February 7, 2010

Should these people be Internet Cops?

Almost five years ago, we published an article entitled "Is the perverted-justice jury biased?". In the article, we provided a list of quotes from postings written by the members and staff at perverted-justice.com. The purpose of the article was to raise awareness regarding issues of drug use and the psychological and mental stability issues prevalent among the volunteers at perverted-justice who were acting as self-appointed cops, judges and juries of those they targeted.

It has always been our firm belief that anyone involved in any pursuit that has the potential to have a lasting negative impact on someone else's life must be held to a higher standard of accountability and trustworthiness. Police undergo rigorous psychological testing, training and continuous counselling to ensure they are fit for the duties we, as citizens, request of them. Drug use is not tolerated, and thorough, professional treatment and counselling is mandatory for those who find themselves in need. Under such circumstances, a police officer would certainly be temporarily suspended from duties that required trust and pubic confidence.

As with the article five years ago, the point of this article is not to "show how crazy PJers are" or anything of the sort. Our intention is not to mock or identify anyone who suffers from mental disorders or who has suffered abuse. We are very much aware that many people who have been diagnosed with mental illness or have suffered abuse go on to lead productive, fulfilling lives. Rather, the point of this article is to ask the question:

"Given the circumstances, is it likely that these people, people who could potentially ruin someone's life, have the ability to make fair, impartial, error-free judgements regarding those they target?"

A note for attorneys and law enforcement officials: Unlike perverted-justice.com, Corrupted-Justice has a strict policy against publishing actual identity details of those who have not given permission to do so. Although we do not publish their identities, we do have the identity and contact details for the majority of perverted-justice's and wikisposure's active participants, including many of those quoted below. We will provide any details we have to verified attorneys and law enforcement officials on request.

Moma Medienta:

I have been taking SSRIs for almost 3 years now. I started on Paxil but it quit working about a year and a half ago. My docs put me on Cymbalta after that. That seems to help. My depression is not as bad even with everything that has been going on the last 2 years. I also take a mood stabilizing medication for anxiety.

irishangel:

I need help but I'm afraid
So after my hospitalization I was put on meds and feel so so much better. I have to follow up with a psych but i don't want to. Its not that i don't want to it's that i cant I somehow feel weak and vulnerable if i follow up. I work in a business where on the outside I have to always seem perfect and put together even if i'm falling apart on the inside.

After seeing so many family members hospitalized for mental illnesses and me always being the strong and put together one I don't know how to ask for and get help.

But i know if i don't i'll crack again and i was refered to one of the best ones around but i don't know how to get myself their

mylilredwagon aka Lady Grey:

My initial symptoms were insomnia related and depression. Ive been on almost every antidepressant there is and found out I just cant take SSRI's. I finally got off anti'depressants and for the last few months,... maybe a year now, Ive been taking Lunesta first and now Ambien for sleep and Clonapin for anxiety. Although, my usage has drastically decreased, I still have to have 'something' to get to sleep or else I just wont sleep.

cat_eye:

I'm taking Cymbalta and generic Adderall. If the meds help you, then take them. If you had heart problems, would you not take the drugs prescribed to you? I have anxiety as well. It sucks, it really does. The Cymbalta helps a ton, and the Adderall helps with ADD. I was diagnosed with ADD when I was 20, and depression/anxiety when I was 15. I've had a lot of experience on different drugs, and Cymbalta is like a godsend.

ShadyWeasel:

well, comming from an addict/alcoholic, which I am in recovery....I had to hit a bottom before I got better. So yea, I still think those who cant keep it straight should have consequence for those actions such as drug testing or rent. At least when it comes to getting assistance like this. If I could live off anything for free, and had no consequences or accountability, i wonder if I would have EVER gotten sober. I dnno, thats just me. But im just a peanut gallery.

I have also been on many different SSRI's for it, from paxil to prozac, zoloft to effexor and many others. Effexor was the worst, and most heavy duty. The rest didn't really affect me.

Sun Wukong:

After years of trying to convince doctors, as well as my parents on whose insurance I depend, that I have some serious anxiety issues, I managed to finally have an anti-depressant/anxiety drug prescribed to me. It's a typical Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor (SSRI) called Lexapro. I've struggled with ADD all of my life, and many of my issues with productivity and self esteem were attributed to that. The decision to do this came when I described the anxiety to my father, who is also taking Lexapro. My description of the anxiety-a constant, unbound existential fear of absolutely nothing that makes me terrified to do my work or stuff I want to do on the side-was exactly what he had been feeling, and it was evident that it's been getting worse. I can't sleep, and it takes excruciating mental energy to set out to do even the most modest task. I frequently panic when little things go wrong.

