This whole mental health craze...

...have to say I am beginning to have more and more reservations as to whether it is an entirely good thing, as I see more and more take to social media, with apparently less and less idea of what they are talking about.

I think it was good and healthy when certain celebrities first spoke about their battles. But as more have come forward, some of it almost seems like a fad now. And some of it is just nonsense peddled by people with no expertise or qualifications in the area at all, so you get complete chancers like David Wolfe telling us the bad traits of negative people (the division of people into positive and negative seems to be a popular aspect of this whole craze), while also telling the millions who hang off his word not to judge others.

We seem to be almost talking ourselves into a pandemic, and there seems to be a lack of anyone saying (i) get a grip and (ii) if you have a genuine condition, forget the positive and negative people bs and mindfulness stuff hawked around the place by life coaches, get real help from qualified psychologists and psychiatrists.

me_irl

It's like that car crash ad from years ago. Where one lad was shouting and the other was quiet. The point of it (this) was (is) that you always treat the person who's silent as their wounds could be far more serious. I think the same applies to mental health.

I got jaded when I saw some Irish z-list celebrity film himself crying. No one does that "to get the message out". It's for attention, clicks, likes.

Ironically it's making more people think they need to suffer to get attention.

RGDATA!

Deleted User wrote: »

...have to say I am beginning to have more and more reservations as to whether it is an entirely good thing, as I see more and more take to social media, with apparently less and less idea of what they are talking about.

I think it was good and healthy when certain celebrities first spoke about their battles. But as more have come forward, some of it almost seems like a fad now. And some of it is just nonsense peddled by people with no expertise or qualifications in the area at all, so you get complete chancers like David Wolfe telling us the bad traits of negative people (the division of people into positive and negative seems to be a popular aspect of this whole craze), while also telling the millions who hang off his word not to judge others.

We seem to be almost talking ourselves into a pandemic, and there seems to be a lack of anyone saying (i) get a grip and (ii) if you have a genuine condition, forget the positive and negative people bs and mindfulness stuff hawked around the place by life coaches, get real help from qualified psychologists and psychiatrists.

Who are you suggesting one would say "get a grip to" - people with mental health issues or the specific people you're giving out about like David Wolfe?

ScumLord

I think there's certainly people treating it as a trend to be followed. I joined that men shed thing for a while and once they get your phone number your bombarded by mental health interest groups.

I certainly think there are people that are susceptible to suggestions and I do think if people are constantly reminded about depression that it's going to add more weight to their burdens rather than make them feel better. There's too much advertising guff hanging off this topic because it's always a good cause.

Tayschren

get a hobby, go for a jog, reduce the drink/coke/dope, stop thinking the world is against you cause you dont own a 171 merc and above all else dont self diagnose using google.... saps

padd b1975

First step would be to stop indulging charlatans like "Brezzy".

Wombatman

Nobody has a right to happiness. Seeing happiness as a right causes anxiety and disappointment.

B_Wayne

Tayschren wrote: »

get a hobby, go for a jog, reduce the drink/coke/dope, stop thinking the world is against you cause you dont own a 171 merc and above all else dont self diagnose using google.... saps

While all of the above isn't bad advice. It doesn't really cover depression at same time. I run, I travel, I'm not a big drinker and don't do any drugs outside of that but do have depression. It won't go away as a result of the above.

For the record I think we have a lot of celebrities giving terrible advice much of the time and making a lot of money out of it. Although totally important to hear experiences if others. Celebrities or otherwise.

mickstupp

Great, another thread already well on its way to overwhelming ignorance.

barneygumble99

A lot of people taking selfies of themselves for Facebook making the 'it's ok not to be ok' sign, would be the same people to either film or share videos of people being bullied, having mental breakdowns etc

BrianBoru00

I think the problem is two fold.
1. People who feel down or sad for a few days saying they're depressed when they are in fact just down or sad.
2. Same people creating a social media persona around this "depression"

The sad thing is I think it belittles people with actual depressions. I don't or haven't suffered from it but from my understanding its a crippling condition and feeling depressed about breaking up with your girlfriend or losing your job is not the same thing

El_Duderino 09

Deleted User wrote: »

...have to say I am beginning to have more and more reservations as to whether it is an entirely good thing, as I see more and more take to social media, with apparently less and less idea of what they are talking about.

