Mental Health

[Dave]

I thought i'd bring this thread back up as Mental Health has been highlighted a lot in the news recently after Prince Harry opened up about having counselling after the death of his mother.

Firstly, I found Prince William's comments about Britain needs to remove it's stiff upper lip towards mental health quite patronising to the thousands of people who have highlighted the issues around mental health and the need to talk about it (and for more to be done) in the United Kingdom in the last decade or so. Evidence towards people's attitudes towards mental health changing has been everywhere in the last five or more years. I've noticed people talking about their mental illnesses on facebook, more celebrities appear to be free to talk about their problems and seek help and after the loss of Gary Speed ex sports people seem to be doing more to combat mental illness after retirement instead of ignoring it. Most importantly however i've seen attitude's in the workplace change towards people who have had suffered from issues such as a nervous breakdowns. Based from what I have seen I think a lot more companies react differently in regards to helping somebody though a mental health issue than what has happened before.  

You can even see evidence in this thread of the improvement we have all made recognising that having a mental illness is something that should be talked about in an open environment. Whilst I have no doubt if somebody on this forum did suffer from depression around five or more years ago they would have felt comfortable discussing it with certain members on here but i think that would have been more because of the strong friendships that were made on a thriving forum and they may not have described depression as a mental illness in itself. About five years ago i'm not sure a thread entitled 'Mental Health' for members to talk about battles with anxiety and depression would have existed.

The only people who don't seem to acknowledge the crisis are the higher ups who haven't been directly affected by mental health or who don't see the battles first hand. I don't know how accurate this is but i've read reports previously which suggest that around 1% of the NHS budget is being spent on Mental Health, and around the 10% region is being spent on treatment for type two diabetes. If that's true that is staggering and shows where the Government's priorities have lied within the last couple of decades. The first part I have no doubt is in the correct region.

People who suffer from a mental health relapse can often wait over an hour for an Ambulance because there isn't enough Ambulances to cope with the workload, to then wait hours at a hospital to be assessed because there isn't enough qualified doctors to assess them, to then wait hours for a bed at a mental health suite because there just isn't any beds to take them to, for them then to recieve treatment (not in all cases) from staff that lack passion and enthusiasm for there role because they're severely underpaid for the hours they work and the abuse they have to tolerate. That's just one scenario that doesn't take in to account the months of waiting for counselliing because there isn't enough counsellors or the waiting for a decision to be made on prescriptions because the waiting list is so long. But now after years of this happening and more people suffering from mental health issues year upon year it's now been decided that Britain has a stiff upper lip because it's only just been talked about by a member of the royal family? Give me a break.

The only people that have a stiff upper lip to it are the higher ups in this country that have ignored the growing crisis whilst giving each other pats on the back and raise after raise for the work they do.

On that note I hope you all enjoy the rest of your week.

[Danny]

It's shocking really. I had no idea what to do with regards to my OCD, I received more info online from a charity than I ever was taught beforehand.

When I first went to see the doctor about it, I told him what I'd researched and found similarities in and I explained what was happening to him, my OCD has largely been around intrusive thoughts with a mix of some other stuff (germs), I spoke to him when I got back from Australia the first time and as soon as he heard the words cancer and stress he just put two and two together and got the square route of China. All he offered were drugs if it got worse, but otherwise a charities number to call for guidance. It wasn't until i moved to Oxfordshire that I was given information by my local doctor about Talking Space, an NHS programme. This helped me a lot, but it took months to have an initial assessment with a psychiatrist, then months to get into a group therapy course which focused mostly around compulsions, very little on intrusive thoughts in the grand scheme of things.

The support really isn't there and unless you're diagnosed through childhood the likelihood of diagnosis or even an assessment without mentioning suicide or suicidal thoughts is slim to none.

[Vegan Kel]

Everyone has a 'condition' these days. Man the fuck up

[Toinho]

Uh oh. here we go.

[Tommy]

1 hour ago, Salford Kel said:

Everyone has a 'condition' these days. Man the fuck up

 

Thanks, Doc. Already feeling much better and manlier over here. Who knew it'd be that easy?

[Smiley Culture]

4 hours ago, Salford Kel said:

Everyone has a 'condition' these days. Man the fuck up

Have you ever thought that the increasing number of people with a 'condition' as you put it, is down to the openness around mental health and down to the fact that the stigma around talking about mental health, especially as a young, male adult has changed somewhat, so instead of everyone having a 'condition' as you say, it's just that more people are now feeling a lot more confident in seeking a diagnosis? 

 

[Honey Honey]

Good post Smiley, however since this morning this thread has been reshaped away from its original quality and purpose.

I would rather this be a forum where members who feel comfortable to come forward about their mental health concerns, to share experiences and to give support to each other can do so, rather than be a forum where it leads to an ultra conservative belittling people and hijacking the agenda of the thread to suit their attitude. The more people entertain this hijacking the worse this community gets.