I'm glad that I'm on the new meds. Its only been two days an I can sort of feel them working, though it's by no means meant to be a silver bullet. But I must confess I'm somewhat nervous. I'm now on generic Adderal and this new Lexapro, and the idea of tons of meds swimming around in my blood is disquieting.

Does anyone have experience with Lexapro or similar meds? Also, has anyone ever taken both Lexapro and Adderal? Or any SSRI plus any other drug?

Seren of Dipity:

I was on lexapro for depression and anxiety-- it worked really well. I had been on wellbutrin (before my anxiety had been diagnosed) and it was horrific. I began cutting and realized that the meds weren't helping me. Quit them and got on lexapro.

It's a world of difference.

curry23:

I dealt with many of the issues you have stated here and also been on all the drugs you mentioned. Before going on lexapro the medication I was taking for depression and adhd stopped working and I wasn't aware of it. It was a slow progression and cost me not only my job in the end but also a relationship. I finally got meds changed when I began having such severe panic attacks it mimicked a heart attack and in fact my job sent me to the er couple times before it was found to be panic attacks. I stabilized and done very well for long time on this drug. I had to go off it due to cost and recently had such a violant attack at what was not only panic but tested and diagnosed bi polar to the point I couldn't make a simple choice like what to drink let alone get out of my apartment. I spiraled and thanks to a friends intervention wasn't able to commit suicide. After a week in a facility and new meds tegretol to be exact I am doing well again. I hope you stay on top of this and if it helps and makes you the person you know you are and not a person you no longer recognise I wouldn't worry about being on the meds. For me it was a real god send.

southerngal:


I am also on Lexapro for depression....This is the only one so far that doesn't make me ill or has no effect at all. Most meds of any kind, my system reacts to in ways that I cannot take them. Fun for my doctor....lol.......But I no longer want to step in front of a bus right this minute. I tell my doc that the meds keep me from doing something stupid..

monki:

I am bipolar or manic/depressive, whichever you want to call it. In my case, it's more the depressive than the manic. I am on meds and I see two psych doctors once a month each.

Jack Daniels:

Since I was 12, I have been diagnosed as severe clinically depressed, as well as bipolar. Truth be told, I cant afford my medication even if I wanted to. So, I deal with it with alternative methods. It is typical to become depressed during the fall/winter months because it gets dark earlier in the day. Our body needs sunlight much the same as plants do. So, one way to combat depression, is to open all of your windows and let the light in. This will greatly increase those good feelings. Also, be sure to get outside and enjoy life even if you dont feel like it and have to make yourself. Believe me, there have been several times when I felt horrible (believing I was just simply sick) and was made to go outside and play with my kids. It turned out it was just depression (which can make you feel horrible and sick) and I felt so much better once I got outside and was moving and laughing. Laughter is definitely the best medicine. Also, be sure you have a support system. Im not sure about you, but some of my bestest friends are in PeeJ. If you are lucky enough to have friends offline, then go see them, talk to them on the phone, etc. If it ever gets so bad that you begin distancing yourself from others and life in general and you feel like you cant pull yourself up, then go see a counselor or your family doctor. That would be a step in the right direction.

Star0307:

I have no experience with SSRI's but I deal with terrible anxiety every day. I get very nervous and get hot flashes if things at work are going wrong (mind you, they are little things). I clean constantly when I'm at home. Today I swept the kitchen 3 times in 2 hours. I'm constantly biting my nails and can't seem to ever relax. I'm almost always tense and never comfortable in my own skin.

justkat:

I have depression and anxiety and have taken SSRI's for many years and found them to be very helpful for me. I have taken them both alone and in combination with other medications (though not Adderal) and had very few problems. I think the best thing to do if you have questions/concerns about drug interactions is to talk to your doctor.

tnc1001:

I was on lexapro for almost 5 years and it worked really well. I have heard that it can have a few side effects, such as causing excessive blinking, but I never experienced any side effects or problems with it. Good luck!

A former PJer who sinced has realized what they really are. (SN withheld)

i use lexapro for anger issues. no side effects. does the job. i'm much more pleasant to be around.