I think it was good and healthy when certain celebrities first spoke about their battles. But as more have come forward, some of it almost seems like a fad now. And some of it is just nonsense peddled by people with no expertise or qualifications in the area at all, so you get complete chancers like David Wolfe telling us the bad traits of negative people (the division of people into positive and negative seems to be a popular aspect of this whole craze), while also telling the millions who hang off his word not to judge others.

We seem to be almost talking ourselves into a pandemic, and there seems to be a lack of anyone saying (i) get a grip and (ii) if you have a genuine condition, forget the positive and negative people bs and mindfulness stuff hawked around the place by life coaches, get real help from qualified psychologists and psychiatrists.

Ah Conor, be fair. It sounds like you're saying that you used to believe everything you heard about mental health. Now that you know a bit more due to all the publicity, you're becoming discerning about the information you take in.

Of course you should apply a BS filter to anything you hear including health information. Some people will say anything to earn a few bob. It's the same in any industry and you've noticed it in this area of health. It's the same as absolutely everything else

TheDoc

BrianBoru00 wrote: »

1. People who feel down or sad for a few days saying they're depressed when they are in fact just down or sad.

This is something I notice a lot. I had a bit of a breakdown a few months back, serious pressure relating to finances and my personal life and just where I was and my outlook just cracked me. Was uncontrollably in bits curled against a kitchen press on the floor, making noises I'd never heard, crying which I rarely do, just in tatters. Partner in bits with me just having no idea what to do or what was happening. And it just came out of nowhere.

Havn't gone for help or anything as I just figured it out bit by bit myself. Had some good breaks recently that have eased what I've been feeling and its a massive relief. I got a lot of advise to see someone or talk to someone. For me I just wasn't comfortable with doing that. I had a friend, she was a godsend, and was dealing with some serious **** of her own and its like we just talked our **** through and we are both on good runs at the moment.

So for the first time I got an insight first hand what people can experience. I would have brushed it off previously wondering how can people get like that or "suck it up" or whatever. Being bravado, but it doesn't work like that.

However what I have noticed in the time since, and no on really knows it happened bar a few people (and I guess you all now haha) is other people tlaking about depression or using the word, or things to that affect, and what they feel is causing it or feeling the are depressed and I do get a bit "really, that has you feeling down? Want to trade".

Does feel a bit of an excuse for many people. I think to not fall into that bracket is what made me push through by myself and ignore help or seeing someone. Wether that is a good decision or not only time will tell, but I personally, for my in my own outlook, don't think all the focus and advertisement on mental health has made it easier to talk about or be open about, if anything made me want to be stronger as I railed a bit against what I perceived as that modern "weakness" in society.

Just my thoughts on it, I know large parts of that is ignorant thinking. But maybe even the fact I just made the post above, was a positive from the focus on mental health and stuff, that I don't feel entirely closed off admitting I had what I term an incident

One eyed Jack

TheDoc wrote: »

Just my thoughts on it, I know large parts of that is ignorant thinking. But maybe even the fact I just made the post above, was a positive from the focus on mental health and stuff, that I don't feel entirely closed off admitting I had what I term an incident

I won't quote the whole post in case you may want to retract it later, but I don't think your thinking is ignorant at all. I think what's refreshing about your post is that you're honest about it, you don't use any of what I would call 'nonsense terms' like personalising ill mental health and calling it 'the black dog' or any of the rest of it.

I do think there's far too much of a focus on ill mental health and it's actually IMO become something of an 'identity' almost to some people who are experiencing ill mental health. It's like there will never be any telling some people that they won't always be experiencing ill mental health.

I detest the sort of person who comes into threads like these and proclaims something along the lines that everyone else is ignorant, because they say so, or because other peoples experiences don't align with theirs... and then they're the same people will claim that we don't talk enough about mental health?

What's with that? It appears to me more like they have experienced someone telling them they've heard just about enough of that person talking about their mental health. I've had to tell people I don't want to hear any more about their mental health. It's not easy, but sometimes it's absolutely necessary, for both their sakes and mine.

blue note

I agree in part to this. It's great that we're talking more and more about mental health. And it's great that it is becoming more and more acceptable to seek help for mental health problems.

But, there are people for whom the best form of cure for their problems is exercise, dealing with their stresses, joining a club, reconnecting with friends. The doctors are quick to prescribe an anti-depressant and give a little lifestyle advice, but I think this is sometimes just skirting around the issue.

