It is early morning between Christmas and the New Year. I have just returned from an earlier - and freezing bike ride. It always feels like such a positive thing to do. On my return and against my best advice I tuned into Radio 5 Live and listened to a phone in focusing on the new wave of covid, its effect on the NHS and the people working in it and life in general at this covid time.
There were some good calls - objective, considered - real. Undoubtedly many people are having a draining experience. Many have and continue to give so much. Many are worthy of praise. Certainly some things could have been better prepared or done differently. (although I have to say hindsight is a wonderful thing).
However one theme - one phrase reoccurred time and again - like a pandemic in itself. "mental health". It is beginning to sound like mass hysteria. It is beginning to sound like you must reference "mental health" as a matter of course - to be cool - to be on message - to be politically correct. It is doing our nation no favours - it is doing many individuals no favours - it is a negative development - it is potentially destructive.
It is true of course, as I have acknowledged, that many people are struggling at the present time. Covid is creating or exacerbating problems both in personal, domestic and business life. Covid restrictions are hard to live with - financial pressures are real - jobs have been lost - lives have been lost. Things are indeed could be gloomy in many ways. Things - circumstances - could easily be described as depressing. It is little suprise many people are downbeat - even depressed - certainly stressed.
However my point is this is life if you let it. Life will rarely be straightforward. There will always be potential ups and downs - stresses - periods of unhappiness - challenges. In many ways this is normal - to coin a horrible phrase "shit happens".
So if this is normal (or at least not as abnormal as some profess) how best do we deal with these challenges?
In my life's experience that very often the worst thing you can do in these circumstances is to indulge weakness - to encourage and support negative thinking - to foster a victim mentality - to give an impression someone else can solve your problems. It is no good trying to motivate a marathon runner by saying poor thing - never mind - you are feeling tired ! What is needed is a positive mental attitude. My mantra when I set out to do something hard - challenging - is "the only thing that keeps you going is deciding not to stop". (If you give yourself an excuse to stop means you will stop.) Right from the beginning of the covid lockdown it was obvious it was going to be a challenge to get through it. As a family we agreed we would somehow make it an opportunity and turn it into a positive experience.
So the opposite could be true and I feel it is. Life can be a battle - stress to a degree is normal - setbacks are to be expected. It is up to us as individuals to accept personal responsibility - it is for us as individuals to battle through - to think positive - to keep going - to strive. The wonderful thing is that by emphasising and adopting this attitude self esteem builds - negativity becomes positivity and the whole thing becomes sustainable and fulfilling.
I think it is a very big mistake both for our nation collectively and for our individual citizens - to in effect be led - pressured into the type of thinking that it is the governments responsibility to ensure we are happy - to solve our problems for us. For some years now there has been a burgeoning industry developing in the UK - mental health advisers and councellors. Their vested interest is to promote their importance and how essential it is the tax payer invests in them and (most have only done short term courses.) They thrive / feast on us "sharing" our mental health norms ! They genuinely believe they are helping. It is manna heaven for the needy - for the victim.
It is old fashioned to talk about a wartime spirit - a stiff upper lip - but actually that is what is needed to get us through this - to get through modern life. We are fast heading to a reverse position where it is a badge of honour to be banging on about your mental health. (Almost to celebrate mental health issues as normal and expected!)
Can I just say I am not stupid enough not to know that there are people with accute mental health issues - clinical depression, bipolar disorders etc. Of course these people need specialist help and I fully support NHS provision in these areas. These are real mental health issues and should not be stigmatised in any way.
But this is not a catch all. Mental health issues is being extended in some peoples terms to feeling not a lot more than "cheesed off". Pandering to - indulging in - this sort of negativity is a big mistake in my opinion and will not achieve its well meaning objectives - but have the opposite effect and will be a waste of valuable national resources.
I have previously posted two other blogs on Mental Health issues and a similar theme :-
October 2014 David Shoulder - Isle of Wight: #MentalHealth and the NHS (davidshoulder60onwards.blogspot.com)
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