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fadedsympathy wrote:
I know that when my twins were born (5 months ago) we had to take the younger of the two for genetic testing... I bring this up because I have to go myself for testing on what is called the 22 Q Deletion Syndrome. Basically, what happens is, around puberty, girls (mostly) become monsters. We go from being happy and friendly to "back off don't effing touch me".

I'm not saying that this could be your issue, but! I am suggesting that you ask your doctor about getting tested for it. *shrugs* Maybe it might point your doctors in some sort of direction to help you.

Thank you, thought i'm not sure what made you think that
It doesn't really sound like it thought, cause the only thing of what i read, that i have, is anxiety, which can also be because of so many other things
Where my psychotics at?

Hey guys, I'm pretty new to this site, but this thread caught my eye. I am Schizoaffective bipolar type, I have ADHD, OCD, autism, PTSD, GAD, panic disorder, and a few other things I can't remember right now!

I've done various role playing for many years, and have written stories for many more. It has always been a great source of release for me, although I lack the ability to put myself fully into my work, or to truly escape into anything... but I digress. I have always thought that writing amd story crafting is a coping skill everyone should at least give a chance.

Anywho, that's it.
A mild social anxiety and a moderate to bad depression disorder.
Writing helps getting my thoughts flowing.
I'm almost Schizoid, and have ADD. I used to have clinical depression and Negativistic PD, but I forced myself through group therapy to cope. I still have scars from my depression and tend to randomly lash out when something brings back old wounds.
I have Tourette’s syndrome.......along with ADD,PD,depression,autism.panic disorder,ocd,Bipolar and to be honest a lot of others I may not tick or stutter but that doesn’t mean I don’t do it in real life cause I do but it doesn’t stop me from doing the things I love and going to school cause even if I’m bullied I take things as compliments!!!!
Let's check the date on topics so that we don't bring life to dead threads.

This way, the fresh threads stay on the front parts.

Don't wanna degrade people who persevere in spite of mental illness, but wanted to warn about thread necromancy, too.
I've got ADHD, anxiety, and minor depression. Which is a interesting and annoying combination. Roleplaying does help with all three, it keeps my mind busy, and not just when I'm online. I'm always trying think of new plots and characters.
Sanne Moderator

JustaBitEvil wrote:
Let's check the date on topics so that we don't bring life to dead threads.

This way, the fresh threads stay on the front parts.

Don't wanna degrade people who persevere in spite of mental illness, but wanted to warn about thread necromancy, too.

It's not against the rules to bring up older threads if they are still relevant. :) I think it's useful to raise awareness during the cold and dark seasons, as that's when people typically experience flareups with mental illnesses. If you ever feel that someone is necroing threads in a spammy way, you can report their post using the report button any time and mods will take care of it if necessary.
Miramaroon wrote:
I have Tourette’s syndrome.......along with ADD,PD,depression,autism.panic disorder,ocd,Bipolar and to be honest a lot of others I may not tick or stutter but that doesn’t mean I don’t do it in real life cause I do but it doesn’t stop me from doing the things I love and going to school cause even if I’m bullied I take things as compliments!!!!
I love your attitude! How do you handle your less good days?
Sanne Moderator

Sanne wrote:
Old post I made earlier in this thread
I have run into people before who self-diagnosed serious conditions, and I understand where rule-63 is coming from. Diagnosis of mental health problems can be a long and gruesome process for those going through it. It took me over 4 years to go from "I think I need help" to getting a proper diagnosis with treatment, although my symptoms gradually started in my early teens. When someone comes along who goes "Oh this kinda sounds like what I have, I guess I have <condition>!" without seeing a professional about it, it really undermines the struggles people go through. Having someone pick at your brain and heart to figure out what's 'wrong' with you is not easy in any way, and for people to treat it so lightly can be hurtful.

There are also real dangers involved with self-diagnosis. Symptoms of a condition can vary per person, and multiple conditions can share the same symptoms. A therapist's initial diagnosis can change over time because the issues become clearer, new symptoms pop up and old symptoms go dormant for a while (which is in part what happened to Nova I believe?); it's a frequent occurrence that requires a change in treatment most of the time. If you self-diagnose and self-treat, you risk making things worse by misdiagnosing. It also seems common to diagnose other people, which is just as risky and bad on both ends.

