Reposting here are not much response in chat! What does MH actually affect?

[HeartHotWaterBottle]

I was reading a thread in relationships earlier where a woman's husband has depression but won't seek treatment, because he is a doctor.

It surprised me quite a lot because there is a drive to go to the GP if you have an MH issue and we're told that 1 in 3 doctors appointments are MH related.

I heard once that you can't serve on a jury if you've had a MH issue but no idea if this is true. Think it would affect insurance. Does anyone know?

[GlaikitFizzog]

I doubt you wouldn't be "allowed" to be a juror due to discrimination laws but you could use your condition as a reason to be excused.

And I've just renewed life insurance, no questions were about my mental health.

What I do know is there is a lot of bollocks trumpeted about mental health issues. We aren't all raving loonies, rocking in a corner. We are your best friend, your boss, your sister, your dentist, your child's teacher. We are normal people just trying to make it through life.

[HeartHotWaterBottle]

Yes I know - it worried me that a doctor wouldn't seek treatment though. Ahhh ok, didn't realise that about life insurance or the juror thing, thanks.

What kind of nonsense bothers you about MH, is it literally just that some people have certain stereotypes in their head?

[fluffybunnies246]

I thought that any issues around not being able to do things is related to whether you have been on a Section 3 (treatment section). I didn't think they ask you to be on a jury if you've been on one. But then again, when I was sectioned I was told a load of s*e that I would never get a job, mortgage blah blah but none of that turned out to be true. I know you can't be an MP if you've been on section 3. It's never affected my insurance. I had to take out life insurance when we got a mortgage and you have to state all your illnesses past and present and meds, so of course I had to mention my issues. They sent off to the GP a form, which they filled in, asking lots of questions e.g. has this person ever attempted suicide etc. Surgery filled it in with a lot of 'not to my knowledge' answers despite them knowing full well what I'd been up to. So, I think with things like that it technically can affect insurance, but in practise, probably not.

I don't know how or where they would keep information about people ever being on a section anyway...apart from doctors records...and we all know they get lost.

[HeartHotWaterBottle]

Thanks fluffy, sorry if my question was a bit clumsily worded.

I was a bit puzzled about the jury thing because there seems to be a huge drive to promote acceptance of MH so it seemed odd to me that there might be restrictions if you had already been treated. That's good of your GP to help out like that. What is a section 3? There seems to be so much misinformation around about MH issues.

[HeartHotWaterBottle]

Have just googled and found out about section 3 :)

[Mitchy1nge]

you're not eligible for jury service if you are in hospital or otherwise being treated for your mental illness

it can affect your right to drive, I still have regular medical wrangles with DVLA over whether I have been 'ill' or not in the past year or six months or whatever, they check that I am compliant with medication

things like travel insurance are more complicated and expensive

[fluffybunnies246]

yes..there is a push to be accepted but it's still not. I worked for social services and you'd think they'd be accepting but one of the managers, who was previously friendly to me, stopped talking to me after I had some time off with MH issues and it was implied by others that I was not up to the job any longer. GP has always been wary about what to write if I've had to have time off (rare). This attitude suggests that the push has not been successful so far.

[ThisIsLID]

Well we are talking about a GP here.
One that might think ADs are given too willy nilly. One that thinks he can diagnose himself (you can't). One that might be worried about how this would affect his job. Clearly with his line of work, he would be under scrutiny on whether or not he is fit enought to see pxs himself (which tbh is an appropriate question).
And one who will fear the look from his colleagues.

So the question is probably more complex than the section3.

Which us a shame because GPs, like most HCP, are very likely to suffer from burn out. A lot of doctors self medicate with alcohol by his is the profession where the % if people who are in effect alcoholic is one of the highest.
So not an unusual problem :(

[airborne1]

Interesting. My ex psychiatrist suffered from recurrent depression. I found it out when he said at the end of one meeting that he is now going to see his own psychiatrists. I asked him why don't you just prescribe yourself something. He said that he can't do it because he needs an objective view.

[HeartHotWaterBottle]

Fluffy that's a shame about your Manager :( Is this for things like anxiety and depression? Please ignore if too personal.

Oh I did hear about GPs and alcohol - also there's a high suicide rate.

[henleytop]

I have long standing MH issues including several serious suicide attempts, self harm and eating disorders, but no alcohol/drugs/crime issues and never been sectioned. Some of my behaviour during severe episodes did indeed involve rocking in a corner, and lots of other actions which might well fit into stereotypes of mental illness.