[Spike]

Are some conditions bullshit? Yes, they are. It has happened in the past as old medical and psychological norms change but the only way to move forward is by being open and seeking help and support, the industry will never evolve if people aren't willing to evolve as well. We'd still think 'female hysteria' was a legitimate condition if we didn't move forward; it's easy to believe that we are always moving forward on progression as time is perceived as linear but all it takes is one person, one movement to set something back a century. Look at 'anti-vaxxing' groups, the damage done is astronomical with death and diseases reappearing after many years. In 15 years what we believe about mental health may be completely different but once again it will never evolve if people hold it back.

 

GOD FORBID, if a paedophile took Kel's advice and 'manned up'. What would that entail? A raped child? 

[Cure]

Quote

Everyone has a 'condition' these days. Man the fuck up.

Neurodivergent to alleged neurotypical. I'm not too sure on that.

I don't mind hearing what anyone has to say. They say we live in a world of free speech and freedom of choice - I beg to differ - but there's a broad line between an opinion and pure bigotry. If society consistent of people with views like that many of us would be screwed. Such derogatory and regressive thinking is what destroys things that are important. This is a place of acceptance and people do accept it. I digress. You don't know what it's like to live in a state of mental limbo. You don't know what it's like to be judged based on something so simple. It's damaging. You might pass it off as an excuse but the truth is everyone has issues with mental health. To be so cold and dismissive of others is just fucking arrogant. Telling people to 'man up' too... who the fuck are you to come into a thread for people to discuss such a delicate topic and denounced not only us but countless others as whiners trying to make an excuse? Seriously? Suicidal thoughts are no excuse. Depression is not an excuse. Autism, schizophrenia, bi-polar, anxiety, dementia... in no case is mental health an excuse. I'm by no means an expert on these things but what mental health needs is not to be judged by the likes of you.

 

[Fairy In Boots]

The mind is a fragile thing, I've known lads who've spiralled quickly and took their own lives. I have to be honest it's been exasperated by the use of drugs no end. 

My opinion is that lack of physical activity from us as a population corresponds to poor mental health. I feel great when I'm exercising regularly and when I'm not I get down, not a serious problem down just a bit grumpy down. It's the same with people I know if they're doing fuck all they get down to. Our diet has a huge effect to lack of sugar brings on mood swings. 

I do think also that our doctors in the UK are to quick to diagnose and we could be a bit mentally tougher as a population. I think the pressure on them to churn through numbers and reach quotas causes them to over diagnose things. I do think we've raised a younger generation of hypochondriacs as a consequence of our dependency on medication. 

[Spike]

Hypocrite Kel is. She believes the chemicals in her mind when they to tell that 'people need to man up' yet it's these very same chemicals that directly or indirectly prevent people from 'manning up'.

[Cure]

I think we should just move on from th comment and actually focus on mental health rathee than giving Kel what she wants.

[Fairy In Boots]

29 minutes ago, Cannabis said:

Even though I posted a jibe myself this is the attitude that everyone needs to take. Rather than entertain such bizarre and ignorant views it's best to just report them to the staff and leave them alone.

Fuelling the fire only spreads the blaze.

to be honest i'd say it's not a troll and just her opinion.

It's what you get with her though, sometimes you'll love it & sometimes like now you'll cringe. It incites debate though and if it was delivered in a much less aggressive style i doubt it would have got the negative response it got. For Kel's benefit i'd say "you've been given an opportunity to post again, maybe remove the chip off your shoulder and engage others civilly,  the constant referring to others as mongs will no doubt lead back down the road of you creating multiple accounts to continue arguments, after the membership has gone."

For example i've intimated that there's a bit of lead swinging going on, I think some people genuinely hide behind labels for themselves nowadays. I think this can be born out of many things such as fear of their own character flaws, stress they're under but don't realize it, desire for sympathy, desire for attention, a cry for help, a way to block out other problems etc etc. This doesn't mean that I dismiss mental health problems, they're definitely been advancements in the field, I just think there's almost a pressure to have something nowadays. No doubt some of you will be able to give me the science on this as i'm no expert but it certainly appears we're to quick as a society to dismiss people as mentally ill.

[EvertonGirl]

Without going in to too much detail, I've had my demons, still do at times...

I've lost 3 friends to mental health. One just a few months ago. It hurts to know that they felt the only way to escape was that. 

I think some people don't truly understand it until they've been close to a sufferer or suffered themselves.

To me, the hardest part is knowing and being aware of how I am feeling, how it is skewed, how it is an illness...and still not being able to stop the thoughts, the pain. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

It's good to talk guys, you aren't alone. There is actually a thread on an Everton forum I use, it has a thread on there solely for mental health support - no jokes or anything allowed in there, just a page to support each other. It's great.

[Storts]

23 hours ago, Cannabis said:

If ever I feel depressed I drop and do 60 bench-presses, swig a six pack of Strongbow and slap a few women around.

Seems to work a treat.

What a hypocrite

[Vegan Kel]

3 hours ago, Storts said:

What a hypocrite

Indeed, and not the only one either.

