my view of the situation and really helped me and the family take a different approach.
Why am I not sick?
If you are reading I Am Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help! it is probably because you have a loved one or are treating a patient with serious mental illness who is in “denial” and , most likely, is not taking the medication he or she needs to prevent a flare-up of the condition and to recover. Or, if he is taking it, he is not doing so regularly. You’ve tried various strategies that haven’t worked and you’re seeking information about how you can help him or her to get help.
Why do mentally ill people have poor insight?
First, it could stem from defensiveness—after all, it makes sense that someone who is seriously ill would be in denial about all the potential and promise for the future that has been taken by the disease.
What did Vicky feel about the medication?
Vicky felt that the medications were a short-term treatment, like antibiotics for an infection, rather than a long-term treatment, like insulin for diabetes. The good news is that Vicky had some insight, though nowhere near as much as her family and doctor would have liked. She understood that the drugs helped her when she had symptoms but didn’t understand that the drugs could prevent the symptoms from returning when she was feeling well.Although Ivan understood that statistically it was highly unlikely she could stop without getting sick again, there was a very, very small chance that she could. He also understood that until the day Vicky “owned” the treatment, until she found a reason that made sense to her to stay on the medicine, she never would. Her problem, which he was willing to help her with for the time being, was taking the medicine. But he would work with her on this only if she stayed in therapy with him, allowed Scott to come to some of the sessions, and took responsibility for tracking what happened when she stopped taking the medicine. By agreeing to work with her on the problem as she defined it, he kept her in therapy and on the medication for a longer period of time than if he had insisted the treatment was “a life sentence,” as she had once described it. He also laid the foundation for her discovering reasons to continue in treatment.
What to say after you apologize?
(And you’re not going to say that!) So, after you apologize, say something like, “Also, I could be wrong about this. I don’t know everything.” When you do that, you are, first of all, indicating that you are flexible. If you can be flexible, you’re more likely to trigger some flexibility in the other person. If you’re rigid and dogmatic, you’re equally likely to trigger that. Remember that LEAP is all about giving in order to get.
What did my brother say after he was discharged from hospital?
Asked about what his plans were after being discharged from yet another hospitalization, he ritually answered, “All I need to do is get a job. There’s nothing wrong with me.” His other stock answer was, “I am going to get married.” Both desires were natural and understandable but unrealistic given his recent history, the severity of the illness, and his refusal to accept treatment. Someday, perhaps, he would realize his desires, but it was very unlikely unless he was actively involved in the treatment recommended by his doctors.
Did Brian and Matt talk?
Brian and Matt’s family did set aside a special time to talk but did not make the conversation “special” in the way I described above. There was no acknowledgment of their differing views and no apology for previous attempts to convince Matt he was in denial and mentally ill. No one explained that he or she wanted only to hear Matt’s views on the discharge plan. And no promise was made to refrain from giving unsolicited advice.
Did Brian take notes on Matt's doctor?
No one appeared to pay attention to the headlines, much less write them down. Of course, writing down what Matt had to say would have been awkward in this situation because his doctor and parents had never practiced this technique with him. It’s true that Brian often took notes during their sessions, but they were almost entirely about symptoms he was observing. He rarely recorded Matt’s subjective experience of the problem (his parents, the police, and the “shrinks”) or statements that revealed what was important to him, what motivated him (staying out of the hospital, getting a job and a place of his own). But it would have been easy to ask, “Is it all right with you if I write down what you’re telling us is most important to you?”
What to do if someone is in danger?
If the person is a threat of danger to others, such as physical violence with a weapon or not, call 911 and seek shelter for yourself and children. If no danger is detected, try to remain courteous and non-threatening, but be honest and direct. Listen to the person in a non-judgmental way.
Why don't people take medication?
Fuller Torrey, a psychiatrist and schizophrenia researcher, believes that among those with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, anosognosia is the most prevalent reason for not taking medications. The problem is with the 50 percent who do not have insight into their illness.
What does it mean when someone is depressed?
When the pain of depression or mental illness becomes too much to bear, people often cope by finding something powerful to replace the pain. Something that feels really, really good to them. So good that they want it again and again until it turns into an addiction.
Does Psych Central review?
Psych Central does not review the content that appears in our blog network (blogs.psychcentral.com) prior to publication. All opinions expressed herein are exclusively those of the author alone, and do not reflect the views of the editorial staff or management of Psych Central. Published on PsychCentral.com.
Do people with bipolar have mental illness?
Many individuals with bipolar and schizophrenic disorders do not seem to recognize that they suffer from a mental illness. A syndrome has been identified in individuals, particularly individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorders, who adamantly refuse to believe that they need help or treatment. Anosognosia is a deficit of self-awareness, ...
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