Conrad I came across this little piece while cleaning out hundreds of similar pieces and immediately thought of you. This is [so it said] was written by Michael Leunig.

Each year my mirror seems much older
Somewhat duller and a fraction colder
The glass which always gleamed and twinkled
Now appears all scratched and wrinkled
Appears more blotchy, tired and droopy
Confused and haggard,tired and loopy
Sadder, slower,grimmer, glummer
I think that I've been sold a bummer.

There now, feeling better?

Mr Duck – my hat is off to you.

You first paragraph hit every point I could think of regarding what is occurring in this world that is driving most people to depression – or to rail against it in various anti-social or intolerant ways.

I would find it funny that the ones who criticise and outright vilify those of ‘other’ kinds behave so for generally the same root causes as those they attack…. but I am too depressed too….

Well, time for a rerun of the Goodies... perhaps that will fix it!

I have a brief story to tell. It’s of a work colleague who became a good friend.

“George” joined my workplace about 1991. He was intelligent, chirpy, and happily married. I was a guest in his home on many cheerful occasions. He was well-liked, and became active in workplace union affairs.

But George had a history, unknown to his colleagues. He had a form of bipolar disease, and at long intervals (years) this would come upon him. It was, of course, the stigma attaching to mental illness which led him to keep his history quiet. As far I knew, George was as “sane” as the next person.

Therefore I was shocked when, having known him for three or four years, over the space of just a few days he succumbed to his illness. I stuck by him, as did other friends, despite increasingly bizarre, even hurtful, behaviour. Eventually he was involuntarily confined in the psychiatric ward at the local hospital. They brought him “down”, but not back to health. He was released, but fell into a deep depression. Contemplating the hurtful, foolish (and expensive) things he had done, he feared that, even if he rebuilt his life, his illness would recur and all would be ruined again.

He was again hospitalised, this time voluntarily, and after a time released. He was certified fit to return to work, but it was clear to friends and colleagues there that he was far from fit. His depression at this time was truly terrible.

One Monday he didn’t come to work. Then the phone call came: he had stayed home, waited till everyone else had left, and committed suicide.

So my questions to the experts and pundits. Why did my friend die? He had a life-threatening illness just as surely as if it was heart disease, but was released from hospital anyway. What sort of a system is that that allows people like George, who if properly treated could be alive today, to fall by the wayside? He was thrown away, and it killed him.

Would somebody please explain this to me?

Part of the problem was de-institutionalising mental health. I am not advocating a return to the mental asylum culture, but there needs to be dedicated facilities - not hospitals and not jails - which deal with mentally ill.

And this case Mhoram was a case of depression caused by bi-polar, it is not the same depression as one in four teenagers who feel they are not happy.

Focussing on sadness or unhappiness, as opposed to genuine mental illness, takes money and focus from people with real mental illness.

t.u.s.

I wish some one would tell teenagers that ALL the weird, whacky gamut of emotions they are undergoing are perfectly natural and are part of the growing up process. One day they can be naturally as high as a kite and the next day, totally down in the pits.
If they understood that this is mostly caused by hormones, is natural and will settle in due time, they may accept it all as part of life.
I just wish it had been explained to me many years ago.