Page 6 | To be finding the Labour government really hard on my mental health (ironically given Wes Streeting's latest)

Everythingisnumbersnow · 2025-03-16T15:18:08+00:00

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.

OriginalUsername2 · 17/03/2025 00:15

It must be healthcare professionals that are the problem then, handing out all these false diagnoses willy nilly 🙄

lemmein · 17/03/2025 00:55

Msmoonpie · 16/03/2025 16:06

I’ve said this before I’m sure - I do sort of agree.

Not that mental health conditions are over diagnosed because they aren’t.

People can be struggling at a time in their life and need access to support but that’s not the same as having an actual mental health condition.

However I believe he is taking this stance not because he believes it - but that it gives the chance to chop chop and cut off the minimal support already available. And - mental health condition or situational depression these people DO need support.

For which reason I think he is a a monumental arsehole and that it will cause more problems than it solves.

More people will deteriorate. This will put pressure on police, A and E and secondary care services. As well as prisons.

It will push people further into poverty as someone who is unstable is not an ideal employee. This will increase other problems such as alcohol abuse and drug abuse as people self medicate. As well as crime rates that go with that.

Any children with parents with problems will also suffer more than they do already. low educational outcomes. After all if you come home and have to do the cooking, the laundry and take care of your sisters because mum is sleeping off a drug binge you aren’t going to care much about times tables.

And down and down we go.

Exactly this happened to a friend of mine. They stopped her benefits and for some bizarre reason lowered her meds - before that she had been stable. She rapidly went downhill - thought her neighbours were spying on her and that her house was infested with bugs. She stopped leaving her house altogether and started spiralling in debt. Finally she caused a public disturbance on her road and was taken by the police to a local MH hospital where she was sectioned. She lost her house and was placed in supported living I assume at great cost to the taxpayer.

I’d only ever known her stable- she was a completely different person to the sweet, shy person I knew when I visited her in the hospital. Stopping her benefits and reducing her meds didn’t magically make her better - who’d have thought?

I agree with you OP - yes, the welfare bill is high but then so is foodbank use and a lot of the population are living in energy poverty. In addition to that the NHS is no longer fit for purpose - is it any wonder sickness levels are rising? We’ve also just had a pandemic and 14 years of Tory cuts!!

It’s despicable to suggest people are liars just because its easier than acknowledging and fixing the root issues.

Stafanko · 17/03/2025 01:15

Everythingisnumbersnow · 16/03/2025 16:21

How long is fleeting? And would you support people who want to die to be assisted to do it? Human instinct, right, why not. Would really save on that pesky benefits bill.

Show quote history

Fleeting. As in it crosses your mind, you think about it for a bit, then you get on with living. Fleeting, Temporary, transient. You can Google words if you don't understand them you know.

What are talking about assisted dying for in response to that? Christ you sound like hard work

AutumnColours9 · 17/03/2025 01:49

I don't see this government as true Labour. It's basically Tory-lite.
I work in MH and see such suffering every day. Modern life is easier in many ways but also harder in others.
I don't like or agree with Wes. Find him very authoritarian

Treeper22 · 17/03/2025 03:59

nearlylovemyusername · 16/03/2025 17:09

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

Well, the BMA stares that modern life in Britain is making people sick. I think I'll take their opinion over yours.

https://thedoctor.bma.org.uk/articles/health-society/society-s-failings-and-the-nhs-s-struggle-to-cope/

Society’s failings – and the NHS’s struggle to cope

Mental healthcare in England is in crisis – it is ‘dysfunctional’ and ‘broken’. These are the revelations of a BMA study of mental health services, which brings together findings from interviews with doctors on the front line, analysis of data and inpu...

https://thedoctor.bma.org.uk/articles/health-society/society-s-failings-and-the-nhs-s-struggle-to-cope

OlympicGoldfish · 17/03/2025 05:47

I’m surprised it took a Labour government to tackle this issue. They were perceived as weak and “woke”.

EasternStandard · 17/03/2025 06:46

MiraculousLadybug · 16/03/2025 21:43

@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.

