The New Adventures of Mr Stephen Fry » Topic: Introduce yourself

The New Adventures of Mr Stephen Fry » Topic: Introduce yourself http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/introduce-yourself Just another bbPress community en-US Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:30:57 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/search.php IdeaCollector on "Introduce yourself" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/introduce-yourself/page/67#post-281541 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:41:43 +0000 IdeaCollector 281541@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ Welcome to all of our newest forum members. Spiderpope on "Introduce yourself" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/introduce-yourself/page/67#post-281487 Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:35:09 +0000 Spiderpope 281487@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ Well i'd guess i should be polite and say hello to everyone. My name is Alistair, although i tend to be known online by my username. I was diagnosed with severe depression last year, although after going back over events with a counsellor it readily became apparent that i've been suffering from depression for at least 17 years now. I just assumed that everyone else felt like i did, that contemplating suicide at 13,14, 15 etc was just a teenage thing that one did. What has brought me to this site is a combination of two things really. The first being my profound admiration of Stephen Fry. His documentaries on the subject and his openness about his own bi-polar disorder were instrumental in my finding the strength to carry on. Because afterall if someone as marvellous as Mr. Fry can struggle with the same self loathing and negative thought patterns and suicidal urges, then maybe i wasn't a complete failure for struggling as well. The second actually occurred today, i rewatched Christopher Hitchins interview with Jeremy Paxman. At the end of the interview he said one of the regrets he had, facing the end of his life, was that he didn't write to people he admired enough and that anyone who had ever considered doing so, should. So immediately i thought of the people i admired most, and Stephen's name popped into my head so i typed his name into google and ended up here. And found not only was there a blog to read, but that he'd gone to the effort of having forums set up too. So here i am. Er. That introduction ended up far longer than i anticipated, so if you've made it to the bottom of my waffling on, thanks for having the patience. nanny rabbits on "Introduce yourself" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/introduce-yourself/page/67#post-281091 Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:43:54 +0000 nanny rabbits 281091@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ hi frazzy , i'm new too welcome hugs xxx nan Frazzy on "Introduce yourself" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/introduce-yourself/page/67#post-280825 Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:46:12 +0000 Frazzy 280825@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ I'm terrible at introductions, which is an awful first line to an introduction, but self referential warnings are kind of cool, right? Not that it's really a 'warning', my introduction skills aren't so bad that this post will explode and kill you all in fiery doom and such. It doesn't even have sharp edges. I'm tempted to just hit post now, to prove my lack of introductory skill, and think myself amusing... But no, I'm frazzy, as you've probably already noted, 'high functioning' autistic, with severe depression, anxiety and PTSD. Play Banjo, Guitar, Drums, Harmonica. Love dogs... nanny rabbits on "Introduce yourself" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/introduce-yourself/page/67#post-280677 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:37:33 +0000 nanny rabbits 280677@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <blockquote><cite>Drac0 <a href="//www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/introduce-yourself/page/67#post-280667"">said</a>:</cite> Welcome nanny rabbits. Condolences for your loss, it's always sad to hear of another life lost too soon, in any fashion. Hope you can find some comfort amongst us. Seems to be a lot of understanding people here & many of us who have been through where you are now. Take care. Mark</blockquote> many thanks to you Mark for your warmth and kindness x i have found it very helpful reading the posts people have written here here. Drac0 on "Introduce yourself" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/introduce-yourself/page/67#post-280667 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:35:01 +0000 Drac0 280667@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ Welcome nanny rabbits. Condolences for your loss, it's always sad to hear of another life lost too soon, in any fashion. Hope you can find some comfort amongst us. Seems to be a lot of understanding people here & many of us who have been through where you are now. Take care. Mark nanny rabbits on "Introduce yourself" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/introduce-yourself/page/67#post-280629 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:54:57 +0000 nanny rabbits 280629@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ i have heard today that my dear cousin lost his long and brave battle with bipolar. i wanted to pay some kind of tribute to his sweet soul but alas, i am not good with words. i think though that that there are people here that will understand what he was up against. as i do being one of you and presently experiencing a depressive episode. Drac0 on "Introduce yourself" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/introduce-yourself/page/67#post-280357 Sun, 15 Jan 2012 12:47:26 +0000 Drac0 280357@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ Hi all, My name is Mark and I was finally diagnosed as bi-polar almost 12 months ago. I say finally because it had been over 10 years since I had been diagnosed with severe depression, which explained a lot of things that had happened in my life to that point. But no-one seemed interested in my periods of mania, probably because they were so irregular & short when compared to my bouts of