Is Ireland depressed?

menapyan · 20-03-2013 01:27AM

Laneyh wrote: »

Actually there are far more activists, creative co-ops and people DIYing now than in previous generations.
They're just not the ones interviewed on The Front Line or filmed on 'Boozed Up Abroad'

yeah,I wasn't really getting at enterprise though. That's a lack of vision combined with too much of a focus on the bottom line. There are other things in life that are just as important than making money y'know. These would be some of the things I would be referring to as lacking.

Legs.Eleven · 20-03-2013 07:25AM

Laneyh wrote: »

Maybe we'll be possessed next and the new Pope will have to visit to conduct a mass exorcism

Haha!

beks101 · 20-03-2013 08:14AM

I worked in an Irish newsroom & got the hell out of dodge about 3 years ago, just got sick of the conveyor belt of depressing stories - another massive redundancy announced, dole queues getting longer, miserable budget after miserable budget, incompetent politicians & negative equity coming out our ears.

Now I watch it all from abroad, where the odd grim story filters through on the Canadian news, just a few days ago in the Toronto Star there was a feature on newly arrived Irish emigrants telling us how fooked the place is, no jobs, scary times, no point in ever going back.

This resigned, defeatist attitude just hits me like a slap in the face every time I'm home & as "natural" a reaction as it may be to current circumstances, the attitude is just as toxic as the crisis itself. I'm tired of being told I'd be mental to come home when I miss my family & friends & so much of what is great about Ireland, the craic, the banter, the warmth and familiarity of strangers, the black sense of humour, the wit, the landscape, jesus the smell of the sea that I never even noticed until I moved to a place where many of the locals have never even seen the ocean.

These are the things I talk about when Canadians ask me about home because Im sick of people talking down the country I grew up in, and the worst culprits are the Irish ourselves.

It's not popular to talk about what's good about Ireland now, especially when you're Irish & have moved abroad to get away from the bad stuff, but that sense of defeat & depression is pervasive, it sucks you in & drags you down & makes you even more miserable than your set of sh1tty circumstances do because it's collective, it's the strongest voice in the country right now.

I suppose the rain doesn't help either.

suicide_circus · 20-03-2013 09:57AM

The constant barrage of media shoving doom gloom recession bollix down.our throats 24/7 certainly dosnt help. My advice to people is to reduce the amount of news/ current affairs media they consume, even just a little and replace it with something positive: exercise, music, funny movies etc. The world will continue to turn. 24 hour media have to fill air time but you dont have to always listen, it wont make you any happier.

doolox · 20-03-2013 10:35AM

I'd say the weather has a lot to do with it. Mostly rainy and generally unreliable. I have lost count of the amount of arrangements I have had to cancel or had cancelled by others due to rain. It is no longer feasible to arrange outdoor concerts or fixtures requiring any degree of dry weather as you can do in other countries. Barbeques are a joke, as they have become in northern England.

Countries like Lithuania and Poland also have high levels of alcoholism, suicide and depression due to their wet cold climates and I'd guess things are not much different in Scotland or other Northern climes.

Certain Northern Canadian communities have a prohibition on alcohol every bit as strict as our prohibition on drugs because of the high incidence of drink related deaths and other social ills associated with alcohol.

Short and sweet answer is what a lot of Irish people already do, get out and exercise like blazes in order to keep warm in our ****ty climate ,track and field, football, etc and cut alcohol consumption down or out. There is a lot of non-drinkers and low quantity drinkers out there but they never make the news because of some of Irelands propensity to drink publicly in large amounts with little shame or reservation.

Snake Pliisken · 20-03-2013 10:58AM

We're animals that evolved in warm climates like the savannah that have been transplanted further north than we were originally bred for; we have a national vitamin d deficiency from too little sunlight and we live on a rock surrounded by water reflecting the dark clouds that are blocking the sun that are constantly raining on us. I think it's fair to say that we're predisposed to the condition!

Couple the above with the fact with that we're now just realising we're at the butt-end of western capitalism, media, religion, politics and 800 years of oppression that was followed by a century of gombeenism; it's easy to see this was our destiny.

It's hard to be happy as an individual or a group when everything and everyone is telling you there's no reason to be.