As tempting as it is to highlight what a bunch of mentally weak, terminally offended, virtue signalling, bleeding heart morons comprise a large part of the forum, I will instead clarify my comments. 

It's a sad state of affairs when you have to state the obvious in a society of SJW mongs but the point I was making was that, despite it being obvious that mental health issues do affect people, I believe that there is a need to overindulge and misdiagnose people who are normal into believing that they have some sort of problem. I'd' go into why this is but I'd just get silly comments about reptilians and flat Earth shite so I won't bother.

Take Cark, for example, (sorry, you'll always be Cark to me, can't get used to Danny) - he's been through shit I couldn't even comprehend going through and yet he handled it with cracking humour and great courage that I'm not sure at all that I could if I'd been in a similar situation so how is he mentally ill? I'd say he has to have some serious mental toughness in him to handle that, as hard as it might be to believe that at times when he's on one of his virtue signalling crusades. I'm not trying to knock the lad at all but look at why he thinks he has mental health issues - it's just normal. I am very blunt by nature as I really don't have the time or the inclination to mollycoddle others and worry about how sensitive they are. If people choose to take offence at anything I say they have that right, and I certainly won't be losing any sleep over it, but my intentions were not to dismiss genuine mental illness. 

It's people who have genuine mental conditions who suffer the most by a society obsessed with labeling people with some bullshit diagnosis and wasting time and resources dealing with people because they feel a bit down (everybody feels depressed at times, it's part of life). 

Cark, if you read this don't let people misdiagnose you with some bollocks condition to flog you pills that aren't going to help you. Just accept that it's part of your character to act the way you act and, unless you are seriously harming others then it's not really a big deal. I think you're overanalysing and looking into symptoms of conditions on the internet is a recipe for trouble as any symptom could literally be any number of conditions.

As for this nonsense about paedophiles... is that really where we're at? That abusing kids is just a mental condition? WTF. 

Lots of people go through bad shit they shouldn't have to, myself included, but these people, unless they do succumb to genuine mental consequences, just get on with life and become a stronger person because of it. I see so many people who really have fuck all to complain about whining on about how hard they have things, how their own actions are always somebody else's fault blah blah and I really can't be doing with it as it's an insult to those who've gone through genuine ordeals.

Can't really be arsed to say anymore but that's about it

[Spike]

2 minutes ago, Salford Kel said:

 

As for this nonsense about paedophiles... is that really where we're at? That abusing kids is just a mental condition? WTF. 

 

Well it's not a bloody physical condition, is it?

[Vegan Kel]

2 minutes ago, Spike said:

Well it's not a bloody physical condition, is it?

Yea, we should probably tax those nasty people who earn more than us to get them all a social worker and try and understand them

[Tommy]

10 minutes ago, Spike said:

Well it's not a bloody physical condition, is it?

 

And there are pedophiles who don't act on their instincts and harm kids. If they actively seek help, they can learn to control their urges. So it's definitely a mental illness, and as such it's treatable as one.

There's a good film about it called "The Woodsman" with Kevin Bacon. 

[Spike]

Just now, Salford Kel said:

Yea, we should probably tax those nasty people who earn more than us to get them all a social worker and try and understand them

Yes, the member of this forum that has repeatedly mentioned how taxation is theft wants higher taxes, you're projecting nonsense that has nothing to do with me. 'Mental condition' is synonymous with 'mental disorder', 'mental disease' and 'mental illness'. You obviously have no idea what you are talking about. If you don't think that paedophilia is a disease than you're a fool. 

[Vegan Kel]

1 minute ago, Spike said:

Yes, the member of this forum that has repeatedly mentioned how taxation is theft wants higher taxes, you're projecting nonsense that has nothing to do with me. 'Mental condition' is synonymous with 'mental disorder', 'mental disease' and 'mental illness'. You obviously have no idea what you are talking about. If you don't think that paedophilia is a disease than you're a fool. 

Yea, they probably just needed more cuddles when they were little. What a horrid society we live in

[Spike]

Just now, Salford Kel said:

Yea, they probably just needed more cuddles when they were little. What a horrid society we live in

Do you even read what you respond to? Or do you just like shitting out an opinion? The amount of projecting is embarrassing. Here is Kel looking for a fight with an SJW yet their are none around...maybe you'd fit in fighting all the invisible Fascists with Antifa.

[Vegan Kel]

Just now, Spike said:

Do you even read what you respond to? Or do you just like shitting out an opinion? The amount of projecting is embarrassing. Here is Kel looking for a fight with an SJW yet their are none around...maybe you'd fit in fighting all the invisible Fascists with Antifa.

None around?  The place is infested with them

[Spike]

Just now, Salford Kel said:

None around?  The place is infested with them

You are the ying to their yang. The other annoying extreme. Just as bad as an SJW.

[Vegan Kel]

1 minute ago, Spike said:

You are the ying to their yang. The other annoying extreme. Just as bad as an SJW.

Stop quoting me then you moron. I doubt you're quite as daft as to think I give two shits about you so why bother?