I have a lot of thoughts on many of the things posted in this thread, but as Bones said it's really hard to tell from text alone. I know I spent countless hours researching my illnesses, both mental and physical, to get a better understanding of the diagnoses professionals made. Knowledge is power and empowerment. It doesn't surprise me that other people do it too, and I think it can offer comfort to those who feel alone in their situations. :)

If there's anyone who thinks they might have mental health problems but didn't see anyone about it, please reach out to a professional, for your own safety at the very least. If a therapist is out of your budget, I recommend seeing a social worker in your area. They usually know all the ins and outs on what programs are available to support you in getting a diagnosis and treatment and can give you a better chance. If you go to a school, you can see if there's a school counselor who can talk to you about your struggles.

Please stay safe out there!

I actually want to amend this post I made. I still think that self-diagnosis carries risks and this area should be tread with care, but I've also come to realize that I was speaking from a place of privilege and didn't consider some important aspects of seeking professional help.

1. Not everyone has the ability to get professional help, even when utilizing all the resources available to them. It can be expensive, even with insurance, and for people who have to decide between 'food on the table' and 'mental health diagnosis', food has obviously priority. There's also the matter of accessibility - if you don't have transportation, then it becomes almost impossible.
I still think that if you have the option, you should always pursue professional help, but if self-diagnosis can help you get started with simple changes to improve your quality of life, I support it. Just be safe in doing this.

2. Medical professionals can drop the ball too, much more than we imagine. For example, lots of (adult) women who are on the autism spectrum never get diagnosed and are actually dismissed because they don't fit outdated and male-centered ideas of what an autistic person should look like. Meaning, a woman who experiences a lot of autism symptoms is not diagnosed 'because she has friends and is social, and autistic people aren't social'. Or because she does well in a social job, she can't be autistic. Sometimes she's even told 'only boys have autism'. This is a legitimate issue and if the medical professionals work against you and won't hear you, then self-diagnosis is all that's left.

I'm sorry if what I said made someone feel discouraged from learning more about themselves and adopting labels that help improve their quality of life. I have a lot of good things going for me in life and I didn't stop to think and consider not everyone shares my fortune. As long as you do not misuse a self-diagnosis and are extremely careful about self-treating, there's nothing wrong with self-diagnosing.
To sanne: my less good days I think about suicide and how if I weren’t living would my family still love me
i have ADD, OCD, Tourette's, anxiety and mild depression, and rp helps with a lot of it! OCD and Tourette's not so much i suppose, but it definitely helps with ADD and anxiety/depressions! With ADD, it for some reason helps when i move around my fingers/thumbs a lot, so i can do this when im typing! With anxiety and depression, i can get my mind off of things by indulging in my own fantasy world, and i dont ever have to worry about being judged because i know there are people on this site and who i rp with that are dealing with similar things, or are there to support me ~ <3
I should probably say, first off, that I am un-diagnosed (licensed professional help has never been in my budget, and what 'free' help I have been offered has never resulted in for-sure diagnosis or healing).

That said, I am 99.9% sure I have depression and anxiety, and less sure I have issues with attention and intrusive thoughts (both of which may stem from the anxiety). Related symptoms interfere with my day-to-day life all the time. Depression and anxiety run in my family, as well. Both my parents are diagnosed. My mother has been specifically diagnosed bipolar, ADD and OCD, and my dad has major depression, and resulting addiction issues.

It sucks. I will have plans one day, and then be completely unmotivated and unable to get out of bed, not able to really feel anything emotionally. In the past, suicide and death has been a prominent subject on my mind, but never a for-sure consideration. I would just be tired of being trapped in a numb, dysfunctional body that won't wake up after a week. Or I'll have a panic attack that takes a couple days to recover from, and I have to put everything on hold until further notice. Sometimes that leads into a depressive episode that makes the delay even longer. :(
CapnBekah_TightPants Topic Starter

JustaBitEvil wrote:
Let's check the date on topics so that we don't bring life to dead threads.

This way, the fresh threads stay on the front parts.

Don't wanna degrade people who persevere in spite of mental illness, but wanted to warn about thread necromancy, too.

I don't understand what the date on a topic has to do with anything? If someone has something to add, they should feel free to reply. I made the post to start a discussion. I want it to be read and talked about.

Just because the last comment was in November of 2016, doesn't mean that it isn't still relevant.
Didn't mean to upset anyone, or make anyone think I don't think mental illness is still relevant. I just noticed a lot of thread necromancy the past couple of weeks but didn't realize it was not exactly against etiquette here. As someone who had depression and anxiety, I'm aware it is.
Asroc

PTSD from trauma. Suffered allot of verbal and pysical abuse growing up.

