Well time for episode two of “This is Your Life”. There are two chronic problems I deal with everyday. Chronic meaning long term.
1) Depression
I have depression. To put it simply my ‘coming out’ process particularly the shock, pain and isolation triggered major depression (read nuclear blast) and I have chronic depression (read
I was in full swing and people who have not experienced depression can’t really hope to relate. Which is a damned good thing in most ways. I was suicidal. I was crying non stop, very little sleep at night and sleeping all day. I could barely think most of the time and my short term memory was all over the place. Oh, and I felt like crap too.
I had no clue at the time what was going on. Wasn’t really in the state to figure it out anyway. As fate had it my second problem triggered diagnosis of the first and that was by a doctor I had to see which occurred 8 months after ‘coming out’.
I work on managing my illness now and the major is in decline. Hooray! I take medication which was quite a turnaround for my ‘no drugs whatsoever’ philosophy. Unfortunately
Lots of things help depression to greater or lesser degrees. Sunlight works well for me as do the drugs. Exercise helps, getting out, social interaction, reviewing thinking and changing thinking habits does too.
It’s not easy and far from over as the chronic may never go away but I aim to bring it to management much like my second problem so I can get on with dear ol’ life.
2) Hearing Loss
But wait there’s more! I’ve also had hearing loss from birth. It’s pretty serious and the loss is worst at the vocal frequencies. I am not actually ‘deaf’ which really means no appreciable hearing. I wear hearing aids which assist me to hear properly. They are glorified microphones basically. They have improved enormously over the years.
I have worked on this problem since birth and you can bet I’m pretty good at dealing with it. There are still plenty of times it can piss me off and it has serious consequences in communication and social activity. Overall though to me it’s nothing to hyperventilate about.
Don’t tell me to ‘get over it’ or that depression doesn’t exist. Really.
Do not pity me. I don’t need anyone’s pity to wrap me up in a blanket and mollycoddle me. I am capable of dealing with depression and already superbly manage hearing loss. Pity is just vile and leads down the path to the poor me situation of victimhood where you do little more than roll over waiting for someone else to do everything for you. Pity is deadly to people with depression.
Do support me. I only wish our government wanted to.
Good gracious this has ballooned out like
8 comments:
I suspect that in the long term Trias that this
"Sunlight works well for me as do the drugs. Exercise helps, getting out, social interaction, reviewing thinking and changing thinking habits does too."
Will prove to be of major, MAJOR assistance.
Best of luck.
Ah, but I *will* be a bastard and say, "Get over it."
Mind you, you get over it by seeking help, following sound advice, taking the meds as prescribed.
Which is harder than it sounds, given the number of people who choose (yes, choose) to wallow in it instead.
The most successful copers are those who acknowledge the problem, that it is likely to be lifelong, and accept the personal responsibility of holding up their end of the solution.
Been there, done that, do that. Some months better than others, admittedly.
Now then, just why is it the government's job to provide all this support?
Hmmm?
;^)
Note - I didn't say it was or it wasn't - I just asked why it was.
I tread a careful line there, having been a victim, er, and beneficiary, of gov't health care for just under 5 decades.
If you're going to be like that about it... well you're right.
The Answer: (I note you love asking nebulous questions).
a) The best answer. Because it serves the constituents it is empowered by and has a responsibility to. That includes myself but extends further than this. As I pour effort into the struggle with the problems and suffer the consequences of the problems, I am not generating tax. I am not generating local, national or world wealth. In fact I’m draining it. I'm not putting as much into the community or family and all the host of positive things people do. And our government’s other constituents are affected by this too. Sure me alone is no big deal but the host of the many is quite an issue.
b) Who else? It won't be you. Won't be a company. Nor family.
c) Because I’m worth it
The Answer: (I note you love asking nebulous questions).
Well, aside from the fact that it's a time honored interrogation technique, ya gotta admit, asking yes or no questions makes for dull reading.
And you get *great* credit for not responding with... "Because."
8^D
As for your answer - while I understand you on the "not producing tax revenue and wealth (congrats for making a distinction, too many people don't) that still doesn't argue why the government should universally provide the service in lieu of other venues.
Of course, that would lead us down the slippery slope of how tax subsidized insurance drives costs up (as in the US, affecting those without insurance) vice the Canadian model which is as much a rationing scheme as it is anything else.
Not that I have an answer. Taking over small countries and collecting an arsenal in the basement is my metier. I just like throwing a skunk in the living room and stepping back to watch the result.
You learn the most interesting things.
Leave it to John to be the contrarian, and tell you to "get over it"... haha!
Depression is VERY real, and VERY dangerous. I'm glad you're getting help, even with as limited as counselling sessions have been.
Also, being partially deaf isn't too bad these days, considering the advances in hearing aids. I love the fact that you face this issue head-on, like a bull charging a Conservative in Red Pants. *snicker*
It sounds like you are woking it out, and since you are the only one who can (with help), that's a good thing. I don't know what kind of health care people in Australia typically have access to, but the programs I've generally had access to at work *do* include mental health assistance - counseling and medical visits. Some plans don't cover prescriptions of any kind very well, so any chronic illness can be a challenge.
I have a friend who has Multiple Sclerosis, and needs a shot of serum daily - that alone costs him about 2grand a month. So the chronic nature of your illness is not unique, I think.
Whether that should be covered by state funding of some sort is an interesting question.
Well Barb the health care system is very different here. There is no work based health system. Besides that wouldn't help *me* would it.
There are two tiers. Private health insurance you pay thousands per year for which is high quality especially for elective and non urgent treatment.
And the public system which is strong on emergency care but very weak elsewhere.
As a dole recipient I do get access to cheaper doctor visits and some prescription medicine (which TG includes the medicine i'm taking).
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