Mental Health & Psychosis Lived Experience Ambassador.
Here I share my real-life, raw experiences as someone who lives with bipolar type 1, has experienced two episodes of psychosis and was sectioned both times.
Note: I'm here to share not only the positives but also the challenges. I want to provide you with the tools I use to maintain stability and wellness.
If you like it, please subscribe and comment on my videos so we can learn about complex mental health conditions and grow together. 💪
Hey mate, I’m not now no. Recently, I managed to reduce all meds to zero. I was on Olanzipene (anti-psychotic) and Depakote (mood stabiliser) for a good few years. Are you taking any medication at all?
@@itsmikemcdonnell no i was on antidepressant escitalopram and a benzo ativan and when i came off it it caused psychosis and akathisia as well as a bunch of other stuff. Its been 40 months now since i initially had the "discontinuation syndrome" from stopping the medications. Im doing a lot better than before but still not what i was like before the meds.
@@itsmikemcdonnell no i was on antidepressant escitalopram and a benzo ativan and when i came off it it caused psychosis and akathisia as well as a bunch of other stuff. Its been 40 months now since i initially had the "discontinuation syndrome" from stopping the medications.
@@Saraligaard Yay! Thank you for your feedback 😀 Even if we get just one more person, I’ll make it happen. It would be incredible to see the community grow and see people improving with the help of others 💚🙌
I was watching a video showing the controversy of the CEO of Scentbird, and funny enough, this video was recommended. Thank you so much for sharing, I had psychosis back in 2020... I hope to never go back again.
@@itsmikemcdonnell it's worth a watch, as I feel like her behaviours ticked many boxes of psychosis, yet undiagnosed/untreated. penguinz0 posted about this as well, but the other RU-vidr is more neutral about the whole thing: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tGu2gKE520Y.htmlsi=aAfBmIcU0-RIPbqM
@@Archferumphis That’s a fantastic idea! However, unfortunately I deleted the Instagram account which removes all of the stories archives 😬 shame really. Thank you for the recommendation though, please let me know if you have any others 🙏
Hey Emma, Firstly, thank you for sharing your experiences. Psychosis is both difficult for us and our friends and relatives. Although it’s hard to stay positive, it’s important that we understand how powerful the human body and our brain is at healing. I can’t comment on what you’re currently going through, as only you truly know what life feels like to you. Have you received any form of treatment? You’re not alone and I’m here to help where possible 💚
Thank you for sharing this. As someone who suffers from bipolar, I agree with most everything you said, though it's obvious everyone experiences psychosis differently. For instance, I never thought of myself as Jesus Christ, but something more along the lines of "someone doomed to be an example for humanity." As if I would one day be put on a mass trial (think Amber Heard, but long before the trial ever occurred or was even a thought); or that people from the future had specialized technology and can see me in real-time from 2254, and that they were judging me. It would get so bad that I didn't want to function. I take medication now and have been in therapy for years. I'm really OK, honestly, despite what my fictional RU-vid character portrays. (Really, Dan Cowman is just an act.) I'd love to see you cover how the media creates exaggerations regarding these illnesses. For example, I consider Billy Chenowith from Six Feet Under to be wayyyyy over the top, though I've certainly met people like him (they're rare and need serious, serious help). Keep up the good work! I look forward to hearing more from you.
You’re very welcome! And thank you so much for commenting and sharing your story. I’d love to create a video on how media exaggerates people with conditions like we do, but I don’t watch much mainstream media. Do you have any examples I could use? Maybe I could do a montage video and give my thoughts on these 🙌
RU-vid is one of the best creative ways to overcome depression. The mere fact of having people watching your videos with us engaging in the comments, makes a huge difference. Its a sense of release and contribution to the world. Well done champ and Keep going 🚀
The most important thing in any hobby is enjoying it, I think. Otherwise burnout will catch up to you sooner or later. Great to see you found a topic you both enjoy talking about and can provide valuable insight.
Respect you talking so openly about this. I've never had psychosis but have family members who do so it's very insightful to learn about. I think the part that scares me most is that when you fall into psychosis you might not even notice it or realize that it's happening. Makes me wonder how many people have it but don't even know they have it.
@@MatrixEvolution17 Thanks so much for your comment 🫡 Completely agree on your point. Also makes it very hard to diagnose, hence why it’s my mission to spread as much awareness of the condition as possible!
Love it Mike, keep pushing! You're doing amazing. I've always looked at starting a channel (...or, in my case, websites) to be like walking alone through the desert for a long time without knowing where you're going, but believing in your journey. You just have to remember that all the steps (hard work) over time will get you where you want to be as long as you keep pressing one foot in front of the next, day after day, and don't let yourself ever get discouraged by a perceived (<---keyword) lack of progress (numbers, subscribers, revenue, etc). Before you know it, you've made a ton of progress and the results and wins start flooding in.
