Mental health - AIBU?

[LibertyLucy1975]

I am torn on this issue.

I’ve had mental issues (off and on) all my adult life. I’m in my mid fifties now.

Many years ago, when I was young, I was sectioned for a brief period due to psychosis. I think people were more likely to be hospitalised back then whereas now, people are just told to see their GP.

Anyhow, when I was released from hospital, I was absolutely terrified of anyone finding out that I’d been in hospital. The stigma of mental health difficulties in the early nineties was strong and the thought of being seen as a ‘nutter’ or ‘mental patient’ made my anxiety ten times worse.

Nowadays it’s very different. Celebrities and social influencers are very outspoken about MH issues and, to some extent, I wish I’d had that level of validation when I was younger. It would have made me feel less like a freak.

However, I do wonder if the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction. From listening to my daughter’s friends (teens) talk, you’d think that having MH issues was a right of passage / a badge of honour. Everyone and their dog seems to have some sort of MH issue.

What I think (I suppose this is my AIBU), is that normal human emotions are sometimes labelled anxiety’ or ‘depression’. Many of my daughter’s friends are on medication and I wonder if normal human emotions are now over medicalised.

So what is it? Are people more honest about suffering because there is less stigma? Are more young people suffering? Did people just suffer in silence in the past because they were too ashamed to admit they were suffering and so they weren’t reflected in the statistics?

If it’s just that people are more comfortable talking about their difficulties without the burden of stigma weighing heavy on their shoulders, then that’s a good thing. If it’s that normal life experiences of ups and downs / nervousness / shyness are being considered pathological, doesn’t this trivialise the suffering of people who have genuine difficulties?

I’m not suggesting shame should be part and parcel of struggles but I see so many young people claiming to have MH difficulties that I wonder if it’s genuine. Not so much that they’re pretending, more that they are convinced they have MH issues because they sometimes get a bit down or a bit nervous and a quick google search can leave them feeling as though they’re mentally ill?

I do worry that sometimes kids are led to believe they are ill and that pills are the answer rather than helping them develop the skills to deal with adversity.

I hope I’m not coming across as unsympathetic. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

As someone who has had mental health issues for around 30 years, I agree completely.

I’m just shy of 50.

i had a MH issue a couple of years ago. Everyone medical I have spoken to about it says to me “what do you want me to write down” so they clearly think there is a stigma.

personally I don’t give a shit. I use a wheelchair so I’m used to people thinking I’m stupid and annoying on sight.

btw it certainly used to be the case that GPs couldn’t prescribe for depression and anxiety in teens - my son who was having dissociative episodes at 17 had to see a psychiatrist. Not sure if that has changed.

It’s sad that you think people think you’re stupid or annoying. I bloody hope that’s not true!! Although good for you for not giving a shit :)

My daughter’s friends are 18/19 so I’m assuming they didn’t need to see a psychiatrist. I don’t know for sure though. There are four of them that I’ve heard talking about taking pills but my daughter said she knows of lots more.

In my teens I actively self harmed (cutting, burns, drank detergent ), drank myself to sleep for a while, engaged in risky behaviours , I had suicidal ideation and so on. Officially? There’s nothing on my record and there wasn’t anything then? Did some people know? Yes. Did they give a shit? No. Was it more important to save face? Yes. I actually remember a classmate calling me “the happiest girl I’ve ever known.” An acquaintance killed herself at 16 and the bullshit the adults made up to explain would boggle your mind , rather than accept what was in front of them, not only was she depressed, she was THAT depressed.

No it hasn't changed. GPs will rarely prescribe for under 18s and to get seen by a psychiatrist at CAMHS is no easy feat.

I think people just value and talk about the importance of their inner emotional life far more these days. I think as a society we chased basics for a long time (food, security, shelter, health care) but as they are mostly a given now on a basic level (if you don’t compare to others who are richer), it’s only natural people focus on their emotional health more. There tends to be a lot of trauma passed down from older generations (war, abuse etc) - so I think it’s probably good people talk about it far more now. For most people life is an accumulation of both happy and traumatic events and how you handle it really matters. And hormonal phases (teens/meno etc) are an extra aggravation. For those who have trauma in the family or genetic mental health issues, it’s really important to understand from the get go.

I think the world is just overwhelming now. It's all too much to process, too much choice, things we can see but can't have, news we can hear but can't do anything about. Our poor brains are still 98% chimpanzee and we're expecting miracles of them. So I'm not really surprised that mental health conditions are rising, but I don't know what the solution is. Sometimes I think I want to go off grid and disappear to stop all the physical and metaphorical noise around me.

