Like a psychotic episode. Well that's what i'd call it. Since posting this people have referred to scizophrenia as a complex disorder where i would call it a complex condition. But there is an old song that goes "to see what condition my condition was in" and after 15 years of it i'm quite capable of monitering myself. I have researched my condition extensively. This is what people need to be shown how to do and the services are severly lacking. I've worked proffessionally with mental health patients since being diagnosed and it is education that is lacking. But if "they" (who are they anyway? The wizards?) don't even know what the medication does...........

Check it out... the doctors, the drug companies... none of them know how or why it works, not really. There is no way of knowing when or if you'd decompensate. Sort of like heart disease.

I have dated a lot of mentally ill people, every one has neglected to inform me of their condition prior to me observing them clean the kitchen at 2:00AM, with a toothbrush. These of course were BiPolar women and as in all things you can only stand what you can stand until you can't stand it anymore. None of them were really working on their own recovery, none had WRAP plans, some actually took their medication which made them zombies (did I every tell you the time I date a blind date with a multiple personality disorder? She had the old Thorizine Shuffle going on there, TD and a variety of EPS and I laid into the guy who set me up with her). If you can manage to be together long enough for some feelings to arise then of course you would support a loved one through a decomp, but when they medicate with vodka and street and have that its you and the whole world that is crazy not me, or decomping is as regular as her menstral cycle, then there is only so much you can stand. I would clearly recommend not dating a woman with PTSD, that woman was the craziest.

I would not at all be put off as long as they are doing what they are supposed to do it to maintain stability. If not I could not deal with it. I already carried the world on my shoulder once. But support and understanding goes along way. I have diabetes and sometimes I may seem ' out of it" so yes a relationship takes time and patience...

good luck to you

I feel that unfortunately the response to this questions has completely to do with each individuals exprience with people who have illnesses. I myself would probably be thorwn for a bit of a loop as I have had bad experiences with people who have schizophrenia specifically. I don't know that it would be a deal breaker but I can't say for sure that it wouldn't. That I think would have to do with your own actions and how you deal with it.

RUN

Professional help is the key, unfortunately some people resist it for thier own reasons.

wow...a great topic,I myself was diagnosed with PTSD as well as mood swings a few years ago and have struggled with depression my entire life and then ended being married to someone with bipolar and other complex mental disorders so I don't think it would be a deal breaker for me.With that said there are so many misconceptions out there about PTSD and mental illness that alot of "normal" people dont understand and tend to be put off.but yes with the right medication these conditions can be managed quite well.

Well I'm the mom of a bipolar kid so I'm used to it

Date someone with a mental illness

That's tough for me...

Would have to know upfront

What it was
How severe
How past relationships were etc

It would be a little hard for me

I'm fine with it right up until the axe murdering part

then I have to take a pass

I think it depends upon how the illness manifests itself. I am a bit biased, possibly, because I am trying to break away from someone who is mentally ill but his illness manifested in unprovoked attacks, death threats, suicide threats, verbal assaults,,etc. I have a serious wall up about ever going through that again. When we met, he told me about his illness and I felt it wouldnt make a difference. In our case,, boy did I end up being wrong. I have children, and for me, I just couldnt take that chance again. Although I could definitely care about and befriend a person with such a condition.

Nope, couldn't do it. I raised one and I can't, won't do it anymore.
Selfish? Maybe. My turn!

After suffering a complete breakdown when I was 23 yrs old and 2 mo pregnant with my 4th child and having a stepson that is bipolar, I myself couldn't enter into a relationship with someone with those problems.. I have enough to handle keeping my own head above water.. I have suffered from depression off and on since being a teenager and know now how to control it but I take it one day at a time.. Winter is the hardest time for me. I have found that I need lots of sunshine. There have only been a couple of incidents when I have had to go on medication again, like losing my husband and mom close together..Put unlike a lot of people who go into denial, I know to get myself to the dr and get some meds for a short time...

In my own ignorance of the condition I would probably over-react, or ask too many questions. I personally wouldn't be able to cope with it because I would need to be educated in what the condition was about. Fear of the unknown is the worst. But, if a person takes a relationship slow, and does the right thing right off... to be become FRIENDS before jumping in the sack and engaging all life hormones, etc... Friends are more understanding than one-night-stander-shallow-people...

I personally couldn't handle it... but that's just me.

Actually...

...after thinking about this for a few minutes...

It would be MUCH healthier for you to pose this question to your health care provider and not here in an open public forum where you stand the chance at being openly mistreated.

I might wonder why you seem to find a need to ask this question here in the forums. It seems a sneaky way to punish yourself...

my 2 cents...

Sorry... after reading just that much, I am asking myself "why does this guy make his selections from this common type of people?"

I was just going to post this and saw that you did. Well put! I deal with depression, I Don't struggle with depression...big difference. I deal with it and it not me....
As already put, everyone has something and a mental illness is no different than something like diabeties, ect..a person cant help what hand they are dealt, but can control the help they seek for themselves.

That really depends on the mental illness. I have a family member that has a blood disorder and is manic depressive. For loved ones, at least the manic type of illness can be harder to deal with then a drug addition in the family.

I could'nt expose my existing family to that willingly, knowing first hand the things we had to go through in the past.

It would be a turn-off. I've dealt with it, and won't go through it again.

And I disagree, Earthy. If one is serious about having kids, then knowing that schitzophrenia is genetic is a big thing. For me, that works with many things, not just mental illnesses or genetic issues. I'd want to know if that person had an STD as well.

to me, it would not be a deal breaker.