Breakdown of mind

When someone commits an act of terrorism or extreme violence, including murder we see them as extremists but also recognise often in the psyche of these people there is an element of mental illness.
Mental health or mental ill health is an issue for so many humans in Britain today. It encompasses anything from low mood, to full on depression, bi-polar to PTSD, personality disorders, psychosis to sociopath.
Now sociopaths cannot generally be treated by meds or counselling, their beliefs that they are right and society is wrong mean you are unlikely to ever change their presentation. But for most people suffering and existing with mental health conditions/challenges there are effective supports and treatments that if available can make the difference between existing and living, or even dying and living. They can indicate and prevent radicalisation, prevent suicide as well as lowering the risks of injury or death to others.
There will always be some folk that slip through the net and go on to harm themselves or others and that will never be completely eradicated whilst we are able to think for ourselves, however if the services are there, are funded and staffed by trained professional people, they can make a huge difference.
If people can access services and the entitlements (not a benefit because we bloody pay into a system to be given protection from poverty should we need it) they/we deserve then things can be improved to such a degree that ‘incidents’ of mental health related violence or self harm are reduced and become a rarity.
Sadly this government, the Conservative Party government, and the previous Conservative & Lib Dem government have cut funding, slashed services, not recruited staff to even cover natural levels of loss.
Children’s mental health is on its knees, adult now in reality is non existent. I myself had to wait 3 months to be assessed for services due to my continually battling depression and anxiety due to the decline in my physical health, I was and still often am suicidal, to the point I sit with insulin in my hands trying to stop myself from taking it all at once.
After the assessment I was left out in the cold, basically told to increase and keep taking the pills. It hasn’t helped.
Whilst dealing with my own depression I have also been trying to sort out family who also are under great strain, who have depression themselves and one family member very close to me who I am certain has an eating disorder, a likely personality disorder, who is violent, aggressive but also killing himself with deliberate neglect.
I and my family have tried to get him support, tried to give his GP’s information, tried to work with ambulance, police, hospital and mental health liaison to be told they will not assess his mental health.
The problems being one the mental health and capacity legislation is badly written and sadly is being misrepresented to gate-keep to cover the failing services, and the fact if he is diagnosed they suddenly have a duty of care that currently they can ignore.
My family member is 35 and unless he getd the appropriate health he will soon be dead. It is that stark. His physical health is beyond dangerous but everytime we get him into hospital he causes issues on the ward, a doctor comes along and to protect their staff they despite his aggression, his inability to communicate, to understand, assess him as having capacity, so he signs himself out and gets some idiot mate to pick him up and take him back to the squalor he calls home.
This week a previous Facebook friend committed suicide, she had been crying out for help for years but again was ignored. Other friends are in crisis but being ignored.
This is the reality. This is our lives and maybe at some point yours or your children’s lives at risk. If nothing changes now, and I mean immediately then more people will die. A lot more.
Do not let the lie of Austerity continue. Do not allow this or any government to cause death by deliberate and cruel policy or legislation. This has to stop.
This is not meant to be a party political broadcast, but sadly must become one.
On the 12th of this month if you vote anything but Labour you will be colluding with this cruel inadequate service and system that no longer is fit for purpose.
This is not a condemnation of mental health practitioners, for those who have the morality to try to work in this broken society I have nothing but respect, but is a condemnation fully of the administration and governance that has allowed this to happen.

Jonesy

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