| There are many trends today in the
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| | coherently, in complete sentences,
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| blogosphere. From "Bitch Blogs" to having
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| | without running through the town square
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| cartoon women in your blog header, as
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| | shouting gibberish, we automatically
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| well as many others. One such "trend" as
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| | assume the person to be "sane".
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| it may be called by some is not in fact a
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| | But with the introduction of the internet
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| trend at all, but an interesting societal
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| | and blogs - people who, if you lived with
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| statement. So-called "crazy blogs",
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| | them on a daily basis, you would know
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| coming from those with mental illnesses
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| | that there is a serious mental health
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| of every variety from manic depression to
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| | problem can actually "hide" their illness
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| multiple personality disorder (MPD), seem
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| | quite well over the internet. With the
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| to be popping up all over the place. How
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| | use of the backspace key, editing, and
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| many times have you seen a blog themed
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| | re-thinking what they write, people can
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| with the blogger's own personal mental
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| | appear to be whatever they want to be on
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| disorder?
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| | the internet. And with the help of the
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| Are these people faking their illnesses
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| | right combinations of psychiatric
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| because it is the trendy thing to do? Or
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| | medications and regular therapy, the
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| is there more to these blogs than meets
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| | person can appear to be quite normal to
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| the eye?
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| | casual observers.
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| Interestingly, the National Mental Health
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| | So are these bloggers lying about their
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| Association (NMHA) reports these
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| | illness for readers, or because it is
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| statistics:
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| | "trendy" to do so? Likely not. In fact,
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| * More than 54 million Americans have a
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| | every single blogger I know who has a
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| mental disorder in any given year,
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| | mental illness and posts about it in
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| although fewer than 8 million seek
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| | their blog has a serious illness which
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| treatment (SGRMH, 1999).
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| | they and their families have to deal with
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| * Depression and anxiety disorders - the
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| | and cope with on a daily basis. Most
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| two most common mental illnesses - each
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| | likely we only know the "face" that is
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| affect 19 million American adults
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| | presented to us, and not the person
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| annually (NIMH, 1999).
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| | behind that public image. Mental illness
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| * Approximately 12 million women in the
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| | of any kind is a problem that seriously
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| United States experience depression every
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| | affects not only the person with the
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| year - roughly twice the rate of men
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| | illness, but their relatives, friends,
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| (NIMH, 1999).
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| | spouses, and community. We should be
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| * One percent of the population (more
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| | helping them and being considerate of
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| than 2.5 million Americans) has
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| | them - not judging them or excluding
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| schizophrenia (Schizophrenia Bulletin,
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| | them.
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| 1998).
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| | This entire post has been written by a
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| * Bipolar disorder, also known as
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| | diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic with
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| manic-depressive illness, affects more
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| | borderline personality disorder, PTSD and
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| than 2 million Americans (NIMH, 2000).
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| | clinical depression - all which I have
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| So it would stand to good reason that if
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| | had since I was 12 years old (except for
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| 54 million Americans have mental
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| | the schizophrenia which it's onset was at
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| illnesses, quite a few of them are going
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| | age 20. I am currently 27 years old). I
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| to be blogging about it. So if these
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| | write pretty well for being "nuts", don't
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| illnesses are real, why are people so
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| | I? Would it surprise you to know that I
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| skeptical? I personally believe that when
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| | have my own business where I make
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| a person says they have a mental illness,
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| | handmade candles and incense - so that I
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| immediately the person hearing that
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| | can earn a living but don't have to come
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| statement looks for "signs". Obviously,
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| | in contact with the public? Would it
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| when a person has a physical illness, it
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| | surprise you to know that I'm a married
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| is often noticeable to the naked eye - a
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| | woman, and my husband helps me deal as
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| broken limb, a cut or open wound, an
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| | best as he can? Would it surprise you to
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| amputation. When a person is mentally
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| | know that you see people like me all the
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| ill, often with brief meetings or over
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| | time, at the grocery store, in the bank,
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| the internet, there are no such "signs".
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| | at the restaurant? Would it surprise you
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| If we notice the person is speaking
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| | to know I have a blog...?
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