Mental Health: 10 million Thai sufferers and one million have Bipolar

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand's DPM and Health Minister was guest of honor at the event in which he said that it was important to raise awareness of mental health issues in general and bipolar in particular.

Considering 99% of Bi-polar sufferers are going untreated I'm surprised he showed his face.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, cyril sneer said:

figures sound very rounded up

They should be.... and treated.

[connda]

11 million out of 70 million.  No wonder so many Thais go from zero to murder over next to nothing.  Wow!

 

[KannikaP]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Most have bipolar symptoms between the ages of 15 and 19 followed by 20 to 24. 

Somebody explain please.

[rumak]

Just now, KannikaP said:

Somebody explain please.

 

I will get back to you on that .   Have to ask my other self ....

 

Edited April 1, 2021 by rumak

[bkk6060]

24 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Somebody explain please.

The majority of those showing the symptoms are between the ages of 15 to 19.

The next group showing symptoms are age 20 to 24.

[Yorkshire Tea]

 

 

Edited April 1, 2021 by Yorkshire Tea

[Airalee]

For all those making fun of people suffering from a mental health issue in Thailand perhaps you should read up on the statistics of your own countries.

 

17% of Americans take a psychotropic drug

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/1-in-6-americans-takes-a-psychiatric-drug/

17% of British take anti-depressants. (2017)

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prescribed-medicines-review-report/prescribed-medicines-review-summary

27,000,000 prescriptions written for anti-depressants in Australia (39,000,000 total mental health related prescriptions) (2018)

 

https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mental-health-services/mental-health-services-in-australia/report-contents/mental-health-related-prescriptions/prescriptions

 

Need I go on?

 

It would be nice on the other hand, if there wasn’t such a stigma associated with seeking treatment here in Thailand, so that people could get help if they need it.

 

 

 

Edited April 1, 2021 by Airalee

[ThailandRyan]

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Wonder how many of those are men with fragile egos ?

Ouch, that hit the nail on the head.  Good job Mr. Coleman. ????

[rumak]

8 minutes ago, Airalee said:

For all those making fun of people suffering from a mental health issue in Thailand perhaps you should read up on the statistics of your own countries.

 

17% of Americans take a psychotropic drug

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/1-in-6-americans-takes-a-psychiatric-drug/

17% of British take anti-depressants. (2017)

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prescribed-medicines-review-report/prescribed-medicines-review-summary

27,000,000 prescriptions written for anti-depressants in Australia (39,000,000 total mental health related prescriptions) (2018)

 

https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mental-health-services/mental-health-services-in-australia/report-contents/mental-health-related-prescriptions/prescriptions

 

Need I go on?

 

It would be nice on the other hand, if there wasn’t such a stigma associated with seeking treatment here in Thailand, so that people could get help if they need it.

 

 

 

 

There are many subjects that possibly are not nice to make jokes about .  I like to think that because of my bipolar tendencies ...... precisely.... I am able to see both sides of things more clearly.

Mental health is of course a serious subject.   So , IMO,  is physical health !  I make that point on here from time to time. 

My other "pole"  reminds me that life should not be taken too seriously, as so many seem to do.   That said i do have boundaries which are my personal ones.....

Oh, my other other pole would like me to add that because soooo many in this world seem so obviously nuts,   I am becoming more and more of a recluse.

Edited April 1, 2021 by rumak

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, Airalee said:

17% of Americans take a psychotropic drug

 

And I wonder what percent of young Thais take YaBa or similar.

[Mr Derek]

Everyone's bipolar to some extent. I'm sure there are genuine, extreme cases but mainly it's just a put-on. A good slap would cure it, like it does in the old movies. Indulgence will make it worse. Tell people they are ill in some way and they'll believe it. Soon everyone will soon think they have 'special needs'. Of course, the pharma industry and the doctors who are in their pockets want everyone to believe it's an illness so they can keep pushing their useless pills. Neurosis is rapidly making the world unlivable and will bring about the demise of the species sooner than anyone expected. I'm quite serious.

[Airalee]

30 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

And I wonder what percent of young Thais take YaBa or similar.

No idea but I’m sure that self medication runs rampant here both amongst Thais and Farangs.

[Donga]

31 minutes ago, Airalee said:

No idea but I’m sure that self medication runs rampant here both amongst Thais and Farangs.

