James Middleton - depression

[LovingLola]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6583137/With-devastating-honesty-courage-JAMES-MIDDLETON-reveals-private-battle-depression.html

Can’t have been easy for him to put this in the public domain.

I agree. Well done to him.

I wish this was in chat so lots of others can comment. Will ask MNHQ.

I was wondering about medication - didn't see it mentioned in the article

It made me see him in a whole new light t be honest. I thought it was an honest and insightful account. To think the press we're ripping the p!ss out of his business ventures a few years back. Little did we know the private struggle he was found through.

I thought it was a really honest, open piece about how James experiences depression and ADD. It will show other sufferers that these conditions can happen to everyone, regardless of their circumstances. He was very brave to be so refreshingly honest and I do think it will help other people.

The cynical side of me read it thinking about how different his experience is compared to other people. CBT on the NHS, for example, is often limited to 6 sessions. Medication is usually always offered before more expensive forms of therapy which treat the root cause. People from less privileged backgrounds aren't able to take time away from work to recover without this being a huge financial burden on their families, nor do people with ADD typically have the means to set up their own businesses because this suits their working style better.

That said this is no reflection on his particular article. James would never have been able to capture the experience of people who are more disadvantaged and he does acknowledge how privileged his is. I hope he continues at a smooth pace with recovery.

And, on the flip side, few others are burdened by the social pressures that James is; a running media commentary about the success of his businesses, being snapped constantly while on holiday in a new relationship, indirect comparisons to his incredibly successful sisters. So his experience, while from a place of privilege, does have a unique set of burdens which would impact on mental health and recovery.

My thoughts on the Heads Together campaign are similar. Excellent campaign, which is great to raise awareness and encourage people to have a conversation about their feelings - but does it really do more than that? Mental health is so substantially underfunded that, while having a conversation is hugely important, people are experiencing deficits in the services that they need after those initial conversations. Services at the moment do little to prevent escalation and resources are often only available to treat people who are already so very poorly. It would be wonderful to hear the Royals campaign for properly funded mental health services but equally that would steer too far into political ground, so they are doing what they can by raising awareness.

I thought JM came across well in the article and has clearly suffered, but I can't help feeling less empathy than for the millions of people struggling with MH with no resource, no family networks, possibly lack of education and without the ability to drop everything, drive up to the Lakes with their dogs, like he did, to have the luxury of head-space to figure out what to do about his problem.

Most people have to figure it all out while having to worry about where their next month's rent is coming from. Very often that exacerbates their MH condition, stress is an absolute killer. And access to continuity of high quality treatment and the right medication, well that's a whole other matter that JM didn't need to concern himself with.

Very honest - including about the number of second chances he has had to retake exams and restart businesses. I don’t blame him or his parents - completely normal to do your best for your children. It’s also clearly difficult to have so much media attention.

However, it’s heartbreaking to think about what happens in schools to children with similar problems who don’t have his family resources.

I thought it was a very good article and actually quite brave of him knowing a lot of people would be thinking that he has a very privileged life and therefore 'nothing to be depressed about'. Obviously that's not my feelings- just the type of shite I've heard other people say.

He did acknowledge that he is in a very privileged position but personally I think it's swings and roundabouts in that yes he can afford care that many others can't and yes he's not juggling depression, add alongside the financial struggles that many of us have, but he's frequently mocked in the national press, any attempt he makes to run a successful business is also mocked and his relationships are pulled apart. That can't be an easy way to live when it wasn't your choice to become well known in the first place.