Bressie now the voice of mental health in Ireland?

CorkFenian

mynameis905 wrote: »

I did CBT for about 18 months a few years ago.



Not really, no. You'll hear people talking about Ireland having a dysfunctional relationship with alcohol but the statistics just don't back it up. Same goes for suicide. There is no epidemic, save for the hysteria and nonsense that one finds in some areas of the media.



I can't see how it would be more expensive. Even if that were the case, CBT can also be delivered by computer without the need for a psychologist.



I've never attended a mindfulness session nor had a bad experience with it.



People using anti-depressants won't reach their full potential? What about asthmatics on inhalers? Diabetics on insulin? Are they also not reaching their 'full potential'? I don't think you really understand what is to have depression.



No and yes.



More nonsense. What exactly do you have to back this up besides your own anecdotal experiences?

I disagree with you regarding most of what you have said. What do asthmatics and diabetics have to do with anything? Completely different and an area I never broached. I said people suffering from depression won't reach their full potential just with medication alone.

Regarding drinking and suicide rates I think you would be in the minority saying that its not a problem....

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/suicide-rate-by-girls-here-is-highest-in-the-eu-34147972.html

CBT for the classroom. Its a possibility but mindfulness is a good thing to try first to get a baseline and its easier to do it....(You won't need a psychologist)

As I said no one has a patent on depression...But believe me I do understand depression...Unfortunately a lot of stories I read on the topic are all facilitatory and facilitating someone with depression is no good for them.

All i have is my own first hand experience, like any other profession, there are good and bad psychologists. Its my opinion from nearly 70 counselling sessions. How many have you been to? The struggle is done by the patient , theres only so much even the best health professional can do for you and I believe the standards aren't great...If you have a different experience to that thats fine.....All I have is my opinion from first hand experience.

So a guy who was a singer starts publicly speaking about mental health and people are giving out about him.

Some people are just miserable naysayers to everything. I never heard of this guy until last week but when he spoke on Drivetime he was very eloquent, articulate and impassioned. It was refreshing to hear his message.

There are enough wafflers getting paid for talking jejune raiméis - journalists, politicians and "inservice training" facilitators usually - that, even if I were to be cynical, I'd have no problem if he made a few shillings from highlighting mental health issues because there are far too many people in our society stigmatised by the ignorance and prejudice.

A "normal" society has many people with mental illnesses. There is no point in locking them away or pretending they don't exist, just as we have done with other "problem people" in our society's history. Positive mental health should be as promoted as positive physical health.

[Deleted User]

[Deleted User] wrote: »

So we agree that the suggestion that "mindfulness should be taught to kids to deal with suicide" is pretty staggering, bearing in mind he did not suggest one other subject. As you say, used with proper therapy it can ease pressure...which I would accept, and put it with the "thousands of things that can relieve pressure but should not be taught, like the benefit of prayer, laughter, a long walk, a good book etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc."

For some people practising mindfulness is enough to bring about calm and regain a sense of equilibrium. Myself for example would use it and I find it hugely beneficial. For those who have a diagnosed mental illness mindfulness will act as a support. I have yet to come across a person who was experiencing say PTSD or major depression who came out the other side through using mindfulness alone. Instead it was a tool which helped them on the way to recovery.

I do believe in it being taught to children in school as a useful skill which can help them. I don't believe it is a cure or fix for all of life's ills. I also agree that it doesn't suit everyone. In the same way as CBT doesn't work for everyone or psychoanalysis or whatever. There is no one size fits all when it comes to mental health.

More anxiety and breakdowns, this time from his girlfriend who tells of her obsession with fitness.

I learned a new word today, it's "hangry".

http://rsvpmagazine.ie/roz-purcell-reveals-she-was-scared-to-tell-bressie-about-her-fitness-obsession/

Wibbs

Deleted User wrote: »

More anxiety and breakdowns, this time from his girlfriend who tells of her obsession with fitness.

