Mental health testimonies

The February 4th event is going to target mental health professionals in Chicago, it will involve panelists focusing on various areas of research and who will explain their own experiences documenting and increasing the research into this area. We are in the need of more testimonies. Again, this information will be kept confidential, no names will be shared. You may also send me the information via PM if you do not wish to use your personal e-mail, I am part of this organization and part of the committee planning that event.

Thanks,
buckminsterfullerene

This is a very important issue. The Dream resource center will have a live stream this Tuesday! I urge all to watch if they have the time. It will help those with problems, and those of you who aren't aware of them.

no job = no money = no social life = mental issues.

no job = no money does not necessarily equal mental health issues, but it does place people in greater susceptibility.

A site has been lunched specifically focusing on the mental health of undocumented individuals, undocuhealth.org, it includes resources, publications, and tons of information, there is also a radio program that people can phone into every Tuesday if I am not mistaken that focuses on a variety of topics dealing with undocumented youth and brings individuals that have been involved in the topic on question. It is titled UndocuHour with Sonia and Angy. I will try to find more details on how to call into this program and post it here.

Well I think mental issues can be caused even if someone has a job and a social life as buck mentioned. Personally, I don't have like serious mental issues but I do have MAJOR anger and mood swing issue mainly due to the fact that I CAN'T drive, advance, get a job in my field. I also have an issue with jealousy if that counts as a mental issue.

^^What he said............ Exactly that. Have you seen those dogs at the park.. Most of the dogs at the park are running around freely, but some dogs are on a leash.. Wanting to break free to enjoy what those other dogs are doing but couldn't? Yea thats how i feel.. Aint that abatta betch!

I suffered from extreme jealousy for a long time, and I still get jealous sometimes, but I realize it now and that enables me to cast away those feelings and replace them with something other than that feeling. I realized that living with jealousy is not being happy. So what I'm saying is that you can't help being jealous, but know that when you become jealous you should release those feelings and their emotional charge so that you can be happy.

I have anxiety when I just think about going outside... It's terrible. Then when I actually make it outside it goes away. Last night I had trouble falling asleep, too many What if's? in my life.

Well, there are plenty of different mental health issues that one can develop, and there is absolutely no general rule that they have to be genetic. The best example is PTSD and GAD, and I can bet a $100 that, if tested properly, at least 80% of DAP forum members older than 21 would be diagnosed with some form of it.

How many of you get anxious when someone asks you why you don't drive? How many of you feel worried when someone looks through your passport when you use it as a form of ID? How many of you come up with ridiculous explanations when people ask you why you are doing whatever-it-is-that-you're-doing despite having a college degree?

I know I do....

However, when one actually thinks about these questions, there are plenty of cases where an individual could be legal, hell even a US citizen (except for the foreign passport I guess) , and still be in this situation. Yet, most of us immediately relate them to our status, and the older we get the more pronounced this becomes. For me, seeing kids who are 16-18 complaining about not being able to have a DL like their friends is completely hilarious, for two reasons: a) I myself thought it was the worst thing possible when I was their age, and b) because they are still identifying it as something they WISH they could do, and not as something they are NOT ALLOWED to do. Initially, they see this as something that would make their lives better, and look at it as a step necessary to fit in and be accepted by society. Ironically enough, most of their friends hardly think about it, and in most cases they are just happy they can drive themselves.

However, as more and more things are added to the mix, and you get older , these thing tend to accumulate and you end up with a) no ID b) no car c) no real job or even a chance thereof d) fairly useless college degree e) no way to travel safely, and as we all have learnt the hard way, hundred other things. Eventually, these things start to define you, and you end up with two horrible choices: you can either lie about your status and try assume an identity and personality of somebody that simply does not exist, or be open about your status and risk being ostracized for it, and a multitude of other possible consequences such action might have. It is not different than any other form of PTSD, or even long term GAD, where the person often chooses to act as if the act did not happen in front of others, or live in a constant worry that either others will find out or that it will happen again.

Several of the main symptoms of PTSD, and GAD in general, are:
- Avoiding places, people, or thoughts that remind you of the event
- Feeling like you have no future
- Having an exaggerated response to things that startle you

Now, since in our case it is a little difficult to avoid being undocumented, 1) can be applied to a hundred different things. 3) might be certain questions, or simple statement another person makes and I think 2) pretty much speaks for itself.

hmmmm... i say lets get married ;D