sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name

[erika]

There have been many circling memes on DW, but perhaps none quite like this.

This is a circling meme for the mentally ill.

For the purposes of this circling meme, "mentally ill" means you have a diagnosed mental illness, which includes but is not limited to: bipolar disorder, any personality disorder, depression, any anxiety disorder including panic disorder, disassociative identity disorder, ADHD, schizophrenia, or various combinations of the above.

(If you see a therapist, a psychiatrist, or another medical professional for mental health symptoms, even if you don't know your diagnosis, you're also welcome. If your mental illness is in remission/in good management, you are still welcome.)

Basically, if one of the topics on your journal is your own mental illness, I want you! Comment away, with whatever information you feel is appropriate, but here's a template:

Your identity: not necessarily A/S/L (though you can feel free to put that in) but relevant information that might tell people why they should read you or would want to get to know you. Feel free to link to a sticky post.
Your diagnosis: only if you're comfortable sharing this information on a public entry. Be as specific as you like, but generalities are fine.
How many entries you typically write a week: Within a given range is fine.
Other topics you discuss on your journal: college, your children, your pets, fandom(s), boy/girl trouble, etc.
Interests / hobbies you have: knitting, making icons, programming, etc. (This may overlap with the "topics" question, that's okay!)

Feel free to skip these next few, but I find the answers interesting:
Finish this sentence: I think mentally ill people are . . .
Finish this sentence: The use of the word 'crazy' by a non-mentally ill person. . .
Anything else you'd like to share!

<em>My identity or relevant information for new readers:</em> <em>My diagnos[is/es]:</em> <em>I typically write around this many entries a week:</em> <em>Other topics I discuss on my journal: </em> <em>Interests / hobbies you have:</em> <em>I think mentally ill people are . . .</em> <em>The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . . </em> <em>Anything else to share?:</em>

(Please note that if you want
to discuss this entry with me
for any reason
PM is the best place to do that,
not on this entry.)

Comments

[erika]

My identity or relevant information for new readers: My sticky post is a great place to get to know me!

Otherwise, I typically describe myself as: cisgender female, old enough to know better but young enough not to give a fuck, monogamous bisexual unicorn (but typically heteroromantic), owner of two beagles, tragically awesome, curly hair, apatheist / aspiring Buddhist, left of left politically, clinically depressed but medicated & moving on.

I'm 25 years old and I live with my parents & younger brother.

My diagnos[is/es]:
MDD, atypical, refractory, recurrent. Dysthymia. Seasonal AD. PTSD. Panic Disorder, GAD. Probable ADHD (inattentive type). Some "Cluster B traits" of personality disorder.

I typically write around this many entries a week:
Anywhere from 1-10, although lately on the higher end of the spectrum.

Other topics I discuss on my journal:
My dogs, how boy crazy I am, dramarama going on in my life (SAVE IT FOR YO' MAMA), music with links to mp3s/videos, my friends, college.

Interests / hobbies you have:
I want to learn how to knit, but I started a year ago and remembered how to for like 3 weeks then gave up. Anyway, also programming (need to learn), improving my life & organization skills, supporting the mentally ill, volunteering, school and complaining about it, music (I'm a DJ at my local college radio station), neuroscience, health care, tea/chai, Android OS. . . probably more but I can't think of any right now. See my interest list on my profile for more!

I think mentally ill people are . . . awesome people who can make great friends if we hit it off.

The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . . bothers me if it's used in an explicitly derogatory sense.

Anything else to share?:
Yes—if you comment on this, I love you forever even if I don't end up adding you to my circle!

[lilmoka]

Want to try and see if we hit off? *bats eyelashes*

[sporky_rat]

My identity or relevant information for new readers:
I'm Sporky. I am a very small, bisexual American. I am old enough to know that age and wisdom do not always go hand in hand. I tend to go forth on lots of cheery subjects, but if someone brings up religion, football or politics I tend to go Librarian-poo. Fair warning.
My diagnos[is/es]:
Major depressive disorder and anxiety. I suspect the anxiety does nothing good for the depression.
I typically write around this many entries a week:
Depends on the week. Some weeks it's three and four entries a day, seven days a week. Some weeks it's one.
Other topics I discuss on my journal:
Doctor Who, Mandalorians, Dark Shadows, work, Dreamwidth, cooking, bicycling, physical disability, travels, the SCA, the Husbandthing....all sorts.
Interests / hobbies you have:
Knitting, spinning, bicycling, extremely old Gothic soap operas, the SCA, sewing, baking. More?
I think mentally ill people are . . .
People! Just like everyone else.
The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . .
NOT ON. Unless we're talking sarcastically about non-mentally ill people and their adventures on the Failboat of Fail that hits the Failberg.
Anything else to share?:
Not really? I'm sure something will come up and I will kick myself for not putting it in here.