Is she a couple of cans short of a six pack or am I missing something? She's what, mid 20's and says things like;

“I was 21 at the time, and I thought he’d think I was weird. I mean, now everyone’s training four days a week and drinking green juices, but none of that was in back then.”

Eh that was four years ago, that has been "in" for well over a decade(that stuff was monster during the Celtic tiger. If anything gym membership has dropped). Then we have;

“Back then, there was no outlet for informing yourself about nutrition, there were no blogs or Instagram or anything like that".


Now bear in mind folks "back then" isn't the 1950's or anything it's 2010 and in 2010 there were no outlets for nutrition? No blogs? Jesus, not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer. "Hangry" *facepalm*.

As for Bressie promoting mental health awareness I say if it helps people fair play, though at this stage outside of the various forms of cancer I can't actually think of an illness that is less promoted than mental illness.

Shurimgreat

mickstupp wrote: »

Well if you're going to pretend to be fair about things... when you're asking about his medication, his difficulties, the severity of his symptoms etc. could you tell me exactly what relevance any of that has to him trying to raise awareness and help people?

Hint: None of it has any relevance at all.

And what's more, no-one knows what it's like in another person's head. To be fair.

The relevance is he is not an expert on mental illness. And in those circumstances, the danger is he does more harm than good. Mental illness is a complex area, with a wide array of different illnesses, ranging from the mild to the very severe.

To me he sounds like an "expert" on panic attacks. Unless he is medically qualified in psychiatry, etc or went through a severe mental illness, he's not really in a position to represent himself as an ambassador for all mental illness.

His "mental illness" was mild in comparison to others. I wouldn't even call panic attacks a mental illness, more a case of short term social anxiety, or nerves of the type experienced by everyone on occasion in life.

Again, I have yet to hear if he was hospitalised for it.

mynameis905

Shurimgreat wrote: »

The relevance is he is not an expert on mental illness. And in those circumstances, the danger is he does more harm than good. Mental illness is a complex area, with a wide array of different illnesses, ranging from the mild to the very severe.

To me he sounds like an "expert" on panic attacks. Unless he is medically qualified in psychiatry, etc or went through a severe mental illness, he's not really in a position to represent himself as an ambassador for all mental illness.

His "mental illness" was mild in comparison to others. I wouldn't even call panic attacks a mental illness, more a case of short term social anxiety, or nerves of the type experienced by everyone on occasion in life.

Again, I have yet to hear if he was hospitalised for it.

So Bressie does more harm than good, but it's ok for you to come out with nonsense about panic attacks not being a mental illness?

Shurimgreat

Shurimgreat wrote: »

His "mental illness" was mild in comparison to others. I wouldn't even call panic attacks a mental illness, more a case of short term social anxiety, or nerves of the type experienced by everyone on occasion in life.

Let me assure you that panic attacks are an extremely debilitating experience. They are not something that is experienced by everyone. And as for "short term social anxiety"? I'm not sure such a thing exists. Sure people can go through rough patches but social anxiety is a very real condition which doesn't leave overnight.

Richard Hillman

Deleted User wrote: »

More anxiety and breakdowns, this time from his girlfriend who tells of her obsession with fitness.

I learned a new word today, it's "hangry".

http://rsvpmagazine.ie/roz-purcell-reveals-she-was-scared-to-tell-bressie-about-her-fitness-obsession/

She was 21 at the time and afraid to tell him that she worked out a lot and was "eating clean" (Bizarre enough)

She is currently 25 and born in 1990. She has been with Niall Breslin since 2013. The maths do not add up.

bigpink

Richard Hillman wrote: »

She was 21 at the time and afraid to tell him that she worked out a lot and was "eating clean" (Bizarre enough)

She is currently 25 and born in 1990. She has been with Niall Breslin since 2013. The maths do not add up.

She is a guru now shur

mynameis905

bigpink wrote: »

She is a guru airhead now shur

Fixed that

NIMAN

Although its great that mental health issues are being brought more into the public domain, I can see where some people are coming from in saying that its good for careers/business.

