Why is everything about MH these days?

[JaneFondue]

I am really tired of the way everyone is constantly talking about their mental health journey, even in professional areas.

I needed to hire a photographer for a conference. Was recommended someone by a friend. Her professional page is all about her mental health journey, her 'depression' after every shoot, her existential angst. No information about prices, packages, testimonials. I didn't hire her but why would anyone?

Not the first time I have seen inappropriate mentions of MH. So many young people appear to splash it across their social media profiles. It just makes me wary of hiring them.

Everyone has mental health, just the same as everyone has physical health, don’t they? Sometimes it’s up, sometimes it’s down. I thought that was just called life

I completely agree with this. I think as a society we’ve become so consumed with having Insta-perfect lives, or living our best life, or making memories, or just being happy the whole time that we’ve forgotten that life is sometimes bloody awful or just plain dull - and our ability to ride out the storm or accept that this can make us feel a bit shit has lessened considerably.

This. I'd love to see someone make their business website all about their struggles with paranoid schizophrenia.

100%!

@Howdoyoulikeyoureggsinthemorning

I should imagine they wouldn’t get very far. I’ve worked alongside clinical MH teams whereby it’s my role to assist someone with a severe illness like schizophrenia back into their work roles they did before they became very ill and were hospitalised (sometimes as a result of severe work stress). A lot of the people I have had the pleasure of working with has prestigious jobs with insane amounts of work, which led to them becoming very ill.

A huge part of the role is to go through the advantages and disadvantages of disclosing your psychotic illness to your employer. Often, I advise against it depending on the person, their employer and field, but of course it’s not my choice, I’m just there to provide help to the employee and the employer. Stigma is most certainly alive and kicking when it comes to certain mental Illnesses for sure.

I too am in a workplace where we are all "encouraged to share out mental health journeys" but I wouldn't ever let on how shit things really are for me, I don't want my work contribution to ever be judged on that basis. I loathe that my genuine clinical depression could be viewed in the same vein as someone else's laziness or lack of care about what they do. Of course I am excited to put in the skills box on my CV"Chronic depression & anxiety sufferer - operates as normal under medication"You just wouldn't do it, hence you don't want it on a professional website unless it's directly related say perhaps to nutrition or personal training.

I’m so glad people are having this discussion. The term is definitely being abused and it’s taking away from those with genuine issues. I found a few times that it’s those who shout the loudest tend to have the least to shout about. Of course it’s great that times are changing and we can talk more openly, but that doesn’t make anxiety/ desperation a personality trait.

Sad to say but I roll my eyes at a lot of posts on here stating they have MH issues which have absolutely no bearing on their post, as if in some way it’s meant to help garner sympathy?

If I regularly told everyone about my 20’s spent with bulimia and self harming almost daily, no one would know what to say, because that’s not ‘the norm’. I also don’t tell everyone I meet because it doesn’t define who I am.

I have Schizoaffective disorder & definitely don't share that at work or even with my best mates... the most I've said to my best friends when I've felt unwell is that I have a condition 'like bipolar' & can feel paranoid (well I think they know that!!)
But at work only my line managers know because it can affect my ability to work at times.

If you have a serious mental illness there is still a massive stigma ime. And I have epilepsy too, that's embarrassing too.

It's a preconception I'm afraid. Yet another one. I've had a successful 41 year career as a medical professional. Yet I have complex PTSD with hallucinations and I hear voices. Nobody at work knows apart from my boss and occupational health. I am controlled on drugs. Id say my work is better than most as I have more empathy for people. Its not something I'd ever talk about to colleagues and patients though.

I'm not talking about actual medical mental health issues here.

But I do feel that everything has to have a label now. People can't be sad and fed up without being depressed. Someone getting ready for a big event doesn't just feel a bit anxious now they have anxiety.

Normal emotions are being self diagnosed as medical issues.

And this generation of younger people seem to need to have something wrong with them and as you say overshare or share in inappropriate situations.

I am really tired of the way everyone is constantly talking about their mental health journey, even in professional areas.

I'm really tired of threads like this tbh.

