Random musings and general banter.

[Battiola73]

Mental health services remain light years behind others. It is no better now than 2010 when I was a mental health advocate and worse than 1997 when I needed them as a user. An indictment on consecutive governments of all the main political persuasions.

After the death of my mother, i was in quite a bad way. Back in those days i always saw tge same doctor. After discussing me not being prescribed medication, I was so fortunate to be referred to a counsellor. She was also a qualified psychiatric doctor. She explained so much and taught me coping mechanisms. The downside was I only got 12 sessions free on the NHS but it really helped me.

 

[Xennial]

I have not encountered a mental health nurse before myself. I first visited a GP about my mental health in the mid-90s and it was a lot different back then. Here are some of the phrases my GP said at my first and only appointment that I can remember: 'Suck it up', 'toughen up', 'be less sensitive', and 'saying what's wrong with you every so often.' I have saved the best for last, it's all in your mind.

There was a much bigger stigma towards mental illness back then. If you went to see a therapist, you kept it to yourself for fear of having the 'crazy' label following you around. In the 90s and 00s, I had no problem finding private psychiatrists and therapists and being able to afford decent mental health care, although it never helped me and I was diagnosed as having treatment resistant double depression. It's almost impossible today for people who are suffering, especially on the NHS.

 

[exmothian]

Oh no just when you thought clerance was over.

 

[galesgal57]

Final post about this I promise

But I phoned Samartians the other night, they saw me as a vunerable adult, and more so that my surgery

 

[Muttley]

You do sound as if you have a very active social life, which must help, and enjoy holidays.

Yes, it helps a lot. If I have things to look forward to I'm usually fine, it's just occasionally the black clouds linger.

 

[Muttley]

I have not encountered a mental health nurse before myself. I first visited a GP about my mental health in the mid-90s and it was a lot different back then. Here are some of the phrases my GP said at my first and only appointment that I can remember: 'Suck it up', 'toughen up', 'be less sensitive', and 'saying what's wrong with you every so often.' I have saved the best for last, it's all in your mind.

There was a much bigger stigma towards mental illness back then. If you went to see a therapist, you kept it to yourself for fear of having the 'crazy' label following you around. In the 90s and 00s, I had no problem finding private psychiatrists and therapists and being able to afford decent mental health care, although it never helped me and I was diagnosed as having treatment resistant double depression. It's almost impossible today for people who are suffering, especially on the NHS.

My family had the same 'old school' GPs for years. One was an alcoholic and stank of booze and the other was a 'pull yourself together' type of person (imagine Jeremy Paxman grilling a Tory politician). I can just imagine him saying the same things as you experienced.

But my parents respected everything they said, there was no question of us finding a different practice. I had issues when I was younger but I refused to see either of those two, the concept of wanting to see a female doctor was unthinkable.

They both retired in the late 1980s and the practice was closed down. I'm now with a medical centre and you never see the same GP twice which isn't good, and the GPs constantly move on. But at least you don't hear comments like that.

It's dreadful that your depression was treatment resistant, I always believed that something could be done.

 

[Jazzydrury]

Feel crap, because I didn’t want to worry family how I am, and have community psychs around every 5 minutes.

It seems my surgery are refusing to give me meds, it’s like they want another one to add to there figures

 

[Xennial]

Feel crap, because I didn’t want to worry family how I am, and have community psychs around every 5 minutes.

It seems my surgery are refusing to give me meds, it’s like they want another one to add to there figures

If you call 111, you can select option 2 to access a 24/7 helpline offering urgent mental health support.

 

[Duke of Cheese]

I was listening to an old Desert Island Discs yesterday from 2008 with Jo Brand, she used to be a psychiatric nurse.

She said a lot of mental health issues originated from isolation and loneliness, and this led to other things. She believed if you could deal with that early it would prevent a large number of cases from entering the system. Interesting thought.

I haven't been in my office since before Christmas and I was really excited to see colleagues today. We can work from home 3 days a week if we wish. I share my flat with my sibling who has a lot of issues and often goes for days without speaking, I sometimes say I live alone because it's easier than explaining. I enjoy the flexibility of working from home but sometimes I crave company that I don't get at home. I don't invite people round if my sibling is there. I understand where Jo Brand is coming from because I can feel incredibly lonely, which is why I was on here a lot Christmas Day. Luckily I have people around me, just not people I see on a daily basis. I can see that isolation could lead to someone being in a dark place.

I couldn’t work from 1997 to 2003. I walked out of my office job with a bank at the end of 1997 and for nearly five and a half years, I socially isolated myself away at home. The only person I saw regularly was my first wife. I could drive still, as long as that didn’t take me to a work or social situation from doing so. Before I walked out of the bank, I was at the point I even found getting up from my chair difficult because I didn’t want to walk past all the people’s terminals in the large open plan office we worked in. I couldn’t face being near them.

When my marriage broke up in 2002 - with my not working since 1997 an obvious contributing factor - I managed to get employment again, working for a local disabled people’s organisation in Northamptonshire. I wasn’t physically disabled, but their employment criteria extended to what they described as ‘survivors of the mental health system’, which I was one in their eyes.