Edited

It’s incredible how quickly Labour soundbites are picked up on here. First ‘difficult decisions’, now we’re on to ‘bloat’ for CS and ‘over diagnosis’ for MH.

it’s basically tracking Labour’s wiping out of funding and justifying cuts.

In the pp they’re not really ‘lite’ anything more a wrecking ball.

Which group will be next? They’ve nearly run out.

Greywhippet · 17/03/2025 06:52

Cynic17 · 16/03/2025 15:31

It's not either/or, OP.
There is certainly a lot of over-diagnosis, but also some people suffer genuine mental illness.
I'm no fan of the Labour Government, but they have to do something about the out of control benefits bill. They are trying to act responsibly, even though some people won't like it. It's not personally targeted at you.

Why is it always the out of control benefits bill and never the out of control wealth accumulation?
Why is it always attack people for being overweight or unwell and never tackle food manufacturers, supermarkets…
Why is it always attack people for needing universal credit and never tackle the employers who pay shit wages expecting the government to fund the rest?
This government is making choices- bad ones imo

Greywhippet · 17/03/2025 06:59

Everyone on this thread talking about overdiagnosis should remember that any one of us is just a hair’s breadth away from needing support at any time.

I’m not religious at all but the phrase ‘There but for the grace of God go I’ is a good one to remember

BeavisMcTavish · 17/03/2025 07:19

MrsSkylerWhite · 16/03/2025 16:55

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?

You and I don’t see the same people living in the hotels in our home towns

Unless by contribute you mean sit on the pavement all day, or wander round the local town glued to a mobile phone.

UnhappyAndYouKnowIt · 17/03/2025 07:22

I don't think that mental health disorders are over diagnosed, but I believe increasing awareness has made it less taboo to speak about them or admit to having a mental illness.

I think it's a bit of a red herring because the vast majority of people with mental health related diagnoses are in work and not claiming any benefits.

But I also think that the benefit reforms and the way they are publicised (Friday Evening press leaks when most support services are closed) is deliberate. It's not a coincidence that the government are trying their best to push through an assisted dying bill at the same time. If some people actually die as a result of the changes, it's a feature and not a bug.

grumpytoddler1 · 17/03/2025 08:39

The fact is, overdiagnosis or not, this is the one bill that is absolutely ginormous and spiralling out of control. And there are only really 3 big tax levers to pull. Income tax, NI and VAT. There aren't enough billionaires unfortunately, even if you taxed them all into oblivion. And immigration is actually quite a small number in comparison (although they will obviously want to reduce that figure too). The fact is the treasury will be looking at the biggest numbers and wondering how best to control or reduce them. This is a huge number and they need to try and control it somehow. It's not personal, they don't hate disabled people or any of the other hyperbolic stuff people say.

mumda · 17/03/2025 08:45

LauderSyme · 16/03/2025 15:34

I am diagnosed with major depressive disorder and have experienced several mental breakdowns and persistent suicidal ideation throughout my adulthood. I hear you OP, I feel your pain and I am sorry you are going through this.

Anger is also a symptom of depression.

Anger?

Only in children and adolescents perhaps.

9fthighfence · 17/03/2025 09:16

I think part of the reason why the benefits bill is so unaffordable (and it is!) is the expectation that everyone should have a certain type of lifestyle. We have savings in the expectation that either my husband or I might get too ill to work at some point. We have no qualms about downsizing to help fund either my husband or I not to work. If we were totally skint we could move in with our parents. If not we’d declare ourselves homeless at the council and then - only then - expect some financial help.

We have a child with ASD but pay for their private therapy ourselves because why not? If we couldn’t afford it we’d go on the NHS waiting list while researching what we could do to help our child ourselves because that’s the way the system works.

I’ve had severe depression. I’ve worked through it and guess what? Going to work every day made me feel so much better.

I know some people who have 3 mixed sex teens sharing a bedroom. Their parents claim no benefits, just aren’t loaded and we live in an expensive area. This sort of thing would not be allowed by the council but guess what, they are fine with it.

It seems that people are not thinking about how they can help themselves, what resources they can find for themselves, before automatically turning to the state. we need to look into who really, really needs money and who doesn’t, and funnel spending into the right places.

