To think that White Dee from Benefit St isn't doing people with depression any favours

[Bearbehind]

I've just seen White Dee from Benefits St being interviewed on Sky a News about the budget.

She said she can't work due to her having depression- yet she can appear on TV and is not ruling out standing as a politician

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

From what I can tell, looking around last night, she has been signed of with depression for a significant period of time and is being treated by her CMHT. I don't know about her area but round here that level of treatment would be 2nd or 3rd stage in the pathway and reserved for the more serious cases.

Given the amount of time I'm guessing she has been on ESA my guess would be that at this stage she has been diagnosed/assessed/treated by her GP, an ATOS advisor (and trust me this isn't easy), possibly a tribunal of doctors at an ESA appeal and probably any one of a number of MHT employees such as psychotherapists, CPNs, psychologists and psychiatrists.

There also appears to be mention of other MH issues that aren't depression.

Leaving the issue of not dismissing being an MP aside for a moment, I think it's a reasonably safe conclusion that she might have some sort of depressive illness unless people really think they know better that trained professionals and specialists.

[Misspixietrix]

we can not define depression to one fit for all diagnosis when some people function, others do not. This^^!!

[FreudiansSlipper]

can people with depression work - yes of course many many do

does depression stop people from work - yes for many it does

is she herself depressed well she has been signed off with depression (which is not always that hard to do)

no one but herself knows how she feels but we can not ignore that many are claiming to be depressed and are not willing to try and help themselves which is very very hard when you are depressed for some at times it feels impossible

we can not define depression to one fit all diagnosis as some people function others do not. it is understandable that some question how depressed she is when she is on tv talking about a future career others may say this is part of her illness her unable to look at goals in a realistic way (but of course is manipulated by what we see)

[NeedsAsockamnesty]

The key factor is getting a job that pays enough to make it a worthwhile alternative to benefits therefore it follows that if she can't find such a job she will continue to opt for benefits which involves claiming to be unable to work due to depression

Nope, when she becomes fit for work she is obligated to report a change she then would be a job seeker instead of unfit for work

If she's prepared to do this in the future

Are you now accusing her of benefit fraud?

This also implies to me that the key factor in her decision isn't her depression, it's whether she could change things quickly. If she felt she could make a difference now she might do it

She spends most of a conversation talking about her mental health and desire to work when she's well and you decide the only serious bit is something she "wouldn't dismiss the possibility of"

[TillyTellTale]

P.S. I'm HRHLadyFarquhar. You don't have two people discussing with you. Just the one on this point.

[TillyTellTale]

you talk about the 2015 election like it's miles into the future. It's just over 13 months away and the candidates don't just pitch up on Election Day and say vote for me. There's a huge amount of advance planning and campaigning involved.

No, they pitch up with all their paperwork and a £500 deposit 19 working days before the election deadline. There's a huge amount of advance planning and campaigning necessary, in order to win as an independent candidate, yes. If it was a serious plan, as opposed to something to which she "jokingly said yes", she might have considered that.

I used to live in a university city. Despite the deposit to stand for MEP being £5000, there were student parties on my ballot paper who can have had no realistic expectation of winning!

[twofingerstoGideon]

Good post daiamchlo
People are rather too keen to buy into this kind of media and government-led bullshit IMO and your example of IDS is spot on; he's an inveterate liar.

[twofingerstoGideon]

If you read the whole thing in context, the 'I think' links to the question 'But you would like to work, potentially if it was economically viable?
WD: No, I think I would like to work full stop (ie. even if not economically viable).

[diaimchlo]

It never fails to amaze and disappoint me how many MNers are excessively judgmental.

It is a shame that they seem to soak up what is on many occasions hyped up in the media. Benefits Street was sold to the residents as being a series based on community spirit, which IMHO White Dee and many other residents showed a lot of. When it hit the cutting room floor and edited the whole project was turned upside down to demonize people on benefits.

It was obvious that White Dee suffered some type of depression a couple of times and that her daughter had to deal with it. But it was also very apparent that she is a very strong lady, coping with some of the situations that occurred.

