To agree with Wes Streeting's statement that MH issues are overdiagnosed?

Yep, and if they are faking it why would they spend their fraudulently obtained PIP on counselling?

One issue is that the diagnosis means can’t work. OCD, adhd, anxiety …. People have had these MH issues and worked for centuries

but now
can’t work

Sorry but who goes to a counsellor and discusses their benefits?I’ve had therapy and never discussed my financial business,why would I? And what therapist is totting up which of their patients are on PIP and begrudging them it? None.

“Mental issues “ as you put it can be extremely debilitating and more so than some physical disabilities .

I think it's very small minded of him and some of the comments here, such as, I can work with xyz so why can't others.

We are all different. Some people can work with depression or anxiety, for others it's so crippling that they cannot leave their houses.

I was diagnosed with autism recently, I always knew I was 'different'. It's offensive to say these things are over diagnosed. I waited 3.5 years to see a specialist on the NHS. The diagnosis isn't just based on that day, but medical records and childhood history.

The majority of people on disability are genuine.

I've been a counsellor for 35 years and the biggest scandal seems to be with PIP for mental health issues. Many patients I've seen are working full time often commuting every day and earning an above average wage yet still getting up to £700 per month supposedly to help them be independent! It is easy to exaggerate your symptoms on the often online form. So many claiming that come to me have mild anxiety. Obviously people with physical disabilities often need money for help with living but I really don't understand why the government doesn't stop PIP for mental issues especially when they're almost certainly getting other benefits as well. Surely unless you have a severe mental disorder you really don't need extra money.

I think it depends. DH has pretty bad PTSD from being in the military. This is a diagnosis. He has had some counselling over the years which didn’t help greatly. He tried medication but the side effects were too much for him. So now he manages with different coping strategies such as exercise and specific social events. His PTSD does still impact our lives quite significantly. There are things he can’t do or struggles to do and slack I have to pick up. But his diagnosis has no cost associated with it directly. He doesn’t get any benefits. He has no medication or counselling costs etc. I think what they mean is diagnoses that have associated costs.

Sorry that was aimed at @Newgirls

If too few are neurotypical then it’s about bloody time we completely adapted the way we’re expected to live these days. Because it sure isn’t working for the neurodiverse.

Based on what?!

From what I’ve seen just going about life I think it’s both over and under diagnosed. The people who really do need the help because they have severe mental health issues are left to get on with it and not given the help they need. Then you have (a lot) of other people who just can’t cope with every day life and challenges or frustrations it brings. They either self diagnose or go to the doctor pleading anxiety when in reality it’s just part of life.

That’s as maybe however your enthusiasm for arguing and misquoting strangers online outweighs my energy at this stage so I’ll gracefully bow out. Enjoy your evening.

Oh really? Interesting.

Well perhaps you need to make your posts clearer so that people can actually understand what it is you're trying to say.

Where exactly was I criticising please?

I have adhd, epilepsy, a heart condition serious enough to have had open heart surgery and was diagnosed with clinical depression aged 20.

None of these conditions have left me unable to work.

My comment was designed to make a simple statement on the voracity of big pharmaceutical firms making money out of the levels of diagnoses and in no way did I denigrate their position in society.

Check your reading comprehension before attacking posters in future please.

Various research shows that we need the following for good mental well-being -
nutrition
exercise
nature
good human connections

This is what people need to have a good baseline for good mental health and which so many of us lack due to our lifestyles.

Tech isn’t a problem in itself, but it is addictive and interferes with our time we should be devoting to the things above.

We have too many people with obesity, how about we stop treating them and the fallout from obesity( heart disease, cancer)?

No I thought not.

Autism is a protected disability. That was an ableist comment.

We need to look at this in conjunction with NHS provision and support to get back to work.

I work in a field where I meet several people every day, I am privvy to their medical information and they have never worked since they left school 40 years ago. They have no intention of ever doing so. More often than not they cite depression or anxiety as the reason they cant work but they are perfectly capable of holding down some kind of job.
I also work with many truly vulnerable people who could never work yet have to keep going through the agony of reapplying for benefits and support. If anything, I would like more money given to them - perhaps by taking it from the ones who are just reluctant to work?

We need a programme to differentiate between the two groups and help the former to get back to work and realise the benefits that routine, self esteem, a purpose and interaction can have on your mental health.

We also need to cut down NHS waiting lists so people with chronic conditions can be treated and get back to work rather than having to retire 10 years early waiting for a hip replacement.

I could go on and on but it really needs looking at holistically so money is targeted where it is needed. We are just building up issues for the future by not talking to our young people about how normal it is to feel a bit sad, nervous or anxious sometimes. It doesn't necessarily mean you have mental health issues and will spiral down to the point where you can't ever expect to work!

You wouldn't stigmatise type 1 diabetics for using insulin? Well don't stigmatise head meds for people who need them.

Posting americanised rubbish about exploitation of ND people by pharmaceutical companies is extremely damaging and harmful to ND people, many of whom rely on these medications to survive, myself and my adult children included.

It might just be a throwaway quip to you, but it's deadly serious to some of us.

Big pharma encouraging doctors to prescribe for NDs? You do know that all NDs come with a dose of mental illness/trauma/poor mental functioning and that medication can treat this?

I agree with Streeting.

You were criticising pharmaceutical companies?

Pharma not pharmacy

Where did I say big pharmacy are poisoning everyone?

I'm autistic and adhd and have been on every ssri going for anxiety and depression which then worsened significantly. The gp changed it to an snri and my life has been completely transformed. I'm 55 and now socialising for the very first time in my life. I actually have a life now.

But yeah, big pharma poisoning everyone innit 🙄

Ffs