Really appreciate that mate 🙌 great piece of advice! Let’s prove that consistency pays off in the long run 💪 Also, I build websites for a living!!! We should definitely have a chat. Is that what you want to get into?
I am currently dealing with my wife that had a psychotic episode. We are still in a recovery phase. It’s been rough and going on 3 weeks. Her reality is totally different from mine. She lost all her rights and was admitted to a mental hospital. It killed me knowing she was there. Luckily I was able to speak with the judge at her hearing and was able to get her back. I can say the following with absolute certainty. If you choose to help a loved one who has a psychotic episode, be prepared. It is a 24 hour operation. I was lucky enough to get disability from my job. With that being said, it’s completely devastating for me and our children. You are dealing with someone who isn’t their self. The false memories were probably the most painful. The paranoia of someone coming to take them away was bad as well. As we are going through the recovery, the anger coming from her is probably the hardest. It is so had to hold back due to the fact that it’s hard to have a loved one be so mean. The lack of sleep, the loss of their personal IQ, it’s extremely difficult. I would not have it any other way. Between me and her mom and her family, we are doing everything we can to support her. Be warned, if you decide to take a loved one through the healing process, it’s a long hard road. It’s a road I am still on and hopefully we will see the end soon.
Hey 👋 I wanted to thank you for leaving a comment and express how much courage and strength you’re giving to support your wife in this awfully difficult time. I too was extremely aggressive to my family, it felt like an emotional release all at once and I said some very nasty things. But, we’re now closer than ever. Family therapy helped us a lot, so during her recovery I’d recommend that. I wish you both all the best and I’m here if you need any further support or advice. Mike
Awesome! I wanna go to Alton Towers and Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Which is better? Did you hear Universal Studios is going to build a theme park in UK as well!
Isn't it crazy how many of us seem to have similar experiences? I'd love to know more about your day-to-day thoughts and others who've been through episodes like this.
it’s very comforting to know im not alone in such an experience although i would say that episode of mania was very enlightening to me personally and mainly very euphoric. i suffer from cptsd on top of bipolar and i personally suspect i have borderline as well and recently have been struggling with a pretty intense bout of derealization. ive experience dp/dr for over a decade but the past week has been particularly scary and bordering on delusion (at moments im thoroughly convinced that no one and nothing around me is real and im completely alone). makes it very hard to feel true connection with people. i appreciate you opening up and being vulnerable with this video. hearing others describe things very very similar to what ive been through does serve as a really big comfort that maybe im not alone after all. thank you for sharing your experiences with us and letting me open up here!!
@@arabellarain5186 That’s amazing of you to have the courage to share what you’re currently going through. I wish you the best in your journey and health. I’m always here via comments when you need to talk and can find more contact details on my website. I don’t know about you, but I think there’s a real shortage of lived experience ambassadors online. Would you agree? I’m thinking about creating an online community/channel which brings us all together to support each other. Do you think that’s a good or bad idea? Thanks again for your comments 💚
@@itsmikemcdonnell thank you, its really been weighing on me and its such a relief to just get it out there. i think thats a wonderful idea and id personally love to be a part of that!!! there is a real lack of community with mental health issues like this and it would be so cathartic for many people i believe to have a place where they can be vulnerable and open up about mental health and such. thank you again, i really appreciate ur kindness and support <3
@@arabellarain5186 Don't worry; I'll make this my mission to create. Sorry for the questions, but do you think I should make it specifically for those who have experienced mania or open it up to anyone with mental health difficulties? I'm just conscious of it being too loose. My initial thoughts are a low-cost slack, say $5-$10 monthly. The small membership fee to negate spammers and re-invest in our community. I'm open to any suggestions you have!
Time and again, the lowest points in our lives end up spurring the change we never knew we needed and/or could actually successfully undergo. I keep a coin on my desk, front: "the obstacle is the way." Rear: "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."
it changed my life certainly for the better. without a bottom, there is a good chance i wouldnt have changed my behaviors to lead me to change my life. i would not go to school and major in psychology. there is no way i would be as stoked about life as what i am with out such a terrible time and dealing with more pain than what i likely will ever again.
Hey, That’s wonderful to hear. There is a lot to be said through those who keep battling through the toughest of times. You deserve all the happiness which comes your way after having that strength to get where you are now. Well done you 👏
Good video to talk about the positives of psychosis. I found it hard to find anything positive for myself at first. If it wasn't for psychosis, I never would have gotten a correct diagnosis. I then would have suffered longer, so a silver lining.