OCD, Depression and Asperger's as well. I have social issues, I tend to be very avoidant of people.

I do not like being touched unless it is by someone I know and trust.

However, RP, writing and the help of my mentor helps me pull through in my dark and tough times. Same with being a kin.
As someone on the autism spectrum, growing up without a diagnosis until only a few years ago, treatment by my peers wasn't exactly pleasant, especially in school. I had borderline-suicidal depression until my ASD diagnosis put a lot of my worries and self-hatred to rest. The biggest issue in my life though is anxiety - I can't stand crowds, I find making friends incredibly hard and I'm always worried about saying the wrong thing and upsetting people because it's happened so many times in the past, often with consequences that amount to bullying or strict disciplining.

There's a lot of social activities that I really struggle with because of anxiety and low confidence in my social ability. But pretending to be someone else for a while... that brings some much needed escapism to my life. Especially when it comes to my main OC, because they metaphorically represent elements of myself that I'm much more comfortable with portraying than my actual self.
Sanne Moderator

Miramaroon wrote:
To sanne: my less good days I think about suicide and how if I weren’t living would my family still love me

I'm sorry to hear that. :( There are things you can do to help deal with those thoughts and feelings, you can message me if you need help finding resources!
JustaBitEvil wrote:
Didn't mean to upset anyone, or make anyone think I don't think mental illness is still relevant. I just noticed a lot of thread necromancy the past couple of weeks but didn't realize it was not exactly against etiquette here. As someone who had depression and anxiety, I'm aware it is.

Totally understandable! If you see it happen it's a good idea to use the report button so that the mods can assess the situation and take action if needed. :) It can be tricky to make a call on necroing threads sometimes.


Riik wrote:
There's a lot of social activities that I really struggle with because of anxiety and low confidence in my social ability. But pretending to be someone else for a while... that brings some much needed escapism to my life. Especially when it comes to my main OC, because they metaphorically represent elements of myself that I'm much more comfortable with portraying than my actual self.

I don't get to RP much anymore these days, but the same applied to me. I actually found that I developed necessary social skills because I could explore interactions in a safe space through a buffer! Playing confident and assertive characters has made me more assertive in real life too. :D
Yeah, that was discussed on the RPR Discord whenever I observed some people talking about me and my erroneous comment.

Was just trying to be helpful and it was an honest mistake. Was the first and last time I will be trying to personally help out around this site.

Glad to see so many people emotionally and mentally benefitting from roleplay, which is just supposed to be 'for fun.'
I have High-Functioning Autism and ADHD plus sleep problems.
XQK

I haven't looked to see if it's the case here, but the benefit of anyone who hasn't posted and the benefit of those this might fit...

Go. See. A. Physician.

It's extremely common in communities, especially role play sites, for folks to latch onto a post like this. They gather together, post their issues, pat each other's backs, and then continue to pretend they're managing their mental illness. Every time, there's a group of people who insist they "don't do doctors" or "don't do medication." A fair few insist weed is the only medication they need.

It doesn't work.

Speaking from experience, as someone who spent a decade suffering severe Depression--which evolved into schizophrenic symptoms--you're not managing it. I cannot stress enough the importance of trying to find a good physician or psychologist, which is not an easy task in the US, but absolutely paramount. Mental illness is an illness, not a condition. The majority of these are diseases. And as with most diseases, they only get worse if you don't treat them.

I used to insist medication would be pointless and that doctors were worthless, and it wasn't until I held a gun to my temple before I realized that all my efforts to control or manage my Depression were just delusions. Medication isn't always perfect the first time, but it's better that than $6k in bills at a ward for only five days--potentially in the hands of and mercy of people who will consider you an animal instead of a human being (not always the case, but it did happen in my first stay within the system).

If you are among those who found the courage to seek help, persevere against Hell itself for your well-being, and are either in the process of treatment or have already undergone successful treatment; I take my hat off to you. You and I both know what "the war" is like, and I encourage you to help spread the word of how important it is to seek treatment. You're in a position to actually help, when you have that sort of wisdom--you can share your tales of getting treatment to encourage those who are still frightened of it.

For those of you who "don't do doctors" or "medications," my only advice is to go buy a shovel and start digging your grave. Mental illness doesn't just "go away" or "get better," and the only thing between subjecting yourself to continued Hell and potentially getting stronger is telling yourself that you're tired of being tired all the time. It's in your hands.

Escaping to role play isn't a solution. It's only for taking the day's stress off and relaxing.

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