depression. But they put just as much pressure on my life as the lows did. But at last with the correct medications & treatments my life seems to be turning around some. I hope to be able to contribute something helpful through these forums. Cheers Lumikuningatar on "Introduce yourself" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/introduce-yourself/page/67#post-280349 Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:23:48 +0000 Lumikuningatar 280349@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ Guess I should apologise for my first introduction. I do my best to act like a Byronic hero when I'm on a downer and lo and behold the age of Gothic literature happened all over my nonsense post. Spinach88, you should be able to see a psychologist and set boundaries without a problem. At the beginning just say your piece and do not feel obligated in the future to answer questions you feel will make you uncomfortable. It doesn’t need to be scary and it essentially isn’t. A lot of people do this so your psychologist shouldn’t be offended. If the psychologist does get offended I’d be inclined to say they’re not doing their job very well and you ought to get a new one. I know in an essentially high risk time in your life the last thing you want to do is look back but I urge you to do so later when you feel that you have the time to heal. I found it a real turning point for me and believe me I fought tooth and nail to avoid it. Yes it’s a bit like sorting out your dirty laundry with an audience but it does help as long as you don’t run away and of course have a good psychologist. The past in an important part of the now even though we don’t like to think it is. The way we remember things is also important. If you have negative memories which still cause pain then they need to be addressed. Yes, very traumatic events sometimes may never be less painful but you can at least update the way you view them. This is an essential part of hypnosis in curing phobias. You look at where it began and instead of just forgetting it ever happened you work with it so the ripples aren’t so wide spreading in your life. The traumatic past you buried haphazardly is suddenly exhumed and given a proper funeral. I’m not pretending it’s not painful (because it can be) but in the long run it can help you look at your past in a different light. A child’s perspective of a set of events can be very different from an adult’s. It can be a very forgiving experience as no one should have to run away from their past. Still, just getting the ‘now’ sorted shouldn’t be a painful or traumatic experience in itself but a positive turning point. Perhaps later on you’ll want to address the past with a trusted psychologist but for the ‘now’ if you don’t want to answer you don’t need to and if you feel they’re going down a path of questions you don’t like then you simply tell them. If you feel you're being pressed or the questions are very uncomfortable then feel free to say so. I’d get any help you feel you have the time to spend getting helped with. It’s a lot harder to ask for help when you’re alone, than it is when you’re surrounded by friendly faces. That’s my two cents. Hope things are alright. spinach88 on "Introduce yourself" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/introduce-yourself/page/66#post-280007 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:11:53 +0000 spinach88 280007@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ Hello, I have never been one for forums but I have some things I would like to discuss and hear opinions about. Although, I am feeling terribly embarrassed! I have recently been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. My psychiatrist says that technically it is Bipolar I disorder - I have had severe mania and psychotic depression - however he does not like to classify, as he views mental illness as something that they do not fully understand the cause of and thus, in his opinion, it is out of the boundaries of classification and as such saying one has "bipolar disorder" is simply describing the symptoms and not the 'disease'. Looking back I think it all started when I was about 7 with my first depressive episode. This is probably the only time that I was seriously suicidal. I have worked out that so far in my 23 years of life I exist on approximately a seven year cycle for both extreme depression and mania. Depression at 7, 14, 21. Mania starting a few years later and not quite as clockwork... well you get the picture... In between those extremes I have had more minor cycling though nothing that I believe affects me in too adverse a way. I was diagnosed after coming down from a manic episode, and realising, for the first time (I feel so selfish!), that my behaviour affects the people I love. I spoke to my endocrinologist about it (I have type 1 diabetes), and he pointed out to me that what I described to him was mania and he referred me to a psychiatrist who diagnosed me. He wanted me to try lithium. However, I was near the end of completing a Master of Science and I did not want to change now that I was returning to normal. I am also terrified of getting fat (a side effect of years of dance training haha). And 5 injections a day is enough drugs for me. I struggle with the idea of preventative meds, especially when I am not rapid cycling. My psychiatrist respected my decision and I decided that once I completed my masters I would look into seeing a psychologist to work on day to day life stuff. So, I have completed my Masters and I have been accepted for PhD candidature with a top scholarship. I am so excited. The only thing that could stop me now would be an extreme episode which had quite the effect on me during my Masters. Although even minor depressive episodes are a worry, I guess. I promised myself that I would see a psychologist now. However, I'm scared. Terrified. I have been to see psychologists before and before the end of the session I have known exactly how to get out of seeing them again. I had quite the traumatic childhood, but as you may have guessed, I have moved on from that and I don't want to be forced to bring it up. I want to deal with the NOW. You know... tracking my moods, being organised, being sure of what is going on in my life... Stability! Should I even go see a psychologist? What should I say to