[panda]

I also love sewing baking and bicycles, and am trying to learn how to knit. Friends? (this is my thread)

[lilmoka]

My identity or relevant information for new readers: Short version: female, 21, Italian, aromantic asexual, cat lover, shy and very awkward. See this entry or my profile for more random information.

My diagnos[is/es]: Generalized anxiety disorder and comorbid depression (or mixed anxiety-depressive disorder, there have been ambivalent diagnoses on this); panic disorder; social anxiety disorder. I usually just go with GAD, but that's the complete list of what I've been told by various doctors.

I typically write around this many entries a week: Eh, from one to six. It really depends. Sometimes my anxiety will prevent me from writing anything, other days I simply forget. If you don't hear from me for more than a week, I'm probably in one of my 'forever a lurker' mood.

Other topics I discuss on my journal: Cats, Dreamwidth, movies, family, poetry, fanfic, music...

Interests / hobbies you have: Knitting, creepy pasta, writing, reading, tv, comics, everything cat related (I'm a wee bit obsessed :D), memes, collecting pretty icons.

I think mentally ill people are . . . All different from each other? IDK, I'm bad at this game TT_TT

The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . . Makes me feel uncomfortable and invisible.

Anything else to share?: I like cuddles! [/random]

[panda]

I am intrigued, what is creepy pasta?

[delight]

My identity or relevant information for new readers:
Cissexual female. So vertically challenged it is sometimes its own disability. Demisexual & attached. Completely dog crazy. Extremely socially awkward, moreso online than off. Very musical. Senior in nursing school, which is controlling my life at the moment. Very liberal. Jewish. Atheist. (Yes, you can be both.) Oh right, I'm 22. And extremely bad at introducing myself.

My diagnos[is/es]:
OCD. Autism (Asperger's). GAD. Major depression. I very well might have dissociative identity disorder (my family claims interactions with a protector, but s/he does not speak to me so I don't really know). Panic disorder. ADD (no H). Seasonal affective disorder. ED-NOS, anorexic type.

I typically write around this many entries a week:
Zero. It used to be around 10. My life is crazy right now. I'm trying to get back into it.

Other topics I discuss on my journal:
Mostly school. I've been moving, but instead of writing about my new home I've just not been posting anything at all. I keep my mental health ramblings under a tight filter that I really need to update.

Interests / hobbies you have:
Taking pictures, creating characters, telling stories, reading, listening to music, making music.

I think mentally ill people are . . .
A+.

The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . . Bothers me a lot. Of course, I use it all the time to describe myself ...

Anything else to share?:
My answer to this question is always 'cute dog picture.' There's also my extremely wonderful icon, which is not photoshopped at all, I swear. But anyway. Cute dog picture.

[panda]

Hi! What kind of nursing, if I can ask?

Also, I'm Panda (this is my thread) want to be friends?

[pinesandmaples]

Non-meme comment: One of my biggest coping methods is not posting about my crazypants. Which means I am ineligible for this meme in a very funny (funny-haha, not funny-sad) sort of way.

[sporky_rat]

It's okay. I still vouch for you being awesomesauce and the like.

(I think awesome smells like pinesandmaples!

[silverhare]

My identity or relevant information for new readers:

I'm a linguistics undergraduate; I love learning about the quirks and workings of languages. I'm white, cisgendered woman, monogamous, queer, fat, happily attached. I'm twenty-four and I live by the seaside.

My diagnos[is/es]:

Generalised anxiety disorder (whereas I have found it quite specific at times...); depression; panic attacks. No specific diagnoses for PTSD but I am becoming certain I have it.

I typically write around this many entries a week:

Seven.

Other topics I discuss on my journal:

My partner, my retail job, my degree, my pet hamster, fandoms.

Interests / hobbies you have:

Linguistics, sign language, animals, probably other things but I'm really quite tired right now.

I think mentally ill people are . . .

Everywhere. I think I've met someone and that I have to be cautious about revealing things about my mental health and I keep on discovering new, mentally-ill parts to everyone.

The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . .

Depends on the context. Describing another person as crazy, ever? Not fucking ok. (I may refer to myself as 'one of the crazies' or whatever, but I am allowed to because I am me.)