We all need some Alan Watts.

Apolloyon · 20-03-2013 12:49PM

Deleted User wrote: »

So far we've been oppressed, then repressed, and now we're depressed.

Why can't we have at least one good 'essed'?!

We did have something good. But we don't know what it is because all that info was suppressed!:D

20-03-2013 01:41PM

It's the weather. It's the f**king weather.

I'm in Spain right now. The country is fcked, 50% unemployment where I am. I'm making sod all money. I haven't bought new clothes in over a year, I've been forced into vegetarianism because I can't afford meat anymore. Yet I'm still a million times happier than I ever was because I wake up, open the curtains and the sunlight streams in. I can sit in the park and read, I can go for walks whenever I want, go to barbeques, sit on a terrace with a one euro coffee for hours, go to the beach. You can do so much for free here because the weather is almost always good. I found that in Ireland, it's not really an option to be outdoors for most of the year, so people end up spending money to entertain themselves. It's very hard to keep cheerful when you have to walk home in the freezing cold and lashing rain. It's much easier to enjoy the small things here.

kunst nugget · 20-03-2013 01:47PM

People aren't fapping enough in Ireland because of the Catholic guilt - that's the problem. 'Tis free, you only need the use of one hand, doesn't need sunshine and it's a good stress reliever. I blame the church, ruining it for everyone…

MaroonAndGreen · 20-03-2013 01:53PM

Definitley think the country is in depressed mode now.. especially alot of our younger people

April O Neill · 20-03-2013 04:23PM

doolox wrote: »

Countries like Lithuania and Poland also have high levels of alcoholism, suicide and depression due to their wet cold climates and I'd guess things are not much different in Scotland or other Northern climes.

They get FAR better summers than us, and proper cold, snowy winters, much preferable to the damp shíte that passes for our winter (and every other season).

Gummy Panda · 20-03-2013 04:44PM

If you're depressed, get a swing like me

Someone give me a push

ronjo · 20-03-2013 09:33PM

April O Neill wrote: »

They get FAR better summers than us, and proper cold, snowy winters, much preferable to the damp shíte that passes for our winter (and every other season).

This is totally true. I spent two winters in Poland and it was exactly as you say and have been in Central Europe 12 years.
This winter has been a very long one though and I can't wait for the summer.

WindSock · 21-03-2013 04:14PM

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

There's only so many walks on the beach you can take per day and keeping yourself motivated to do some self-improvement is no easy feat for your average Joe. It's so easy for someone employed like me to come along and preach at unemployed people that they have to keep positive at all times - it's not that easy.

This'm. Having feck all to do after being busy doing stuff for years has a large impact on a large number of people. I was a long term unemployment person for so long, doing bits and pieces of jobs here and there while finishing my degree, but nothing with a decent future or wage in. I even got offered my most ideal job the day I signed my contract to emigrate but I knew if I stayed, even though having a nice job, I would still probably be a miserable oul' cvnt.

There is something sour in the atmosphere I think. I love Ireland but I am also incredibly bored living here at the moment and I don't see it changing anytime soon. Also boredom and me don't go well together, so it's a slippery slope to self destruction if I stay. Getting tfo is my only option now and I know I am one of the incredibly lucky ones without a mortgage and /or kids, etc. Jumping ship now while I have the chance.

kunst nugget · 21-03-2013 04:25PM

I really mustn't be hanging around with enough moany bollixes because apart from dipping into the sea of misery here I usually get very little griping from the people I interact with on a day to day basis.

donegal_road · 21-03-2013 04:36PM

beks101 wrote: »

I worked in an Irish newsroom & got the hell out of dodge about 3 years ago, just got sick of the conveyor belt of depressing stories - another massive redundancy announced, dole queues getting longer, miserable budget after miserable budget, incompetent politicians & negative equity coming out our ears.

Now I watch it all from abroad, where the odd grim story filters through on the Canadian news, just a few days ago in the Toronto Star there was a feature on newly arrived Irish emigrants telling us how fooked the place is, no jobs, scary times, no point in ever going back.

