Tony Blair says we need a national conversation about MH as its costing too much

[B0xes]

Tony Blair said recently on Jimmy's Jobs of the Future Podcast (clip available on youtube) that we need to have a national conversation about mental health. Why are we spending so much on it. Why are people self diagnosing. He believes people are being encouraged to view everyday challenges we all face as mental health issues.

Is he being unreasonable? In one sense, I'm inclined to agree to an extent, in the other, I believe he led the charge for so many of the social changes that have made us less resilient and many of these issues are due to individualism which led to atomisation and loneliness and being encouraged to see the market as the entity that fulfills our needs rather than strong families and robust social networks.

YABU - Blair can do one.

YANBU - He might have a point

If TB doesnt understand why we have so many people with mental health issues then maybe he should come down from his ivory tower and take a look at what is going on

Covid - people living in isolation for years
Companies making staff redundant as there was no work.
No work to pursue beyond supermarket delivery driver etc

The lockdowns meant people were cut off from friends and family for years.

People losing their homes because with no work and no prospect of a job that would pay enough to afford to live they had to sell their homes and watch as their carefully laid out plans became ash

Just because we are back to normal doesn’t mean we are all on the same trajectory as we were. Some people will never recover what that had

And TB is questioning why there is so many people who are depressed

With things like ADHD/ND These aren’t new issues. People have been struggling with these issues their whole life.

The problem was no one knew what exactly ADHD/ND were, especially as there are a differences between males and females

Only with the advent of TikTok, You Tube etc was it explained and people suddenly realised that what some random stranger who lived thousands of miles away was describing was their life, their lived experience.
Again I bring it back to Covid. Lockdowns and WFH took away the structure that people with ADHD/ND had and without the structure the wheels came off their lives and they were left floundering.

With ADHD/ND we are playing catch up on diagnosing all those people who have fallen through the cracks for the last 70 or eighty years.

Add in the COL crisis and Labours efforts to balance the books

I would be very surprised if we didn’t have a mental health crisis

I have wondered whether console games play a part? I don't play games now but when I was a lot younger my adrenaline levels would go up when I was trying to reach the next level. If someonevis on line playing something like Call of Duty where they're trying not to get killed and are part of a team how much does that affect someone. Are they constantly on high alert throughout the game?

PIP IS NOT AN OUT OF WORK BENEFIT EDUCATE YOURSELF

But that is not what this thread is about. It’s ‘normal’ to have an issue with attending a school where you are unsafe or abused.

It’s not ok to have a phobia because it’s hard, what kind of lesson is that

This, as well. There are a lot of ‘ADHD’ reels doing the rounds. It’s always “I forget things”, “I procrastinate”, “I struggle to concentrate on boring things”. That’s not ADHD! That’s normal life.
I am probably going to get flamed for this, but adults being diagnosed with ADHD doesn’t sit right with me. If you’ve managed to make it to adulthood with nobody picking up on the fact that there’s something wrong, or if you’ve managed to get yourself a good job, you don’t have ADHD, I’m sorry. It wouldn’t be possible. If you can sit and watch a TV programme, or play a computer game, you don’t have ADHD. If you can manage to concentrate on ANYTHING for long enough to enjoy it, you don’t have ADHD. I know people like this, both people who are in work and people who aren’t, and they genuinely believe that the diagnosis is right, but if they spent a day with DS unmedicated they’d see that actually they’re just normal (if a little quirky) people.

You are legally entitled to certain 'reasonable' adjustments... schools etc should provide extra support based on need regardless of diagnosis but it doesn't work in reality like that. an official diagnoses is often a door opener to extra help. A lot of those with ASD struggle to understand why they are different. Often a diagnosis will help them to understand themselves better and can be a key for change.

Do you question people who seek help for physical problems in the same way? Your question are very odd and just show how ignorant you are..

But people are asking what the therapy and medication is? As I’ve never heard of either for autism, especially

maybe it would help a lot of people if you shared? Seems odd you can’t answer.

100%

Well said.

Those of us who genuinely struggle are used to being lumped in with those who just can't be arsed, though. I don't expect it to ever change. You just learn to let it wash over you.

He's right.

And the Internet is to blame for a lot of the issues we're seeing.........it would be interesting to see what would happen if we cut the cable and forced people outdoors.

High taxation too - they INVEST hugely in their welfare state (pensioners/ working parents etc)

Hmm. Some jobs are enabling jobs though. I'd love to see someone manage to earn thier six figures if no other fucker was there picking the food they ate or keeping the water supply going, or minding thier child whilst they worked or maintaining the car they travelled in to get to thier big important contributing job.

I get it. We spend a lot and there isn't a lot coming in so we need to make changes. I just think the changes are probably more around moving away from a low wage economy through policies and incentives.

