HEALTH COACH - The journey of a family in a mental health crisis

HEALTH COACH - 
 The journey of a family in a mental health crisis  



 

Like most of us, Mark Lukach thought that mental illness would never be part of his own life, nor would he touch the lives of those he loves. But for the past seven years, Lukach and his wife Giulia, who have been diagnosed with major depression with psychosis and possibly bipolar disorder, have come a whole new world.



This is a world where the role of the husband has often been relegated to that of caregivers, and where the role of the bride has often been redefined to that of the patient. It is also a world in which frightening illusions, hospitalizations, ongoing treatments and many medications sometimes overshadow the joy of a love story that began in college.



But Mark, Giulia and their son Jonas, who has 5 years in a few weeks, have also created a world in which unconditional love plays such an important role as good medical care.



     

(19459023)

  
 From darkness to light: journey of a family through a mental health crisis 

 Play Video
-  6:59 



  
 From darkness to light: journey of a family through a mental health crisis 

 Play Video
-  6:59 














"People with mental illness deserve dignity, respect and acceptance," said Lukach, high school history teacher and author of the paper, "My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward."



There is no doubt that medicine has made tremendous progress in the treatment of mental illnesses. The company has also come a long way in its own understanding of how mental illness affects patients and those who love them.



Dr. Jennifer Payne, a notorious researcher and clinician who heads the Women 's Mood Disorders Clinic at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, said today that medicine and society still have the means to " Go.



 Everyone seems to have some experience of mental illness, either personally, or with a loved one, friend or colleague. Is it possible that mental illness is even more common than the statistics show? 



 Payne:  This is a difficult question because the statistics we use are based on interviews and people meeting certain criteria. But what is clear, is that psychiatric illnesses are very common, much more common than most people actually think. But many people do not recognize its prevalence because, in reality, we do not yet talk much, and that is true if you live in a big city or a small town.



 CONNECTION: Depression is the main cause of illness: 6 subtle signs not to ignore 



 But there has been no sea change in terms of stigma? 



 Payne:  I have been involved in mental health for 20 years, and yes, there has been more acceptance and more of a reduction in stigma. But it is too little acceptance and too much stigma.



 Have you seen the stigma firsthand? 



Of course, professionally, but even personally. My daughter needs a hospitalization for psychosis, and fortunately she is doing very well and attends college. When she demanded hospital treatment, I brought her to Johns Hopkins, and I remember a few people telling me that I was brave to do it. The message was that I was brave to do it because that 's where I work and people know me.



I remember thinking that the word "brave" was an interesting choice of words. No one would have said that I was brave if she had cancer or appendicitis. They would have said that, of course, I was looking for a cure for her at Johns Hopkins.



The fact is that mental health disorders, problems that affect the mind, should not be considered differently from diseases that affect the body. We are not there yet, but once that happens, then the stigma will not be reduced again.



     



  
 # 13 Reasons why "should be removed from the air, asks the psychiatrist 

 Play Video
-  4:56 



  
 # 13 Reasons why "should be removed from the air, asks the psychiatrist 

 Play Video
-  4:56 




 










 Should people be defined by their specific diagnosis? Are labels useful or harmful? 



 Payne:  Everyone is more than his disease, so nobody should ever be defined by a diagnosis, a label.



But the labels are useful to us, the psychiatrist and the patient. If anyone has bipolar disorder, I can tell this patient that we will approach the treatment differently than if it was a major depression.



However, one of the problems is that labels are also making their entry into the common vernacular and, unfortunately, popular culture does not distinguish between some of the troubles and hardships that each of us experiences each Day in relation to mental illness.



How many times have you heard someone say they went "all the TOC", or they are depressed about an exam or have anxiety about " 39 a bad day at work? These are situations, not diseases. Sometimes the use of terms thus diminishes the reality, the actual struggles and loss of function that people suffer from mental illnesses.



 How can people with mental illness describe their condition in others? Is it better to say, I am bipolar, for example? Or is it better to say nothing at all? 



 Payne:  This is quite a personal choice but I firmly believe that until everyone is as honest and direct about psychiatric illness as about cardiovascular disease, Stigma will still exist.



I would never try to force anyone to talk about their illness, but psychiatric illnesses are very real and patients struggle to live well, just like patients suffering from any other medical condition. It is important to hear their stories.



 CONNECTION: More than shyness: what it seems to have a social anxiety 



 It would be important to be selective as to who you say it to, is not it? 



 Payne:  Of course. Nobody runs with a group of strangers and says that I suffer from diabetes. The same would be true for those who suffer from depression or bipolar disorder. We all need support.



People totally accept when someone says "I have diabetes, and even if I really want this piece of cake, I can not have it right now."



For a person with depression to say, "I have depression, but I get a treatment that works and I feel good," could help reduce stigma and reduce shame.



   TODAY 
 Giulia Lukach, Mark and their son. "Mental illness is just a part of who someone is," Mark said today. "When we learned the disease for the first time, I actually thought it was a different Giulia. What is the weakness of this thought? Just because it is a state of mind that I can not relate to and that I have never known, does not entail Less Giulia. She is always the woman I love and I love her all. "




 What is the most important thing that people should know about mental illness? 



 Payne:  Mental illnesses are serious and can cause death. These are brain diseases and they are treatable, just like any other disease. They should not be rejected as constituted.



They must not be considered as a defect of character. Mental illness is not the fault of anyone.



 CONNECTION: Eric Danes' series The Last Ship & # 39; Stops filming while fighting star fighting 



 Where are we now in the treatment of mental illness? Where are we going to be in 20 years? 



 Payne:  Psychiatry is part of an art, part of a science.



Science is increasing and we have learned a lot, but one aspect of being a good psychiatrist is the intestinal instinct and recognition patterns. We know that some medications work well for certain groups of people, but if these drugs work in a specific individual, this is a kind of experience.



In 20 years, I hope a more individualized treatment.



At present, what we call depression is probably a multitude of different diseases. We do not know all the broken parts. I want us to get to the point where we can say that you have a depression of this particular type and that is how we will treat it according to your biology. This is where we need to be.



We must be able to repair all broken parts.

Comments

Post a Comment