Anything else to share?:

I tend to write in a personalised way about my life and experiences, and rarely write in a depersonalised way about 'issues' and whatever. If I write about something it's because it's affected me personally, not because I have an interesting and depersonalised theory on it. So if you want abstract discussions of mental health, I'm not the person to add to your reading circle.

ETA: Also, I'm a Hufflepuff, and not always as stressed as I sound right now. (It's exam season at university. Nuff said, I think.)

[panda]

I'm also a puff! and I just got done with exams, so I feel you. Friends? (my thread is here)

[panda]

hi Karen, I'm panda! (this is my thread) Want to be friends?

[panda]

My identity or relevant information for new readers: Panda, American, mid-twenties, cis-female, going back to school to try to finish a BA in English (literature). My goal is to go to grad school: considering I almost failed out of school when my anxiety was less under control, this is ambitious. I am passionate about literary analysis though; this is what I want to do with my life. At the moment my favorite book is James Joyce's Ulysses. If you think that's pretentious, we probably shouldn't add each other.

My diagnos[is/es]: depression and social anxiety disorder. Forgot to say it's not a mental illness, but I also have chronic migraines. Depression, anxiety and chronic pain are such a fun combination, as I'm sure some of you know. :|

I typically write around this many entries a week: it ranges, but lately maybe 6 per week.

Other topics I discuss on my journal: school, school, SCHOOL, books and reading, both reading and writing poetry, tarot, trying to be healthier, my pet fish

Interests / hobbies you have: when I have the spoons being crafty: I like making things by hand, especially sewing, I want to learn to knit, I'm working on developing habits of meditation and yoga, I'm dabbling in tarot, I like tennis, football(soccer) and american college football, though I tend not to talk about sports a lot in my journal, reading (obviously), writing, cooking, dicking around on the internet.

I think mentally ill people are . . . some of my closest friends.

The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . . aggravates me.

Anything else to share?: 1. My mom has terminal cancer; we don't know how much longer she has. When I talk about it in my journal I try to keep it under LJ cut so people shouldn't feel an obligation to read/comment on it if it makes them uncomfortable.

2. erika is my best friend, so if you have some problem with her, you should probably steer clear of me.

3. I take adding people to my circle quite seriously; I talk about very personal things in my journal, and I keep it under access lock, so I expect you to respect that. I don't imagine other people with MI diagnoses would understand needing to have a safe space, so I don't expect this to be a problem with this circling meme, I just figured it should be said. I also take adding someone to my circle to mean we will be active, well, acquaintances to start out with, until we get to know each other better. This means if you never comment OR never reply to my comments, I'm libel to uncircle you, fair warning.

4. if you think things like tarot and meditation are hokey etc, we probably shouldn't add each other either. I like to approach everything with skepticism but also openness and willingness to discover new things, and that informs my experimentation with tarot.

That's more disclaimers than I thought I would need. I'm a very friendly panda bear, I promise! I just wanted things to be clear. I also love hugs and chocolate and my cat, and I drink too much tea (which is a terrible lie, there's no such thing) and I would love more people in my circle, so come say hi!

[lilmoka]

Ulysses and tea, I'm hooked. Friends? :)

[thatyourefuse]

My identity or relevant information for new readers: I'm Em. 23, cisfemale, pansexual, kinky, aromantic, fannish, atheist, awkward. Very blocked writer. Perpetual community college student. (I want to teach film theory, someday, and I'm pretty sure I could knock the thesis thing out of the park if I could manage my associate's...) Veering unpredictably between completely oversharing and obsessively private.

My diagnos[is/es]: Atypical depression, generalized anxiety, non-verbal learning disorder; I haven't been formally diagnosed with ADD by anyone I trust but I'm pretty sure I have it.

I typically write around this many entries a week: I suspect it averages out to about 1/day, sometimes more, sometimes less. Lately it's been more.

Other topics I discuss on my journal: Principally fanstuff (comment for the complete list of recent obsessions).

Interests / hobbies you have: I have very little life outside of fandom. It's kind of depressing.

I think mentally ill people are . . . A lot more comprehensible than everyone else.

The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . . Bothers me less or more depending on my mood -- then again, I have been known to say things like "okay, I know from crazy, and [x] is crazy," so possibly I have some work to do in this department myself.

[elialshadowpine]

Woo fellow pansexual kinky writer person! :D

friends?

[amalnahurriyeh]

My identity or relevant information for new readers: I'm Amal; I'm a married lesbian with a kid and two cats, I'm a cranky feminist academic, and I live in Brooklyn, NY, USA.

My diagnos[is/es]: Dysthymic, though I may have just had my first major depressive episode; dysthymic is from my therapist, I don't know what my psychiatrist dx'd me with.