Without the opportunity of that work, which I had with for about four years in various roles with them, I genuinely could’ve ended up on the streets. My wife was determined to sell the house and my name wasn’t on the mortgage, and my parents wouldn’t have me back in their flat in London – understandably so given my father was seriously ill at the time. We all walk a very thin line at times from coming home, putting a key in the lock and walking into our living space and being protected, to having no key to put in any door with the streets the only option to live on. I came extraordinarily close to that scenario, and now I own my own house. I always try and remember what a fantastic situation that is for anybody when I get down about meaningless things.

Mental health is so crucial to us all. And when our mental health goes wrong, unfortunately there is no decent structure of effective support in place to help us. That’s why many in that situation and desperate, take their own lives. Mental health just isn’t fashionable, and you still have people out there who are of the ‘pull yourself together’ mentality when depressive illness is discussed. Such a damning indictment on our 21st century society.

 

[Jazzydrury]

Sorry I’ve let this take over

 

[Xennial]

My family had the same 'old school' GPs for years. One was an alcoholic and stank of booze and the other was a 'pull yourself together' type of person (imagine Jeremy Paxman grilling a Tory politician). I can just imagine him saying the same things as you experienced.

But my parents respected everything they said, there was no question of us finding a different practice. I had issues when I was younger but I refused to see either of those two, the concept of wanting to see a female doctor was unthinkable.

They both retired in the late 1980s and the practice was closed down. I'm now with a medical centre and you never see the same GP twice which isn't good, and the GPs constantly move on. But at least you don't hear comments like that.

It's dreadful that your depression was treatment resistant, I always believed that something could be done.

I took multiple different types of antidepressants and different types of therapy on and off over a ten-year period. There came a time for me when I realised that talking about myself doesn't make a difference, tthe pills don't make a difference, and the therapy doesn't make a difference. Despite my experience, therapy and pills are effective for many people. As I got older, I learnt to relax and live with it, rather than trying to fight it. I manage to go about my daily life relactively well, even though I struggle internally.

 

[Muttley]

I couldn’t work from 1997 to 2003. I walked out of my office job with a bank at the end of 1997 and for nearly five and a half years, I socially isolated myself away at home. The only person I saw regularly was my first wife. I could drive still, as long as that didn’t take me to a work or social situation from doing so. Before I walked out of the bank, I was at the point I even found getting up from my chair difficult because I didn’t want to walk past all the people’s terminals in the large open plan office we worked in. I couldn’t face being near them.

When my marriage broke up in 2002 - with my not working since 1997 an obvious contributing factor - I managed to get employment again, working for a local disabled people’s organisation in Northamptonshire. I wasn’t physically disabled, but their employment criteria extended to what they described as ‘survivors of the mental health system’, which I was one in their eyes.

Without the opportunity of that work, which I had with for about four years in various roles with them, I genuinely could’ve ended up on the streets. My wife was determined to sell the house and my name wasn’t on the mortgage, and my parents wouldn’t have me back in their flat in London – understandably so given my father was seriously ill at the time. We all walk a very thin line at times from coming home, putting a key in the lock and walking into our living space and being protected, to having no key to put in any door with the streets the only option to live on. I came extraordinarily close to that scenario, and now I own my own house. I always try and remember what a fantastic situation that is for anybody when I get down about meaningless things.

Mental health is so crucial to us all. And when our mental health goes wrong, unfortunately there is no decent structure of effective support in place to help us. That’s why many in that situation and desperate, take their own lives. Mental health just isn’t fashionable, and you still have people out there who are of the ‘pull yourself together’ mentality when depressive illness is discussed. Such a damning indictment on our 21st century society.

Thankfully you managed to turn a corner and get to a better place, you clearly appreciate having your own house now. Mental health still doesn't get the attention it deserves.

 

[Duke of Cheese]

Sorry I’ve let this take over

A variant from discussing tat is not a negative.

 

[Duke of Cheese]

Jeez…that beard. He makes Rasputin look clean cut. It looks ridiculous. Are ZZ Top short of a member still?

 

[galesgal57]

Sorry I’ve let this take over

Never be sorry Jazzy. If it helps you to keep talking, we are listening.

 

[Muttley]

Jeez…that beard. He makes Rasputin look clean cut. It looks ridiculous. Are ZZ Top short of a member still?

And we all know what happened to Rasputin...

 

[galesgal57]

And we all know what happened to Rasputin...

Ra Ra Rasputin, lover of the Russian Queen. Oh! those Russians! Can't beat a bit of Boney M.

 

[Jazzydrury]

I noticed Jezza looks scruffy these days.

I bet Galesgal, is going to be watching the Carrier Bag Cup

 

[Duke of Cheese]

Ra Ra Rasputin, lover of the Russian Queen. Oh! those Russians! Can't beat a bit of Boney M.

Marcia Barrett (even) could do it live, too.

 

[galesgal57]

I noticed Jezza looks scruffy these days.

I bet Galesgal, is going to be watching the Carrier Bag Cup

Not sure if I will, Newcastle are playing well at the moment, and I would rather the team concentrated on the league. I will probably dip in and out.