 

Agree, and find a lot of weird posts on this topic. Doubt whether these folk understand mental illness, particularly bipolar. Terms like "screw loose" and evidence on TV is quite bizarre.

Mental illness is complicated, but real nonetheless. Very often alcohol and/or drug addiction comes with the territory. While it can be crippling - with the right treatment, support and monitoring - many people can lead normal and sometimes highly functioning lives, e.g. Winston Churchill and many in music, theatre and the arts.

I've also heard, but not competent to gauge, that Thailand has some decent mental facilities and I know Chiang Mai is one of the world hubs for rehabilitation centres - treating many farang from around the world for addiction - often with dual diagnosis, i.e. mental health problems. Better than gaol where many end up.

The Thai figures don't surprise me at all and probably mirror most countries these days. And Mr Derek above,  as far as "A good slap would cure it, like it does in the old movies. Indulgence will make it worse. Tell people they are ill in some way and they'll believe it." Sorry, but you're very wide of the mark.

Though do agree the western world is becoming more neurotic by the day, which is why many of us choose to live in "crazy" Thailand - go figure ???? ????
 

Edited April 1, 2021 by Donga

[trainman34014]

According to a lot of people in Neighbouring countries Thailand is seen as the Mental Institution of Asia !

[bangon04]

If 1 million Bipolar tourists arrived in Thailand, the TAT could count them as 2 million arrivals........

[faraday]

2 hours ago, Mr Derek said:

I'm sure there are genuine, extreme cases but mainly it's just a put-on. A good slap would cure it, like it does in the old movies.

 

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

 

 

[Albert Zweistein]

I am not surprised in a country like this.

[Albert Zweistein]

6 hours ago, Mr Derek said:

Everyone's bipolar to some extent. I'm sure there are genuine, extreme cases but mainly it's just a put-on. A good slap would cure it, like it does in the old movies. Indulgence will make it worse. Tell people they are ill in some way and they'll believe it. Soon everyone will soon think they have 'special needs'. Of course, the pharma industry and the doctors who are in their pockets want everyone to believe it's an illness so they can keep pushing their useless pills. Neurosis is rapidly making the world unlivable and will bring about the demise of the species sooner than anyone expected. I'm quite serious.

My late wife was bipolar from 1988 untill she died in 2015  and been in psychiatric institutions about 15 times, all by court order so I consider my self quite experienced in this matter. All I can say about your story is that you don't know what you're talking about to keep it polite.

[sirineou]

17 hours ago, webfact said:

One million of those have bipolar disorder but many don't know it.

Thailand has 70 million people, do they mean to say that one in seventy people in Thailand is poplar? 

That would be 1.5% 

I looked it up, and in the US and Europe it is a little less than 1%, , so statistically the 1.5% sounds kind of high. 

[daveAustin]

Well said Airalee and Parker.

And, yes, most of the world is sick (the supposed professional psych on this thread is in cloud cuckoo land) since our crappy monetary stress-inducing societies bring it on. The throwaway 'man-up' tat (Derek, really?) is so babyboomer generation... you know, that bunch that never had to fight a proper war, had all the cheap land and great pensions and robbed their kids? ????

 

Sorry, chaps, but you're a bunch of tossers in your comments on the plight of Thais in particular. A lot of suffering going on in your adopted land; culture fosters it for sure, but why not get out there and see if you can assuage some of that angst? 

[Farmerkev]

Treatment paracetamol, the wonder drug 

[Farmerkev]

Sarcasm

[ThailandRyan]

3 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Well said Airalee and Parker.

And, yes, most of the world is sick (the supposed professional psych on this thread is in cloud cuckoo land) since our crappy monetary stress-inducing societies bring it on. The throwaway 'man-up' tat (Derek, really?) is so babyboomer generation... you know, that bunch that never had to fight a proper war, had all the cheap land and great pensions and robbed their kids? ????

 

Sorry, chaps, but you're a bunch of tossers in your comments on the plight of Thais in particular. A lot of suffering going on in your adopted land; culture fosters it for sure, but why not get out there and see if you can assuage some of that angst? 

