At long last! A medical writer who is prepared to admit and face up to the real situation! So called 'mental illness' is possibily the very best of the many social security gravy trains.

As a mental health nurse, I too see many clients who, apart from having stepped into the "culture" of "mental illness" could easily become active and productive members of working society, however I'm at a loss to supply any answers as to how we might encourage them away from welfare and into gainful employment because there are other factors working against them.

Is welfare too generous?
I now work part time and one client, who does a few hours of "volunteer" work to obtain the mobility allowance on top of the pension, actually makes a greater income some weeks, than do I in a paid position, yet this person wastes their money and their lives by sitting around a TV most days with a can in one hand and a smoke in the other. Perpetually broke, but happy in the knowledge that they cannot be thrown off the pension. Also, this person does not appear to be severely mentally ill.

Client 2. A person of middle age who openly admits faking an mental illness many years ago in order to get on the pension, getting a 'script for "meds" then flushing them down the toilet. However, as time has progressed, that same person has become ill and now relies on a continuous supply of prescribed medication for depression and sleep deprivation.

Client 3. A legally blind person who has worked in various occupations, is very talented in IT and continues to work from home in this field, but has become depressed because of social isolation. The self employment is simply a top-up to the blind pension which can never be taken away by our generous Government. This persons unit is equipped with the very latest of white goods and electrical appliances that would make the average working person swoon.

Perhaps all the above people would be better off in health and happiness should the Government remove the disability pension for all except the most profoundly disabled and return them to an active working environment

.....continued.
Perhaps Newstart may be the catalyst to shake them from their secure world of taxpayer funded "early retirement" and actually give back the dignity and balance their lives require, however there's a problem and that's society itself!
Society is not prepared to work with those conceived as being "different." Bosses are not prepared to employ these people. As my 1st client (above) often says...."We may as well have 'mad' tattooed across out foreheads." These people, having been once been introduced to the mental health system, become stuck in a rut with a stigma attached whereby society considers them second rate citizens and refuses to afford them a chance to get off the pension and rise above their lowly status.

That's the issue that's never mentioned and always thrown in the "too hard basket" by successive Governments. Governments, potential employers and society in general, are too busy in their attempts to rise to the top themselves. They wouldn't think to reach down and give the lesser person a helping hand. If you can find a way around society’s attitudes Dr. Ahmed, then you'll be halfway there to really helping these people.

No doubt one of the underlying reasons for depression comes from lack of purpose and destiny which of course is a fruit of the hopelessly flawed evolution theory. How schools can continue to teach this rubbish is astounding. Why not drug yourselves to the eyeballs and sleep with every other willing participant when all we are is an accident that happened by chance? The humanist will generally tell you this is harmless but the fruits speak for themselves!

Great article. Thanks

I have recently had my 2nd child and my GP couldn't get me onto anti-dpressants fast enough - regardless of my lack of sleep, 2 children under the age of 2, a messy house, little help, my mother having passed away... I was told it doesn't matter what the cause is, you have depression and you need these drugs. When I finally got some sleep ALL was better. All I really needed was a little in-home help. I have changed GPs now.

Thanks for highlighting this desire to remove effects from causes. It makes me feel better about deciding against being medicated and avoiding the debilitating side effects.

Runner,

More evil has been committed by true believers than any other group in history.

Paedophile priests, Cults, The Inquisition, The crusades, innumerable other wars over religion, persecution of non believers etc.

How about the pope telling Africans dying of aids not to wear condoms. Hows that for divorcing yourself from the consequences of your actions?