To agree with Wes Streeting's statement that MH issues are overdiagnosed?

[Locutus2000]

Pretty controversial stuff.

Who decides?

Yep, and if they are faking it why would they spend their fraudulently obtained PIP on counselling?

These diagnosis don’t mean you are regarded as unfit for work. They wouldn’t get you PIP and PIP helps people to work anyway.

I don't think you are being unreasonable. Tonight on BBC news the chart only showed working age people.

It is very worrying that such a high percentage of working age people are on benefits for psychiatric conditions. Those who are young adults will be running the country in the future and that is as worrying as the cost of benefits.

How many of those are young adults diagnosed as children with conditions like ADHD? Are we labelling children at school which will follow them all their lives?

How much of that is due to overworked GP and almost non existent psychiatrists?

Agree; they don't and professional counsellors would not make judgements like that. If they did, I would hope they would take it to supervision or the very least reflect on why they hold such obvious bias.

Exactly this!

Yep.

It is appalling that those with significant illnesses be it physical or mental are enduring the current stress caused by a massive increase of people claiming for anxiety and or adhd etc.

I sometimes thing they should keep the descriptors blank so you have to describe say how you eat and drink and then they decide if thst means you need prompting or assisting. I bet so many people say if someone didn't tell them they would not eat so therefore they need prompting.

This is so true. Although it's obviously not all young people - it seems to have become fashionable to have a mental health condition. Not helped by celebrities talking about "their mental health journey"

This information is often offered during the sessions - they're never quizzed about it. I did say that this doesn't apply to.people who have a serious mental health condition.

If it helps other people and doesn’t affect you what is the problem?

I loved for years not knowing I was clinically depressed or that I had anxiety and borderline personality disorder and ptsd from trauma in my past. I was scared every time the wind was strong as I was sure the tree outside would fall on my house.

therapy and meds changed my whole life. I had no clue how hard every day was before the diagnoses and before my treatment.

mental health issues are so stigmatized. Why should people try to cope with feelings and hormonal imbalances just because other people think they should pull themselves together? Would you judge a diabetic needing insulin?

Often they go to counselling purely to back up their claim for benefits.

Rubbish. I don’t think for one minute you’re a councellor and if you are you sound dreadful and hugely unprofessional.

"So, it's a psychiatrist you are now Father Wes?"
'Sure, Dougall, I got this Minister's Hat and it filled my brain with expertise. In everything. Get back to work now.'

'Mental issues “ as you put it can be extremely debilitating and more so than some physical disabilities'

Severe mental health problems such as psychosis and schizophrenia can of course be debilitating but the more mild end of the mh spectrum adhd and anxiety are certainly not 'more so' debilitating than physical problems. I bet 100% of those with disabilities cope with anxiety on top of their physical problems anyway.

You do know that Ministers take advice from experts or are you thinking Wes is making up new descriptors all by himself as we speak?

Physical difficulties can occur in people with ADHD eg hypermobility syndrome.

Yeah I'd believe a career/no real belief politician over medical professionals.

As for people in general
Some are OTT , many bury their feelings or don't say how bad it is. Like every issue I guess but most are hopefully half way and are just accurate.

He's probably the type of MP that would question a blue badge holder because they have the temerity to have two legs.

Wrong!

AdHD can be massively debilitating, ditto anxiety. They are often comorbities with other difficulties. You don’t get anything on just a diagnosis anyway but on symptoms and need which will vary with physical and mental disabiiities.

Label them or not - they will still have the same challenges.

The label can be really helpful with helping a child understand themselves and why they are how they are; thirty years ago they would have just been told they were weird or too much or over dramatic. At least they now have better knowledge of the neurological reasons behind their behaviours and strategies that can help.

Ironically boredom would help. There are numerous studies showing the overstimulation of today's world is contributing to our poor mental health. Genius happens in moments of boredom.
There's an excellent book called Stolen Focus which highlights how much of these issues are really driven by the capitalisation of tech, in the same way obesity is driven by the capitalisation of food. Yet we still blame the individuals....

I'm a mental health nurse, and I agree 100%. There seems to have been a c-change over recent years and a lot of people now seem desperate to label themselves as mentally ill. I see patients in a GP surgery and practically every second person I see comes in telling me that they have ADHD/autism/OCD/bi-polar...only a fraction of them actually do.

The sad thing is these people are crowding out the genuinely ill folk and making it harder for them to get the help they need.

Counsellor - check your spelling

Totally agree with you.

Nah

I'm sure adhd can be a challenge for some people but it is absolutely manageable amd not debilitating in the same way that physical problems are.

For once I agree with him. Now, if he dropped his weight loss jabs for McDonald's customers......