Mental health and tarot cards

[AineFoley]

A true bipolar person probably shouldn't work with tarot, IMO. I say that because they are prone to delusions.

That is not true at all!

 

[Alta]

That is not true at all!

See this follow-up post though.

http://www.tarotforum.net/showpost.php?p=2361038&postcount=41

 

[ilweran]

One person I knew who was in used to see horrible things (creatures and people) in her closet.The doctors told her it was perfectly normal, lots of people do - and she's fine today !

More sensible attitudes, that's what I like to see

The thing is, eyeDEEclaire, that no two mentally ill people are the same.

Indeed, and we have to remember that there's a spectrum from what we consider 'normal' behaviour to what we consider mental illness and this can be different in different cultures, and that peoples reactions to the same symptoms can also differ. There are those who hear voices who can use self-management techniques successfully and there are those who wouldn't consider being without their medication.

 

[gregory]

When I went back to work after my stay in the bin, an 18 y/o secretary - a lovely girl - hadn't known exactly why I was off, it seems. And someone else in the room asked if I was OK now, and I said "of course darling, I was in G**** (hospital name) - they fix everyone" - and went to strangle her. As you do...

And the poor girl said, "But people like you don't end up in G****..." - and we all turned and I said "YES, S, we do."

It changed her whole attitude, her understanding of mental illness and she now campaigns for mental health issues.

It isn't so much a stigma, or a failure in understanding as that it never actually occurs to most people that people they usually see as - well - just people - could ever actually be One Of Those Mad People They Lock Up.

So they get the idea that Mad People are a thing apart, and that they don't actually KNOW one ! (A bit like those people who used to say "but I don't KNOW anyone homosexual...")

All this is the main reason I go around cheerfully telling people I was in the bin, so they can see that normal people end up there. (Of course, whether they see me as normal - before or after I tell them - is a moot point, but that's just about me... )

 

[ilweran]

When I went back to work after my stay in the bin, an 18 y/o secretary - a lovely girl - hadn't known exactly why I was off, it seems. And someone else in the room asked if I was OK now, and I said "of course darling, I was in G**** (hospital name) - they fix everyone" - and went to strangle her. As you do...

I got stopped by an annoying religion salesman in the street once, he asked where I worked, I said for a mental health charity and his reply was 'oh, but you look normal'

I got my own back by telling him who I work for and what we do - we have a long title and have a project developing service user involvement in the development of mental health services. Other organisations we work with don't always 'get' what we do, but I felt it would be educational for him to have it explained. He failed to sell me his religion, or even to talk about it very much.

All this is the main reason I go around cheerfully telling people I was in the bin, so they can see that normal people end up there. (Of course, whether they see me as normal - before or after I tell them - is a moot point, but that's just about me... )

I'm not ashamed of my medical history, even though I know it could (and has, although I did get the job) effect job applications. People have a lot of misconceptions about mental illness and they need to realise that people can recover, or can have long periods when they're well and that the vast majority want the same things they do - which I guess is the point, we're all human regardless of any diagnosis we have.

(I also like defying expectations, nobody is ever surprised that I like tarot and I've been told I'm slightly 'odd' so that possibly covers mental health stuff, but I can always rely on astonishment when I tell people where I live because I don't fit the stereotype at all)

 

[eyeDEEclaire]

That is not true at all!

To say it is not true at all, is not true at all. I never said ALWAYS, I said prone because:

Classic bipolar disorder (or Bipolar Disorder I) is characterized by episodes of mania and episodes of depression. In a manic state, a person may have extreme euphoria or optimism, to the point of impairing judgement. They may be hyperactive and stay up all night, talk and move extremely fast, have increased sexual drive and decreased inhibition. 75% of manic episodes include delusions of some sort (most often delusions of grandeur), one of the reasons why it is sometimes confused with schizophrenia.

http://ehealthforum.com/health/topic33381.html

If you scroll about halfway down the page on this link, there are people discussing their personal stories about dealing with delusions that can effect some people with bipolar. I removed my comments about my experience because they were too personal and it didn't seem to make a difference anyway. But on this forum, many of these stories echoed what I went through, which almost undid all of the progress I had made in therapy dealing with my own delusions.