Kushiel:

I'm on SSRI's for depression/anxiety, and have been for about 2 years now. It took a little while, which was FRUSTRATING to find the right meds for me--some of the side effects are...inconvenient. But for me, it's worth it. I don't know if or to what degree my mental health issues could be controlled just through therapy. I only know that when I'm taking the meds regularly, my mood is more stable. Again, not the mind altering option like Xanax (though I've been tempted to go that route, but for me, that IS the kind of thing I can/should handle through therapy, etc--the daily managing of stress/anxiety), but just in general, when I do get anxious or upset, it's less frequent that it feels overwhelming or uncontrollable to me.

thevirtualescape:

I was on Prozac, Adderall and Clonazepam for depression, PTSD and anxiety. I didn't like the way the cocktail made me feel so I went to a different therapist and she diagnosed me as Bipolar. All the symptoms made a lot more sense after that Dx. I now take Depakote ER and a very LOW dose of clonazepam (mostly at work when my menopausal boss raises my thermostat) and its been a miracle. I used to never speak my mind, bottle it up and then if a dishrag was out of place BOOM i exploded. Now, I can say what I think, concentrate better and deal with things. If your diagnosed w/ both depression and ADD, ask your shrink about Bipolar disorder. I'm not a shrink, nor am I questioning anyone elses, but DAMN did it make a difference for me!

Juana Montoya:

My biggest problem at the moment is a lack of motivation, which I'm sure stems from depression. It's not just related to school and work; it extends to everything in my life, whether it's making a phone call, paying bills, cleaning my house, and some days, even getting out of bed. I feel completely unmotivated to do anything, and it's affecting all parts of my life.

I'm just wondering if anyone else suffers from this, and if so, what mechanisms you use to deal with it.

The Almighty Sharpie:

I've been living (sort of) with major depression for as long as I can remember. I've been on and off different meds for it, in and out of counseling and whatnot too. Spent a week in the psych ward once, where a nurse asked me, "What are you doing here? You're very high-functioning." (I couldn't help but laugh at that!)

The most accurate way I can describe the feeling is this: There is something broken inside me, I was born that way and I have doubts that it will ever be "fixed". I'm not sure if it's extreme sensitivity or weakness. Things that make me happy are still sweet, but they are few and far between. Things that crush me and leave me filled with despair are far more numerous and far more painful. "Hope" is just a word to me. I know there are many things yet to come that will be devastating, but I don't know which of them might break me for good. I live and breathe and eat and sleep this overwhelming feeling of expectation and terror. Thinking of the future and the many years I might have left to live fills me with dread. I feel like I'm standing on a cliff with one foot over the edge and the other one on a banana peel. I'm just waiting for something to come along and knock me off.

Medication helps some, therapy helps some but those things are not a cure. Pills do not take thoughts out of my head, and I have yet to figure out a new way to think which makes me able to swim out from under the tidal waves of despair and dread that wash over me all the time.

I have learned to stuff those feelings down and just keep putting one foot in front of the other because there is nothing I can do to stop the things I fear from happening. When I do that I'm not really swimming, but dog-paddling. It's coping with the problem, not conquering it. People say if you ask yourself if you're crazy, that means you're not but I think that is bullshit. It just means I realize what's happening to me.

RogueSpear:

Due to the at abuse I endured for 21 years not just sexual has done real number on me. Complex PTSD, Severe Depression, SAD, and Personality Disorder. I'm currently taking Seroquel, Abilify, WelbutrinXL, and Cymbalta.

theghost:

I'm a 26 year old aspiring poet with many works past, present and future. I suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder coupled with Severe Chronic Clinical Depression. I'm better now than I was in the past, but it was a battle. I'm also a childhood sexual abuse survivor, like many other people in the world.

snoopychick123:

For me inablity to trust, DEPRESSION, self sabotage, insomnia, migraines, second guessing myself, constantly seeking approval and acceptance, I dont like myself, I see too much of my father in me and that makes me not like myself even more. I dont want to be alone but yet I dont want to be around anyone. But mostly I dont want to meet anyone new because I have nothing to talk about except talk about my life which is sad. LOL

baxter25:

I have had most of these feelings at some point. Depression, SERIOUS TRUST ISSUES, thoughts of suicide, panic attacks, self esteem, need for acceptance, etc. etc. The biggest is trust. There are very few people I truly trust, they are some members of my immediate family and one friend. I still don't totally trust even my husband. It's very hard for me. Not that he has done anything wrong, its just a very big issue in our marriage.

fight4kids:

I have finally started going to therapy to try and help myself. I have been diagnosed with Depression w/suicidal tendencies and PTSD. My husband is divorcing me because I have put him through a lot and he doesn't want to deal with it anymore. He knew about the abuse before we were married but he didn't realize what I would go through when I started dealing with the abuse. I am afraid of losing my children because of the suicide attempts. Even though I never attempted them when they were around.

