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My name is Wil Wheaton. I live with chronic Depression, and I am not ashamed

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Re: My name is Wil Wheaton. I live with chronic Depression, and I am not ashamed

#11

Post by fuhler »

phailhaus wrote: post #7
dominotw wrote: post #3

1. Define depression. 2.Who doesn't. 3. no it doesn't run in your family. 4. There is no such thing as chemical imbalace that causes depression. 5. It's your own responsibility to fix it. 6. Stop glorifying it.

Are you a doctor? Or just some random person who was sad once and believes they knows everything about depression now? You're a real piece of work.

someone presented a list of questions, many of them provocative and probably fallacies. You posted a regular ad hominem and and insult. ```you're a real piece of work``` will never be constructive

Re: My name is Wil Wheaton. I live with chronic Depression, and I am not ashamed

#12

Post by Bucephalus355 »

narrator wrote: post #8

Here is a terrible awful fact most people are unaware of: The suicide rate has been going up steadily since 2000 and we are back where we were in the mid 1980s[1]. I found this out by listening to a speech from a mental health convention where the doctor giving the speech was blasting the commonly held idea that antidepressants had solved everything. [1] https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/04/22/4748888...

The suicide rate for 10-14 year olds has increased over 250% since 2007.

Re: My name is Wil Wheaton. I live with chronic Depression, and I am not ashamed

#14

Post by Bucephalus355 »

“Ending the stigma against mental illness”?

If anything, as many sociologists have noted, having a mental illness is almost fashionable today. It is not a stigma by any means.

Ever since right after WWII, when housewives seeing a psychoanalyst become so popular, the ability to claim a diagnosis and then talk about all the treatment you do has been something of a social signal.

Having Chronic Depression is not a problem that is solved by increasing “acceptance”. Perhaps it just genuinely reflects the state of our world, or maybe simply the tragedy of what it means to be human, to suffer from original sin.

I do not doubt Mr. Wheaton’s illness or pain. But his focus on “acceptance” as the ultimate end is frustrating.

Re: My name is Wil Wheaton. I live with chronic Depression, and I am not ashamed

#15

Post by beders »

Bucephalus355 wrote: post #14

“Ending the stigma against mental illness”? If anything, as many sociologists have noted, having a mental illness is almost fashionable today. It is not a stigma by any means. Ever since right after WWII, when housewives seeing a psychoanalyst become so popular, the ability to claim a diagnosis and then talk about all the treatment you do has been something of a social signal. Having Chronic Depression is not a probl…

It's not fashionable to suffer from chronic depression dude. Not AT ALL.

And there was no 'original sin'. That is just a bunch of baloney.

Re: My name is Wil Wheaton. I live with chronic Depression, and I am not ashamed

#16

Post by georgebarnett »

Bucephalus355 wrote: post #12
narrator wrote: post #8

Here is a terrible awful fact most people are unaware of: The suicide rate has been going up steadily since 2000 and we are back where we were in the mid 1980s[1]. I found this out by listening to a speech from a mental health convention where the doctor giving the speech was blasting the commonly held idea that antidepressants had solved everything. [1] https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/04/22/4748888...

The suicide rate for 10-14 year olds has increased over 250% since 2007.

This is shocking.

Could you please provide a reference so I may link others to this?

Re: My name is Wil Wheaton. I live with chronic Depression, and I am not ashamed

#17

Post by moron4hire »

dingaling wrote: post #9

That must have been difficult to write, but it was also difficult to read. I don't think he needed to lash-out at the adults who didn't understand his illness; how was a director in a weekly TV show meant to diagnose and accommodate depression when he's handling dozens of people to a tight schedule? Its the same in any context of work, unfortunately. You're just a cog and if the cog jams, add more oil or replace it.…

I generally interpret "sniping" as "taking specific, precise shots, meant to inflict maximum damage". So it's hard to interpret Will's comments as sniping when there is no specific, precise target. He doesn't name names, or even productions. He just relates some general scenarios.

And in those events, I don't really see where he tries to lay blame on these unnamed directors and publicists. I see him matter-of-factly describing situations. But the most positive way we could interpret these scenarios--they were themselves overworked that they couldn't see Will's problems--is no place for a child to be.

No, it may not have been Rick Berman's job to make sure Will Wheaton was ok (though, as a producer, that is very, very debatable). But that almost certainly means Will just had no business being in the set of Star Trek (much less debatable for any TNG fan). As a child, you're not really in control of your reality.

Re: My name is Wil Wheaton. I live with chronic Depression, and I am not ashamed

#18

Post by pryce »

Bucephalus355 wrote: post #14

“Ending the stigma against mental illness”? If anything, as many sociologists have noted, having a mental illness is almost fashionable today. It is not a stigma by any means. Ever since right after WWII, when housewives seeing a psychoanalyst become so popular, the ability to claim a diagnosis and then talk about all the treatment you do has been something of a social signal. Having Chronic Depression is not a probl…

I don't enjoy seeing comments dismissing the stigma of mental illness. I have seen friends in industry targeted and pushed out after disclosing mental illnesses, and the simple fact that awareness campaigns exist and you happen to see them doesn't mean that stigma doesn't exist.

Awareness campaigns are a response to stigma and a recognition of the damage it does. Mistaking their presence for the stigma being removed is an error of familiarity and attention (you notice the awareness campaign more than you notice the stigma).

Lastly, consider that the point of the awareness campaign is to lessen unnecessary suffering, not to cure Chronic Depression, so to dismiss it as failing at a criterion that was never the intention behind it seems odd.

Re: My name is Wil Wheaton. I live with chronic Depression, and I am not ashamed

#19

Post by camel_Snake »

Bucephalus355 wrote: post #14

“Ending the stigma against mental illness”? If anything, as many sociologists have noted, having a mental illness is almost fashionable today. It is not a stigma by any means. Ever since right after WWII, when housewives seeing a psychoanalyst become so popular, the ability to claim a diagnosis and then talk about all the treatment you do has been something of a social signal. Having Chronic Depression is not a probl…

The acceptance of mental health issues can manifest itself in many ways. There is much more to it than just discussing anonymously online or going to see a psychiatrist.

Acceptance means I can tell interviewers honestly that the gap in my resume is because I was dealing with undiagnosed mental health issues and have that not be any worse than "I saved up money and wanted to travel and enjoy myself."

Acceptance means I can talk honestly with my friends and family about my lack of self worth and still believe they'll care about me.

Chronic depression certainly isn't 'solved by increasing acceptance'. But it does lower the barrier to seeking treatment and addressing the root causes.

Re: My name is Wil Wheaton. I live with chronic Depression, and I am not ashamed

#20

Post by mephitix »

This hits pretty close to home. I've been seeing therapists for my anxiety but they haven't really helped much, and occasionally there are times when I just have a pretty bad day.

I have a lot of fear, but there is no physical manifestation of it - it is fear of lack of worth, lack of success, lack of love, lack of acknowledgement. I overanalyze everything that I do and everything others say or do to me.

I could probably point to many things in my past to blame but I'm done trying to retro-analyze myself and just want to fix things.

I'm afraid of trying anti-depressants but I've been seriously thinking about getting a dog (I liked that Wil mentioned that his dogs help him :). I've always wanted one and I feel like at the least doggo would give me some comfort and put things in perspective.

I really appreciate Wil writing his thoughts down and giving suggestions. It definitely helps a lot. I actually keep a running list of tiny things that I've found that help me - things to think about and do, in a moment of anxiety or sadness. One day I hope to share that with others too.

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