As stated in many of the well worded and heart felt posts Depression has many faces and exhibits itself in numerous ways, so please leave your stereotypical, media fed opinions where they belong in your heads.

As for her becoming a MP, this question was put to her in the live debate that was held after the series and built on, KH was also on there and WD definitely held her own with dignity compared to KH, which most of the public did not expect. There are Ministers and MPs in this sorry excuse for a Government that are showing massive MH issues that are causing damage to many in society, for example IDS who is has shown a tendency to be a pathological liar on numerous occasions. So IMHO against what is in there now dictating our lives she would maybe an improvement.

[twofingerstoGideon]

That's debatable.

[Bearbehind]

Interesting that you have omitted the I think from your first quote twofingers

i think I would like to work and i would like to work are not the same thing.

[twofingerstoGideon]

For me there are more than two pertinent points, but it's interesting which ones Bear has elected to pick up on.

Personally, if I were to pick only two points they'd be:

...I would like to work full stop (but current MH issues prevent this)
and
(when asked about becoming an MP) ...obviously, jokingly I’ve said yes (note the use of 'jokingly')

I don't actually see what's wrong with 'wanting a job that pays enough' to live on. Most MW jobs, coupled with in-work benefits, would outstrip what she could get on benefits, but that's not the case with zero hours contracts or temporary positions, where people can easily fall down a hole in the periods when they have no work. Unfortunately an awful lot of MW jobs come into this category and the current benefit system has little or no flexibility to accommodate this. I'd really like to see an end to these contracts, as I believe they're a real obstacle to getting people back to work.

Good post, hairymonkey.

[Misspixietrix]

needsasock precisely. I believe you you can totally do it doll! I'll even be your agent and everyfink you know? PM me . .

[Misspixietrix]

No HRH she couldn't. Rafal thanks for the rethink link. Will have look Into those and let family member know if they are available in our area.

[Bearbehind]

Thanks for posting the transcript rafa, it has reaffirmed why I started the thread. For me there are 2 pertinent points:-

Firstly But once again when I do start working I still have to find a job that pays me enough that I could still live.

The key factor is getting a job that pays enough to make it a worthwhile alternative to benefits therefore it follows that if she can't find such a job she will continue to opt for benefits which involves claiming to be unable to work due to depression.

If she's prepared to do this the the future, it's not inconceivable it hasn't happened in the past. The but once again may also imply that is the case.

Secondly I'd never dismiss the possibility but you can't make a difference straight away

This also implies to me that the key factor in her decision isn't her depression, it's whether she could change things quickly. If she felt she could make a difference now she might do it.

HRH you talk about the 2015 election like it's miles into the future. It's just over 13 months away and the candidates don't just pitch up on Election Day and say vote for me. There's a huge amount of advance planning and campaigning involved.

[HRHLadyFarquhar]

Hang on a minute. Could Dee even become an MP "imminently"? The next election will be in 2015!

If she had thought about it as seriously as bear is thinking, I expect she would have realised that the next election is 2015? So this would not be evidence of serious intent right now, but evidence that she was capable of being positive about her mental health in the summer of next year.

[NeedsAsockamnesty]

Sounds much the same as the conversation I had with my sister about being a pop star.

Sadly she was not as supportive in her response as this reporter because the meanie just laughed at me.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

Well luckily for you it turns out I don't think she's really though too much about it. Here is the transcription of part of the Sky New interview. Not sure how much has been cut out of the clip I have.

DM: you’re on benefits Dee right?
WD: Yeah
DM: But you would like to work, potentially if it was economically viable?
WD: No, I think I would like to work full stop. Obviously I am a single parent, I have got two children. I am on ESA at the moment due to depression issues and my mental health issues, but that doesn't mean. I just want to get that under control. At the moment it’s not under control so I don’t feel that I am fit to work but that doesn't meant that I don’t want to work. But once again when I do start working I still have to find a job that pays me enough that I could still live.
DM: And you’re going to use this experience that you’ve had by appearing, er, becoming a television star. Are you going to stand for parliament?
WD: It has been asked of me before, it has been saud before and obviously, jokingly I’ve said yes, so it’s been reported and I have had phone calls from councillors saying “Oh no, you’re not going to be standing against me, are you?” and I’d never dismiss the possibility but you can’t make a difference straight away but I do think you need more people in a position of power who’ve got more of an understanding as to what the real person needs.

