Mental health thread
 

Experts say there’s a mental health epidemic.

Especially among Gen Z.

One in three 18- to 24-year-olds now report symptoms indicating they have experienced a common mental health problem, such as depression or anxiety disorder, compared with one in four in 2000.

That’s worrying.

What’s driving this? Probably a combination of the climate crisis, long term effects of austerity, the cost of living crisis, the rise of social media and smartphones and the complexity of modern life.

What’s the answer? Not antidepressants. It goes much deeper than that.

I guess it can’t be an easy world for children to grow up in these days.

Personally I think those already alarming stats will just keep on rising unless there’s drastic changes.

I am not sure that mental health is any worse in gen z than any previous generations.

Life styles have changed yes, the pressures of life are different butt there have always been life style pressures.

The major difference today is there is better education and awareness on mental health in the general population, the very devices (mobile phones and the internet) that can compound someone's mental health also make it easier for someone to get a diagnoses and help.

I am not trying to trivialise the gen Z mental health as a concern, butt I certainly know of people I was at school with half a centaury ago have committed suicide in their 20's because of mental health / sexual identity etc struggles they had

Do NOT think of pink elephants.
 

‘Experts’ say this do they ? Oh well if professional ‘experts’ are paid for these findings then that must be it.

Although looking around and I note children are pretty much just the same as they’ve always been except how they have been previously is now re-packaged as ‘mental health issues’ because that is now the current fashion. It is largely an aberration of recalibration i.e. over-diagnosis and the pathologising of typical emotions. Repackaging normality into self-doubt and illness.

Now it is a fashion then asking if somebody is having trouble with mental health is much like asking them not to think of pink elephants. You’ve pretty much seeded the answer in the question.

Then of course there are the associated benefits with claiming ‘mental health issues’ as children (pushed often by parents) know that phantoms such as ‘anxiety issues’ can get special attention in teaching and more time in exams. Daft not to play that game if it gives out free prizes to everyone who enters. Years ago those ‘anxiety issues’ were just the not unusual misery of struggling in a lesson and the worry of exams.

Society is being weakened by pathologising normality as it then bleeds from school and into the work place.

In short, this ‘mental health crisis’ has a lot of the self-fulfilling prophecy about it. It needs dampening down with less attention and alarmism, not amplifying with more.

It is encouraging that the children I know understand this all very well and mock the ‘mental health’ card, even when playing it themselves. Good parenting with plenty of hobbies and outdoor activities with groups keeps things based, and of course not wanging on about mental health makes for a healthy happy child.

There is nothing much new.

Do you remember those days in the past when you did something because you ‘enjoyed’ it and it was ‘fun’ ? Now people do the same thing for the same pleasure but it is described as ‘good for my mental health’. The words have been swapped over into the minor key as the base line is now recalibrated as being negative because victimhood has become weaponised into a necessary defensive asset.

Then there are the psychotic effects of drugs to consider, but that is another matter altogether. Don’t do ‘em kids.

Kind Regards,
Rimmer.

Speak with people with mental health issues weekly

I'd say the pandemic caused a lot of problems. Isolation, lack of social contact, fear etc etc. It was harder to get treatment for those already ill and diagnosis for those who started suffering symptoms. OH was livid at schools closing because kids needed association and interaction

I know I had a massive wobble which took me completely by surprise as I've never had problems before. GP was supportive and gave me a month's worth of anti deps. Said to take them only if necessary. Fortunately bubbles came along and I was okay. For me it was only minor - for others it was worse

Don't even get me started on the mental health system. Underfunded and understaffed with many left to fend for themselves alone. Care in the community - yeah right :(:(. Waiting lists for things like talking therapy and CBT (not that one) are long

I know from a friend who works with kids with mental health issues that self referral is a pain because it clogs up the system as one can repeatedly start again. As reefy says there is a growing awareness and understanding of conditions - particularly in the autism/ADHD/ etc spectrum.

I do think that there is a need for some people to have a label as an excuse for bad behaviour and there is overuse of words like anxiety when some are going through "normal" life things like bereavement

But - certainly from my volunteering - mental health calls are increasing and so is the number of people trying to deal with them without adequate support

The good thing is a lot of the stigma associated with mental health has been removed.

Which means more folk are able to talk about their mental health and admit they’re struggling. Especially fellas.

Years ago we didn’t even have the language to do so even if we wanted to open up.

I guess we have Gen Z to thank for that. And Millenials.

Those people Reefknot was at school with half a century ago who committed suicide in their 20's because of mental health / sexual identity etc struggles.

Today they would have someone to turn to, for sure.

We understand male mental health a lot more. And we’re much more accepting when it comes to sexual identity and gender identity.

Thank god we’ve moved on in those departments.

But the world is changing fast. Young folk do everything expected of them school, uni, career etc.

And they still can’t afford a house.

Are we at breaking point yet? No, but we’re near enough.

And that breaking point can be seen throughout the entire world, through social rights and social injustice and climate breakdown.

One thing I will say is this.

Society has more empathy these days than when I was young. Especially young folk. We understand the experiences of vulnerable minorities, LGBT folk and folk with disabilities better .

Empathy is a good thing and the world needs more of it.

A bit of empathy just makes you a decent human being.