I typically write around this many entries a week: Only very rarely more than one a day, usually 3 a week (with a range of 1-7).

Other topics I discuss on my journal: Fandom (X-Files, Dr Who, random other things); my kid and wife; my job (the tag is "professor nahurriyeh complains"); whatever else I feel like

Interests / hobbies you have: Cross-stitch and needlepoint; writing fanfiction; gardening; cooking used to be a hobby, but now it's more of a chore, because I'm *tired*.

I think mentally ill people are . . . overrepresented in my family, for realz.

The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . . doesn't bug me if it isn't explicitly awful; but I think engaging around it is a good thing. FYI, I use it frequently to describe my own mental illness, so if that's an issue for you, you might not want to read me.

Anything else to share?: Most of my mental-illness related posts are access-locked, but I'll grant access to people from this friending meme, at least provisionally. Here's a thinky one I wrote a while back, and this is about my favorite mentally ill character in all of literature. Also, at the moment, my journal is kind of depressing, because my father just died suddenly and I'm pretty much in the thick of it.

[erika]

I am so so sorry to hear about your father. My best wishes to you and your loved ones.

[rachelmanija]

My identity or relevant information for new readers: I'm a reader, a writer, and a fan of cities, nature, and food. And, possibly most relevant, about to go back to school to become a therapist, because good therapy saved my life.

My diagnos[is/es]: PTSD and major depression. The latter seems to be gone, the former is about 90% not bothering me. However, both were active for about 20 years, so they did a lot to shape me and my life.

I typically write around this many entries a week: 5-10.

Other topics I discuss on my journal: Books, mostly.

Interests / hobbies you have: Weightlifting, reading, eating, TV: the usual.

I think mentally ill people are . . . people.

The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . . doesn't bother me so long as they're not specifically using it as a slur against mentally ill people.

ie, "Crazy people should all be locked up!" is offensive. "That manga is crazy intense!" is not offensive. And, though I expect I'm in the minority in this opinion, as far as I'm concerned, "My mother is crazy!" is not offensive, whether or not she actually is mentally ill, unless that's followed by stereotypes of or inveighing against mentally ill people.

Anything else to share?:

I posted about mental illness today, to diagnose Shakespeare's Hotspur! Click on my "ptsd" tag.

[rhivolution]

I've seen some of the book stuff you've written before, and really liked it--circling is okay?

[chomiji]

My identity or relevant information for new readers: I'm old enough to have a college-age daughter, have been married for a long time, mainly hetero, liberally Jewish, work as a Web content manager. We also have two very old bunny rabbits (11½ years old).

My diagnos[is/es]: moderate to major depression and GAD.

I typically write around this many entries a week: Anywhere from 3 to 8, but they are almost all over at my LJ (have not got around to setting up crossposting yet).

Other topics I discuss on my journal: manga, science fiction, fantasy, a bit of social justice/activism, family (mostly under lock), health topics (mostly on a special filter, so people don't have to read about it if they don't want to).

Interests / hobbies you have: See above - also, photography, tabletop roleplaying games, and writing fanfiction (and Fandom Grammar columns)

I think mentally ill people are . . . People. Including my family (my late Dad, major depression; my late Mom, bipolar and suicidal) and some dear friends.

The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . . only offends me in certain contexts.

Anything else to share?: Anyone into the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory? I'm an INFP. Also, I don't watch TV, so there are a lot of fandoms about which I just smile and nod when other people enthuse. But don't let that stop you - I like to listen to (read) people who are being happily enthusiastic.

[erika]

I'm an INFP as well!

I have subscribed to you. Feel free to return the favor if you'd like. :D

depressedish

[(Anonymous)]

I am a 20-something teacher, wife, dog owner, and generally average but somehow the black sheep of my family.

Your diagnosis: Depression.

How many entries you typically write a week: One... I'm just getting started.

Other topics you discuss on your journal: Not much else, I have a public blog for work and home stuff.

I think mentally ill people are way more common than anyone cares to admit.

The use of the word 'crazy' by a non-mentally ill person doesn't bother me... I guess I don't really even associate it with mental illness anymore.

depressedish.blogspot.com

[mercredigirl]

Well, I suppose I would be ineligible because for various social, cultural, and other reasons, I cannot (and also do not wish to, at the moment) obtain a formal diagnosis... but this meme makes me happy anyway :)

[erika]

-hugs if wanted- I'm really sorry about you not feeling included. I wanted this to be a safe space for people to come in and say "I'm mentally ill!" you know what I mean and the diagnosis line was the best I could come up with. <3

[miss_invisible]

My identity or relevant information for new readers: I'm Nyx, in my twenties, bisexual cisgendered female. I'm politically liberal, secular, a geek, and something of a loner in RL. I'm from the US but am happiest in Europe and planning to move back when life permits it. My profile has more basics.