9fthighfence · 17/03/2025 09:19

Greywhippet · 17/03/2025 06:59

Everyone on this thread talking about overdiagnosis should remember that any one of us is just a hair’s breadth away from needing support at any time.

I’m not religious at all but the phrase ‘There but for the grace of God go I’ is a good one to remember

Haven’t you saved up for this sort of eventuality?

marshmallowmix · 17/03/2025 09:23

SeanMean · 16/03/2025 15:29

I agree with Wes but clearly people aren’t allowed to have a different opinion to you. 🤷

This is my views but I’ve been shredded to pieces by this poster and others on another thread for saying so . I agree with him but lo and behold if you say that all hell breaks loose and you get abuse

marshmallowmix · 17/03/2025 09:34

Annajones101 · 16/03/2025 15:28

I think we all know that mental illness is over diagnosed.

General life and lack of resilience is different from mental illness. Most people suffer from the former.

Show quote history

Exactly 👏’

Ivyy · 17/03/2025 10:06

mwyalchen · 16/03/2025 16:54

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.

@mwyalchen Can I ask what the medication was or the drug company? Think this might have happened to me

MrsSkylerWhite · 17/03/2025 10:40

BeavisMcTavish
You and I don’t see the same people living in the hotels in our home towns
**
Unless by contribute you mean sit on the pavement all day, or wander round the local town glued to a mobile phone.

My husband’s life was recently saved by a Bulgarian surgeon and her Indian Registrar (Blackpool Victoria Hospital). He was looked after during recovery by nursing stafff from all around the world. All working incredibly hard and paying UK taxes. Do I welcome immigration? Hell, yes.

Doors247 · 17/03/2025 11:11

Right yet again I'm going to bite, people on Universal credit unless have a child under 3 single(or one adult working full time and one sahp with a child under 3 couple) Have to work or be looking for work for as many hours they are needed to work.
Only those who are carers or are in receipt of pip and are under no work commitments because they have been assessed to not be fit to.

A lot of people work that are on Universal credit and on PIP.

Please have a look at the paper work you need to fill in to claim PIP and the process of getting no work commitment for universal credit.

I'm sick of this government (and others before) making people argue with each other and making one side hate another.
Most people want the system to be fair for EVERYONE.

I can not see how anyone feeling a bit sad can go to the doctors and then claim PIP knowing how bloody awful those forms are!
The amount of paperwork you need to prove from professionals.

And people shouldn't be having to have a top up of a benefit if there working!
Think about that! Wages are so low that people who even work full time need help to have a roof over there heads and food!

EilonwyWithRedGoldHair · 17/03/2025 11:28

TreatYoSelf2025 · 16/03/2025 15:57

Depression and anxiety is overdiagnosed at the GP. A general lack of resilience and feelings of overwhelm are often treated with SSRIs which lead to long term dependency while nothing actually changes leading to long term diagnosis and care.

That’s not to say that the problems aren’t very real to the person suffering but the treatment should be a combination approach of lifestyle changes, facing difficulties, therapy, and medication but all the NHS can ever offer quickly are the pills.

They are trying, and are much less likely to dish out pills on their own than in the past - at least in my area. But the services are inadequate in what they can provide, and too much is treated in isolation.

I did have time off work with stress and was referred to the primary care mental health service. My stress (and distress) were caused by my autistic sons poor sleep and violent meltdowns, and the recommendation was that I try mindfulness, a suggestion of attending group CBT sessions (none of which I could attend as the online ones were in the middle of DS bedtime routine), and six counselling sessions (extended to 8 as the counsellor was so worried about the state I was in). rankly I was only able to stay working because my employer was incredibly supportive - I mean they were great, not all employers would have been.

In an ideal world, we'd have had quick diagnosis of DS, and actual support and help with the meltdowns, which is still something we've had no help with apart from being lent a folder of info on NVR, which is great up to a point - but no good once dysregulation has tipped over into a meltdown despite our best attempts to prevent that, avoid triggers, pick our battles etc. And it's not that we haven't had services involved - we have, which must have cost money, and everyone was lovely, but most of the interventions didn't help us at all, in fact they often caused more stress by giving us more to do.