Bressie seems to be everywhere at present.

NIMAN

Although its great that mental health issues are being brought more into the public domain, I can see where some people are coming from in saying that its good for careers/business.

Bressie seems to be everywhere at present.

bigpink

mynameis905 wrote: »

Fixed that

Smart enough to be getting all the business and coverage i guess

mickstupp

NIMAN wrote: »

I can see where some people are coming from in saying that its good for careers/business.
Bressie seems to be everywhere at present.

Which is irrelevant to him trying to raise awareness. His motivation is irrelevant, the important thing is the raising awareness, but people in this thread are intent on tearing him down no matter what. What that does is tell vulnerable people that if they open up like he's doing, they won't be taken seriously either, their motives will be questioned too. So they won't open up or reach out. Basically, in my view, the incessant negativity does far more harm than Bressie does by trying to raise awareness.

Shurimgreat wrote: »

The relevance is he is not an expert on mental illness. And in those circumstances, the danger is he does more harm than good. Mental illness is a complex area, with a wide array of different illnesses, ranging from the mild to the very severe.

You say that last sentence almost as if you care. It's actually not relevant at all whether he's an expert or not. What he's trying to do is raise awareness. There's no medical advice being given, he's not prescribing drugs. There is literally nothing wrong in any way with trying to raise awareness. But you're questioning his motives. You're questioning his experiences. Your negativity is questioning his sincerity.

None of that is relevant to the message he's trying to get out.

Or would you say that all those people who raise money, and awareness, for charities like Aware and Pieta House are also potentially doing more harm than good? Since they're not qualified? Surely then everyone who tries to raise money for any charity is doing more harm than good. Your point is ludicrous. It's not even a point.

Shurimgreat wrote: »

His "mental illness" was mild in comparison to others. I wouldn't even call panic attacks a mental illness, more a case of short term social anxiety, or nerves of the type experienced by everyone on occasion in life.

Despite the fact that you haven't a clue what you're talking about, you're still being entirely irrelevant. None of that, even if true, has any bearing on his trying to raise awareness. Zero.

Shurimgreat wrote: »

Again, I have yet to hear if he was hospitalised for it.

Again. Irrelevant. Because say he was. If he was... and if he deigned to share his medical records with you, you would, without any doubt in my mind whatsoever, find some other reason to bitch about him. As would all the other people on this thread who seem to believe, utterly irrationally, that their complaints are somehow relevant to a person raising awareness about a society-wide problem.

I have no idea why people are intent on being negative about a wholly positive message.

4976340

If you read the Corkfenian post he says that people who SOLEY use medication to treat mental illness will not reach their full potential. I think he is correctly suggesting that there are other coping mechanisms and treatments that can be used to enhance mental health and not that someone with mental health issues will never reach their full potential.

Parchment

Deleted User wrote: »

He unequivocally stated in 2013 that he did not have depression.

He could not have been much clearer.

I think the quote was "I do not have depression".

Pointing that out doesn't suggest that someone has access to his records, they are repeating what he himself has put on the record.

I think access to his medical records would be interesting, to see why the diagnosis has changed since then. Because he was so certain about it then when denying he had it. Of course, it may not be right to blame him, maybe his condition was not detected then.

You do realise depression never really goes away you just learn to deal with it and cope as best you can.

He may have not been medically depressed anymore but the proclivity is always there.

I suffered from huge mental health issues for many years and now i dont tick any of the boxes from my disorder (anorexia nervosa) but i always have to be wary not to fall into old habits. The wolf is always at the door.

Even if Bressie isnt clinical depressed anymore - he has a valid story to tell. I would consider myself far more qualified than most to talk about anorexia as i have been there and unfortunately bought the t-shirt. He is raising awareness - so what if he makes some money from it , anything to have people with mental illness not seen as the raving lunatic/creepy freak anymore is good in my books.