Written by
Additional Posts
Next week, October 4 - 10, is Mental Illness Awareness Week. In 1990, the United States Congress established the first week of October as "Mental Illness Awareness Week" (MIAW) in recognition of the efforts of the National Alliance on Mental Illness's (NAMI) to raise mental illness awareness. Si...
That made v interesting but frightening reading. The rate here in Ireland is high too and Depression is on the increase in young people and children. The Figures for Europe arent that different. We have an AWARE week here, AWARE being a health initiative fronted by top psychiatrists with books, helplines etc. However, with all the education and Books and talks and T.V. programme slots; there is still a dreadful Stigma here about having any type of Mental Disorder. In partticular Bipolar/Schitzophenia and there is still a perception, amongst even well educated people, that Depression is a weakness, an inability to deal with what life throws at you !
I have never spoken about it at interviews [thats in good old days when I was able to work and get work]. If you filled in Depression or Agoraphobia/soc.Phobia you automatically would never hear from the Company again. Large Govt. Institutions being the only places that would. Ironically, its ok to put down 'Recovering Alcoholic' and this somehow [another sign of distress etc] is politically OK to day, but any Mental disorder isnt.. unofficially of course.
Dear Teri, Sorry I dont have the exact stats. on Ireland and Europe. 'Know its pretty high. Do you have them ? it would be interesting to see. If seems that the more industrialised and finanicially and technologically to the forefront we become, the more Depression we suffer. I could be wrong. Rose