I think everyone has had some experience of mental health problems in this country. Personally I've used anti-depressants and gone to CBT. I had a girlfriend who was treated for depression with psychologists, psychiatrists and hospitalisation. So having had experience of the professional help available beyond life coaches and the like, I'd have mixed opinions on them. They can be great, but they're only part of the solution. And too often I think people are told to go and get help and they believe their problems will be sorted. Sadly, it's only part of the solution if you're actually mentally sick. And occasionally, someone does just need to cop themselves on and get out more, or reprioritise or eat healthily or make lifestyle changes. The labelling isn't always helpful.

RoboRat

And some of it is just nonsense peddled by people with no expertise or qualifications in the area at all, so you get complete chancers like David Wolfe telling us the bad traits of negative people

Once I see that name associated with anything I know its complete and utter bollocks.

We seem to be almost talking ourselves into a pandemic, and there seems to be a lack of anyone saying (i) get a grip and (ii) if you have a genuine condition, forget the positive and negative people bs and mindfulness stuff hawked around the place by life coaches, get real help from qualified psychologists and psychiatrists.

I don't think we are talking ourselves into anything. Mental health is a massive problem. The reason it is more prevalent nowadays is due to the fact that young people have to deal with more pressures. When I was a kid, I got bullied but it was by people who done it to my face and was physical... nowadays it's faceless people online telling people their fat, ugly or to go kill themselves.

Telling someone with a mental illness to get a grip is like telling someone with cancer to eat more apples. I do agree with you about some of the snake oil merchants who bang on about mindfulness... there is far too much unregulated stuff out there that is potentially damaging to someone with a mental health issue. In saying that, the more people who speak openly about it, the better. Mental health is still very much a taboo subject in this country. It's an illness like any other illness and it needs to be addressed as such.

freshpopcorn

I think a little but of mental health advice is very good but everything should be in moderation. To much thinking can be bad in my opinion.

One eyed Jack

RoboRat wrote: »

Mental health is still very much a taboo subject in this country. It's an illness like any other illness and it needs to be addressed as such.

The real problem is that it isn't a taboo any more, there isn't any stigma around mental health, in spite of what some people would want everyone else to believe. There's a difference between a subject that is taboo and a subject that people are simply sick of hearing about.

They're not illnesses like any other illness either and I detest the comparisons and simplistic analogies drawn with physiological illnesses as if there's no difference between them. There is, and I'm glad they're not treated the same, because they aren't the same.

me_right_one

If you genuinely have a psychiatric illness, which is fine BTW, then no problem. But people who dont, but say they do, are only going to make mental health matters worse for the genuine sufferers.

Its leading down a scary path. If everyone has a mental illness because its trendy, we will soon see prohibitions on vetting for certain jobs, driving, voting etc. Understandably, this is already the case for gun licenses and jury duty. But do we really want to go down that road?

KwackerJack

People with depression rarely talk about it until its to late or they manage to work things out themselves....It's become almost Commercial like Christmas!!
The people you see on facebook, twitter etc talking about their experience in my opinion never really had true depression. Most likely a stage of sadness or a midlife crisis! I hear friends talking about themselves or other mates about being down because things are not going their way or because the neighbor has 2 news cars and 3 holidays a year, that's not depression in my eyes. That is jealousy, turning to hate then turning on yourself because you have not gotten what they want.....not true depression!
Trust me, when you have true depression no matter what family, friends, cars, houses, bikes, boats or money you have you will still feel ****..You can be very successful and know it and be the envy of everyone yet still feel as if you just want to lie down and die, that's depression!

I feel nowadays that when someone is sad for a few days or going through a rough patch suddenly they have deep depression and the world is ending!   We don't seem to be able to control and understand our feelings in a correct manner so we self diagnose the worst case scenario

claresmurf

I don't think we are talking ourselves into anything. Mental health is a massive problem. The reason it is more prevalent nowadays is due to the fact that young people have to deal with more pressures. When I was a kid, I got bullied but it was by people who done it to my face and was physical... nowadays it's faceless people online telling people their fat, ugly or to go kill themselves.

