To be finding the Labour government really hard on my mental health (ironically given Wes Streeting's latest)

[Everythingisnumbersnow]

Why can't they talk about reforms and improvements without having a go at ordinary people?

Is mental illness over diagnosed (as Streeting claims) or is modern life just really really shit and a lot of us are unwell as a result?

im currently waiting to see a new private psychiatrist because my old one took on an NHS contract and now is totally unusable (no need to even mention the NHS services available, we all know the score there). I work and I don't expect any special treatment but it would be nice if the bloody government stopped slagging me off for trying to remain functional.

Everythingisnumbersnow · Today 16:18
And you don't think maybe you were lucky to have quite a mild illness as opposed to a lifelong one?

Another arrogant assumption, OP.

This myth that PIP is hard to get needs to stop. It’s so hard to get that 4 million people are on it.

You strike me very much as someone who doesn’t want to be helped. Because if you did you would be looking for ways of not living on benefits.

People with disabilities, all disabilities should be encouraged into work where possible. That doesn’t necessarily mean cutting benefits, but the government need to be making it easier for people with disabilities to work, running training schemes, engaging with employers etc.

There are people who simply aren’t capable of working and those should be helped. But there are also a lot of people who are capable of working, who want to work in fact but who are finding it difficult due to the lack of employment opportunities for people with certain disabilities.

I have a physical disability which has the highest demographic of people out of work - approximately 85%. I have a job - it took me several years as I also have a life limiting illness but I’ve had several jobs. Others with my disability are in work, but others aren’t, some because they’re doing their best to find work and are finding it impossible because the types of job we can do is limited, but then there is definitely a demographic within that disability category who are absolutely choosing not to work, and we accept that because finding work is so hard in the first place.

Is mental illness over diagnosed (as Streeting claims) or is modern life just really really shit and a lot of us are unwell as a result?

I'd have thought it was both TBH.

PND - area I was in post kids was postively desperate to disgnose me this with - constantly made to fill in same questionaire which later found out via TV was developed by drug company - I was fine tired with little support and a lot on but not remotely depressed or unhappy.

My friend in same area who was diagosed and treated for two years for pnd turned out to have another common post pg condition Hypothyroidism finally diagonsed by a locum when they spotted a goiter needing additional treatment.

So yes I know there is over diagnosis of this mental health illness at same time socitey has made many support mechasims for new mothers harder to access or just gone so there is more about.

The ND in my family does seem linked with anxiety - Dmum life and rest of family would have been easier if she'd had treatment for it - daughter is ND diagonsed and on a low anti anxiety medication which she thinks helps her. I'm fine unless on the pill though no GP will admit there's a link. All of us medicated or not have manged to work and not claim benefits but it's not less or more of it but more recognised and treatement offered.

At same time know people with schizophrenia who really struggled to access services to help them and will really struggle to every hold down a full time job. It's likely gentic and % of population with condition stayed I think about the same.

So I think it does depend on conditions but it's likely both.

JandamiHash
You can extend empathy to whomever you like but there is a global financial crisis, and if people have to be put first in terms of spending l it’s the people of that country, yes

Does this still apply if the person “of that country” doesn’t contribute but the immigrant does?

My dd has anxiety and depression ( and other diagnoses) in addition to autism and adhd. She didn’t go to the GP to get her diagnosis she got it in high dependency the first time she tried to take her life 6 years ago. She is in receipt of benefits and not working as she’s battling to get well enough to get qualifications and a career. She absolutely can’t do both according to very well qualified NHS staff and if takes time so enough with the if you’re out of work you’re lazy and work helps. It doesn’t for everybody.

What about that figure makes you think it’s not deserved ? Given that disability isn’t actually uncommon - again recent ish government figures suggest that over 16 million people had had a disability at the time of survey ? Those on PIP are about a quarter of that.

As we have ascertained it’s rarely fraudulent then are you suggesting that some of the people who are on it do not deserve it and that you know more than the people assessing them ?

By that definition, it could be extended to everyone. Everyone has some limitation. And if not, everyone feels sad at some point in their lives. Which means PIP basically becomes universal basic income.

Because there is just so much free cash to go around. Let’s just get it over and done with.

Severe MH issues should be supported by welfare. Cases such as this that have led to hospitalisation are severe and should be treated as such with appropriate support whilst the person gets better.

But most of the increase in benefit payments aren't to people with severe MH issues. It's people with low level issues getting no medical support other than pills and being left to rot. Sitting around getting paid to do nothing is not clinically helpful. Plenty of trials support social integration and lifestyle changes for low level (which most of these cases are) anxiety and depression.

By what definition ? You aren’t making sense.

Having a disability does not equal needing PIP. I am pointing out that, given 16 million people or so are disabled in some way, that a quarter needing actual support for their disability isn’t actually a lot.

And no. “Everyone” does not have some limitation. Don’t be so ridiculous.

You also didn’t answer the question.