And I said "probably shouldn't" based on this and the feeling that tarot may be more harmful than helpful to a person suffering from THIS kind of manic state.

Maybe everything I've read about bipolar & delusions is wrong but I'm not just making this up on my own. I haven't researched Bipolar or delusions in a couple of years, I'm not an expert nor am I judgmental towards any kind of mental disorders. I have family members with bipolar(that don't have delusions), schizophrenia, and the list goes on.

I feel my original comment was misconstrued and I really wish people would read my other posts and try to understand where I'm coming from.*Thanks, Alta for trying to direct to one of my posts trying to clarify myself

Again, I'm sorry if anyone took offense. I'll not post on this again.

 

[Silver Crow]

I have never suffered delusions. I just have big bursts of ups and downs which are easily controlled with medication, and I've been on meds for 35 years.

The problem is, when even the most well intended person makes a blanket statement, it puts the idea into other peoples minds that we are all the same and on the whole, it hurts us all.

Like others have said, to think I shouldn't read tarot because I'm bi-polar is akin to saying I shouldn't read tarot because I am diabetic and can sometimes suffer seizures.

 

[Sophie]

I would respectfully disagree. Bi-polar has nothing to do with delusions; it is about mood. I would wonder if it was wise to read when at either extreme if I were doing it for money - but otherwise - why not ?

Psychosis is a whole different thing, but bi-polar people are NOT generally psychotic.

Many so called "normal" people are a lot madder (as in more disturbed when reading) than those of us with a psychiatric history. (yes I mean me !) The readers I find FAR more dangerous are those with an agenda - who cannot see past what they think people "should" do, and so on.

A "real reader" is one whose readings strike a chord with the sitter, who makes sense to the sitter. I don't know that it matters where their information comes from. I know people who go into trance to read. I also know people who read while watching TV. As long as the results make sense to the sitter - does it matter ?

I'd go further than that. Traditionally, diviners are often touched by what modern-day psychiatry might label as 'mental illness'. They might be on the margins of their society for that reason, which means they don't have a direct stake in the norms of that society, they are not pressured by conformity or the agendas dictated by their society. What can be a handicap in other activities is an advantage when being open to the inspiration and guidance of spirit (whether 'spirit' is viewed as one's higher self or as a guiding spirit or deity).

In my experience, bipolar people are exceptionally well attuned to spirit, although when their moods aren't balanced, they might have trouble dealing with such a gift.

 

[Chiska]

I met one person in my life who had serious issues with tarot cards. She was a paranoid szchizophrenic who had to be medicated (mostly prolixin and thorazine). She had auditory and visual hallucinations. She lived on her own and was sadly an alcoholic on top of it all. Often, she neglected to take her medication and was a danger to herself. Heartbreaking.

The cards were too much - I don't know if it was "just" the images or if was the combination of the images and the "stigma" of the cards/images. She was very religious at one point, but in her illness, religious themes, particularly the devil and manifestations of him and his demons, were prominant.

But as for bipolar = I can't understand why it would be a problem. My sister would probably just accentuate the positive then accentuate the negative, depending on her current state.

 

[irisa]

:

In my experience, bipolar people are exceptionally well attuned to spirit, although when their moods aren't balanced, they might have trouble dealing with such a gift.

And the major issue with bi-polar is exactly that lack of balance.

My friend never was inclined towards Tarot or anything esoteric and a good thing too. It's impossible and wrong imo to generalise no 2 bi-polar people will necessarily present the same symptoms it's individual and a matter of degree in the end people will do what they will do regardless of anyone else making judgements about it.

irisa