Virginia, the tributes to your nephew must be heartbreaking even though of course you're proud of his stellar achievements. There's just no fairness in the way things happen, is there? Some people are lucky enough to live long lives but others just get a tragically short time among the living.
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Last edited by agate; 01-08-2025, 08:09 AM.SPMS diagnosed 1980. Avonex 2001-2004. Copaxone 2006-2009. Glatopa (glatiramer acetate = Copaxone) 12/20 - 3/19/24. -
It is nice and I am so glad he was so loved. I wouldn't change that but there is a heartbreak that comes all over again. There was a long article, written by the PGA, that was posted by my niece on Facebook. There were pictures of the celebration of life for him. The golfers and my family along with the golf Commissioner were lined up along the beach. They will be wearing pins all week with his initials. Today a friend sent 3 links to U-tube pieces about it. This afternoon, I turned the TV on the golf channel (I had been watching the Calif fires). Sure enough, in just a short time I saw a fairly lengthy interview with my brother and sister-in-law.
I can't imagine what else is going on that I haven't seen. They are trying to get the word out, as much as possible, about the foundation that was launched Monday. That is a good thing. They are patterning a lot of it after notes they found of his that he wrote in 2021. He wanted to set up a foundation to help people who wanted help but did not have the financial means to get the help. My brother and his family and a couple of people who were close to my nephew are trying to carry out his wishes. They are working tirelessly, along with grieving, to bring his wishes to fruition. My SIL and Grayson's sister have already taken some college courses on setting up a non-profit foundation. The members of the board are all in Hawaii so they will be doing some brainstorming on what they want to do.VirginiaComment
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That is such a good idea! The unavailability of adequate help for troubled people is a huge problem, I think. I've heard that in some states just about anyone can hang out a shingle advertising themselves as a therapist or counselor, offering low-cost counseling, and often they are doing more harm than good. Desperate people consult them and trust them. Insurance coverage can be minimal, and there are vast numbers of uninsured people who are struggling with mental health issues.He wanted to set up a foundation to help people who wanted help but did not have the financial means to get the help. My brother and his family and a couple of people who were close to my nephew are trying to carry out his wishes. They are working tirelessly, along with grieving, to bring his wishes to fruition.SPMS diagnosed 1980. Avonex 2001-2004. Copaxone 2006-2009. Glatopa (glatiramer acetate = Copaxone) 12/20 - 3/19/24.Comment
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A book by someone I interact with on blue sky.
Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...Yet inside there is this perpetual nagging doubt;
the feeling we are possessed by a 'subtle lack of togetherness''.Comment
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Sounds like an interesting and useful book, Tim. It's hard to think of psychiatry as a science even though the DSM acts as if it is one. It was good to see an article suggesting that that "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual" isn't so scientific after all.
I know that psychiatry and psychology can be very helpful and can save lives. But so often there are practitioners of it who aren't being helpful and who are even making things worse. People looking for help should proceed with a lot of caution.
SPMS diagnosed 1980. Avonex 2001-2004. Copaxone 2006-2009. Glatopa (glatiramer acetate = Copaxone) 12/20 - 3/19/24.Comment
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Psychiatry isn't perfect,but for all its shortcomings it's better than the alternative promoted by antipsychiatry.Yet inside there is this perpetual nagging doubt;
the feeling we are possessed by a 'subtle lack of togetherness''.Comment
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So often I think some are definitely in it for what they can get out of it at the moment and then they move into another field. I have a cousin who is a psychiatrist. He went into psychiatry when he got out of medical school. He decided that was what he wanted to do because for one reason there was very little overhead setting up an office. It isn't like you have to buy all the equipment and there isn't the heavy financial upkeep that you have in other specialities. He is retired now.
I do not have any contact with him. I had contact with his mother who was my aunt until her death. I decided long ago from things she told me that I would not want him to be my doctor. I didn't tell my aunt but I felt a lot of things he said and did were non caring things. His sister, who I did remain in contact with until the last several months, kept telling me things he would say to her about why my nephew took his life. Now, just to make it clear he had never seen or met my nephew, and had only seen his father (my brother) twice in the last 15 or 20 years. Once when my brother and I went to his brother's funeral and again when our aunt died. Yet, he could diagnose something that he had no knowledge about.
His mother, my aunt and his brother who died were not like that. His brother was very caring.VirginiaComment
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Virginia, your psychiatrist cousin's comments sound really irresponsible and unprofessional to me but apparently it's not an occupation that does any serious monitoring of its members. How much monitoring can there be in situations where there are one-on-one conversations where strict confidentiality is observed? So there will be those who make snap diagnoses based on no direct contact with the person being diagnosed. There seems to be no way to put an end to this kind of thing. Offering ideas about why your nephew took his own life without ever having even met him--that's potentially harmful.Originally posted by Virginia View Post
Interesting that some psychiatrists go into that field because setting up an office is less expensive than other branches of medicine, where costly equipment must be bought. I had heard that some choose psychiatry because they can't stand the sight of blood.