My diagnos[is/es]: Major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. I've also got some OCD-spectrum tics going on, mostly in the form of dermatillomania, but that's mostly a footnote.

I typically write around this many entries a week: Totally depends on how I'm feeling/if I have anything to babble about. I'm not a very prolific poster, though I occasionally ramble.

Other topics I discuss on my journal: Political/social justice things that are pissing me off, occasionally, though following it too regularly is bad for my blood pressure. Mostly, though, my posts are focused on my experience of mental illness through the filter of my own daily life.

Interests / hobbies you have: Writing, singing, sewing, metalwork, forming passionate addictions to tv shows, travel, photography, languages, dance, baking, eating, figure skating, marine biology. All of which makes me sound like a much more active person than I am lately.

I think mentally ill people are . . . uh, people. Too complex to generalize in a sentence.

The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . . mostly doesn't bother me the way it does some people. I came to an awareness of its charged nature only after becoming somewhat involved in the community, so I'm currently kind of still in the process of deciding how and when I think my own use of it is appropriate. Generally I've been trying to limit my use of it to discussing myself, since it's become a shorthand for a lot of my MI-related identity.

Anything else to share?: I don't lock my posts, but they're often very personal. As long as you respect that, we'll be cool. Here, have a cute gif:

[silverhare]

Heeheehee, that gif is cute. :D

[rhivolution]

My identity or relevant information for new readers:
Here is some general stuff! In a nutshell, I'm a queer gendered and queer sexual geek from the Midwestern US, now resident in the UK. I'm a media wonk who recently finished my MA in film/tv production, but due to circumstances and the current world economy, I'm soon returning to work in the HR field. I live with my British partner in Scotland.
Politically, I'm a liberal into social justice, but I'm also a massive cynic and realist with regards to actual political change. Agnostic theist is pretty much the closest descriptor of my religious POV.

My diagnos[is/es]:
OCD (adolescent onset) and related anxiety disorder, with side dishes of ADD and depression (dysthymia? atypical depression? seasonal ad? any or all? we don't really know). Additionally, I have fatigue and short-term memory loss, likely due to long-term SSRI use--sadly, because the medication continues to work for me, we carry on.

I typically write around this many entries a week:
This really depends on how much I have to say and how much energy I have. Not usually more than seven or eight, sometimes as few as one or two.

Other topics I discuss on my journal:
Fandom: meta, fic, vidding, etc. LJ/DW-based RPing. Social justice issues. Places where those two intersect. Media geekery. My real life in bits and pieces.

Interests / hobbies you have:
Fandoms of various varieties, usually Western scifi. Film/television production. Video editing. Knitting. Cooking and eating out...I'd say foodie but I'm not that hipster. Reading waaaay too much. Ranting. Aspiring to flaneur-ness.

I think mentally ill people are . . .
...far more prevalent than people would like to think. Far more 'normal' than people would like to think.

The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . .
...is really not on.

Anything else to share?:
All I can think of right now is that I need more coffee.

[erika]

You seem awesome. Adding! (You may reciprocate or not as you feel free.)

[eggcrack]

My identity or relevant information for new readers:

Basic facts: white cisgender female, lesbian who also finds some guys very hot, animal lover who doesn't own any, an aspiring writer of fanfic and original stuff, officially a Christian but agnostic inside, pretty liberal. I'm 26 going on 27 and I live on my own in Finland. I'm prone to moodiness but can also be amusing.

My diagnos[is/es]: Depression and anxiety with somatic symptoms and OCD. My therapy sessions have revealed that I also suffer from a mental trauma, but not to PTSD extent.

I typically write around this many entries a week: Depends on how well I am, but at least once in two weeks.

Other topics I discuss on my journal: I'm pretty random by nature, but I post about LGBTQ issues, fandom, fanfic, "here's something I thought was cool", "this is something that annoyed me", "here's a link", FF7..

Interests / hobbies you have: Writing, reading, history, TV, books, comics, videogames, movies, horror, other genres, computer stuff, what's happening in the world, humans, etc.

I think mentally ill people are . . . people, persons, individuals.

The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . . is ignorant and annoying. I understand that it's a very easy word to use and I'll admit I've used it pretty liberally myself, but taking a moment to think doesn't harm anyone.

Anything else to share?: I sound like a strange robot person and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon, but I assure you I don't mean any harm by it.

