'Mental Health Culture Has Gone Too Far'

[El Cid]

15 minutes ago, Mister Gee said:

What an absolute load of gonads, you should be ashamed of yourself for spouting such rubbish.

What do you think is rubbish/untrue?

[leviathan13]

6 hours ago, Anna B said:

Enormous rents /mortgages, huge fuel bills, water rates, council tax, food bills etc plus inflation and you have a massive cost of living crisis. It's not about BMWs holidays etc, it's about which of the above you prioritise. Which would you cut out?

All need paying; food is the only one which is mildly 'flexible,' which is why people are skipping meals to save a bit, giving food to the kids but going without themselves, living on toast and tea etc, so they have enough left to still pay bills.

If you honestly think BMWs even come into it then you have seriously failed to grasp what is going on financially at the lower end of the general population. 

I know that SOME people prioritise the treats rather than food for their kids because they know someone else will sort it out for them. Seen it in real life both where i used to live and through my job.

 

I see income and expenditure forms for people claiming to need help... they could afford the essentials if they did what the rest of us had to do and make sacrifices. I don't think the bank would be happy if i said i couldn't pay the mortgage because i needed a holiday for ment 'mental health'...

[redruby]

4 minutes ago, leviathan13 said:

I know that SOME people prioritise the treats rather than food for their kids because they know someone else will sort it out for them. Seen it in real life both where i used to live and through my job.

 

I see income and expenditure forms for people claiming to need help... they could afford the essentials if they did what the rest of us had to do and make sacrifices. I don't think the bank would be happy if i said i couldn't pay the mortgage because i needed a holiday for ment 'mental health'...

Do you think that that they are representative of all (or most) people that claim benefits for incapacity due to mental health issues?  Do you think most of these people just make it up and have a diagnosis from a doctor because they are too lazy to work and want someone else to feed their kids whilst they blow the huge sums they are getting on a BMW?

Lets be clear, there are some chancers and irresponsible people around but if you want to rail against the injustice of your tax being mis spent I suggest you consider the Tories wasted nearly £100bn of taxpayer money in four years https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/tories-wasted-nearly-100bn-money-105739259.html

 

[Mkapaka]

12 hours ago, redruby said:

In the scheme of things it’s a drop in the ocean.  It’s pathetic getting indignant about a few benefit scroungers.  The real villains are not on benefits or food bank users believe you me.

Exactly 

[Ridgewalk]

On 02/04/2024 at 20:23, pfifes said:

I think don’t doubt there is a small minority than attempt feigning medical conditions to avoid working.   Seriously though, do you think significant numbers do this?  And get away with it?  And want to do it for paltry benefits to avoid working?  Anyway I couldn’t care less about a few malingers claiming benefits compared to corporate corruption.

 

Mental illness used to carry a huge stigma.  There is much less stigma now. 

 

[Ridgewalk]

On 03/04/2024 at 00:13, Anna B said:

Also we have just been through a major epidemic and are still counting the cost. Long covid has taken its toll, extended waiting lists for ops that could get people back to work aren't happening, medical help is at an all time low, cost of living stresses and strains have lowered people's resistance and caused serious physical and mental illness, Wars and world events are ramped up in every news broadcast, so is it any wonder that people are sick with worry causing an epidemic of Anxiety and Depression? 

It would be even stranger if there wasn't a mental health crisis.... 

For me it’s just the framing of people’s normal reaction to difficult circumstances and hard lives as being ‘ill ‘

Tell people they’re ‘ill ‘ and they’ll look for a solution in tablets or some sort of therapy. 

[Anna B]

3 hours ago, Ridgewalk said:

For me it’s just the framing of people’s normal reaction to difficult circumstances and hard lives as being ‘ill ‘

Tell people they’re ‘ill ‘ and they’ll look for a solution in tablets or some sort of therapy. 

I understand what you're saying and to some extent I agree, but struggling with problems is how much mental ill health can start and then without help it escalates exponentially. There are some serious cases out there way beyond that. Depression is common but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with. Suicide rates are climbing to record figures. 

 

The future is bleak for some people who can see no way out. They cannot cope and need help but aren't getting it. They are then on a downward path to serious debilitating mental problems.