To put yourself into the middle of a situation involving someone who is having an episode in regards to their mental illness is a very risky issue unless you know what your doing.  On top of that when you add in the immediate family who has requested help, that family person may swap sides in an instant and become aggressive towards your actions if they feel you are not helping in the way they see it.  I have been in those situations where I have been attacked not only by the person I was trying to assist but by a family member themselves. There are many different types of mental illness and some people can have several of them.  Autism, Bi-polar, Schizophrenia are just a few.  The most common mental illnesses are anxiety and depressive disorders. While everyone experiences strong feelings of tension, anxiety, or sadness at times, a mental illness is present when these feelings become so disturbing and overwhelming that people have great difficulty coping with day-to-day activities, such as work, enjoying leisure time, and maintaining relationships.  Additionally, mental illnesses that may involve psychosis. These include schizophrenia and bipolar mood disorder. People experiencing an acute episode of psychosis lose touch with reality and perceive their world differently from what is considered normal. Their ability to make sense of thoughts, feelings, and the world around them is seriously affected.  A psychotic episode may involve delusions, such as false beliefs of persecution, guilt, or grandeur. It may involve hallucinations, where the person sees, hears, smells, or tastes things that are not there.  Psychotic episodes can be threatening and confusing to other people. Such behavior is difficult to understand for people who are not familiar with it.

 

I would be very careful inserting oneself into a situation where they do not understand what is happening, so your comment about "why not get out there and see if you can assuage some of that angst?" is ill advised.
  

[Mr Derek]

8 hours ago, Albert Zweistein said:

My late wife was bipolar from 1988 untill she died in 2015  and been in psychiatric institutions about 15 times, all by court order so I consider my self quite experienced in this matter. All I can say about your story is that you don't know what you're talking about to keep it polite.

My own wife was 'bipolar' - it wrecked our marriage. I am 'bipolar' to some extent but I manage it by self-awareness and self-discipline (yes, those boomer things). I also have psychological training (albeit in the 80s). I view things with scientific objectivity rather than through the distorting lens of emotion and the modern histrionics of victim-reinforcement. I am well qualified to comment, and I don't ask for politeness.

 

Suffice to say it is not an illness but a conditioned response. For a classic case study of the so-callled 'bipolar' personality, see Vivien Leigh who basically threw a life-long tantrum because her husband, Laurence Olivier, was gay and she couldn't understand why he was emotionally distant.

 

Edited April 2, 2021 by Mr Derek

[Albert Zweistein]

14 hours ago, Mr Derek said:

My own wife was 'bipolar' - it wrecked our marriage. I am 'bipolar' to some extent but I manage it by self-awareness and self-discipline (yes, those boomer things). I also have psychological training (albeit in the 80s). I view things with scientific objectivity rather than through the distorting lens of emotion and the modern histrionics of victim-reinforcement. I am well qualified to comment, and I don't ask for politeness.

 

Suffice to say it is not an illness but a conditioned response. For a classic case study of the so-callled 'bipolar' personality, see Vivien Leigh who basically threw a life-long tantrum because her husband, Laurence Olivier, was gay and she couldn't understand why he was emotionally distant.

 

"It wrecked our marriage " so the good slap didn't cure it ?

[faraday]

18 hours ago, Mr Derek said:

Suffice to say it is not an illness but a conditioned response.

 You really, do not know, what you are talking about.

 

This isn't the 19th Century.

[impulse]

Given that alcoholism and anti-social behavior are considered mental health issues, what's that number for expats? 

 

50%, or higher?

Edited April 2, 2021 by impulse

[sirineou]

14 minutes ago, impulse said:

Given that alcoholism and anti-social behavior are considered mental health issues, what's that number for expats? 

 

50%, or higher?

Why so low?

[simon43]

On 4/1/2021 at 9:45 PM, faraday said:

 

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

 

 

Well, having 'suffered' with an extremely bipolar Thai wife, I'd say there is some truth in his comments.  When her crazy behaviour finally broke our marriage, I refused to act on my emotions any longer, and completely ignored her weird actions.  How surprising that she suddenly stopped being bipolar when I was around.... Her new western boyfriend was at his wit's end trying to deal with her mental illness, whereas she was now no longer mentally ill when I was around...

 

In any case, I take the (perhaps harsh) view that any illness - mental or physical - needs to be considered in the context of evolution theory, that a species grows stronger with the natural removal of the weakest of it's species.  

Edited April 2, 2021 by simon43