[elialshadowpine]

Hey :) We seem to have a fair bit in common. Friends?

[recessional]

My identity or relevant information for new readers: I'm M. People who already have too many M's in their lives call me Recessional. On AO3 I'm lalaietha. I'm a cis biromantic demisexual woman with a cat, a family who can make a full sixpack of diagnoses, and an utter addiction to writing. I'm a pagan mystic (ish: that's the best way I have to say it); this doesn't tend to come up in my journal a lot, but it is a context, which means I tend to ask both monotheists and atheists to be respectful in my space.

My diagnos[is/es]: Major Depressive Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Aspergers, Gifted. (Yes, I interact with the latter as a diagnosis.)

I typically write around this many entries a week: Usually one to three a day unless I'm quite busy with life, at which point I'll miss a day or three.

Other topics I discuss on my journal: Writing. My job (I'm a voice teacher). My sisters being awesome. That people are being stupid again. Writing. Worldbuilding. Writing. A new writing-challenge I found. Writing.

Interests / hobbies you have: Writing. *solemn* *laughs* I'm a mezzo-soprano and I teach beginners' voice and piano. My university training was as an historian, specifically a mediaevalist (yes, I will lecture you if you use the term "Dark Ages" or "feudalism" in my hearing).

I think mentally ill people are . . . more common than they tend to think.

The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . . is something I interact with on a case-to-case basis. (I do use it in self-reference, as do many friends.)

Anything else to share?:

My amazement at how HOT P!nk can be.

[panda]

damn that first picture is hot.

[cassowary]

My identity or relevant information for new readers:
A cassowary is the third largest bird in the world, is semi-carnivorous and puts people in mind of velociraptors. Cassowary is a feminist cis lesbian epileptic gamer with a yen for fantasy novels, shoujo manga, and LARPing. I'm a college student who lives at home when classes are not in session, in a not entirely healthy family environment.
My diagnos[is/es]:
Major depression, some species of anxiety disorder, epilepsy, and possibly ADD (my psychiatrist is still thinking that last one over.)
I typically write around this many entries a week:
At the moment, zero, because I'm still finding my feet on dreamwidth. I expect that number to pick up at some point soon, though.
Other topics I discuss on my journal:
In theory: gaming (tabletop, LARP and video,) school drama, what I'm reading, the odd piece of music, feminist theory, disability theory. In theory...
Interests / hobbies you have:
Live Action Role Playing, tabletop games such as D+D, webcomics, western comics, manga, rpg's, survival horror games, tvtropes, inadequate usage of capitals, meticulously keeping a five year old laptop running as smoothly as possible
I think mentally ill people are . . .
people, full stop.
The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . .
makes me somewhat uncomfortable, and rather angry.
Anything else to share?:
I fully intend to learn Klingon at some point. I also write fic as skybluecassowary on Archive of Our Own.

[branchandroot]

*grins* That all sounds interesting. *goes to offer access*

[branchandroot]

My identity or relevant information for new readers: Branch: mostly cisgendered white woman, poly bisexual, academic, feminist, writer, teacher, gardener, ex-dancer.

My diagnos[is/es]: PTSD and MPD, depression and anxiety often show up in my case notes but it's been quite a while since either was my primary diagnosis.

I typically write around this many entries a week: Anywhere from two to twenty, depending on the week.

Other topics I discuss on my journal: Daily life, my teaching, the anime I'm watching or manga I'm reading, the book/author that has pissed me off lately, the agonies of web-design (especially inventive curses placed upon the platform I'm wrestling with), my cats, home improvement projects (often also accompanied by curses). Mental health comes up infrequently, at least not directly. There are subscription filters for most of this.

Interests / hobbies you have: Gardening. Writing.

I think mentally ill people are . . . just like anyone else, only dealing with some particular Thing in their lives. Like owning an elephant, only different.

The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . . doesn't generally bug me unless it's used as that annoyingly blanket pejorative, or a way to dismiss someone/thing.

Anything else to share?: I'm quite fannish, but I also like good discussions outside that. Theory, politics, recipes, cat pictures, all that good stuff. Also, I hate the medical profession with an undying passion, and the insurance companies even worse.

[lilmoka]

You sound like a very interesting person. Circle? :)

[springheel_jack]

Maybe "fandom, diagnosis, and cause" are the new A/S/L.

I'm not really a fan, though, so that lets me out of one of them.

Diagnoses: generalized anxiety disorder, dysthymia, major depression. Also a sleep disorder. What fun! (But those are just some facts about me in a huge range of others. Here's another: I can't sing.) These conditions are managed - I am not acutely ill at the moment, thank God - but not as well managed as I would like.