Telling someone with a mental illness to get a grip is like telling someone with cancer to eat more apples. I do agree with you about some of the snake oil merchants who bang on about mindfulness... there is far too much unregulated stuff out there that is potentially damaging to someone with a mental health issue. In saying that, the more people who speak openly about it, the better. Mental health is still very much a taboo subject in this country. It's an illness like any other illness and it needs to be addressed as such.[/quote]

I agree with all of this, my brother suffers from psychosis, severe ocd, delusions of grandeur and depression and even though at times it can be hard to understand where's he coming from about certain things, I realise that his illness makes him perceive reality differently.
It must be a very scary thing having a mental illness, in particular psychosis. I remember watching a show recently about people with psychosis and a doctor said that for a person who doesn't suffer from mental illness it would be like walking in the woods at night and hearing unfamiliar things and imagining seeing figures. You can understand aswell if people hide away from life's problems how easy it would be to become mentally ill.

5rtytry56

Maybe thread should be moved to another more suitable forum? Glad I came across it.

Have a look at how many charities there are in Ireland dealing directly and indirectly with suicide and depression. People gotta get paid.

I said on here a few years ago I was tired of the whole thing. I've had issues in the past, may well again in the future but when that whole "It's OK to not be OK" thing first started on Facebook was probably the first time I was sick of it. I'm sure some people found it helpful, I found it glib and virtue-signalling before I knew the term for it.

B_Wayne

One eyed Jack wrote: »

The real problem is that it isn't a taboo any more, there isn't any stigma around mental health, in spite of what some people would want everyone else to believe. There's a difference between a subject that is taboo and a subject that people are simply sick of hearing about.

They're not illnesses like any other illness either and I detest the comparisons and simplistic analogies drawn with physiological illnesses as if there's no difference between them. There is, and I'm glad they're not treated the same, because they aren't the same.

No illness is the same so mental illness be it depression, anxiety or otherwise are very real illnesses. They can affect your ability to function properly and be entirely debilitating. There's no set course of action for all illnesses. Some require drugs, operations, others can merely require dietary changes. So denying mental health issues as legitimate illnesses is more due to a lack of knowledge on the topic.

In relation to stigma, it's still very real. Eg my father has suffered from depression and anxiety for about 12 years. Most of his generation simply don't understand it and would tell him to go outside and get some fresh air, it was completely misunderstanding his situation. My father still very much so feels shame over how he feels.

In relation to myself, after my father's experience, I hid my mental health issues for years and suffered in silence. I've become more comfortable and open about it with my family but still hide it to an extent. Stigma is very real.

If you're so sick of hearing about it. Simply turn off the radio and television. I've already outlined earlier in the thread that celebrity hot takes etc on depression are unhelpful much of the time. But we very much so need to maintain an open dialogue on mental health at the same time.

misstearheus

A young lad that went missing in Galway last year or previous year, somebody had commented that they saw him sitting outside a Nightclub at 9am one morning around then, and like unless otherwise stated, anyone is presumed alive up until a point. But I often wonder is there any chance he might be still be alive today if that kind-of commenting and subsequent speculation as to why he was sitting outside Club etc. wasn't discussed..... Like he could have been looking in on Social-Media and watching it all unfold and build up about him going missing. And any chance of him being brave enough and strong enough to come back and face the music probably decreased as every day goes by. But then with all the Comments being so candidly discussed as to him being seen and his whereabouts if he was still somewhere out there, and why and all the questions, - I wonder if all the publicity and Social Media uptake of it all, can double as or disguise as a hindrance as much as a help....

One eyed Jack

B_Wayne wrote: »

No illness is the same so mental illness be it depression, anxiety or otherwise are very real illnesses. They can affect your ability to function properly and be entirely debilitating. There's no set course of action for all illnesses. Some require drugs, operations, others can merely require dietary changes. So denying mental health issues as legitimate illnesses is more due to a lack of knowledge on the topic.

I don't think you're being very fair there. I didn't at all suggest that mental health issues aren't legitimate illnesses and I know you didn't suggest it but I don't agree either with the idea of who gets to decide what is or isn't genuine ill mental health or otherwise. It's not that I lack the knowledge to be able to speak about mental health, it's that I simply don't share your perspective is all in relation to comparing ill mental health and mental illnesses to physiological illnesses.

In relation to stigma, it's still very real. Eg my father has suffered from depression and anxiety for about 12 years. Most of his generation simply don't understand it and would tell him to go outside and get some fresh air, it was completely misunderstanding his situation. My father still very much so feels shame over how he feels.

In relation to myself, after my father's experience, I hid my mental health issues for years and suffered in silence. I've become more comfortable and open about it with my family but still hide it to an extent. Stigma is very real.

