Mental Health Day

[Nearly Sane]

As someone who has dealt with depression for over 40 years, I am glad that we are becoming more open about mental health issues, even if we are still shite at dealing with and supporting people. Take care of yourselves.


https://www.who.int/mental_health/world-mental-health-day/en/

[Robbie]

NS:- "...we are still shite at dealing with and supporting people."

It's scandalous. The Mental Health Services only prescribe, if a patient doesn't want to take pills, meds don't suit them or they come off them, they're discharged - but they're not necessarily any better!

I come across many depressed and anxious people in the course of my work, they've frequently been let down and have nowhere to turn. What with that and the changes in benefits, they're helpless and vulnerable. We're supposed to care for the sick in our society.

[Nearly Sane]

NS:- "...we are still shite at dealing with and supporting people."

It's scandalous. The Mental Health Services only prescribe, if a patient doesn't want to take pills, meds don't suit them or they come off them, they're discharged - but they're not necessarily any better!

I come across many depressed and anxious people in the course of my work, they've frequently been let down and have nowhere to turn. What with that and the changes in benefits, they're helpless and vulnerable. We're supposed to care for the sick in our society.

Lip service has been paid to the idea of mental health, but the current govt have just 'spaffed' words against the wall on this. Note I have little time for any political party here. Some politicians have worked hard but it seems mostly as individual.

[Robbie]

Agree. Was thinking about this last night (not been up long yet but still on my mind); has extremely bad mental health problems which started when I was 16, my cousin died suddenly and I was completely lost for a while, didn't like to talk about it either; I felt guilty about grieving so much when I thought of my uncle and aunt, her parents, whose grief was immense - she was their only child.

Thankfully my parents picked up on it and helped me gently, they had great insight; also granny and aunt who were doctors, uncle and aunt (her parents) did too & school was understanding but it took me a couple of years at least. After which something else happened to me and my sister had a terrible accident but that's a whole other story. I felt as though I was in a fog or a jar. The experience definitely changed the course of my life (not for the worse, I'm happy with how things turned out). The depression/anxiety creeps up every now and then but I recognise it and know how to deal with it. I am also acutely conscious of it in other people.

I'm glad I wasn't under the care of a mental health team at the time, they really don't do much except write out prescriptions. If people can afford to pay they have more all round care and treatment, most of the people I see in the course of work couldn't afford that. I see happy people who enjoy life too! We're not a mental health service but sensitive to individual needs.

Every now and then there are moves to improve mental health care services but they don't seem to get very far. It must be very frustrating for the professionals working in that area to always be the poor relations of the NHS.

[Nearly Sane]

Thank you for sharing that, Robbie. I need to think a bit on your post before replying properly.

[Robbie]

Don't feel obliged to reply NS. What I said is only based on my observations and experiences, I was just sharing.