The problem with MH is it’s hard to know whether something is true or not and whether it’s mild or severe. People can play the system and like in every walk of life, some do. It sadly reflects badly on anyone who stuffer helps with genuine MH/disorders and makes people question the validity of their claim, which isn’t fair.

It’s not surprising we’re in this situation though if you look back at the last 100 years and how things have changed (and not for the better in some circumstances).

There is no accountability these days. Teachers/Police aren’t respected and the answer they are given is often “What you gonna do fucking do about it?”

Imagine the generation who had to go to war and fight knowing they could get killed but they had to just get in with it, 17,18 year old boys. They would be turning in their graves if they could see the state of the society we have become. A man puts a dress on, says he’s a woman and then that’s that, he’s a woman’s and if you dare to query it and point out with the negative implications then you’re branded all sorts.

I dread to think what kind of world it will be in 50 years, luckily I’ll probably not be here to find out but so many changes need to be made as it’s no wonder we’ve got a feckless generation who can’t cope with every day life!

Having said that, some people need to know their own privilege. Some people are born in to a situation whereby their life is a lot easier than the next person so it’s not as simple as tarring everyone with the same brush. Life is harder for some people than others.

Do you quiz people with physical health issues like this, or is just something that's acceptable when it's hidden condition?

Anyway, to answer your question, Paroxetine is an anti-depressant which is used to help people with autism who also suffer with mental health conditions. In terms of therapy, it means you can access psychotherapists who specialise in helping people with autism.

Oh aye?

Are you a psychiatrist? What makes you get to decide who has ADHD and who doesn't?

This kind of post reminds me of posts you will see about the trans debate. Ultimately any questioning wil be met with a suggestion that anything other than full acceptance will lead to people dying. It is a deliberate ploy to shut down debate.

There are clearly many different approaches that can be adopted that don't involve chaining people up but also don't involve encouraging people to over medicalise their struggles and to opt out of life's difficulties because they are hard. I look back to the generation that had to endure two world wars and I am astounded with how they coped. I'm not saying that some didn't have lifelong untreated MH conditions but the vast majority managed to live productive, successful lives even after all they had been through.

It's important to remember that we as a species have been through some truly awful things and we have evolved over millions of year with the backdrop of disease, famine and war throughout. The challenges we face now may be tough compared to golden era of the latter half of the 20th century but they are certainly not the worst things we have ever faced as a species. I don't see why people seem to accept that we will crumble so easily now without medical diagnosis and treatment when it is far more likely the vast majority of us are capable of persevering through adversity without medicalisation.

You're getting quizzed because it's bollocks. You may get medication for sleep issues, anxiety or depression. But there's no medication just because you're Autistic.

And I never once said there was

What I did say was that there was medication to help with the symptoms and side-effects of living with autism and that there are other kinds of support that are only available to people with a diagnosis.

But you carry on if it makes you feel better.

But where? I don't know if anyone who has been prescribed this mythical medication or support

Very few people have genuine mental health issues. ADHD, anxiety, depression, are mostly just self indulgent introspection

What a vile comment. Both anxiety and depression can be severe to the point people are sectioned.

I lost my dad back in October and the grief comes in waves. Last night was bad. i looked up the Cruse bereavement no in case i needed someone to talk to. I dont see whats wrong with that. I havent rung it yet but will if i need to
After all people go for counselling after other traumas like domestic abuse They dont get told that time will heal!

It’s based on her sample size of… one child. And just general superior knowledge it seems. Who needs qualified psychiatrists these days after all?🤣

We used to be a society where people with certain physical or mental health conditions died in the womb, died very young or were locked up in institutions (and sometimes for very little reason whatsoever). Now most children survive infancy and people can have fantastic long lives with all kind of conditions.

The problem is we are in a hybrid situation where lots of people do have disabilities and long term physical or mental health conditions which affect their ability to work or function in society to a large or small degree, but mostly only the most able bodied and sounds of mind are employable.

I am coming up to 49 and off the top of my head, know someone with Rett's syndrome, one with Down's Syndrome, someone with severe autism, two people with Friedreich's Ataxia, two people with MS, and about ten people who got cancer before the age of 60. I don't find it hard to believe that so many people need additional support.

Plus the fact we have a demographic issue where the old vastly outnumber the young, and age is a huge factor in so many health conditions.

Well, I accessed medication via the NHS after years of being told it was "just depression" or "just anxiety". I finally spoke to a doctor who actually looked at my medical history and who has now put me on the pathway to gain a diagnosis but in the meantime, I am having to pay £50 a week via a private therapist who specialises in helping people who are neurodivergent.

But I'm sure I'll be accused of talking bollocks or some such again