[peak4]

1 hour ago, Anna B said:

I understand what you're saying and to some extent I agree, but struggling with problems is how much mental ill health can start and then without help it escalates exponentially. There are some serious cases out there way beyond that. Depression is common but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with. Suicide rates are climbing to record figures. 

 

The future is bleak for some people who can see no way out. They cannot cope and need help but aren't getting it. They are then on a downward path to serious debilitating mental problems.

It really can't help when access to mental health services in this country is potentially so difficult, and the topic is being used by some to stigmatise those suffering, and help promote culture wars.
This article from MIND last year pretty much mirrors the thread's title
Mental health must not become a new front in the culture wars

Mental health must not be allowed to become a new front in the culture wars.

Otherwise, the nation risks taking a gigantic step back when looking after its mental health.

But when the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions says Britain’s approach to mental health culture is in danger of having “gone too far” that is exactly what he risks doing.

What the Secretary of State's words did, deliberate or otherwise, was distract attention from the real issue.

Lost in the noise of “mental health culture” having “gone too far” was yet more evidence of the perilous state of mental health services and skyrocketing poverty, so often the cause of mental health problems.

 

[leviathan13]

6 hours ago, Ridgewalk said:

For me it’s just the framing of people’s normal reaction to difficult circumstances and hard lives as being ‘ill ‘

Tell people they’re ‘ill ‘ and they’ll look for a solution in tablets or some sort of therapy. 

This is part of the problem - where is the boarder between genuine mental health and some people just needing to build some resilience?

 

I have a mate who has been on medication for depression and anxiety for years, now, and it seems like it's more of a crutch than to actually help him. He's reluctant to go outside of his comfort zone and build mental toughness. I was on the same medication a while back and hated the numbness - it made me see that i'd rather try and tackle the lows whilst experiencing the highs and it's made me a much more outgoing person. I've also found exercise to be the key to improving my state of mind - if i'm feeling down i go and get an adrenaline rush which instantly perks me up.

 

From what i see and experience, we as a society need to almost better define what 'mental health/illness' means as feeling a bit down one day is different to someone with severe issues but those people struggle to access services and help because someone who feels a bit under the weather is taking up a valuable place.

[Anna B]

2 hours ago, leviathan13 said:

This is part of the problem - where is the boarder between genuine mental health and some people just needing to build some resilience?

 

I have a mate who has been on medication for depression and anxiety for years, now, and it seems like it's more of a crutch than to actually help him. He's reluctant to go outside of his comfort zone and build mental toughness. I was on the same medication a while back and hated the numbness - it made me see that i'd rather try and tackle the lows whilst experiencing the highs and it's made me a much more outgoing person. I've also found exercise to be the key to improving my state of mind - if i'm feeling down i go and get an adrenaline rush which instantly perks me up.

 

From what i see and experience, we as a society need to almost better define what 'mental health/illness' means as feeling a bit down one day is different to someone with severe issues but those people struggle to access services and help because someone who feels a bit under the weather is taking up a valuable place.

I agree. Certainly there are major differences between clinical depression, reactive depression and 'feeling down', but it's for a doctor to decide, and as we all know it's very difficult to see a doctor for anything at the moment, let alone an illness which it's hard to explain and even harder to quantify. I agree that in some cases it's about self-help but to someone who's turned their face to the wall and doesn't have the energy or the will to face getting up in the morning, that is well beyond them.

 

We don't even have a measure of what 'normal mental health' is as a baseline. All I can say is if the mood doesn't lift by itself in spite of making some significant effort to cheer up and enjoy life*, and there's nothing dramatically 'wrong' with your life, it's time to share your concerns with someone and see a doctor. 

 

*For example:

Counting blessings.

Appreciating the wonderfullness of small / simple things.

Finding things that make you laugh.

Doing small jobs /activities that take your mind off things

Getting out and about.

Engaging with people, (even a simple 'Good morning' with a smile.)

Exercise / Forest walks, communing with nature.

Doing  little things that make you happy.

Doing little things that make other people happy. 

Accepting that life is full of ups and downs.

Appreciating that being a glass half full or half empty person is a choice you can make.

Putting things in perspective, always people worse off than you.

Challenges make you stronger and 

You're tougher than you think.

And lots of other stuff intended to help... hope that doesn't offend anyone who is really struggling. I do know what that's like.  

 

Free IAPT courses can work too. Ask your doctor or health worker what's available through your doctor or