I'm in my mid 40s and the judgement and lack of understanding led me to hide absolutely everything until I have a full mental break down in my early 40s. I wish people would pile just STFU with the comments about how people shouldn't talk about their mental health. I mean sure, some people are not legit here and of course just as people fake bad backs people fake mental health problems. It's more damaging to the genuine people to be judged by you then it is for you to say nothing, just because you don't want to hear it.

@Sunriseinwonderland

I agree. It’s perfectly possible for people with severe MH conditions to work. They will face heavy stigma though depending on their role and employer. It’s certainly not very worth of a fashionable MH insta post, that’s for sure.

This! 💯 This!!!

I found it really challenging the way that mental illness has become synonymous with depression/anxiety. I joined a support group for new mums with MH issues. I was the only one not suffering with d/a but instead a more stigmatised illness. It was really alienating even though it was meant to be for support. It made me feel even more ashamed like I was still the ‘crazy’ one in the group for mentally ill mums.

I think some people, especially the younger ones see "mental health issues" as a badge of honour.

A lot of it IMHO, is too much helicopter parenting, making sure the little darlings get everything they want, instantly, must never feel disappointment, nobodys a loser, everyone gets a prize, trigger warnings on TV, scenes that might upset people, editing books to take out anything remotely scary or offensive. None of this prepares young people for the outside world, where someone might actually say NO to them.
No wonder they have to have "safe places"
Jesus christ on a bike!!

@LakeTiticaca

Reminds me of my 7 year olds football tournament at the weekend. He got into the final and lost, but apparently the two managers agreed to say they both won, as they felt it was a little harsh to lose at that age? Consequently, they all got medals.

Fucking ridiculous. I told my son his team didn’t win and so technically the medal was for nothing at all. He was 7, he got it. Even he was confused. The post match Facebook statuses from various parents parading their kid off with a medal when they infact lost was pretty astounding.

I have diagnosed mental health problems and I keep them totally under wraps. I do occasionally admit to finding life « a bit hard at the moment » or something like that, as that seems acceptable. But not the full on diagnosed issues.

Partly because one of mine is/ was one of the trendy self-diagnoses (not autism or ADHD) and unbelievably I then get people telling me I can’t possibly have it because… reasons. Actually years ago I posted on a thread on here that was something like « AIBU to think I’m a bit (MH illness) ». Loads of posters saying they were too because X or Y. In the end I posted pointing out there are numerous ways the condition can present, for example I have X symptom but not Y, and some total random replied and told me that if I don’t have Y symptom there’s no way in a million years I have that illness. It’s bloody diagnosed. And that’s only one of the many possible presentations. It did feel a bit invalidating. « You’re doing your mental health illness wrong… »

Sorry that was a bit of a rant. But basically, I feel like some of us with genuine mental health illnesses want it kept discreet, and frankly discrete from our work lives, and those self-diagnosing and spreading misinformation are doing us no favours.

I think that the propensity to talk so much about mental (ill) health, devalues the subject for those who have a diagnosed condition that requires treatment.

I made the mistake of acknowledging treatment at work and was rapidly managed out t one point. Unless you suffer, it’s difficult to understand how utterly debilitating it can be, which is why it’s so hard to see the terms being bandied about by people who are a bit fed up or gloomy.

I do think it's good that MH issues are talked about more and there isn't as much stigma around depression, anxiety, phobias and so on.
It's only looking back now that I can see how poor my mental health was in my late teens and early twenties and that I had a complete breakdown at 23 which wasn't labelled as such at the time. My mother in particular seemed to have a great fear of any kind of mental health treatment - possibly because of how people were treated in asylums in the past. So my breakdown was labelled as "physical exhaustion". The GP put me off on the sick with the so-called "physical exhaustion". I had basically no idea whatsoever as to what was going on.
I really should have received treatment of some kind - possibly in-patient - but at the very least a proper assessment and counselling.
I also developed a severe phobia regarding doctors and dentists when I was about 11 or 12. This was never dealt with - and at that point my mother really should have tried to get help for me, but again, I think she was terrified of what any kind of psychiatric help might involve. I am only now starting to get this phobia under control which is a major step forward.
The whole thing has coloured my adult life. I had to give up a career and I have really drifted since then. It's only now that I'm seeing that I should have had help and that I should now try to get counselling for my issues. I've struggled with anxiety and depression for at least 10 years, but I now live in a country where the mental health provision is almost non-existent. Can't afford counselling.