I post about psych stuff probably on the order of once a week. Much of that is under friends-lock, or circle access list, or whatever DW calls it - but you're welcome to friend me or add me to your circle and I will probably add you back with access so that will be no problem.

I post about all subjects a couple times a day, I'd say. I have a twin journal on LJ under the same name to which I simulpost from here.

I rant about politics a fair bit, too, and most of what I say is pretty well to the political left, so there's that.

I talk about philosophy and culture. I did a dime in grad school for that.

Lately though I find I'm less and less interested in that super-abstract stuff and I'm more interested in understanding concrete things around me that I have so far neglected to really understand, like nature, machines, and so on -- so I post things I see birds do, things plants do, things my car does, things things do when I'm cooking them in a thing, and so on.

__________
Prompts:

The use of "crazy" by a non-mentally-ill person (are there any such, really?) does not trouble me in the slightest. Your mileage may vary.

"I think mentally ill people are" doesn't have any interesting non-tautological predicates that I can think of.

[erika]

I found your journal really interesting when I went over there so I circled you. Hope you don't mind, and feel free to reciprocate or not as you see fit!

[megpie71]

My identity or relevant information for new readers: I'm forty, cis- female, fat, Australian, white, and intelligent. Three out of my four grandparents were economic migrants to this country from England, the fourth was the child of economic migrants from England. Also, three out of my four grandparents survived past ninety; one of them was institutionalised for depression, and of the other three, two had depressive episodes in their past. Both of my parents have depression.

My diagnos[is/es]: Chronic endogenous depression, with concurrent anxiety heterodyning things along. See the short family history above - given this, it's more surprising my younger brother doesn't have chronic depression.

I typically write around this many entries a week: So far, for the whole of 2011, I've done 11 entries. When I do write, it tends to be verbose. However, if I read your stuff, I'll generally comment much more frequently than I'll write my own.

Other topics I discuss on my journal: Australian politics; console games; mass media; various household topics; where I'm at personally; "I aten't dead" posts.

Interests / hobbies you have: Reading, writing, gaming, knitting, crochet, cooking.

I think mentally ill people are . . . much the same as everyone else, but with a few interesting wrinkles here and there in the way we look at the world.

The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . . had better be in conjunction with the words "quilt" or "paving", or as a description of antique porcelain or sun-damaged plastic. And even then, I'll be asking them to use the correct adjectival version, "crazed".

Anything else to share?: I hang out in a few other places around the web, and I always use the same nick'. I'm picky about spelling and grammar. I write fanfiction (guess which fandom from the icon), although I have more of it stored up on the hard drive than I've published so far. I dislike making phone calls.

[amireal]

My identity or relevant information for new readers:

I'm a 29 year old cis gendered, female bisexually with trust issues involving intimacy. I'm currently in year 3 of recovery from what I call my quarter life crisis which was really a long slide downhill from around my doctors and I are pretty safe with saying, puberty.

I'm 90% through school for my career change from something I could get through on my worst days to something that I actually enjoy doing, esthetician.

My diagnos[is/es]:

The official ones are GAD and Severe Depressive Disorder both of which are either rooted in or exacerbated by Fibro Mialgya, it's hard to tell with his chicken and egg.

I typically write around this many entries a week:

I'm currently down to less than one, but I'm also 3 weeks out from finals and taking a lot of extra classes. I'll probably bounce back to between 1 and 5 after I graduate.

Other topics I discuss on my journal:

My cat, my writing, my recovery which I consider an ongoing and never finishing process and slash.

Interests / hobbies you have:

Most of my hobbies revolve around skin care and makeup, it's still early enough in my career that I don't risk getting sick of it yet, I'm just reveling in the longest run of not being bored in my entire life.

I think mentally ill people are . . .

often stigmatized, badly characterized and all around thought badly of by the general population. I'm open with the fact that I'm in therapy and on drugs as my small effort to work against this.

The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . .

too easy to use and too uncomfortable to think about why it's offensive. I'm not too terribly happy with its use by a mentally ill person, mostly because it *is* bandied around to easily.

Anything else to share?:

Er. I don't wear all black anymore and it's confusing me? *G*

[silverhare]

I'm open with the fact that I'm in therapy and on drugs as my small effort to work against this.
That's really courageous. And it shouldn't be, and that's exactly why you're doing it, but still. It is. I try my best with classmates to be open about my health, but keep it guarded in work situations in case they fire me or something. [/anxiety disorder]

I'm going to subscribe to your journal. :)

[smw]

My identity or relevant information for new readers: I go by S or SMW. I'm a college student, a fiction writer, a tea drinker, and an occasional hermit. I'm not visibly fannish though I enjoy fannish enthusiasm and productions.