All this is probably true of loads of services. Nothing is caught early, the underlying issues aren't addressed. If they want to reduce the number of people with mental health problems it's not just about funding services (though that would be a start), it's culture change that is needed.

CurrentHun · 17/03/2025 13:41

I just want to repost what I posted on a different thread because I agree with you OP. I voted for this government because I thought they would invest in public services. What I see so far of this government’s trajectory for the NHS and for education is quite the opposite. Very scary. Cuts and stigmatising people to make the cuts seem more palatable. Total populist crap. They haven’t consulted with anyone with actual experience of these complex issues. The patient groups would have not seen this coming from a Labour government.

I had respect for Wes Streeting as a health secretary, before this seemingly snap decision to reorganise the NHS in England.
Well, seeing the disparaging ignorant comments about mental health he is making, I’m completely disgusted with him.
It is not trivial to be diagnosed with MH conditions. And it’s not trivial for people to be able to claim health related benefits- this involves liaison with their doctors and medical assessments and all sorts of hurdles. This kind of social punching down from a government minister is appalling.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd7ejvr3y0zo
I am a very loyal Labour voter and absolutely horrified to see the direction that the party is apparently taking. They need to get out and about and see what a terrible state the health of the public is actually in, after 13 years of Tory rule.
We have an ageing population. The economy is stil struggling after 2008 crash, Brexit, Covid. Foodbanks are totally oversubscribed. Cost of living is through the roof in the UK and never came down again. Housing is unaffordable or close to unaffordable for an increasingly large section of our population.
Of course more and more people are getting desperately ground down by years of living like this, and we are seeing a huge increase in MH problems. Doesn’t mean anything is being ‘over diagnosed’. MH problems left unsupported can have devastating consequences for individuals and families and whole communities. Very dangerous to talk like Streeting is doing.

KateMiskin · 17/03/2025 13:44

They have no bloody choice. The current situation is absolutely unsustainable. Life is far more shit in other countries.

grumpytoddler1 · 17/03/2025 15:00

They've just borrowed another £25m and poured it straight into the NHS, you can't say they've not put more funding into the NHS, that's not true.

nearlylovemyusername · 17/03/2025 16:14

Doors247 · 17/03/2025 11:11

Right yet again I'm going to bite, people on Universal credit unless have a child under 3 single(or one adult working full time and one sahp with a child under 3 couple) Have to work or be looking for work for as many hours they are needed to work.
Only those who are carers or are in receipt of pip and are under no work commitments because they have been assessed to not be fit to.

A lot of people work that are on Universal credit and on PIP.

Please have a look at the paper work you need to fill in to claim PIP and the process of getting no work commitment for universal credit.

I'm sick of this government (and others before) making people argue with each other and making one side hate another.
Most people want the system to be fair for EVERYONE.

I can not see how anyone feeling a bit sad can go to the doctors and then claim PIP knowing how bloody awful those forms are!
The amount of paperwork you need to prove from professionals.

And people shouldn't be having to have a top up of a benefit if there working!
Think about that! Wages are so low that people who even work full time need help to have a roof over there heads and food!

and that's exactly the point - being on UC is little money and ongoing chasers to start working or to work more. With PIP this problem goes away hence a lot of people will pull a lot of stops to get PIP.

I still remember a thread where OP was asking for advice to get PIP for her student daughter who was uncomfortable to commute by bus or cook her food and hence needed PIP for taxis and take aways, whilst being able to study in Uni with no issues.

It's not that difficult to get PIP for mental health issues, there are plenty of forums with discussions on how to do this. For the first time I'm actually in agreement with Labour that this is massive issue which needs to be tackled. Not the amount, but eligibility.

Most people want the system to be fair for EVERYONE.

Unfortunately not - most people want the system favouring them and only start shouting when the tide is turning. How many people cared for higher earners when they were squeezed to the bone? when ND PS kids forced to move from schools they were happily settled in? not many really. Now benefit claimants with anxiety are being target and so much outcry.