Tim, what is the alternative promoted by antipsychiatry? It's been years since I followed that movement at all but back in the late 1970s I was aware that they were campaigning against electroshock therapy and against some of the antipsychotic drugs but at the time I didn't know that they were offering any alternatives.SPMS diagnosed 1980. Avonex 2001-2004. Copaxone 2006-2009. Glatopa (glatiramer acetate = Copaxone) 12/20 - 3/19/24.Comment
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The antipsychiatry movement advocates for several alternatives to psychiatric medication, emphasizing a more holistic and person-centered approach to mental health. Some of the alternatives championed by this movement include:
1. **Talking Therapies**: These include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and other forms of counseling that help individuals explore and manage their thoughts and emotions.
2. **Arts and Creative Therapies**: Activities like painting, music, drama, and creative writing can provide therapeutic outlets for expressing feelings and coping with symptoms.
3. **Ecotherapy**: Engaging in outdoor activities, such as gardening or conservation projects, can have a positive impact on mental well-being.
4. **Complementary and Alternative Therapies**: Practices like yoga, mindfulness, massage, aromatherapy, and acupuncture are used to support mental health holistically.
5. **Peer Support**: Connecting with others who have similar experiences can provide valuable emotional support and understanding.
These alternatives can be used alongside or instead of medication, depending on individual preferences and needs. It's always important to consult with a healthcare professional before making any changes to treatment plans.
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Agate, this is just my view of him, having listened to others. So, I could be terribly wrong. He has practiced in Chapel Hill, NC all these many years. He had hospital privileges at both UNC and Duke. His home was located so that he could get to either of the hospitals without too much trouble. He has an excellent reputation in the medical community in both Chapel Hill and Durham.
Still, I felt that way for many years. His sister has nothing but according to her he doesn't help her. Also, I remember when my Aunt, in her 80s, fell and broke her arm. It was a very bad break. My cousin put in a call to him. It was before cellphones, but he had a pager and had to answer his calls because of patients. He was at the beach and didn't call until Sunday evening at his regular time. He called once a week on Sunday evenings.
I will say that she fell another time and broke her shoulder. He didn't go running there, but about week or 10 days later he went and held her head over the side of the bed and washed and dried her hair. I was glad he did that. He only lived about 45 minutes from her. Her other son had died and my aunt was in her 90s. His sister lived with her and took care of her, but she couldn't do that. He also did show emotion when his brother died. My two brothers who live close to me and I went to visitation for his brother. I could tell he was fighting back tears. So maybe I have the wrong impression but I still feel he is not overall a warm person.VirginiaComment
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The most dangerous,and ignorant, are those who regard psychosis as a 'spiritual awakening'. There's eff all 'spiritual' about a floridly psychotic, very vulnerable, unmedicated woman being being sexually abused by a total b*st*rd of a man.Yet inside there is this perpetual nagging doubt;
the feeling we are possessed by a 'subtle lack of togetherness''.Comment
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Tim, of the treatments on your list, I would think that only a "talking therapy" might possibly have an effect, and that would be only if done by a responsible and highly qualified psychiatrist and it might take years. Unfortunately I understand that many insurance plans don't cover that much therapy. And many psychiatrists just want to whip off a couple of prescriptions and send the patient away until a refill is needed, or else lock the person up, maybe indefinitely.
Every time we hear about someone going berserk somewhere, that is another instance where someone was troubled and hurting but nobody noticed it, or those who noticed it weren't doing what should have been done. Of course it's sometimes impossible to know what should have been done but more should have been done than was done, obviously.
There are surely people who just can't be reached. Whatever demons are troubling them just aren't treatable. That is so very sad.SPMS diagnosed 1980. Avonex 2001-2004. Copaxone 2006-2009. Glatopa (glatiramer acetate = Copaxone) 12/20 - 3/19/24.Comment
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I agree with you.Originally posted by clouds z View PostYet inside there is this perpetual nagging doubt;
the feeling we are possessed by a 'subtle lack of togetherness''.Comment
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I guess I should apologize for being too negative?
The thing is, it's just not a pretty picture as I see it. I see troubled people who seem very lost and alone, far more of them now than decades ago, when the world was a less populated place, a much simpler and slower-paced environment. And there just isn't much help for those lost people.
I'll shut up with the negativity now.SPMS diagnosed 1980. Avonex 2001-2004. Copaxone 2006-2009. Glatopa (glatiramer acetate = Copaxone) 12/20 - 3/19/24.Comment
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Hello everyone.
I don't have a thing to say, but I'm pretty good at babbling. It's COLD here in Missouri and it's going to get a lot colder tomorrow and Monday. I do not like winter at all. I spent so many years in North Dakota and it got very cold there. A few days ago we had a bad ice storm followed by lots of snow. That was really terrible, so this cold snap, with no snow, isn't as bad.
I hope everybody is warm enough and not having too much cold.
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