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

That’s completely unnecessary.

Surely you can appreciate that there must be people out there that are feeling worse than what you felt though? That they want to function and have a happy life but cannot despite trying their hardest.
Just because you survived your experiences without stopping work etc doesn't mean another person cannot have a different experience and end up feeling worse.
Do you struggle to feel empathy for anyone or is it just those suffering from debilitating mental health issues? Is that due to the fact you have suffered from mental health issues and managed fine so everyone else should too? How do you know they aren't trying? How do you know they don't feel a million times worse than you did?
Of course there will be people out there faking it, jusr as there is in all areas of life but unless there is a way of separating them out it seems rather barbaric to be so unempathetic to people suffering so much.

You can have a routine and purpose without it being paid employment.
You keep harping on about work, but not all of us are capable!
I try to have a routine, and I like to think I have a purpose with my friends.
But, you can keep trying to bash me down if it makes you feel better.

No, I had three groups of about 6 sessions over the 10 years. I did say. And in terms of fertility of course they would. Mine was mandatory before beginning NHS IVF was fortunately ended up not being necessary.

So shes planning on never working How old is your daughter? Can she not use her pip money and lcwra for private therapy that's what I did as that's what it is there for. Surely she wants to improve and better her life.

That is so nasty

I'm not saying everyone just got on with it, but many did, myself included.

I just find it odd that your so ill you can't even work part time yet you go on holidays, the pub twice a week and have friends who I assume you see and socialise with. I'd just love this level of energy to be so active

I think I agree.

Anecdotally I was friends with a lady on social media who had self diagnosed ADHD and posted constantly about it. If anyone who had it asked in the comments she bit their head off because she "couldn't get a diagnosis" so had self diagnosed and still posts about her "Struggles with ADHD" 3 years later, still without an official diagnosis.

DC have also told me that SM frequently gets everyone to self diagnose and do questionnaires about what MH issue YOU have, which can't be helping.

I'm not unsympathetic to the plight of those with MH issues, Jesus I've been through enough in my life, but yes, I do have zero sympathy for anyone having more than the odd duvet day under a company MH policy (if they have one, we don't. ) Does that answer your question?

How old are you? Are we speaking to you from beyond the grave?
(Please don't take this the wrong way, just trying to bring a little lightness to a heavily charged thread)

You don’t. You can get it for anxiety disorder which is different. Anxiety and depression diagnosed and treated by GP is almost always refused PIP. This is why l don’t understand the government rhetoric on this - claimants need to prove second line consultant led MH input for PIP. A simple prescription for anti depressants doesn’t wash, so why don’t people stop to think why the government are trying to make us believe that it does.

No, just factual.

The teens sharing stuff like that is just appalling. They're talking themselves into being incapable. Sort of reverse cbt.

Oh and deleted now 😂 God forbid anyone speaks the truth.

This 100% i got pip due to reports from my psychiatrist and cpn they would have zero interest in what my gp sprouted anyone can go to a gp and get antidepressants they hand them out like smarties

It was more the fact you have been quite nasty to a poster who has a child with obviously quite severe mental health issues and is battling on despite these. There seems to be a complete lack of understanding that some people have mental health conditions that are so much worse than yours.
I suppose it could be likened to someone with cancer who doesn't have to undergo the most brutal treatment regime saying that others with cancer should just get on with it and not miss work etc. There can be variations in how much suffering is endured with the same condition. We should not minimise suffering and tell people to get on with it.

Do tell what my appalling attitude is!
I have fought for the right treatment, fought for her EHCP, sat through and fought for her alone in countless massive meetings, sat by her bedside throughout continuous horrible hospitalisations over several years, supported her out the other side of a serious eating disorder, saved her life multiple times, worked the entire time and managed to hold onto my job by the skin of my teeth whilst supporting another ND memtally ill child and my own NDx2!

I simply know that she and others like her can’t work at this present time and need both understanding,support and treatment!

Additionally to my pp I do think MH services spiralled under the Tories due to lack of investment and support from central government. I also can see personally that if I had been given therapy rather than anti anxiety meds when Brexit was happening for example, I would probably now be able to work, which I can't because it has escalated into depression and anxiety with a panic disorder. It is now going to take a lot longer to unpick many years of compounded issues instead.

Oh my... a holiday ONCE A YEAR... that is a sad little one sat in a caravan with my mum. We watch TV and eat nuts (we always have nuts on holiday), and drinks lots of tea. We also watch the 1% Club. Are we allowed to watch that? Or does that mean I am too "clever" to be on benefits.
I have a boyfriend who is also autistic. We both get out a couple of times per week and chat in our local pub. I can not go out without him.
If you don't have friends, well that is your problem.

I'm in my 50s. It's obvious a lot of people just got on with it. Do you think that everyone who was depressed or had anxiety ended up in a mental asylum?

My apologies. I misunderstood.

I was just making light of the fact the OP mentioned the Victorian era and the early 1900s and you had referred to yourself as if being from that era.

To your point though, I actually think most didn't just 'get on with it', their mental health deteriorated further because there was no treatment available and once that happened they were quietly disappeared into the asylums where they were probably 'treated' with ect and lobotomy. It was very hush hush as it was seen to be something shameful so it wouldn't have been as visible as a big issue but it was still a huge issue- just dealt with in a different way

Have you worked in this field? Tens of thousands did.

I suggest searching YouTube for Silent Minority, or BBC History of the Madhouse.

Up until the 1980s beyond thousands were locked up - stopped with care in the community act.

Even nowadays there are still thousands in institutional care - I work for a provider, there are dozens and dozens of hospitals and homes and units across the U.K. for long stay psychiatric patients - including secure, highly specialist, forensic etc.

All for people with mental illness, or a learning disability, who cannot work whilst they are in an institutional environment.

That’s what they’re told to do if they’re in crisis. It can be the difference between life and death if someone is suicidal.