It's also the case that it shouldn't be down played either. And in contrast it does seem to be fashion for certain folks to dismiss those with mental health issues as overegging their conditions/wouldn't have happened in my day etc etc etc. As ever the real situation is somewhere towards the middle

The lockdown did impact a lot of people - including children. As I said OH (who is down to earth, lots of grandkids and is quite cynical) was furious at school closures because they were stopping socialisation at a time in their lives when it is very important

Mental health is far too serious a matter to take sides/stances on

Self first, self second, self last. And if there’s owt left over…self again.
 

This is quite a misguided take, albeit a common misunderstanding.

A lot of this so-called mental health ‘crisis’ comes from an obsession with self. Ego outstripping ability and a refusal to accept limitations, and instead living in a state of perma-denial, until the delusion can no longer be sustained.

It manifests itself with this current obsessive trend of ‘self-identity’ which gives the individual ultimate priority and selfishly places themselves at the the centre of their own life. It is too prevalent; ‘self-ID gender’, ‘self-ID empathy’, ‘self-ID mental health issues’. All of which make for a discordant and psychotic society when that individual then expects others to accordingly bend their thoughts and actions to them. The problems then occur when others bend their own way.

Anyone can self-ID as being empathic but that does not make for a ‘decent human being’ (whatever one of them is). Quite the opposite in fact. Self-ID empathy is a toxin in society which is being played on by bad-faith actors who see us becoming weaker and enfeebled. The self-ID empath is often the one who is quick to spew ‘hate’ onto those ‘scum’ and ‘twats’ who don’t accept their self appointed virtue.

Also, as Lisal correctly points out, the self diagnosed and over diagnosed mentally ill are doing a huge disservice to those who genuinely suffer with e.g. manic depression. Experiencing circumstantial depression, or worry (now classed as ‘anxiety issues’), bereavement, failure, sadness etc is not mental ill health, they are perfectly normal human emotions which have served us well in dealing with the harder realities of life. They are not new and not to be avoided or pathologised as ‘mental health issues’.

Strip out all the normal human emotion, all the bad faith self-IDers, all the ego-empaths, and this ‘crisis’ will be much less and we will all be stronger and better off for it. It is currently though a self-sustaining wild fire which will not subside until it has torched everyone alive. Be in no doubt our society is being totally f*cked into dysfunctional incapacity by this fevered Salem paranoid madness, and the more attention it receives the worse it gets.

Beware the bad-faith players and fools who seek to exploit for personal advantage, within and without our society.

Kind Regards,
Rimmer.

Not sure about this obsession with self ID.

Whatever your views on it the issues around mental health are much much wider than focussing on one specific area - and, to be honest, it's not helpful in thinking about and supporting those who suffer with the various conditions that are in existence and are becoming more understood as we advance in health knowledge

I do think that there are times when there is, perhaps, an over reaction to "stuff that happens in life" but - as I've said - the other side of the coin is that the lack of support and funding for mental health means people suffering longer and diagnosed later. With all the impact that has on the individuals concerned, their nearest and dearest, society and the work force.

OH has a fair point here.

Studies show that mental health of our school aged children was negatively impacted by lockdown.

Especially in low earning families. Kids in deprived areas had limited access to green spaces. So no surprise their mental health suffered.

But we also have to look at the bigger picture. The authorities were stuck between a rock and a hard place. If they had prioritised children’s mental health, the impact on the NHS through increase in COVID admissions could have been catastrophic.

What’s important now is to address the mental health of those children who were impacted during lockdown.

Teach mindfulness in all schools. And post-16 colleges too. So that young folk can understand their emotions better.

There’s lots of benefits. Reducing depression and anxiety for a start. It also boosts concentration and improves relationships.

Furthermore, it improves empathy through focused self-awareness. Empathy is essential for human survival and social interaction. So it would be good for those whose empathy is impaired.

We’d be doing society a favour. The world needs more empathy right now.

Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not.
 

Not sure that is actually a real thing that can (or should be) taught.

However, music is a real thing that can (and should be) taught, more and better.

Just the other day a young lady finger-picked her way through Waterloo Sunset and then reflected that all children of school age should be issued with a musical instrument e.g. a guitar (or a uke for the younger children) which they keep for life, and all receive lessons (on line maybe). As she said herself it is good for relaxing and just enjoying for the fun of it - and so we insist she must never take an exam in music. Even greater fun and joy when like minded souls then hook up through the music. Music connects people. It was during lockdown that I bought her first guitar to keep her young mind occupied - she enjoyed lockdown. She now has three guitars and is after a keyboard.

Often thought that myself. I think music teaching in schools is now woeful (and it was terrible decades ago) and a society without music is heading into a dark place, losing coherence and confidence as it falls deeper.

Make sure the instruments are made here in the UK and then any political party out there has got themselves an easy win popular policy.

I mused that along with the musical instrument a copy of Shakespeare’s sonnets would compliment the issue.

Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears; and sometime voices,
That, if I then had waked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming,
The clouds methought would open, and show riches
Ready to drop upon me; that, when I waked,
I cried to dream again.*

Kind Regards,
Rimmer.

* Yeah, I know. It’s not a sonnet but will suffice for illustrative purposes.