I hope you understand when I say I'm not going to comment on individual circumstances (not least because of the fact that I don't know either you or your father well enough to comment on your personal circumstances), but I know what you're talking about and I agree that up to maybe 20 years ago, you'd have had a point, but nowadays I simply don't feel that there really is the same stigma about ill mental health in Irish society as a whole, that there would have been amongst your fathers generation.

If you're so sick of hearing about it. Simply turn off the radio and television. I've already outlined earlier in the thread that celebrity hot takes etc on depression are unhelpful much of the time. But we very much so need to maintain an open dialogue on mental health at the same time.

I do, and I'm very straightforward with people in my life who want to share their experiences of their mental health with me again, and again, and again, and then when I tell them I have no interest in hearing it again, I'm told I'm ignorant and I know nothing about mental health and I know nothing of their suffering. It gets a bit tedious, and because I'm unwilling to get into a pissing contest with them over it, I just leave it at that rather than engage any further, because experience tells me that their idea of "open dialogue" is only a one way communication.

I don't think celebrities talking about their experiences of mental health is a bad thing because whether we like it or not, they are role models for a lot of people, and people can identify with their experiences. But it's the very same as you suggested I do, I would say the same to you, and I do it myself - if you don't want to listen to them, you're not being forced to, you can switch off, avoid, tune out, whatever it is you want to do so that you don't have to listen to them.

That's not encouraging the stigma btw IMO, that's just looking after your own mental health, and I'd suggest that same advice to anyone.

I keep a journal. I don't write in it everyday but regularly enough all the same. The last time was about a month ago. It was a Thursday afternoon and I was sitting at the kitchen table staring in to space. I felt empty and strange. I didn't want to do anything or feel or exist. This feeling came from nowhere and lasted maybe an hour. Once I had it every single day for weeks at a time. Back then there were other horrible feelings attached such as absolute hopelessness, no interest in anything or anyone, a lot of crying, and a worrying thought which creeped around the edges, "I want to die". Action was needed. Antidepressants and therapy along with my mam got me through it. There was no way I was going to let a diagnosis of clinical depression hold me back.


Unfortunately there was more erm, interesting times ahead. My life fell apart in 2011. After which I had a psychotic break. The previous night I drove in to St James' hospital because I was terrified. Terrified of myself. The anger inside of me was like a gigantic ball of fire. I raged against myself and everyone else. Eventually I got my life back on track and am a stronger and far more resilient person for it. My experiences have given me an insight in to mental ill health and how easy it is to lose yourself. This thread makes me wonder if we have forgotten that one person's experience of pain is not another's. There is no way to quantify personal struggle and nobody can say "well mine is worse than yours".


There are two issues I see facing people today and neither of them is depression. The first is self-esteem. We are simply not kind to ourselves. Our worth is tied up in other people and possessions. When the second date doesn't happen or our friend cancels on us again the sting of rejection hits hard. We take it so personally because how we feel about ourselves is dependent upon the validation of others. I don't think there is a perfect pinnacle of loving ourselves to be reached. I mean we are human beings at the end of the day. For me healthy self-esteem is an on-going process. I'm aware of it's huge importance and the ways in which mine can drop. Ultimately however there is a very solid place inside of me which prevents anymore falling apart.


Secondly is the victim mentality. Mental illness can become cosy for some because the work required to fight it is often very painful. So a softly softly approach is looked for which may not be all that useful. Yes it is difficult and yes I acknowledge you are going through an awful time but in order to move beyond the stuck state then challenge is what's required. Sometimes just waking up and putting one foot in front of the other is a win. For you that might be what fighting looks like. For someone else maybe it's writing down every good thing they can think of. Another poster mentioned the tendency for identity to become mixed up with the illness. Depression, anxiety, ocd, etc are not who you are. Descriptions such as "people like us" again only feeds the association between your identity and what it is you are going through.


There is no "mental health craze" as far as I can see. It's just a broadening of our understanding as to what the whole shebang actually is but we must remember that mental ill health does not begin and end with clinical depression.

The Rape of Lucretia

mickstupp wrote: »

Great, another thread already well on its way to overwhelming ignorance.

Agree. This is the information age, and it is great that threads like this can contribute to overwhelming it, and to enlightenment and increased knowledge.

The Rape of Lucretia

Deleted User wrote: »

There is no "mental health craze" as far as I can see.