This resigned, defeatist attitude just hits me like a slap in the face every time I'm home & as "natural" a reaction as it may be to current circumstances, the attitude is just as toxic as the crisis itself. I'm tired of being told I'd be mental to come home when I miss my family & friends & so much of what is great about Ireland, the craic, the banter, the warmth and familiarity of strangers, the black sense of humour, the wit, the landscape, jesus the smell of the sea that I never even noticed until I moved to a place where many of the locals have never even seen the ocean.

These are the things I talk about when Canadians ask me about home because Im sick of people talking down the country I grew up in, and the worst culprits are the Irish ourselves.

It's not popular to talk about what's good about Ireland now, especially when you're Irish & have moved abroad to get away from the bad stuff, but that sense of defeat & depression is pervasive, it sucks you in & drags you down & makes you even more miserable than your set of sh1tty circumstances do because it's collective, it's the strongest voice in the country right now.

I suppose the rain doesn't help either.

I lived in Toronto back in 2003, and return every year for a couple of weeks. The last time I was back, the first thing that struck me was the lack of negativity in the Canadian news. By comparison, our press seem to depend on misery and depravity to gain an audience. The Irish Independent are one of the biggest culprits IMO, almost as bad as Sky News. Another thing I noticed was I didn't feel as eager to watch the news every couple of hours, the same way Id tune in on the hour when in Ireland.

*at the same time, I feel that people are very angry in Ireland for good reason at the minute

.

Wattle · 21-03-2013 05:08PM

Check out the 'Let's All Laugh At People With Depression' thread. 206 pages strong and counting.

duffman13 · 21-03-2013 05:36PM

After coming back to Ireland I found it very hard to adapt to the gloomy weather and the news. I remember being in Melbourne this time last year and the day after the Melbourne GP the main headline on the 6 o clock news was about a swan that was attacked in the park where the race was on. The next couple of stories was about new jobs and then a feel good story about some local sports team raising money for Autism. In comparison to Ireland where there is 15 different negative news stories on the 6 o clock news.

I also have to agree about the weather, there was no better feeling than going for a walk in the evening when you knew you were not gonna get pissed on walking back.

michellie · 21-03-2013 05:54PM

Irish people aren't happy unless there not happy.

It hasn't stopped raining since I woke up this morning, I've had to get changed twice from being soaked in rain, I have the flu and I'm minding my 4 year old. Today I am NOT Happy.

beks101 · 21-03-2013 06:05PM

donegal_road wrote: »

I lived in Toronto back in 2003, and return every year for a couple of weeks. The last time I was back, the first thing that struck me was the lack of negativity in the Canadian news. By comparison, our press seem to depend on misery and depravity to gain an audience. The Irish Independent are one of the biggest culprits IMO, almost as bad as Sky News. Another thing I noticed was I didn't feel as eager to watch the news every couple of hours, the same way Id tune in on the hour when in Ireland.

Yeah it's just a different culture overall that manifests itself in news reporting among other areas.

On the one hand, they simply don't have as much to complain about. Comparatively their economy is kind of grand, the odd budget deficit or unemployment peak here and there but nothing that warrants prolonged coverage. It's a big country with masses of wealth on a level that Ireland could never understand and the government has generally done a good job of regulating banks etc so they don't tend to dwell.

And the news coverage is all-encompassing, a big focus on international news, what's happening in the States, the UK (love their Queen stories, with the whole Common Wealth thing), the Middle East, China...a typical news cast will be 50/50 national/foreign news. No continuous 20 minute rants about the state of the economy or entire news shows devoted to the financial crisis week in, week out. They give a story, no matter how big, five or six minutes and move on.

And they don't have the same tabloid culture, so the scaremongering isn't as intense.

Actually one of the things I've grappled with over here, personally and as a journalist, is how measured, even-tempered and sober Canadians tend to be (to completely generalize for a minute). I think as Irish people we're more emotive and emotional, we like drama, we like debate, we're used to struggle because it's in our DNA. We're invested in what's going on around us to the point where it's all-consuming.

Whereas the drunken political debates at 4 am or taxi driver rants about the state of the country are far fewer over here, they're simply not as invested. They don't need to be, it's a massive country with multiple layers of politics at federal, provincial and municipal levels; politics isn't personal.