So yes, it's good that it is talked about more, but on the other hand, I do agree with the OP, that it doesn't really have a place on the website of a professional photographer, especially when that means the prices and packages aren't easily found.

HOORAY FOR THIS THREAD!

I feel EXACTLY the same Op. I'm 53 and find myself getting more and more exasperated with all this talk about MH.

I play a game of "Bingo" when I turn the radio on these days, to see how long it will be before the following are mentioned :

Mental Health
Racism
Misogyny
Boris party gate
Inclusion
Trans
Trigger warning
Anxiety
What is a woman
Non binary
Pan sexual
Sam Smith and everyone of his ilk

I can feel my teeth grinding at the mention of all of these, and I think it's sheer saturation - because it's all we seem to talk about. I'm so fucking bored of it all.

I think I'd be happier in a more traditional country somewhere, where everyone is over 50, and we can just all pretend it's the 1980's.

I think there needs to be a distinction between discussing MH, which can be with good, bad or variable, and actual diagnosed, serious mental health conditions.
I've lived with more than one diagnosis all my adult life, been hospitalised numerous times and treat my recovery and ongoing treatment EXTREMELY carefully. But there is NO WAY I'd discuss any of that with my clients, on my business social media or even on my personal accounts. What would be the point?

I agree about a pp regarding teenagers. My 16 year old DD says that you have to have a mental health issue, or an identity crisis to be considered interesting among your peer group today. Even one of her 6th form tutors bangs on about how they all must be struggling with their mental health.

Imho it just trivialises those who have actual mental health problems. I have a young family member who has a genuine diagnosis which makes his life an ongoing challenge so I am not minimising anybody's problems.

My DD's friends often can't go to college because "mental health" even though they go shopping or to see Harry Styles 250 miles away and post about it on their Instagram.

It's like when they have exams - I have tried to emphasise that it's perfectly normal to feel stressed and worried but does not mean that you are "suffering from anxiety".

@Bluevelvetsofa I’m sorry about your experience and how you were treated at work.

But fir me, this is EXACTLY why we should talk a lot more about MH.
Because otherwise, diagnosed or not, people will carry on being treated as lepers and managed out on the ground that <insert misconception and ableist view on illness and disability>.
People who are not ‘diagnosed’ (which doesn’t mean they we not ill) are nit taking away anything Imo. But better awareness and recognition and adaptation will benefit everyone.

@BeachBlondey

Well I’m 34, can I join you? It really is so boring. Unfortunately I did a degree in psychology/mental health and well-being. (I know, I know…. snore 💤 ). I clearly joined the hype 7 years ago, although in fairness to myself I had grew up with family members with psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar. So I was interested long before it became fashionable. Due to having the degree I’ll often research certain jobs and it will state on the description “to provide mental health interventions”.

Well, what sort of interventions? I get to interview and ask and I’m usually struck by dumb founded faces who put it there as a bit of a tick box. What the fuck is an intervention, if you’re not qualified? Sure, you can prescribe medication as a doctor, or speak about issues via a trained counsellor. Other than that, what are you even talking about? So much woke shite. I wish I could turn back the clock as I would definitely have chosen a different degree. All the mental health jobs now outside of statutory services are for the self indulgent. No thank you.

Hallelujah for this thread.
My kids are bombarded with messages that they must have terrible mental health (school, social media, TV) constantly explaining to them that if they feel nervous they must have anxiety, a bit low and they have depression, slightly fidgety one day and it must be ADHD.
HUMAN EMOTIONS IN MOST CASES DO NOT NEED A MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS (or most likely a diagnosis made from a 30 second clip on sodding Tik Tok).
Some days I wish there would be an advertising campaign to bring back the stiff upper lip......

That is truly shocking!