Elena Ruth:

That is another reason why I don't think I'd be able to live out on the road, because of my meds for depression, thyroid, and as of recently diabetes although at the moment I am just testing my sugar levels.

CallingAllCars:

RIGHT after I first was injured and diagnosed I was put on Prozac (I think) or maybe it was Zoloft and Amitriptyline. The Amitriptyline is supposedly a tricyclic and is used mostly for the purpose of sleep aid nowadays and helps to reinforce the antidepressant affects of the other antidepressant you might be taking - according to my doctor. I asked the same question. There are several of these antidepressants that have been around for ages that they are now using in conjunction with newer antidepressants but as sleep aids.

Now, I take Cymbalta along with my other meds because that other antidepressant they had me on in the beginning was HORRENDOUS! I also don't find that any type of sleep aid (tricyclic antidepressant or not) truly aids. I no longer attempt to get rest that way and just eventually run out of steam although it might take 4 days or I might only sleep 3 hours for every 24 I'm awake. Sleep deprivation just seems par for the course with chronic pain.

Brigan:

Well, of course you all must be reading this blog... because that is the peculiar vanity of MySpace... the thought that one is cool/hip/popular enough for other people to give a shit to read this. Actually, it's not just the thought... it's the absolute conviction that you know your fans will read this. Or maybe that absolute strangers will be intrigued enough to check these musings. It seems that these anonymous communities foster that... they foster confidence that would not normally be there... I know some pretty plain people who make themselves out to be absolute gods on here. It's kind of funny really, or is it sad? Both. Well, but they also give an outlet for creativity that not a lot of us have in real life. I think now I will refer to myself as a writer... after all, I have "published" work now Smile Hey, that means I'm also a published photographer too... cool... well, that's my witty commentary for the day... I'm actually not usually this way, must be the antidepressants.

FallenStar:

However, things still continued to get worse. After three more hospitalizations (one due to a dissociative episode in which I woke up to find myself in a mental hospital an hour from home; and two from battling suicidal urges), I had to quit my job that February of 2004. I'd used up all available medical leave, vacation time, and allotted absenses I had, and on my last day of work, I woke up about a 1/2 mile from my place of employment, sitting in the woods. By that time I had been diagnosed with a type of dissociative disorder. Because I had had good insurance and was desperate to get well, I'd flown to Kansas City, MO to Two Rivers Hospital (https://www.tworivershospital.com/indexnew.htmt) and placed myself in an inpatient treatment program they offer for people who have trauma related disorders. During my stay there I was officially diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder up until 1994).

DeLon:

I look at Christianity as a factor that saved my life...I was abducted at 11..Was raped..Of course it screwed my head up to where I was smoking pot and drinking by the time I was 14...Anyone that lived in the early 70s know that most 14 year olds do not smoke pot at 14...I was trying to heal..I ended up an alcohollic..I was a messed up kid...

During the 80s it was a drunken haze for me..Ive been to jail numerous times..Had two DWIs..I lost a business from drinking..Yea..I had it going on...Drinking cost me my first marriage, business, and everything I had ever you? "

TheBuckStopsHere

"I was very sick myself with a so-called manic depressive illness, on tons of meds, I finally got the courage to leave in spite of that. The next 12 months were so rough but I learned I was NOT retarded as I was raised by my father ,, the same belife perperrted by my husband. After 12 months I realized I didn't have one eposiode of suicidal depression untill the anniverasy of my dad's death,, I figured I had to have suffered from some kind of post -tramatic stress and was not a manic depressive.. OR I'd have sunk into the black pit long before then."

This is a relatively small, random sampling!

Please remember - These are the people who have elected themselves as the "protectors of your children". These quotes are representative of the types of people who are attracted to perverted-justice.com and wikisposure. The question is, given the comments above, are these people qualified to act in the capacity of "Internet Cops" ?

To see the comments first hand, as posted by the perverted-justice members, please read them for yourself at perverted-justice.com.