Not being taken seriously by family/carers

[Eden1919]

sorry to start another thread. but i was wondering if anyone else does not get taken seriously by their family or carers because they have a mental illness? No one ever took my feelings seriously while i was growing up and always said they were not valid because i had something wrong with me and therefore it was ok for my sister to tease and upset me relentlessly without any consequences. even now when i say i feel a certain way because of something it is not treated as important because i am "just being sensetive because i am mentally ill" and it is like i was banned from having/ expressing my feelings because they were not valid. even my doctors and professionals didnt take my feelings seriously so whenever i had a concern it was ignored and people were allowed to hurt me because i just had to get used to it. did this sort of thing happen to anyone else? 

[Appleblossom]

It is sad when family dynamics get of whack. @Eden1919 

I have seen that type of thing, and always believed that both parties needed to be addressed, and not much gained by labelling one with mi and letting the other off ... I dont like that at all. Its tricky tho ... I am not in the shoes of your mother/parent/sister

[greenpea]

@Eden1919 @Appleblossom  Hi Eden1919 and Appleblossom. I have exactly the opposite problem people take me way to seriously. It is like where does the mi end and personality begin or is it all interwoven into one big mess like a ball of yarn. I just don't know anymore and don't try to figure it all out as it does my head in. greenpeaxx

[BryanaCamp]

hi @Eden1919 my sister doesn't take me seriously, it's like my opinions are worthless. Even my opinions about MI, she ignores them. It's unfuriating. Our brother had a psychosis recently and instead of listening to me & my experience of MI and what treatments I thought would be best for him and what his needs would likely be she dismissed everything I said. SHe instead sought the advice of a freind psychiatrist & then told me what he'd said as if to inform me of the thruth. It's just one of those things that I have to let go becasue apart from that my relationship with my sister is good.

[Eden1919]

@Appleblossom  yes both parties should be taken into account. 

@greenpea  well that is a difficult thing to deal with, i have only had mental health professionals take me too seriously and it was very annoying anything i did to them was because of mental health and not because of me. glad i dont see them anymore.

@BryanaCamp  how frustrating for you. it really hurts when people dont take your opinions seriously. 

I think for me the clincher is when they say my feelings are invalid. how on earth can a feeling be invalid sure maybe the facts that led you to it might be wrong but that doesnt mean the feeling is. 

[Appleblossom]

@Eden1919 

What you say about your feelings sounds mature to me.  I am learning more how to express feelings now that I am much older.  Its huge area. Feelings.

I am realising there simply have mot been many care givers in my life, so mainly I got on with what I thought I had to do.  

Take Care Bella

[BryanaCamp]

totally with you on the invalidation @Eden1919 it's the worst, most infuriating thing in the world for me. I had a psychotherapist who constantly invalidated my feelings & did CBT on me instead, it was like being beaten up.

[Eden1919]

@BryanaCamp  yes it does have a similar feeling to being punched but like and emotional punch. when people use your mental illness to invalidate you to me it feels like gaslighting if i am honest it makes you doubt yourself and then makes you feel awful and less than others. it really is a horrible experience and i am sorry you have also had to suffer. 

[BryanaCamp]

thanks @Eden1919 it's nice to meet someone who gets it. it's validating!

how's uni going, are you managing to get any sleep this weekend?

[Eden1919]

@BryanaCamp  uni is not going well and i am not sleeping well either. it is nice to talk with people who get it.