And on an unrelated note, here's a positive little news story for the day:

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international-business/irelands-economy-grew-for-a-second-year-in-2012-slow-exports-cloud-outlook/articleshow/19111640.cms

bodhrandude · 21-03-2013 06:08PM

I think its the over long winter thats causing the depression, would it ever bloody go away. Spring and Summer should be demanding their rights as to improving our temperament.

AlekSmart · 21-03-2013 11:12PM

doolox wrote: »

I'd say the weather has a lot to do with it. Mostly rainy and generally unreliable. I have lost count of the amount of arrangements I have had to cancel or had cancelled by others due to rain. It is no longer feasible to arrange outdoor concerts or fixtures requiring any degree of dry weather as you can do in other countries. Barbeques are a joke, as they have become in northern England.

Countries like Lithuania and Poland also have high levels of alcoholism, suicide and depression due to their wet cold climates and I'd guess things are not much different in Scotland or other Northern climes.

Certain Northern Canadian communities have a prohibition on alcohol every bit as strict as our prohibition on drugs because of the high incidence of drink related deaths and other social ills associated with alcohol.

Short and sweet answer is what a lot of Irish people already do, get out and exercise like blazes in order to keep warm in our ****ty climate ,track and field, football, etc and cut alcohol consumption down or out. There is a lot of non-drinkers and low quantity drinkers out there but they never make the news because of some of Irelands propensity to drink publicly in large amounts with little shame or reservation.

There's nothing new about our weather,however what IS noteworthy is the absolute lack of any attempt to work around it.

By this I mean having the cop-on to divert some of the millions spent on "Public Open Space" type amenities which dot our urban landscape into stuff like FREE indoor sports facilities and FREE swimming pools in EVERY major population centre.

I interact with elderly folks on a daily basis and I observe the difference between their lot in Ireland and in my spiritual home,The South of France....same ageing process,same ailments,same pressures,but the musty smell of damp overcoats and lack of any ability to soak up a bit of sunshine sez it all.

Legs.Eleven · 21-03-2013 11:50PM

Makayla Mango Domino wrote: »

It's the weather. It's the f**king weather.

I'm in Spain right now. The country is fcked, 50% unemployment where I am. I'm making sod all money. I haven't bought new clothes in over a year, I've been forced into vegetarianism because I can't afford meat anymore. Yet I'm still a million times happier than I ever was because I wake up, open the curtains and the sunlight streams in. I can sit in the park and read, I can go for walks whenever I want, go to barbeques, sit on a terrace with a one euro coffee for hours, go to the beach. You can do so much for free here because the weather is almost always good. I found that in Ireland, it's not really an option to be outdoors for most of the year, so people end up spending money to entertain themselves. It's very hard to keep cheerful when you have to walk home in the freezing cold and lashing rain. It's much easier to enjoy the small things here.

The weather plays a massive part in it. Anytime I ask the Spanish why is something the way it is here and not the way in Northern Europe, the answer is always the weather. Things are worse in Spain than Ireland but there's no epidemic of suicide or alcoholism etc and you don't get the same kind of talk about mental illness like in Ireland....and interestingly, there's a distinct absence of mentally ill people on the street. Ireland is full of them. People are out and about going for walks, having a few drinks outside and lounging about.

I earn fook all money - about 12,500 grand a year and I earned more on a part time basis as a student In Ireland but jaysus, I've never felt the euphoric feeling I've felt here simply because the skies are clear of clouds, even if it's cold. Better than any pill. I don't think my good moods have been as consistent as they have been here even though money is always a niggling worry. I woke up in a stonk this morning, stepped outside into the bright, clear blue skies of Madrid and involuntarily smiled to myself and I catch myself doing this a lot.

Tried to go for a walk in Ireland over Chrimbo and got soaked within minutes - so soaked it was like someone threw a bucket of water over me and I had to go home. I don't mean to rub it in that I live somewhere hot (plenty of English teaching jobs here if you're interested) but I just want to emphasis that I don't think the Irish are a particularly miserable race of people - a crisis in the sunshine is infinitely better than a crisis in the peeing rain simply for the fact that you can get outside and do shyt and as humans, vitamin D is vital to our mental wellbeing.

So moral of the story is, you should all come live with me!