I was called for jury service but was told that I was barred as I was receiving regular treatment for mental illness.

For life assurance, I had to provide detailed information about my MH background and a letter from my GP. I was not specifically told that my MH issues made my premium higher but I'm guessing so as they seem to be higher than the general market rate for my age/sex/smoker status. Did not want to shop around too much as I didn't want to have to provide that information to every insurance company to get a quote.

Health insurance and travel insurance is also more difficult/expensive to get.

I have a free travel pass on the grounds that the DVLA may refuse to allow me a driving licence because of my mental health. Although I haven't ever passed my driving test, so not actually been refused a licence.

[HeartHotWaterBottle]

henley I wonder why your life insurance was affected and fluffy's wasn't, as she said she'd been sectioned? Do you have a good relationship with your GP? fluffy are you quite close to yours?

[henleytop]

I've just had a quick quote on life assurance online and one of the standard questions is 'Do you currently have or have you ever had mental illness leading to a suicide attempt, self harm or hospitalisation?' I couldn't answer anything but 'Yes' to that question.

It sounds like fluffy's surgery didn't give a full picture when they responded to the questionnaire by the insurance co and I'd worry that if a claim ever needed to be made, and the company was aware that the application wasn't strictly accurate, they'd try to get out of making any payouts. It's not unusual for this to happen with insurance companies, they try to find any reason to avoid a payout.

[fluffybunnies246]

heart yes it was for depression (GP wrote 'low mood' on note)
It's a looong time since I was sectioned (thank god). I now actually ask for help before things get that bad so maybe they see that as a reason to gloss over the past? (I admitted to all the things it asked on the form as I thought I'd better be honest) Plus, I had been doing well for a good while, worked full time etc. And yes, I do have a good relationship with my GP- she's known me for many many years.

When we were doing the life insurance thing, it turns out that if you kill yourself or die through self harm/drugs etc they don't pay out anyway. So, I guess it makes no ethical sense to pay a higher premium if the thing that you are statistically more likely to do, are excluded from payouts. I think 'not to our knowledge' is a pretty good legal get out clause...means, they might have, but we don't know about that...and it means the premiums are probably cheaper by the sounds of it. I'm not complaining!!

[fluffybunnies246]

Another thing...which will be controversial of course...when I was in hospital (a mine of misinformation of course- this is just what I was told, don't take it as gospel, things might have changed) they said don't have to admit anything about having had MH problems if you don't want to, unless you've been sectioned. They probably meant more about jobs though. And my GP, before I got sectioned, said that if I stayed that way, he could 'accidentally lose' my big fat file of notes from MH services!! This is completely serious- he waved them about in front of me whilst saying this

I generally avoid saying anything at all about my MH problems, despite having had treatment pretty much continuously for the past 20 years. It creates problems- having to adjust the truth about my past, and never, ever letting anyone see my arms. I do wish that things like this were more acceptable...they seem to be among other mums (mums around here have noticed I've not been myself lately and have been lovely) but in the world of work etc it's just not.

[fluffybunnies246]

me again. My friend is a GP (not mine!)...talking to her there is a lot of awareness amongst doctors that they have high rates of alcoholism, drug dependency, suicide rates etc. They have courses etc to try and avoid GP's getting into that state at all. She's had issues though that's she's pretty open with...maybe it was just that one GP and his particular thoughts on depression?

[dontrunwithscissors]

I know this thread has died off, but just wanted to add that MH problems can prevent you from entering the USA on its visa waiver scheme. (You need to apply for a visa at the embassy and have an interview.)

The form is rather vague and asks whether you have ever had MH problems that have previously been a threat to yourself or others, or could pose a threat at the moment or reoccur. I've always ticked 'no'. (I have bipolar and been hospitalised a few times, but not sectioned.) From what I know, they can't actually access your medical files and I think the question is very much open to interpretation. Once you've been sectioned, however, it's much harder to argue 'no.' I have to travel to the US for work, which is why I've always gone in hospital voluntarilybefore the risk that I lose insight and get sectionedas I can't afford to have to go to the embassy every time I need to travel.

I've heard of some people filling out the visa waiver form who've ticked yes to the MH question without realising the consequences of it. Once you're down as a yes, you're screwed.