My diagnos[is/es]: New and tender, yet, which is why there is little discussion of mental illness on my journal; that will come later, I'm sure, because it's quite a large portion of my life. Bipolar and OCD are the most visible. Also, Aspergers.

I typically write around this many entries a week: I've been keeping up a good clip of at least four a week the past month, but my habits before that were spotty. All the same I hope to keep up this new pace – it's certainly much more fun!

Other topics I discuss on my journal: Writing, prose, writing, tea, food, informal book reviews, writing. Occasional informal life stuff. But mostly writing. By the by, a good portion of my characters are mentally ill in one way or another, and that's something I would like to open up a dialogue about in my journal.

Interests / hobbies you have: Writ— *hit with a brick* I exercise quite devotedly and have a keen interest in human and animal rights. I have more folklore books than anything else. I swear I'll be a professor of English or Literature or related someday.

I think mentally ill people are . . . my people.

The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . . evokes no particular emotional reaction unless used in an explicitly derogatory manner.

Anything else to share?: ... also writing. I mean, uh, I'm friendliest when contacted via AIM at smwwrites, because live time doesn't give my shyness room to kick in.

[elialshadowpine]

Oooh, tea. Tea tea tea. Mmm. >_>

I think mental illness is one subject I haven't really tackled in writing. It's in my list, but I'm still dealing with my own mental illness -- my diagnoses have been fairly recent. I would LOVE to see works that don't treat mentally ill people as automatically violent or dangerous, which is an all-too-common and harmful portrayal.

Also, my IM contact info is on my profile if you like to chat :)

[elialshadowpine]

My identity or relevant information for new readers: I'm Nonny. I'm 26 years old and a cisgendered female disabled polyamorous pansexual kinky non-theistic pagan feminist childfree weird writer gamer goth chick. I think that covers most of it, though I might have forgotten a label or two. I'm married and have a live-in boyfriend, several long distance kinda sorta girlfriends, and I have six cats. I'm involved in social justice communities, although I consider myself fairly moderate on that scale; as far as average American society goes, I'm a dirty socialist. :)

I should note my profile is three or so years out of date, if you go to check it out.

My diagnos[is/es]: I have either bipolar type II or cyclothymia. My psych says I'm a borderline case and really isn't sure which, but treatment options are the same, regardless. For simplicity's sake, I refer to myself as bipolar II, since hardly anyone has heard of cyclothymia. I also have generalized anxiety disorder and ADD inattentive type. I also have PMDD (pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder) which is a hormonal condition that often gets lumped in with psychiatric.

Perhaps not totally relevant, but I also have several physical diagnoses. I have rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, PCOS, and various other things.

I typically write around this many entries a week: It depends on the week. Usually anywhere from 1-10. If I'm hypomanic, I journal more. If I'm depressive, you might not hear from me for awhile.

Other topics I discuss on my journal: I have a filtering system set up, so folks should see my top-level post and let me know what they want to read. I talk about my health, mental illness, writing, feminism, fat acceptance, World of Warcraft, other gaming, various things that annoy me, politics (not heavily but I'll link things that either please me or make me angry and talk about them), RP (usually with my WoW characters), sex/bdsm (any explicit detail is behind the filter but some of my fictional works are bdsm oriented so I mention this), GBLT issues, family issues, childfree issues, paganism. Books.

Interests / hobbies you have: Uhm. I think I talked about most of them above. >_>

I think mentally ill people are . . . Awesome!

The use of the word crazy by a non-mentally ill person . . . It doesn't really bother me. I understand why it bothers people, but I personally feel that it's crossed more into slang vs. being an actual medical diagnosis. I feel trying to change that one is a losing battle, and it's just one I don't care enough about to fight. (Absolutely not saying that anyone else should feel this way, this is just how I feel.)

I tend to agree with the above person who said that saying things like "Crazy people should be..." is offensive but "that's crazy awesome!" is not.

I will mention that while I try to avoid the usage of such words and phrases in common communities, I am a bit more lax in my personal journal and so I do use some of these words. Just fair warning.

Anything else to share?: I don't think so! Hope to meet new people. :)

[smw]

Hello! We seem to have several shared interests. I'm always happy to have more writers in my circle, particularly, and I'm currently working through disability-related stuff so I'm trying to find some touchstones for that. My thread is here. I hope you don't mind my subscribing!