them to be clear about how I feel. I don't want to offend them, but I want to be frank and clear. Suggestions? Sorry this was such a long post... Thanks for reading. HowardHues on "Introduce yourself" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/introduce-yourself/page/66#post-279567 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:56:22 +0000 HowardHues 279567@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ Reading all of your stories has humbled and inspired me to post after a short spell of procrastination. I was diagnosed with depression at the age of 15 when it became apparent that there was more to it than just growing pains. I'm not bipolar as such, my diagnosis has been given as severe depression with anxiety. So close on 25 years I've been having depressive episodes and been through a variety of meds. My mother died young which I am sure had deep-rooted repercussions. Feelings of loss, loneliness and abandonment. The last couple of years have been tough. Three different jobs, treated for blood poisoning and my sister-in-law dying of cancer. At the start of this year things seemed to pick up but due to a number of factors things came crashing down in June. I did my best to fight It but in July I ended up being hospitalised for the first time of my life. Was no doubt one of the scariest and upsetting things I've ever experienced. Since then I've returned to work, but life can be a real uphill struggle. It is reassuring to know from this forum that I am not alone. People are often surprised when I tell them about my condition. I have a nice house, drive a nice car, job, wide circle of friends etc but inside I am a wreck. A voice in my head tells me what a useless individual I am, that I am rubbish at everything I do, that I don't deserve the elusive happiness that I (and I imagine a fair number of us here) are on the search for. I often hide away from the world. I couldn't face going into work today so I haven't left the house. It can be really tricky connecting with the real world cant it? Maybe that's why I find it easy to talk here. Another irony is that I am involved in amdram and people say how they would be scared witless appearing on stage in front of 200 people. In my mind it isn't, being lost, alone and misunderstood is infitely more upsetting. Currrently I am on 30mg Zispin and 2mg Diazepam "on occasion". Paying for my own CBT at the moment which is a bit of a stretch but I think its worth it. I still have dark could surrounding me but talking and reading other people's stories gives me hope. IsaacAsimov on "Introduce yourself" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/introduce-yourself/page/66#post-279547 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:05:35 +0000 IsaacAsimov 279547@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ Hello. I am Isaac and I live in South Louisiana. I am a fan of Stephen Fry. I like his documentaries, comedies and debates. Lumikuningatar on "Introduce yourself" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/introduce-yourself/page/66#post-279489 Sun, 18 Dec 2011 00:46:19 +0000 Lumikuningatar 279489@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ Hello everyone. I'm someone just getting a grasp on reality though granted, not a very firm grasp. It's hard to talk about my life. It's a complex, painful affair and so is the illness which had been misdiagnosed, unproperly treated and ignored. If I were to think of all my wasted talents, all those dreams crushed to dust... I might say it has ruined my life. I might say I wish I'd been killed by my hand long ago. Still I say none of those things, at least not truly meaning it. I was young when I got ill, I can't remember happiness before but that doesn't mean I can't strive for it. Even in the darkest of pits the stars burn bright. It is true you may not hear them sing, you may not feel their rays touch your face with cool light but they are there waiting for you to rise again, to stand on true earth to smile once more. Course, when you're manic, you ARE the stars but let's not go there. I just wanted to say thank you Stephen. You were actually the inDIRECT reason for someone going down to their GP and saying 'I think there is a problem'. You did good. I'm 19 so maybe there is still some sort of hope for me yet. Zeravia on "Introduce yourself" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/introduce-yourself/page/66#post-279407 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 23:30:00 +0000 Zeravia 279407@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ I will just say that when i get nervous {more then i am at the moment} i get rather chatty and start to ramble quite a lot. My name {really doesn't matter,i hate it} is Anna Borowski {common name really, there are at least 16 others on Facebook with my name and three with my face} and i was 19 when i was diagnosed with bi-polar manic depresiveness, but i believe i have had it my whole life really. Ive been hospitalized once, for three days. and feared going back ever since. I cannot talk to anyone really about this for fear of ending up in a little white room with rubber walls drooling and starring at the ceiling. not even my father will believe this at all, so when i found this site earlier today, it was a great relief really. knowing i COULD talk to others about it. there's a tight band of anxiety across my chest now, so i suppose i will leave this introduction at that before i bore everyone with my life story... Ailsa Cameron on "Introduce yourself" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/introduce-yourself/page/66#post-278863 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:28:03 +0000 Ailsa Cameron 278863@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ Hi - I'm Ailsa and an old "friend" of Katy Sara. I've apparently been Bipolar most of my life but like many, was misdiagnosed and put on completely the wrong medication for years. Even five suicide attempts didn't alert the medical profession to the fact that I might be more than just depressive. A correct diagnosis 3 years ago saved my life. I'm now on Depakote (Sodium Divalproate) and stabilised. The upside is that I write. My first novel is due for publication in January and I'm doing my best to resist being manic. Glad to be here and looking forward to meeting others.