😱😳 YESSSSS!!!!! Legend! Let’s go 🙌💪💪💪💪 Please stay in contact, I’m backing you the whole way. You’ve got this. Each day and week which passes gets just a fraction easier. Anything you need, reach out 🙌
Seek Jesus Christ man! He’s truly the answer to all of the things that you’re looking for. Purpose, fulfillment, peace, joy. I’m telling you Jesus gave me all of these things you’re looking for man. I promise you I’m not a weirdo, I’m just a person who has truly experienced the true love and grace of God through Jesus Christ!! When I was at my lowest and called on Him in faith & believed that He died for my sins and could give me all the things you listed and I put my trust in Him with my life. And from that day on I’ve had peace. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 ESV Life still has its ups and downs but the peace that He gave me the day I trusted Him has always remained. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27 ESV
@@itsmikemcdonnell No, no they do not. 🙃 😅 Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean nobody's after you. 😅 Nice try FBI! Not today CIA! 🤐😶😶🌫 It's all paranoid conspiracy theory psychoses skizo posting... r... right? 😅🥲 I'm gonna go have a nice relaxing smoke on the back patio. 🚬 Cannabis helps calm my crazies down. 🤪 YMMV though. 😜
Thank you for making this video. My partner is currently experiencing the same thing, and I’m trying to understand psychosis in any way I can so I can support him. Would love to hear about your recovery journey and what you do now to take care of yourself.
You’re very welcome and thank you for your feedback. I wish you and him the best in his recovery 💚 Stay calm and by him always and everything will be okay. Those videos are on their way, I do a whole load of things now so there’s a lot to pass on to you. All the best, Mike
56 days?! Here in the US they're in a race to kick you out. (Like waiters hurrying you through your meal to clear the table for another diner.) They don't like holding people longer than a week.
The way you put it: gradual elevation of energy that (like highly caffeinated and cocaine) overstimulated; heightened awareness; confidence... These are textbook "mania" signs too! Add in talking fast, not sleeping, and shaking like a crackhead chihuahua. It's so bizarre to hear somebody describe something I experience SO thoroughly and with the perfect words. The way it sneaks and builds is like smoke; it trickles in unnoticed at first, and by the time it's noticed, it's usually by a consequence and not the issue itself - with smoke, one smells smoke before they see it, and by then it's already filling a room and a fire is raging; and then psychosis is noticed when the behavior is so odd that it impacts others, but the real issue is what's causing the psychosis. Sorry I'm rambling! o((>ω< ))o
kudos to you for sharing and being so open. there's still such a stigma, so you being willing to help normalise these experiences but just as importantly, simply be honest, is so powerful.
I don't think there was anything wrong with you. You didn't need pathologising or institutionalizing. You needed a shaman to breakdown what you were going through
Wow! Thank you for this! We need more raw and honest videos out there, so well done for braving it. Having struggled with my own mental health for almost 3 decades (PTSD from childhood trauma, depression and anxiety, eating disorders), I’ve seen the harsh stigma attached to it and in recent years seen it more normalised. I’m currently studying towards a psychology degree because I want to find ways to help people suffering with their mental health, where the system fails them. I would be interested in your book too! Thanks, Kaye x
This sounds like a much more theraputic experience than what I went through at a psych ward... We weren't allowed phones, games, music; nothing. We were locked out of the bedrooms from 9 in the morning till beditme (7 pm), so we had to sit around in the hallways and common rooms all day, every day. Like you said, there was a wide variety of people with different mental illnesses, but in my ward it often got violent- lots of screaming, smashing of landline phones, objects thrown, etc. We had the usual vital checkups before bedtime, but one night past 3 in the morning, I woke up to getting my blood drawn! Crazy stuff. It sounds like mental health care is much better in the UK than where I live! I'm glad that you seemed to have a generally positive experience, best wishes and keep it up!
My parents threatened to have me sectioned when i first started having severe panic attacks and i was petrified of being sent to a psychiatric hospital and having no control over anything, the scariest thing I could imagine was being alone having such bad attacks in a place where I knew no one. Even though they would have known how to care for me I'm so glad I didn't end up being sent there bc it would have been so distressing to have been there against my will. Wish videos like this had been around at the time ❤
Thanks so much for your comment Nicola! I can imagine it would be petrifying, especially when we’re all so unaware of what it’s like inside. I'm so glad you found this useful 🙏
I think the staff of such hospitals want to 'help' by abusing the patient so badly that he wants to go back to his abusive family. Bc at least at home you can lock yourself in the bathroom. It's better to stay quiet and not seek help bc there's only more abuse waiting for the vaulnerable.
Brilliant video to spread awareness Mike. I wish there had of been more videos like the ones about your experience when I was suffering psychosis and the extremely tough path of navigating bipolar. Your openess and honesty will really help give people the courage to speak out and seek the help they need, as well as their friends and loved ones to spot the signs. Keep doing your thing bro!
