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Original poster

Is mental illness more prevalent now?

163 replies

DismayedAnnoyed · 03/03/2018 12:39

I read a poster on another thread saying: Mental illness is so prevalent now that there aren’t the resources around to treat people

I am wondering, do people think this is true? Or just people are more aware?

OP posts:
Fortybingowings · 03/03/2018 12:45

No genuine mental illness is not more prevalent. Endless well-meaning anti-stigma campaigns publicise it as an ‘option’ for when life gets difficult. Mindfulness classes in school and mental health education are making this worse.
The whole thing demeans genuine mental illness, medicalises life’s normal ups and downs, and plays into the hands of big pharma

frankie001 · 03/03/2018 12:48

I think people are more aware and understanding now, but there is a long way to go.

I do agree that the resources available for mental health are woefully low, but with the NHS in its current state I don’t see how this will change Sad

Having said that, I’ve been incredibly lucky in my own journey to have amazing support from family, friends and my work place which makes a huge difference.

LifeBeginsAtGin · 03/03/2018 12:54

Everyone has periods in their lives where they feel down, stressed or anxious.

However, its seems 'very prevalent' on MN. Everyone seems to have some form and I get the impression its often self diagnosis and used as an excuse for not trying, for bad decisions. If it's not depression, its anxiety, or PTSD.

I do feel for those with a genuine diagnosis and I have respect for those who carry on and achieve success despite their problems.

Original poster
DismayedAnnoyed · 03/03/2018 12:54

I have some sympathy with your views Fortybing. I was at secondary school over 40 years ago (a girls school). There was no self-harm, cutting, anorexia, school refusal, and so on, or if there was it was very rare.

OP posts:
KalaLaka · 03/03/2018 12:58

There's just no money for decent provision, full stop. In my very large city, there's no provision for mental health care for children under 16, unless it's at a severe level. Utterly ridiculous.

I despair at the online 'awareness' campaigns: what is the point if there's no help available?

Steeley113 · 03/03/2018 13:00

I think there is more mental illness brought on by social media. That feeling of not being good enough is very difficult to deal with for young people. However, I also feel it’s a ‘go to’ diagnosis for people too, lots of self diagnosis for very normal and natural feelings everyone has.

Original poster
DismayedAnnoyed · 03/03/2018 13:00

I do believe in ADHD though ... but perhaps before it was just accepted as who you were, your personality in the community of many different kinds, rather than something that needed to be fixed (however I believe medication helps some people and perhaps awareness helps people accept how they might be different)...

OP posts:
RebelRogue · 03/03/2018 13:02

ADHD is not the tooth fairy. You don't get to decide to believe in "it". It's real whatever you think.

megletthesecond · 03/03/2018 13:05

More awareness but zero money to support it. My GP wanted to give me pills and gave me the phone number of a private counsellor.
I eventually spent hundreds out pounds on a diferent decent private counsellor to get me though a shit patch.

Fireandflames666 · 03/03/2018 13:06

I have anxiety, depression and Ibs. I've had these for as long as I can remember and so do a few people I know. We don't suffer from it because "its an option". I'd take being a normal, non anxious person any day over what I suffer from and i imagine a lot of people are suffering because of people using mental illness as an excuse.

Sassychiccy · 03/03/2018 13:06

Well I disagree, I just think there is more understanding. Depression isn’t one of life’s bad patches that we all have, nor is anxiety just ‘feeling a bit anxious’. I do agree social media puts more pressure on all of us, but especially teens.

catfishsally · 03/03/2018 13:07

a lot of people still deny it exist

catfishsally · 03/03/2018 13:07

especially in regards to depression and aniexty

SluttyButty · 03/03/2018 13:11

This is like asking if ASD is more prevalent now, no it’s not, there’s just more awareness and diagnostic advances have made these things seem to be more so in society today.
That said I do get cross with people that jump on the depression/ptsd bandwagon when in all honesty they’re more likely just a bit down which is perfectly normal. True depression and not just feeling down because life is full on is grim and each time I’ve had an episode of it I never announced it to the world. As for the time with ptsd, well that was beyond awful and not helped by a psychiatrist who was downright awful, my cpn was furious when she found out.
I’ll stop ranting now.