That’s awful. I hope you’re ok now

Was that in the nineties?

I agree with this. Modern life is stressful.

Too much information and stimulation.

Most people don't know how to deal with boredom anymore. Young brains don't get a rest.

Early noughties, but that’s not the point. The point is , you don’t know what someone is carrying or how or why.

Antidepressants aren’t exactly known for their just for shit and giggles side effects.

I think mental health is the same as physical health- you can get ill and get better again, and it can happen constantly throughout life.

My grandparents never knew I had ever been in hospital. I even had to lie to them and say I was working when I was too ill to.

I do think people talk about it more now, and that is a good thing as it does reduce stigma and makes it a bit easier for people to admit they are struggling.
But this does seem to be limited to people who have the milder end of anxiety and depression. More severe MH issues, and being sectioned etc, still seems to be something that a lot of people avoid talking about because others can and do give them a wide berth.

I am not sure how to vote (so haven't). I am mid 40s, and life is so much more difficult now for younger people, so I can understand why there is an uptick in young people with MH issues. They are having to deal with a lot more than we did when we were younger.

I totally agree. I’ve been on them for years. That’s one of the reasons I think they should be a last resort.

I think it’s important that people are properly assessed and offered alternatives rather than a 10 minute GP appointment, a label, and ADs.

Do you know for a fact that this is happening? Or do you just assume?

It’s based on what I’ve read and observations I’ve made from listening to the people in my life, one of whom is is a counsellor in a university,

As I said in my OP, I am torn on this issue. I posted to get more of an insight into what other people think.

How on earth could I know about every situation for certain? I’m assuming you don’t know either?

Every single situation? No. But I’ve yet to meet someone in real life (rather than heard if, read about, my hairdresser’s dogwalker’s cousin told me ) than had a 10 min gp appointment, got a label and ADs , all sorted. For no reason whatsoever or because they were “a bit sad” or “a bit worried”.

You forgot the bit where they leave the GP surgery and immediately go on PIP too.

We are living difficult and meaningless lives constrained to socially acceptable behaviour on a rock in nothingness.. how anyone is sane is weird to me.. is sane even a thing? I like that old quote.. "it's no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society "

It’s not a binary issue. And nor is it one you need an answer to. It’s multifaceted and unique to each individual.

And the free goat? Or is that not a thing anymore?

Okay, fair enough.

I think maybe you’re misunderstanding my question a bit but I agree it’s nuanced.

I just wonder if having a fully funded health service that could offer more than pills (that can be ineffective), young people might stand a better chance of recovery early on in life.

I’m not a bigot who thinks that everyone is faking MH issues to get out of working and live on benefits! Nor am I suggesting that people just ‘get on with it’.

Flyingpig, you make a good point. I do believe society has become a bit toxic and social media hasn’t helped.

I posted my original questions because I’m just a bit shocked as to how many people appear to have MH issues and wondered whether this is because there is a genuine rise, or if there are other factors at play.

Maybe my OP came across a bit ‘faux concern’. That wasn’t my point at all. I suppose that’s what these threads are for. It’s called AIBU so that people can offer reasons as to why someone is BU and we can all take something away from it.

Thanks for all of your replies.

I think there is less of a stigma which is a good thing.

I also think society is increasingly complex and stressful which has added to the amount of MH issues around, especially for young people.

IMO, we have lost a generation to labelling everything as MH.

MH used to be when traditional coping skills cannot be employed by a person, for reasons beyond their control, or experiences like yours where there is psychosis etc.

Now, disappointment, differing opinions, typical childhood behaviour, inability to comprehend reading or writing due to lack of education or exposure and awkwardness in social situations (again due to lack of education or exposure) are all labelled as 'MH'.

I commented earlier on blights of the West and this is another one of those. We have failed our children, and continue to do so, by labelling everything we don't understand or can't deal with, as MH.

It's sad to see what the world has become.

Again, I miss the 90s.

I think it’s important to look at why these people end up on AD’s or with a diagnosis. Of course , society, SM etc. all play a part , but they tend to be a contributing factor rather than the cause. So unless you’re a clinician, or close enough to the people your DD knows (as per your example) to know WHY they ended up going to the GP in the first place , it’s hard to judge. I know a few struggling teens / young people with “labels” and/or medication/intervention. They all have a reason like trauma(of all kinds), a ND (and associated struggles), ACEs etc.

The mental health system is not fit for purpose. It’s still sink or swim, just with extra (inadequate) floaties.

And yet , the rates of poor mental health in adults 39-49 are very , very close to those seen in young people. Not just that, but despite the rates being slightly lower, they are more likely to have a severe/significant clinically diagnosed mental health condition.