To think mental health will hit crisis levels

[StylishMummy]

I can't help but think very soon we're going to have more people with poor mental health than those without. Every other person appears to have anxiety/depression/OCD etc, most of which are requiring treatment, medication and adaptations.

I've had PND so this is absolutely a non-judgey post, but I can't help but think at some point people are going to be so unwell mentally that half the population will cease to function, people just seem so much less resilient!

Services are 'cut to the bone' but there's unprecedented demand on mental health services, it's no wonder that waiting times are increasing exponentially. To properly fund EVERY person who needs treatment for mental health conditions, surely the country would be bankrupt?

Is there any way to reverse this mental health crisis?

this is a theological question and not an attack on those who struggle with mental illness. Also no political posts please!

There was a really good radio 4 program about resilience and how it is the most important skill a child can be taught. Fascinating stuff.

Totally agree that a lot of the way we live now contributes to mh issues. Sedentary indoor lifestyles that focus on ourselves are not the outdoor community lives we were designed to live!

@chocolatefoxes biscuit, why?

I had panic attacks as a child in the '90s. I didn't even know what they were, just that I felt sick and couldn't breathe properly.

I don't know how making me go on a survival course or whatever resilience training is will make my mental health better. It has improved since I left my last job, admittedly, and changed my meds.

People with anxiety still have to do all the stuff everyone else has to do. Most of them still have to deal with big, difficult life events and go to work, look after their kids etc.

And they also have to manage their mental illness. It actually takes quite a bit of resilience to go through the whole process of communicating effectively with your doctor and counsellor to make sure that you get the right treatment and right medication.

Having a mental health condition is another thing you have to do in life; for most people it doesn’t somehow get them out of all the trials of life. It’s not a get out of jail free card.

@Endofthedays EXACTLY. I still have to go shopping, do my job - I work from home but I try and go outside for a bit every day, play Pokemon Go etc. - look after my cat, go to the odd gig or night out, and try and manage my physical and mental health. It's not like I just sit around crying.

Most people are now aware that the following will help to protect your mental health: healthy eating, exercise, going outside and socialising.

But then someone said upthread if you do all these things and are mentally ill that’s not normal.

Well that’s kind of the point isn’t it? I have a mental health condition. It isn’t normal.

I eat healthily, go outside, exercise and see my friends because that is just having a life. But it isn’t a magic wand that will make everyone’s mental health condition vanish.

Yes I think people who are struggling are probably more resilient than those happy as Larry. Dragging yourself to work/ school etc whilst feeling shit shows huge strength whilst skipping through life not so much.

It's like all areas of health, surely. There are always genuine sufferers, and always those who take the piss and abuse the system.

I do find the amount of posts on here where people claim PTSD/OCD/anxiety etc a bit and wonder how many are officially diagnosed.

I don’t even know what officially diagnosed is supposed to mean.

You go to your GP, you describe your symptoms, they say you have anxiety/ptsd/ocd whatever.

Unless you are really unaware of basic mental health categories, you are really just self reporting to a GP.

Hardly anyone gets to see a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist.

Also - abuse the system?! What system? A six month wait for 8 free counselling sessions? A packet of SSRIs?

Why on earth do you need an official diagnosis for OCD etc? Surely in many occasions you know.

@Endofthedays that was me, the point I was trying to make was that those things don’t make mental illness go away, but if you don’t have mental illness but you’re going through a hard time and feeling low/ a bit anxious etc. those things should help and that’s the differentiator that’s some people have lost. I wasn’t trying to be goady.

Endofthedays - yes people can abuse the system... we had a girl at work, who was "diagnosed".
She knew exactly where she stood on employment law: not able to do your share of the workload? Oh but ... reasonable adjustment! Need an extra few hours in bed after a busy weekend? Oh I have an appointment at 11 and have to be in the waiting room by 10- reasonable time off ...
Need an extra 1 week holiday? Gosh I had a nervous breakdown... Dr gave me a "fit note" can't go work (but did go to a x conversion abroad) ....
As I said, she was diagnosed with a serious enough condition and when you met her you could feel sorry for her. Only some of the things she was up to while singed off or claiming to be ill, did not match the symptoms of her illness. But she was an excellent actress - shame really but social media was her downfall!

The same amount of people suffer mental health illness... People are more open about talking about it now.
WHICH IS GOOD!

I don’t think people had ‘perfection’ shoved in their face on a daily basis like they do now with social media. I’m sure that has pulled the rug from under some people. People have ALWAYS had hard lives, bad families and financial struggles. But maybe now they are being shown daily how shit their hand is? It might be contributing to a decline in overall ‘happiness’ of people.

