Negative Reaction from Others on your Mental Illness Despite the recent positive representation of mental health in the news and campaigns such as Every Mind Matters , there is still much stigma associated with mental illness. If you have a mental health challenge, the last thing you need to cope with is negative reactions from other people. This kind of response often goes beyond the traditional ‘pull yourself together’ comment by a family member or friend or the all too common reaction that your mental health issue is somehow your fault. Is It Your Fault People React This Way? The answer to this is simple, and it’s: No . You are not responsible for the reaction someone has to your mental illness . In most circumstances, unfortunately, it’s not the fault of the person who has an adverse reaction either. There can be a range of different reasons why someone has difficulty understanding or coping with mental health challenges. It might just be a lack of understanding, or they have...
An intrusive thought is an unwelcome, involuntary thought, image, or unpleasant idea that may become an obsession, is upsetting or distressing, and can feel difficult to manage or eliminate. (source: Wikipedia ) Common examples of intrusive thoughts include unwanted, intrusive thoughts about the safety of oneself or others, causing distress, and thoughts of performing dangerous actions. These thoughts may lead to negative behaviors, which may increase vulnerability to future experiences of trauma. Intrusive thoughts have been linked to recent life stress, sleep deprivation, prior anxiety, and childhood abuse. The state of depression , suicidal ideation, or anxiety may also be caused by the release of stress hormones. Analysis of studies in subjects who had experienced prolonged periods of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) found that intrusive thoughts and flashbacks are associated with greater than 50% of symptoms, especially memory fragmentation. Intrusive thoughts often occur ...