I'm not entirely sure. I think there might be some bandwagon effect. Sometimes its just coping with life - no one guarantees it should be easy. Because it isnt, doesnt mean someone has a mental health problem.
You would wonder how many people have suffered by getting caught up on a 'mental health' roller coaster, who previously were muddling along OK, so for who 'awareness', 'talk about it', etc has had a negative effect.

myshirt

What I thought was outrageous was someone called Vogue Williams, who I had never heard of before, she is a model, she broke her leg or fell or something and was on crutches for 2 whole weeks. She was then in the paper saying how this gave her insight into the barriers disabled people face in access to facilities etc etc and how it brings on depression or sadness. Article was accompanied by some shots of her modelling.

This type of thing is really poor.

The Rape of Lucretia

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

I'm not entirely sure. I think there might be some bandwagon effect. Sometimes its just coping with life - no one guarantees it should be easy. Because it isnt, doesnt mean someone has a mental health problem.
You would wonder how many people have suffered by getting caught up on a 'mental health' roller coaster, who previously were muddling along OK, so for who 'awareness', 'talk about it', etc has had a negative effect.

I agree with you that life not being easy does not equal a mental health problem. Can you say a little more about the potential negative effect awareness, etc might have on a person muddling along? Do you mean that they would jump to the conclusion of there being something badly wrong with them?

Widdershins

myshirt wrote: »

What I thought was outrageous was someone called Vogue Williams, who I had never heard of before, she is a model, she broke her leg or fell or something and was on crutches for 2 whole weeks. She was then in the paper saying how this gave her insight into the barriers disabled people face in access to facilities etc etc and how it brings on depression or sadness. Article was accompanied by some shots of her modelling.

This type of thing is really poor.

Maybe it was self promotion but if her experience made her think and evoked compassion for people with long term mobility problems, good for her.

So about this mental health business. It's very obvious online, specifically on Facebook, that some people sometimes wallow in their problems a bit too much for their own good. In the long run I think it is probably detrimental to their mental health. I also think people are confused about the difference between reactive, and clinical depression (for which there isn't always a 'reason').
And finally, for all the publicity and campaigns online, I've never seen anyone make a serious effort to inform and encourage openness about illnesses other than depression.I strongly believe society could do with a better understanding of nervous breakdowns, psychotic breaks for any reason, and incurable mental disorders like Schizophrenia, and diseases like Alzheimers too (not really mental health but it affects that). Not only the illnesses but how the medications affect people.
When people encounter someone with such problems, they just don't know how to handle it, imo. There are anecdotal stories of sufferers being misunderstood to be maliciously aggressive, and incarcerated in prison. If an Alzheimers patient goes walkabout, would the average person know how to help them? And I know a few people whose loved ones with Alzheimers have had nightmarish times in hospital, particularly A & E, because it is so hectic and confusing an environment. I think with all of the focus on mental health awareness, these campaigns could do a lot more to educate all of us. Instead they are vapid and pointless.

Earthhorse

So some people are sick of hearing about mental illness and some people are sick with mental illness. Well, I know which one I have more sympathy for personally.

The problem here isn't mental illness or any craze regarding the same but that people won't take their own advice and "get over it"; turn off social media, get out and do stuff and if you really believe there are people who aren't really suffering but instead merely attention seeking then simply ignore them.

diomed

We have mental health celebrities.
We have environmental celebrities. And house improvement, fashion, farming, cooking celebrities.
The telly needs programs, and these people promote themselves as experts.

5rtytry56

Yes, the "bandwagon effect" is present in the mental health context in Ireland now.

Cupcake_Crisis

I have noticed a change lately. People don't get nervous anymore, they have anxiety. No one is sad anymore, they're depressed. Funnily enough, I've never had anyone who's been diagnosed with depression ever say to me 'oh I'm so depressed today' , it's almost like a buzz word and I worry that that alienates people with actual mental health problems.

oneilla

It would be good to start with a definition of what mental health is. To do this you would likely need a scientifically sound definition of what a mind is and then perhaps from there we could say "this is a healthy mind". Philosophers have been asking what the mind is for centuries.

Without some solid grounding you get people who carry on making up whatever suits them.

If you have a heart issue you go see a cardiologist not Cupid.

Edit: that said, psychiatry hasn't had a new idea in decades - serotonin hypothesis is decades old and unproven. ANtidepressants aren't much more effective than placebos.

ArchXStanton

Everyone seems to be afflicted with something nowadays...I just call it life...a smooth sea never made a skilful sailor

SEPT 23 1989

I think feeling down at getting a kick in the balls over events in your life is a natural thing

Severe depression and mental illness is a different ball game and I don't believe anyone suffering from that would try and make money out of it

I have never had it at my door thank god

Purple Mountain

padd b1975 wrote: »

First step would be to stop indulging charlatans like "Brezzy".