Birdsgottafly · 03/03/2018 13:12

From what I'm told by those working in Mental Health, the wards fill up with Drug Addicts and only a small portion of those were MI before they started. So that has increased the Numbers.

However depression and anxiety is on the increase, because of lots of factors, some lifestyle and SM driven.

Service provision has changed and has been consistently underfunded. So yes and No.

MyNewBearTotoro · 03/03/2018 13:16

I think that maybe there has been a culture shift from people being expected to just put up with feeling unhappy regarding aspects of their lives to expecting that everybody should have a chance to feel content.

I don’t imagine depression/ anxiety etc are more prevalent but think that people are less likely to just struggle on and put on a brave face/ stuff upper lip now. There is less stigma around seeking medications and/ or therapy due to feeling depression/ anxiety now I think. In some ways these things have become normalised - half of my friends (and myself included) seem to be on medication for depression/ anxiety or to be in therapy. Whether that means there are people who don’t have a ‘genuine’ mental illness seeking this help I don’t know, although in my own experience I was prescribed anti-depressants very quickly following a 5-minute conversation with a doctor I’d never met before. I’m still not 100% sure I was actually depressed but my mood does feel more stable on them. I was easily able to self-refer for NHS therapy as well.

MatildaTheCat · 03/03/2018 13:17

Interesting question. Certainly the generation of my parents were very stoic and just got on with life when things were tough. Maybe they would have benefited from more support.

Many people seem to identify as having anxiety as a condition rather than having a somewhat worried personality which needs to be self managed. That’s not to say the anxiety isn’t a condition, just that there is a difference.

Birdsgottafly · 03/03/2018 13:18

Dismayed in all fairness, 40 years ago, Girls weren't put under the pressure to achieve and all the rest that they are today. University didn't cost what it dies and Mortgages were 100% etc.

Goldfishshoals · 03/03/2018 13:18

I have wondered if it's to do with the change from most people doing very physical jobs (working fields by hand etc) to having turned those things over to machines and more people doing office/service type roles, which may involve lots of sitting/standing, rather than full range of movement. I think the physical body has a huge impact on mental illness and things like obesity are part of the problem.

falsepriest · 03/03/2018 13:18

It does seem like some terms are thrown around far too lightly these days, perhaps due to social media.

Having a bit of a crappy time =/= depression
Not being comfortable about something =/= anxiety
Being unable to concentrate =/= ADD

Wish there was the funding to educate, help and advise those with MH worries (from the spurious to the life-threatening) so everyone can feel better. Also for greater education to help those NOT suffering MH issues to be able to recognise, support those who do.

Birdsgottafly · 03/03/2018 13:19

Obesity isn't part of the problem, it's another symptom.

VladmirsPoutine · 03/03/2018 13:21

That comment stood out to me as well. I do think it's a lot more prevalent. Life is very precarious for many.
I do also think that it might appear to be 'prevalent' as people are finally starting to speak about their experiences of mental health. So it's not so much that it didn't exist in the past - it was just not spoken about - it was still there.

Stopandlook · 03/03/2018 13:21

I have general anxiety disorder. It is absolutely horrible when it hits me. It’s not an up and down or a worry, it is indescribably awful and I thank God for modern medicine and a great GP.

ForalltheSaints · 03/03/2018 13:21

There are not the resources, just as to a lesser extent there are not those for physical illness.

I think that compared with life post either World Wars there is less mental health issues, but compared with say ten or twenty years ago, there is more. Technology and social media I think have been a part of the cause of this.

lovetheway · 03/03/2018 13:22

40 years ago I was at school- and there was self harming, sexual abuse, anorexia, concealed pregnancy and depression. The difference was nobody talked about it and the girls were blamed for being silly and attention seeking.
TRIGGER a 13 year old pupil had a miscarriage in the girls toilets - and she was stigmatised as promiscuous. No one asked who was having sex with her......