Fox_In_Socks · 21-03-2013 11:51PM

ruaille buaille wrote: »

I think part of the problem is that people feel too comfortable at home being on the internet rather than going out. It also annoys me that people dont talk about their hopes, dreams and what they want to do with their life.

The usual patterns. Family, job, travelling, partner, hobby, children and/or pets. That's what it comes down to.

Gummy Panda wrote: »

If you're depressed, get a swing like me

Someone give me a push

Sorry, I'm too busy on my trampoline.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdPI50E0Zdo

NegativeCreep · 21-03-2013 11:54PM

Dont think I've had a conversation about the recession since it started tbh.
You need to hang around different people.
Me and my friends go out all the time! It's incredibly cheap these days; €1 shots!

I dont think everyone is depressed.

thebaz · 22-03-2013 12:08AM

bodhrandude wrote: »

I think its the over long winter thats causing the depression, would it ever bloody go away. Spring and Summer should be demanding their rights as to improving our temperament.

this persistent rain and cold , would drive anyone mad - i actually like the seasons , but gloomy mushroom soup skies , kill me

and the never ending talk about recession , and if you mention anything about green roots of recovery , you are slapped down as deluded - now , I'll crank up my Smiths and Sigur Ros soundtracks

books4sale · 22-03-2013 12:15AM

NegativeCreep wrote: »

€1 shots!

You could buy a bottle and drink at home, cheaper...only saying like!

NegativeCreep · 22-03-2013 12:19AM

books4sale wrote: »

You could buy a bottle and drink at home, cheaper...only saying like!

Ah yeah but I hate drinking at home :L

April O Neill · 22-03-2013 01:09AM

I don't see the problem with reporting "depressing" new stories though. If they are there to be reported, ignoring them seems like whitewashing.

22-03-2013 01:51AM

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

The weather plays a massive part in it. Anytime I ask the Spanish why is something the way it is here and not the way in Northern Europe, the answer is always the weather. Things are worse in Spain than Ireland but there's no epidemic of suicide or alcoholism etc and you don't get the same kind of talk about mental illness like in Ireland....and interestingly, there's a distinct absence of mentally ill people on the street. Ireland is full of them. People are out and about going for walks, having a few drinks outside and lounging about.

I earn fook all money - about 12,500 grand a year and I earned more on a part time basis as a student In Ireland but jaysus, I've never felt the euphoric feeling I've felt here simply because the skies are clear of clouds, even if it's cold. Better than any pill. I don't think my good moods have been as consistent as they have been here even though money is always a niggling worry. I woke up in a stonk this morning, stepped outside into the bright, clear blue skies of Madrid and involuntarily smiled to myself and I catch myself doing this a lot.

Tried to go for a walk in Ireland over Chrimbo and got soaked within minutes - so soaked it was like someone threw a bucket of water over me and I had to go home. I don't mean to rub it in that I live somewhere hot (plenty of English teaching jobs here if you're interested) but I just want to emphasis that I don't think the Irish are a particularly miserable race of people - a crisis in the sunshine is infinitely better than a crisis in the peeing rain simply for the fact that you can get outside and do shyt and as humans, vitamin D is vital to our mental wellbeing.

So moral of the story is, you should all come live with me!

The Spanish have trouble understanding why we're so miserable in northern Europe. When I tell them about the weather, a lot of them say 'oh, I like overcast weather'. Yes, it's bloody easy to say that when it's overcast for about 2 weeks a year. We've just had an overcast week on the Costa Blanca and it was grand, but that's because I knew the sun would be out in a few days, and stay out until November. I told the students to imagine that it was that overcast ALL THE TIME, including the entire summer, to have an idea of why we might find it depressing.

My mental health is never better than when I'm in Spain. You're right, just seeing the sun and the clear sky every day does so much for your mood. My physical health is so much better as well. Much easier to get up for an early morning run in the sunshine than when it's lamping down. Evenings are lovely, too. I just spent a few hours in a nearby plaza having some cañas, in just a long sleeved top and leggings. Won't need my coat until at least October now. It really is that simple for me. If it's sunny, I'm generally happy. If it's overcast and wet, I'm generally miserable. I had a chronic vitamin D deficiency in the UK/Ireland and was diagnosed with SAD, so it's not even in my head!

Is Ireland depressed?

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