I didn't know anything about Bressie apart from his singing career until I read his book. I was very interested in his experience of what happened to him. I had no preconceptions or prejudices before reading it.
I can safely say that Bressie's candid account and brutal honesty of the overwhelming impact mental health issues had on his life make for a sobering read.
There is nothing charlatan about this man. His experiences and hurdles are very real and he did readers, especially young people who would be drawn to buy his book a huge service by writing so honestly.
Without doubt it was the best autobigraphical account I've ever read and gave me great insight into the adage that you never know what someone else is suffering even if they appear to have all the material trappings in the world.

Richard Hillman

I think we can all agree that the original push for more mental health awareness was a good thing.

However, it has gone way too far. It's almost as if they are trying to talk young people into believing that have some sort of personality disorder. You can literally turn every human trait into being a personality disorder.

Mental health is big business now a days. Now that people have lost confidence in International Poverty Charities, the new thing is mental health. And the more personality disorders that are being invented, it's good business for psychologists, bloggers, public speakers, author's, quangos and "charities".

There is not a week that goes by when I don't hear that some book, tv series/film or "wellness" programme should be on the school curriculum. In fact I was listening to George Hook this morning and they were turning CSPE into some sort of "Wellness" subject.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Biscuitus

BrianBoru00 wrote: »

1. People who feel down or sad for a few days saying they're depressed when they are in fact just down or sad.

This is what really annoys me. Its called having a brain and feeling emotions. The majority of self diagnosed "depression" can be described as follows:

Owner has to leave dog to go to work.
Dog is sad.
Owner comes home.
Dog is happy.

The dog does not have mental health problems.

velo.2010

As mentioned above, people experience stress and low mood on a regular basis. Stress can actually be a good thing to motivate and push us along and low moods may help us to 'course correct' in our lives. There is no doubt that some of these celebs are over-egging their symptoms and looking for sympathy, but lets not get into the game of comparing people's mental health or wellbeing. One person may become upset at the breaking of a cup, while it may take the passing of a relative to bring about similar levels for someone else. Each person's stress is real to them and is not negated by the level of seriousness of the event.

Saying all that, mental health and 'awareness' has become the new fad celebrity and society associated illness to follow. Before, it was ALS, then cancer and before that it was the blind and wheelchair users. Awareness is critical to a cause but it can undermine and cloud the principal message when so many well known people publicise their 'issues' and encourage their followers to do the same. The serious message of mental illness gets lost in a flurry of social media posts about someone having a 'stressful day' at work or the weight gain after a holiday is really 'getting them down'.

Young people are more exposed to the dangers of escalating mental health issues because of the social media world we live. Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat are life games, games that never stop and games that no matter where they are in the world will follow them to bed and be with them when they wake up. Now that's stressful for a young teen or even younger! 20 years ago people went home from school and work and shut the door on their day... no classmates, no work colleagues and so on. Now everyone knows where you are and what you are doing. You have to play the game all day long. There is a new route to mental illness, especially for the young, and its through social media. Forget about reposting or tagging a 'celeb' that's having a 'crisis' over what to wear to a movie premiere, we need to to continue to warn young people of the perils of living their lives online and subject to every sort of criticism without any sort of filter.

In general of course, we still have the issue of mental health funding, not just in this country but around the world. Our government continues to let down so many people around the country by a continued lack of investment. In some spots, the acute care is excellent - if your lucky to live in that area - but by in large there are long waits for follow up care like psychotherapy and counselling. We are a well off country and we shouldn't have to rely on half a dozen or so mental health charities competing for our good will and spare coins. We should have a proper government policy on tackling the mental health crisis... and it is a crisis. Not celebrities complaining of the stress of moving house, no... actual people in crisis who need real support and not 'likes' or 'thumbs up' from followers for making it through their workout routine and making a nice meal for themselves.

Again, stress and being depressed or in a low mood do not necessarily constitute having a mental illness but continued stress and low mood may indicate something more serious. Any 'celeb' in that scenario should seek out some professional advice and not seek the approval of the masses for sharing their feelings. By all means post how your day or week has gone, how ****ty it's been but don't conflate it with the types of illness which stop people from doing even the simplest tasks.

