The forum discussion on this topic has been interesting although in the most part reactive to Deane's initial opinion. I sit on a Board for a small, community based youth service and would like to add my view to the discussion.This service , which amongst other things provides non clinical support , resources and services to young people at risk of or currently suffering from a mental illness 12 - 24yrs of age.This service addresses the mental health issues as a result of emotional , physical and psychological responses , drug induced , trauma induced and chemical imbalance in the young people 12 - 24yrs which it assists. It also advocates for people who need to access the appropriate services who are "not coping" or "refusing to cope" with issues they or someone else has made that are negatively affecting them , their family and the wider community as a result.
While I do not propose specialist knowledge I am intimately aware on both a personal and professional level of mental health issues [ we all have a mental health by the way ] and it is my view that there is no progress in oversimplifying this issue as suggested by some via the forum with a few of the comments or "attitudes" portrayed.
I think the point has been missed - the very fact that such robust discussion and debate on this topic has taken place supports the fact that we are more open on mental health issues.... that has got to be a good thing !
Without awareness and education on this topic, which will ultimately remove the stigma often attached to people suffering from a mental illness , we fail the people least able to represent themselves and the people who care for them.
At the end of the day it is a cry for help and shame on us if we have lost the compassion to answer that call from others who take the step to reach out.

Ok - I guess I sound a little heartless but what is a cry for help if not whining..? Especially (as seems to be so often the case with these so called 'depressed' people) if it is not accompanied by a willingness or even motivation to help yourself?

There's too much to lose by getting better!

I think it's a great thing that we are more open to talking about mental health - it's just that there seems to be little effort to actually understand behavior, just boost medication sales.

Opinion usually comes from individual experience and I guess I've seen too many people use their 'depression' as a reason to avoid work / put others down to make themselves feel good / behave badly / have an entitlement mentality (please pick one or more). Unfortunately, it works just fine for them most of the time.

It just seems like we're a world full of permissive (read:ineffectual) parents, and the 'depressed' (including ADHD etc) are the adult equivalent of bratty children you just want to shake.

Aw Col, are you feelings hurt ? Being told to shut up has obviously hit a very raw nerve - you can't seem to stop mentioning it.

I'm not sure what a "lublic forum" is, and I don't know what on earth Mark Latham has to do with anything - but given your emotive and irrational response, I'm guessing that you get told to shut up a lot in life.

Get over it.

That was a silly article. Every generation thinks they live in different and stressful times.

A couple bombs go off in a far away land and everyone's scared. Not feeling good about something, you are a victim... here, take this script and go buy a bottle of pills. There, that's better (until your tolerance means you gotta keep upping the dose and thus guaranteeing perpetual victimhood).

Hate to see how this generation would have coped with wars, atrocities, social distruction about 70 yrs ago. 1930s-40s Germany was very stressful. Created a lot of victims too. Stalin exterminated 20 million. Mao slaughtered 10s of millions. Those centralised socialist states did a great job of equality, a great job of raising peoples living standards, a great job of paying people fair wages, a great job of keeping the grocery store shelves stocked... all-in-all putting to shame the quasi capitalist/social welfare mix that dominates western industrial nations.

Naval gazing is truely a symptom of very high living standards. Hey... stop whinnig... my belly button has got more fluff in it than yours. What have you got to complain about.

Sheesh, this complaining is making me stressed. Oh, lm so annoyed at being made to feel stressed. lm a victim... waaaah, boooo hoooo, sob, sniff, waaah.

Yeah right... the more things change the more they stay the same.

trade 215
The forum itself is a form of therapy - we are in a a free society so we speak freely
You can go online , talk without ever being challenged as you remain anonymous and self diagnose while standing in judgement of others............ you have missed the point.

Viki,

well der fred.

How obvious. l too know how to yell into the void.

A few things l relish about this forum are... statements of the obvious, tendency to denigrate into ad hominen attacks when logical arguement escapes a person and (my favourite) how people will actually prove the contrary of their position if they spend enuff time argueing with themselves (l think your post is a good example of that).

We all do it and are great at pretending otherwise. Priceless.

Oh was there a point? Um, ah, golly, gee wiz, l fink dat l missed it. Guess l will just have to wait about in my simple mided oblivion and wait for a more observant mind to identify it and tell me wot it is.

Anyway, thanks for interpreting my post and telling me wot l am really doing and wot l really mean.