So absolutely nothing like she's going to become an MP imminently but can't do or hasn't considered any other roles.

[handcream]

Surely if this women is thinking about becoming an MP why not other roles. There isn't a hope in hell of her becoming an MP.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

More of a pipe dream at the moment I think. And they are essentially two different ideas from 2 completely different issues I've had.

I have in the past been refused treatment by the CMHT on the basis that I'm working. Therefore, if I'm fit enough to work, then I'm not ill enough to need treatment. Or at least not treatment from them. They have sometimes referred me onto other places such as Rethink. Rethink are great. There's drop in coffee mornings, art therapy, music therapy, anxiety management course, different exercise groups etc a lot of which might help but only between 9.30 and 5. The group therapy centre in the next town they referred me to which does mindfulness, cbt etc only runs their courses for 3hrs weekly over 12 weeks, an hr away from work. Not a chance I could square that or use my AL to cover it. Other than the difficulty of getting people to run it, I don't see any reason why some of those couldn't be run in the evenings.

The second is more recent and I haven't thought t through at all. But I suspect that some of the myths and misunderstandings about depression on this thread are shared by a lot of people in management. And actually understanding how and why these aren't true might help them to see why some of their policies are not as helpful as they might think they are.

I have about as much chance at achieving either of these as WD has of becoming PM. But I can still at least think about doing them.

[Misspixietrix]

Rafals that's a lovely idea. Family member didn't get support they needed until finally meeting with the union. Now has one afternoon off a week to go to counselling sessions etc.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

That's what had just occurred to me SDTG. I've seen the TM interview where she says she has no intention of staying on benefits and does intend to go back to work at some point. But not the Sky one where she talks about being an MP.

Needs I'm going to put together some sort of support package for those with mental health needs who are working. Drop in groups, support groups, group therapy sessions etc that happen in the evenings and after work. All the things that are available in our local area but only between the hours of 9-5. I also decided while really ill that I'm going to put together some sort of presentation possibly a training package for management about providing better support for people with MH issues in the workplace. Partly based on my own experiences and those of others.

Neither of these I've got anywhere yet. Nor do I think I will. At least one of them is highly unlikely verging on the impossible for me to manage. I could be an MP you know. possibly...maybe...one day.

[hairymonkey]

I haven't read the whole thread, I can guess the kind of comments, feckless, work shy, lazy, scrounger, perhaps some comments about her weight and the size of her breasts.

The fact that she smokes and has a large television I'm sure have been commented on. It's easy isn't it? Might make you feel a little better about yourself, we're obviously better than her? Harder working? More deserving?

We can diagnose her mental health through highly edited tv and the tabloid media can't we? Feels good to judge, a nice release.

Does it though? What level of actual reasonable thought have you put into this woman? Have you looked at the hard statistics of the true figure on benefits, 60% of the country claim some sort of benefit. What about those who avoid paying millions of pounds of tax? Gary Barlowe, Sean Connery? Plus many more celebs who have been involved in tax avoidance schemes, costing the government millions.

That's different though isn't it, they're not fat and living in abject poverty.

Is there any awareness that your bring duped? This is what society does, catagorises with knee jerk reactions into who we deem to be deserving and undeserving. Stop reading the tabloids and do some proper research into the effects inequality in the uk today, 'The Spirit Level' is a good place to start.

[NeedsAsockamnesty]

I am currently on maternity leave I am contemplating off loading my company and becoming a pop star,I first contemplated this action 21 years ago when I first went on ML (a different one obviously I have not been on ML for over 20 years).

I haven't done a thing about putting this plan into place mainly because I am a shockingly bad singer but that does not change the fact that to me it's a rather attractive idea.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

It is Bearbehind's assumption, based on her belief that Dee would have to do it now or soon, to cash on on her current elevated profile.