Persepoly made a good point, above. For 'celebs' and many people on social media its about massaging ego's and artificially inflating their self-esteem. People need validation and can have it in such instant fashion. rejection comes equally as quickly. Thanks heavan's then for the block buttons on many of these sites!

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nice_guy80

Irish people in general are just very insecure about talking about stuff like mental health
or anything that might see them seem vulnerable

children definitely have less coping skills and are less resilient nowadays

oneilla

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

The argument goes something like "everone has mental health so we should look after our mental health as we would physical health". Problem with that is that the mind in "mental health" isn't accurately defined and outside of vague suggestions noone can outline what exactly a healthy mind is. So here were are.

Edit: also, whatever a mental health issue actually is, it is bound to manifest itself in someone personality like Richard above mentions. People are very judgy about others everyday - friends, family, colleagues etc. I guess some this awareness stuff kind of addresses that ie. "Don't judge her, she's got mental health issues"

Feeling up or down as a response to life events is normal, overstating it for attention is fairly easily ignored if it's irritating anyone.

Anyone with diagnosed depression or anxiety most certainly isn't looking for attention for the heck of it, and they deserve some help and compassion for what can be a debilitating condition. Talking about it openly can only be beneficial for people with genuine problems and lessens the stigma involved with mental health.

Overall I'd suggest anyone fed up with the new exposure that mental health issues are experiencing should remember that the option is there to simply turn their attention to something else that does interest them.

Richard Hillman

Biscuitus wrote: »

This is what really annoys me. Its called having a brain and feeling emotions. The majority of self diagnosed "depression" can be described as follows:

Owner has to leave dog to go to work.
Dog is sad.
Owner comes home.
Dog is happy.

The dog does not have mental health problems.

Yes it has separation anxiety disorder.

Let me refer this dog to a leading psychologist in the field for this, his blog and a 10% off coupon for his book Snoop at Your Doggy Dogg.

It also sounds like the owner has General Doggyiatric withdrawal disorder.

oneilla

oneilla wrote: »

The argument goes something like "everone has mental health so we should look after our mental health as we would physical health". Problem with that is that the mind in "mental health" isn't accurately defined and outside of vague suggestions noone can outline what exactly a healthy mind is. So here were are.

Well in terms of looking after our mental health it's a case of being aware of yourself and any changes in mood. Find out what makes you relaxed and helps you feel better and try to put those things in to action.

The mind is impossible to define because we each have a completely different one.

nice_guy80

nice_guy80 wrote: »

Irish people in general are just very insecure about talking about stuff like mental health
or anything that might see them seem vulnerable

children definitely have less coping skills and are less resilient nowadays

Meh, I'll talk openly about mental health.

Candie wrote: »

Feeling up or down as a response to life events is normal, overstating it for attention is fairly easily ignored if it's irritating anyone.

Anyone with diagnosed depression or anxiety most certainly isn't looking for attention for the heck of it, and they deserve some help and compassion for what can be a debilitating condition. Talking about it openly can only be beneficial for people with genuine problems and lessens the stigma involved with mental health.

Overall I'd suggest anyone fed up with the new exposure that mental health issues are experiencing should remember that the option is there to simply turn their attention to something else that does interest them.

Two different things for me there. Getting a depression diagnosis doesn't take much usually. First time for me was after counselling and seeing a psychiatrist. Second time was after counselling. Since then it's just telling the doctor I need them and boom. I know a few people who got a "diagnosis" after 5 minutes with a GP. I know people given anti-depressants shortly after a bereavement.

People need coping strategies and skills. The borders between all the different types of "depression" are woolly to say the least. Someone who is suicidal needs help and sympathy. Someone who can't get the motivation to get out of bed needs help and sympathy. Someone who has suffered a bereavement needs help and sympathy. Someone who just isn't feeling themselves needs help and empathy. Everything being a mental illness (as in the DSM-5) isn't the right way to go about it. I also personally don't think that constantly talking about it is the way to go for everyone and that constant dwelling won't help borderline cases.

The Rape of Lucretia

Deleted User wrote: »

Well in terms of looking after our mental health it's a case of being aware of yourself and any changes in mood. Find out what makes you relaxed and helps you feel better and try to put those things in to action.

Not sure about that either. It is possible that you are better not thinking about it. Just get on with life. Too much 'awareness' or thinking on the matter could be taking more people into the realm of mental illness than it helps. Whether it helps anyone at all is probably itself also arguable.