Why are you attacking people for expressing their opinions? Why is your opinion any more valid?
I also don’t understand your statement about hundreds of thousands of people being put out of work . I missed that announcement

What I’m saying is why do we say 16 million are disabled. Why not say that all 70 million are disabled as everyone has some limitation or feels sad sometimes.

Is mental illness over diagnosed (as Streeting claims) or is modern life just really really shit and a lot of us are unwell as a result?

Modern life in Britain is such shit that over one million of adults claim benefits on the ground of poor mental health? in Britain, not in Ukraine, Yemen or Gaza? you must be joking

Because presumably not everyone is disabled. It’s not difficult.

The Tories decimated mental health services over the years.

Let's not act like you would have had a glowing time with the NHS a year ago.

If you wish to read further the definition from the study was “The term “disability” follows the core definition of disability in the Equality Act 2010 which states that a person is considered to have a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment that has ‘substantial’ and ‘long term’ negative effects on their ability to do normal daily activities.”

I do not for one minute believe this is the entity of the UK population.

Even if it was - it does not mean they would meet the criteria for PIP.

Indeed thinking in my house alone where no pip or dla is claimed. Asthma, hyper mobility, adhd, ibs, gord, hay fever, poor eye sight, mould allergy, peanut butter allergy, pet fur allergy to certain breeds.

All are health issues.

Poor mental health and mental illness are not the same thing but we’ve conflated it to be as such. As such, people who are anxious say that they have anxiety and require help, often pharmaceutical when in the vast majority of people who present as anxious, lifestyle factors and mindset work would work just as well, if not better. I’m not talking about those with panic disorders or PTSD but those on SSRIs such as Sertraline who feel anxious when meeting new people and when making phone calls.

We live in a country where people don’t practice gratitude enough because we’re constantly being bombarded with what we don’t have. It’s like keeping up with the jonses on steroids because it’s now everywhere, not just our direct neighbours. People don’t go outside enough, they don’t do enough exercise, they eat like shit because that’s what’s affordable and easy and they have an addiction to screens, validation, and avoiding any negative emotions.

None of these are issues in isolation. They’re societal and lifestyle factors that often come with cultural and income barriers. It’s such a deep rooted issue that’s seeped into our marrow that the only way many doctors feel they can help is with a pill as a plaster as there’s no prescription they can give for the above except a waiting list for 6 sessions of counselling that barely scratch the surface with no check ins. There’s a distinct lack of a village now but so many people want a village but don’t want to be a villager for others.

I know people like this. You do too. We’re not talking about those with bi polar, PTSD, schizophrenia or other serious mental health conditions that require rigid treatment. We’re talking about people who can’t cope with life and don’t know how to regulate their emotions.

I struggled with mental health a lot in my teens and early twenties. I had all sorts of diagnoses brandished about as possibilities and was on so many meds the side effects were worse than anything it was helping. I have attempted suicide twice. I have been through things that other people have as their worst fear but none of the medications changed anything. I had to change. And as soon as I did, life became more bearable and when it isn’t, I do it sad/mad/angry/depressed/anxious.

That’s who we’re dealing with here. Not those who severely need help. The people who refuse to help themselves.

By “that’s who we’re dealing with here” I mean that’s who we SHOULD be dealing with here, not those who are so unwell they legitimately cannot work or hold down a job. Help who we can and work is absolutely an aid to mental wellbeing.

I can only offer my own experience, which is that it took years to get an OCD diagnosis and medication despite suffering from clear OCD-type symptoms. I had to become severely agoraphobic before anything other than CBT was proposed. I experience a lot more mental distress during the day than most people I know. Mental illness is very real, it's not just a side effect of modern life.

Labour are going through groups and you can see the outcome on here as they do. Now they’re moving on from businesses and pensioners to welfare.

Sorry who are you addressing? I am not aware that anyone on this thread has mentioned reliance on benefits? If me, I'm a professional with a full time job and a side job, I have never claimed benefits and pay tax at the top rate (#whatahero), I'd just like to have some quality of life if that's ok? And I'd like people who are in a similar position to me but less fortunate to be treated with some basic respect. This thread isn't about getting benefits it's about the government gaslighting sick people about their sickness.

I also think a LOT of people are about to become permanently unemployed because of AI and they might regret their arrogance about benefits in general.

@Everythingisnumbersnow Apparently according to most on this thread we just can't talk about mental health now without linking it to benefits because that's the ablist world of a lot of MNers live in. 🤢 I mean the term "overdiagnosis" wasn't a common word until this week but suddenly almost everyone's got the exact opinion the government want them to have. This is the fourth or fifth thread I've read this weekend where unfettered nasty ablism has run rampant and barely-challenged with a boatload of assumptions and misconceptions.

100% agree.
It's definitely the lesser of 2 evils to say to people, "we recognise that you have X condition, the limited amount of support we can provide is Y" Rather than saying "you are making this up/you are fine"

The first option at least recognises the struggles/illness and is honest about what support/treatment the state is available to provide, the 2nd completly undermines the patient, leaves them second guessing, looking for solutions which could potentially be unsafe in desperation.