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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think Brexit has damaged the country's mental health?

269 replies

KennDodd · 09/09/2019 08:23

I know it's damaged mine but my job was under threat (colleagues lost their jobs instead) because of Brexit so not surprising. I think Brexit has caused huge stress, anxiety and anger in the country. David Cameron should be ashamed.

OP posts:
Spudlet · 09/09/2019 09:39

I think YANBU. That’s not to say that everyone is feeling the strain, but as a country I don’t think this uncertainty is doing us any good on any level.

Personally speaking I feel like I’ve done as much as I can to prepare my little family. But we have family members at risk due to the medications that they take. In fact one is already unable to get the medication he needs and won’t be able to until November at least, which is a massive worry as he could become extremely unwell without it. The prospect of this happening on a wider scale is concerning, to say the least.

Gone2far · 09/09/2019 09:41

So, twice on this thread posters have blamed Cameron for this. Can either of you give straight answer why you wouldn't blame Parliament as a whole for this? Or is it just easier to have one scapegoat?
Cameron needed the support of Parliament. He couldn't do it without them.

thecatneuterer · 09/09/2019 09:46

No one I know talks about Brexit they are more concerned about the disaster Corbyn and his communist team might cause

I'm hugely concerned about Brexit (it already means we can't recruit the number of vets we need and our charity and animals are suffering) but the threat of Corbyn has literally given me some sleepless nights recently. Politics has never before affected my emotional well-being like this.

Paintedmaypole · 09/09/2019 09:48

Cameron did make a huge mistake. He put a complex issue out to a yes/no public vote with a win/lose outcome no matter how close the margins. He did it to resolve a disagreement in the conservative party. He misread what the result would be. I have a degree in economics and I didn't understand all the implications. He did a reckless thing.

Paintedmaypole · 09/09/2019 09:51

What is it about Corbyn's policies that you find so threatening? Which of his policies lead you to conclude he is a communist?

NuffingChora · 09/09/2019 09:52

Completely agree. Lie awake for hours at night worrying and have horrible anxiety over Brexit, and this is as someone in a relatively comfortable financial position - if Brexit, particularly no deal, happens then we have the potential to be absolutely stuffed for various reasons (property, both of our careers, potential move abroad and visa issues). Not to mention the potential 50 year wait a la Rees-Mogg for the benefits of Brexit to become clear taking up the rest of my life (I’m 30-ish) and the entirety of my children’s childhood, years in education and the majority of their working life - after having had their opportunities and privileges as members of the EU ripped away from them without a choice.

Can’t even begin to fathom the impact on those who work in manufacturing, car industry etc whose jobs will go. Also find the total ignorance of the impact on service industries (accounting for 70-80% of our GDP) of losing membership of the single market absolutely criminal. I could go on...

I’ve spent the first 3 years of my first child’s life (born just after the referendum) fighting against this absolute shambles for her future and will continue to do the same for our next (due just before the end of October, I time these things well 🙄...) because I’ll be damned if they are going to suffer the impact of this catastrophic decision.

NuffingChora · 09/09/2019 09:55

...and this is all before we even get to medication shortages, losing membership of Euratom, the rise of the far right, privatisation of the NHS...

Kit19 · 09/09/2019 09:56

I wouldn’t vote for Corbyn but the damage he could inflict on this country is infinitesimal compared to the damage Brexit will do

Plus we can vote him/his party out after 5 years. We’re stuck with Brexit for at least a generation

Gone2far · 09/09/2019 10:00

Yes he did painted but , without parliament's support (twice) he would have failed. I can't understand why posters don't see this.

BlackberryandNettle · 09/09/2019 10:01

Yanbu, it's another background worry and adds stress to making major decisions about job/house moves etc

ShatnersWig · 09/09/2019 10:03

Gone Yes, we know others agreed to allow the referendum to take place. But he was the architect of it. He started the ball rolling.