That’s assuming there is a difference between now and 40 yrs ago.

I think the ‘shit life syndrome’ is a really accurate descriptor for a lot of cases. People who have financial issues, sedentary lifestyles, obesity with a generally poor diet that’s high fat/carb. (Obviously not on mumsnet, far too highbrow. Stroll around an ex mining town shopping centre though and it’s a walking advert for the nhs.)

There’s a growing sense of malaise and lethargy that life isn’t good for a lot of people, what brings people their small joys (food/alcohol) is what makes us anxious and depressed. The grind of life is a vicious cycle.

People lack resilence for lots of reasons but one of them is that we have taken away competition in schools. There aren't winners and losers on sports days at school anymore. Everyone is a winner. Children are told they are princesses or beautiful when they are not. No-one is allowed to be left out of birthday parties. This is not natural behaviour. It is human nature to be to a competitive - survival of the fittest.

We all have to endure hard times such as bereavements, relationship breakdowns and losing jobs. We need to be well-prepared for these in order to deal with them.There is no point telling our children they are so beautiful and wonderful only for them to be devastated when an employer or partner dumps them.

So many people treated at the mental health unit I accompany my relative to are there as a result of mental ill-health induced by cannabis use. Drug-taking definitely impacts on poor mental health so this societal problem requires addressing.

I've known a lot of people to self diagnose; perhaps correctly or incorrectly, who knows. But for instance, they'd feel anxious prior to a job interview and then label themselves as suffering from anxiety. Being anxious in certain situations is actually healthy and part of being a human.
I've also known others to have been through a divorce and then to self diagnose themselves with ptsd. Again, their diagnosis may be correct or incorrect. I do believe that's where the dangers lay though. Self diagnosis isn't healthy and can stop them (if their diagnosis is correct) from getting the correct therapy.
My teenage daughter told me a few weeks back that she's one of the only people she knows at school who doesn't have anxiety. When asked to elaborate more, it seemed to me that there's a trend at the moment amongst younger people to have some sort of MH issue. We looked through her instagram and so many of the people she follows had hash tagged anxiety and depression etc. One was her cousin who was posting posy after post about her anxiety, depression and eating disorders and the therapy she has. She has a huge following. None of it is true! I've practically brought the child up and she has no eating disorders, definitely doesn't have anxiety and the only time she's been to the doctors in the past few years is for an annual flu shot!

In one way it's excellent that MH is being discussed and isn't taboo like it used to be, but it is becoming "fashionable" among the wrong people. My fear is that a lot of the people who do have severe MH issues still will not seek help or speak about it because of theor own mental health issues. Look at some of the people who've committed suicide due to depression. People were quick to say "oh I didn't know.... " or "they seemed so happy".... They're the people who genuinely needed help but didn't reach out. Like they say, always keep an eye on the quiet ones as they're usually the ones who need the most help but never want to be a burden.

Mrscog, I didn’t think you were being goady, and we probably agree there is a difference between a disorder and a rough patch.

Ylvamoon, unless someone has a very specific phobia, it is hard to see what they could post on social media which would disprove a particular mental health condition.

Woah. There is a huge difference between being treated for anxiety or depression and being incapacitated by it. My Sister and I both have anxiety but to varying degrees. Each require treatment and attention but they are not equal.

I cannot function on most days and have been that way since 16 years old. I have never had a relationship (romantically, I am too nervous), frequently get panic attacks when needing to talk to strangers or going to appointments, I like routine and panic when it stops, been in supported housing for 5 years in the past and I neglect my personal hygiene and the cleanliness of my flat frequently, etc. Whereas she has a career, a family and an actual life but still gets anxiety. We both get help with our anxiety.

I am not saying one is worth more than other because it's all personal and what that person is feeling but the way I explained it to my Sister is by something we all get anxiety over; public speaking. She gets butterflies in the tummy and a worthless feeling whereas I feel like I am dying or if I go through with it then I would harm myself out of shame.

There needs to be more awareness but there are treatments out there for both mild and serious mental health issues. & everything inbetween. Get your gp's advice if you are struggling.

p.s. I only have good things to say about medication as anti-psychotics took away a great deal of stress with hallucinations! Please, go to your gp for help if you're struggling.

The other thing with an anxiety disorder is that it can be over a very wide range of activities.

I feel the same level of anxiety over job interviews and public speaking as most mentally well people do.

But my anxiety is much higher around tasks like brushing my teeth, doing up shoelaces, posting a letter. So tasks that a normal person could complete all within a 30 minute period could take me three hours.

I think it already had hit rock bottom. 9 month waiting list for CAMHS for children threatening suicide in our area.