Knowledge, Beliefs and Health
Interview 34 (Female, age 39, depression).
The patient who has already had 3 bouts of depression since 1998 and even attempted to commit a suicide seems to inadequately assess her health condition and describe such symptoms of her depression as desperation, unstability, nausea and panic. She believes she cannot control her fiery temper at some moments and she needs to put the anger she gets somewhere starting screaming, breaking the cups or shouting. Her basic health beliefs and attitudes are expressed in the second part of the interview where she is talking about the suicide as a normal and acceptable way to remove oneself from the problems. However, the patient also contradicts herself saying that she does not feel it would solve the issues afterwards. Self-contradiction is also a symptom of her deep depression and starting perceiving the entire world and people differently. She considers it to be marvelous to have a friend who supports her ideas about suicide, but she hates normal people including children laughing with their dog and cat. As for the role of self-efficacy, she thinks her condition and temper cannot be mastered without taking the medications, she also does not explicitly state her goals in fighting the depression and is not committed to them. Description of her depression bouts and reflection on suicide prove that her actions are chaotically moved and propelled by the emotional flow. The woman does not do anything in her life to start controlling that fiery temper and communicating with positive healthy people. Absence of faith in her own abilities, dwelling on personal mistakes and negative consequences of depression serve as an evidence of rather low sense of self-efficacy. Such social-behavioral issue as inappropriate reaction to normal life circumstances has been raised in the interview, because the woman got really angry when some kids were laughing at their pets outside. She starts using negative and rude lexis to describe those kids and this fact provides a proof of difficulties with interpersonal relationships, general feeling of unhappiness. This person positions herself as an outsider in the society and evaluates the stopping Exefor (medicine) as a terrible mistake. She cannot imagine herself without it anymore. She describes her condition without medication as frightening, followed by panic and nausea.
Interview 31 (Male, age 55, manic episode)
The interviewee suffered a manic episode in 2000 and at that time he was a ‘wokaholic, his life was out of control, but he felt he needed professional help and therefore, faced his health problems and started using creativity and communication to help his recovery. The patient has also suffered a depression, but unlike the previously discussed person he considers depression to be a source of new opportunities and chance to change one’s life. He did not attempt to commit a suicide, because he found another solution to overcome his health problems including creative and social activities. He believes that support and understanding of other people being aware of his difficult condition are the most helpful ways to overcome the problem. As for the self-efficacy, this man has a heightened sense of it, because he believes that he can master his emotional state, develops interest in various activities, demonstrates a strong sense of commitment to the set goals in his life. Moreover, he now has a new partner and friends who do not criticize but understand him and these are the signs of his being an adequately motivated and self-conscious person. Other social-behavioral issues are raised in the interview including his reflection on the Internet as an effective tool to access data about medical treatment and additional opinions about depression and mania. He also mentioned the case of the boxer Frank Bruno labelled “bonkers” by the Sun editorial after he had been taken to a psychiatric hospital. He thinks that similar expressions about people with mental problems are unacceptable in our society. This fact proves that the interviewee adequately assesses his mental disorder and is very erudite with regard to modern social attitudes and perceptions of such people. He considers such cases to be acts of discrimination and people should follow some basic ethical rules od tolerance, correctness and respect. As for the medication, the patient does not even name a certain kind of pills and seems to be quite critical about taking anything doctors prescribe. His talk about the usefulness of Internet sources supports this attitude and he also avoided medication, but found help at a mental health ‘drop in’ center.
