This article made me think of what I know of my family history and mental health. It’s anecdotal but I believe fits the topic of controversy.
There;s a history of mental illness on my maternal side of the family. I never knew her, but was told that when my great grandmother was in her mid to late 30’s suddenly decided she could no longer…
This article made me think of what I know of my family history and mental health. It’s anecdotal but I believe fits the topic of controversy.
There;s a history of mental illness on my maternal side of the family. I never knew her, but was told that when my great grandmother was in her mid to late 30’s suddenly decided she could no longer walk. She was a heavy set woman, which at the time, around the 1930’s, was much less common. She spent the rest of her life, for the most part, in a wheelchair. No official diagnosis. Just made a decision to never walk anywhere again.
My own mother, based on what I learned in psychology courses, could easily be diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. One pattern she has had as far back as I can remember, is anytime there has been a family event, birthdays, weddings, graduations etc. she suddenly would become faint and sick. Several occasions hauled out on a gurney into an ambulance.
Once she called me because she needed to go to the ER. She was in her 70’s at the time. I felt I had to take it seriously. I spent an entire day with her, in a hospital. They ran every test but found nothing. Later I realized she was trying to get out of attending a graduation for one of her grandchildren. After an entire day in the hospital I learned the following day she went to work and was fine. I asked if she would be attending the graduation and she very sharply said, “How can I? I’ve been sick!”
She did this either to avoid or during an event to put the focus onto her. She was slick about it though. I would witness her go from a weak and helpless waif, and as soon as it was only me present back to her normal self. I never told siblings because I believed it would make me sound like a heartless daughter or crazy etc.
Even posting about it to virtual strangers feels uncomfortable. Why and/or how would anyone believe me? It sounds crazy.
Social media seems an effective conduit for like to find like.
This article made me think of what I know of my family history and mental health. It’s anecdotal but I believe fits the topic of controversy.
There;s a history of mental illness on my maternal side of the family. I never knew her, but was told that when my great grandmother was in her mid to late 30’s suddenly decided she could no longer walk. She was a heavy set woman, which at the time, around the 1930’s, was much less common. She spent the rest of her life, for the most part, in a wheelchair. No official diagnosis. Just made a decision to never walk anywhere again.
My own mother, based on what I learned in psychology courses, could easily be diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. One pattern she has had as far back as I can remember, is anytime there has been a family event, birthdays, weddings, graduations etc. she suddenly would become faint and sick. Several occasions hauled out on a gurney into an ambulance.
Once she called me because she needed to go to the ER. She was in her 70’s at the time. I felt I had to take it seriously. I spent an entire day with her, in a hospital. They ran every test but found nothing. Later I realized she was trying to get out of attending a graduation for one of her grandchildren. After an entire day in the hospital I learned the following day she went to work and was fine. I asked if she would be attending the graduation and she very sharply said, “How can I? I’ve been sick!”
She did this either to avoid or during an event to put the focus onto her. She was slick about it though. I would witness her go from a weak and helpless waif, and as soon as it was only me present back to her normal self. I never told siblings because I believed it would make me sound like a heartless daughter or crazy etc.
Even posting about it to virtual strangers feels uncomfortable. Why and/or how would anyone believe me? It sounds crazy.
Social media seems an effective conduit for like to find like.
Not crazy. My mother and grandmother were like that. Seems pretty common, in my observation.