Helmetbymidnight · 09/09/2019 10:04

Debate on Woman's Hour now I think...

awaynboilyurheid · 09/09/2019 10:06

Cameron did this to appease a faction in his party, probably the ones who supported him into PM post, he got it through Parliament by selling as a people’s vote to stay or go, when very few understood it was an huge economic decision, tied up with trade agreements which would affect us and future generations. Cameron gave in to this Tory faction who beleived we are being ruled by Johnny Foreigner.

He then watched the shit show unfold and ran

Helmetbymidnight · 09/09/2019 10:11

It breaks my heart what we've done to our European friends in this country. They are suffering terribly. And for what?

I talk to Brexiteers all the time, I know their reasoning, and I will never understand.

PeppermintSoda · 09/09/2019 10:19

I'll never forget Cameron's face after the referendum result. It was bright red. He was clearly thinking "Fuck, I wasn't expecting that to happen." Presumably his next thought was "I'll leave it for someone else to sort out."

MrsMaiselsMuff · 09/09/2019 10:19

I've spoken with my psychiatrist about this and she points to austerity being the primary driver behind the worsening mental health of the country, and in particular the increasing suicide rate of men.

Just shows how polarised we've become on one subject, when the cause of Brexit in the first place, and the ongoing issues with low incomes, food banks etc, is being overlooked.

Helmetbymidnight · 09/09/2019 10:22

when the cause of Brexit in the first place, and the ongoing issues with low incomes, food banks etc, is being overlooked.

The many brexiteers I know have not been affected by austerity and their greatest fear is Corbyn. I am fed up with the narrative that Brexit was a division on financial lines.

PhilSwagielka · 09/09/2019 10:25

YANBU, my stepdad has a lot of anxiety issues because of it. I used to be very panicky over the thought of losing my meds because of No Deal. I'm a bit calmer now but still not happy as Sertraline is one of the ones at risk of shortages.

I guess i'm just being a snowflake or un-British or whatever right-wing bullshit is being peddled at mentally ill people.

bellinisurge · 09/09/2019 10:26

The Mum of one of DD's pals is a rabid No Dealer. The kids do social/extra curricular stuff together. DH does his best never to be within 100 yards of her. He's actually starting to struggle with his asthma in a way he never has before. Solely about this.

I try not to talk about it with him.

PeppermintSoda · 09/09/2019 10:27

People believing anti EU propaganda in shitty newspapers like the Mail, Express, Telegraph etc played a large part. Plus racial hatred being whipped up by same papers.
Worry about Brexit itself has certainly damaged people's mental health

PeppermintSoda · 09/09/2019 10:30

And of course people being victims of racism or being worried about being kicked out of the country have been very damaging to mental health

user1471448556 · 09/09/2019 10:37

It’s massively affected my mental health and has damaged some friendships irrevocably. At this point I’m extremely worried about a pact between the Tories and Brexit Party. I don’t think I could cope with five years of that given the already dire state of school funding, NHS, etc. I think back to the 2012 olympics and weep - I will never feel like that about our country again thanks to Cameron’s fateful decision.

RosaWaiting · 09/09/2019 10:40

yes
I think it's showed up some massive issues with our political system but I don't know if they will ever get fixed

and interestingly, a friend from Europe, who is worried about staying here, also made the point that years of political time has been spent on this instead of tackling other problems and in her words "that's the real tragedy".

Gone2far · 09/09/2019 10:42

How many people read the papers these days? Not many.
Yes, Cameron did it to appease a faction in his party, but all politicians were aware of the enormous number of people voting UKIP. Just because of our fptp system meant that this didn't translate mp's doesn't mean that those votes could be ignored.

Does anyone seriously believe that if Cameron hadn't called a Referendum all those UKIP voters would have forgotten all about it?
Just because we are saddled with a load of useless mp's who didn't understand the implications of what they voted for, twice, doesn't mean that the default position should be to demand Cameron's head on a stick.

Jillyhilly · 09/09/2019 10:47

Does anyone seriously believe that if Cameron hadn't called a Referendum all those UKIP voters would have forgotten all about it?

Absolutely correct. This has been coming for a long time. It had to happen.