Sunday, October 27, 2013

open letter to Shinzo Abe Prime Minister of Japan,

open letter to the leaders of Japan .

 I address this open letter to Shinzo Abe Prime Minister of Japan,

Mr Shinzo, my name is June MacKendrick, I am a UK citizen, Scottish by birth location ,& citizen of earth by destiny.
I am not a politician, or even a person with a job, I am just someone who is greatly saddened & overwhelmed by the tragedy that befell your nation as a result of the Fukushima Diahtsu disaster.

I write this letter to you as a result of my overwhelming sadness & concern for the plight of the people of Japan & indeed the rest of the world resulting from the Fukushima Diatsu  nuclear power station meltdown.

I understand the very grave situation you have there, the risks & dangers to workers trying to deal with the on going crisis & the greater risks & dangers involved resulting from the many unfortunate circumstances including weather issues and the effects of these issues on dealing with the Fukushima nuclear crisis.

I am not a scientist, but I have researched and fully understand the issues involved.
I am however, I believe, a humanitarian in how I try to conduct myself towards others & the planet.

I have cried myself to sleep on many nights since 11th March 2011, thinking about the children of Japan & the implications of such a crisis on their futures their health & well being, & indeed that of their families.

I have read that Japan has only accepted assistance from France in regard of the Fukushima disaster, I don't know why that is... but I do know that this is a big world , and that there are many very educated good scientists in the field of nuclear physics & dealing with issues such as you are having to deal with now at Fukushima, from across the globe, I also know there are health experts who specialize in the field of radiation exposure, short and long term, & other health related health issues, experts from around the world who would happily offer advice and help at this time of great concern for you and your fellow Japanese citizens at this very critical time in dealing with the leaks from Fukushima.

Additionally , I believe there are people from other feilds related to ecological  & other related issues of dealing with a crisis  such as you are facing now who would like to help you and the people of Japan, not because of political gains but because such a disaster, such a crisis, is a humanitarian crisis, as the problems of the radiation leak into the air ocean and earth is of concern for the whole world, our planet.

Therefore I write this open letter to ask you  please, as one human being to another, to please allow an independent international multidisciplinary task force to be deployed to help the people of Japan at this time to deal with this humanitarian crisis at Fukushima, for are we not all brothers & sisters of the earth we share, and is it not the human thing for us as fellow human beings to help each other at time of crisis.

I ask you to put politics, and indeed corporate interests aside at this time of great anguish & crisis for the people of Japan & indeed the world, please, Mr Shinzo Abe, accept the offers to help of the people of the world who have the knowledge & know how who can help with the problems at Fukushima & at very least we can minimalise the related problems & issues with this humanitarian crisis, for the sake of the children of Japan & the children of the world, for it is their future that is in your hands.

thank you,
yours sincerely,

June MacKendrick.




Thursday, October 17, 2013

Desperatly seeking justice...

    Today I made a plea on twitter, the plea was to Anonymous to help me in my fight for justice which I have desperately seeking since 2008.
    My plea came out of desperation, I have tried everything, I have gone through all the correct channels I know of in regard of my case, I have even written to two UK Prime Ministers, other MP's, the BBC, many mainstream media out lets, ombudsman, & Liberty, the IPPC, & the European court of Human rights  asking for advice and help,and a fair hearing & trial. But I am getting ahead of myself so I will go through my story now, from when it began & how it began, with as much detail as I can remember without getting out the boxes of documented evidance,that I can cite in a court of law to support my allegations.
    Here I will present just the timeline of events & facts.
     
    In September 2006 I enrolled at the TCAT campus of Wolverhampton university to study for a foundation degree in health & socail welfare & social policy. After an interview I was accepted onto the course as a mature student & made the applications for student loans , grands & funding.
    I contacted my Social Landlord & Telford & Wrekin Housing trust & informed them of my change in circumstances.I informed my housing officer that I was not sure how much housing benefit I was going to be entitled to but that I knew I would have to pay a percentage but I wasn't sure how much.
    I contacted the benefits office & told them of my change in circumstances, & I contacted my sons schools & informed them as my sons would no longer be entitled to free school meals.
     
    I was informed by Jill Nicolls my housing officer at the housing trust, that there may be some delays the benefits office making any adjustments in them sorting what i'd have to pay towards my rent but not to worry and deficit or whatever could be adjusted later when my student funding came though.
     I had know Ms Nicolls for a long time I had lived in the house since 2001, even before Jill worked at that office, but she had dealt with my case since about 2002/3 and had been aware of my previous changes in circumstances and indeed a great deal about my domestic circumstances and the various changes they'd gone through regarding relationship changes, daughter leaving home, work, all the usual that you have to inform these offices off each time your circumstances change.
    Indeed she also knew some of the circumstances of my private life and mental health conditions related to depression & anorexia, and that my home was very important to me as a mother of three with no extended family in the area or support system, I had told her on several occassions through the years that if & when I had a decent job that would like to buy the house, indeed I had moved in when the right to buy existed and as a long term tenant still had that right under the old terms, I would have occupancy discount options that would make it a very favorable option, if I left that house I would of course loose those options as they don't carry over.
    This may seem like irrelevant info but the reasons I include it I hope will become apparent later.
     
    In or around February 2007 I received notification from the benefits office telling me I was being investigated for defrauding the benefits system as I had been claiming housing benefit I was not entitled to
    I was called into the councils offices and interrogated by two housing officers who said I was making fraudulent claims on my benefits, I told them they were wrong I was told by both advisers at the university and the housing officer I would be entitled to some help with my rent,although not all, and explained I had been waiting on being informed by the housing department of any difference that had to be paid, in short I explained what Jill Nicolls told me, they did not believe me and I left the council offices in tears and went straight to a solicitor and sought advice.
    After the solicitor had contacted them I received a letter saying I was no longer under investigation , they dropped the allegations of fraud but that I would have to pay full rent which was £380 a month & council tax, when in fact I had been informed as a full time student I was except from council tax.
     
    I contacted Jill Nicolls who said she'd look into it, who then put me on to someone called Brenda who was the benefits rep for the council & after requesting all my financial details regarding funding and indeed my banking records they both insisted I was not entitled to a reproduction in my rent & would have to pay full rent.
    I insisted they were wrong, because I had made inquiries both before signing up for my FDA, and since at the university & with other students with similar and indeed some with better financial circumstances than me who all agreed I was entitled to a percentage of housing benefit.
    On top of these issues I also received notification that my eldest son would not be entitled to his EMA for collage as my income was to high, ( it later turned out that the LEA, the same one that dealt with my funding and my sons appeared to have it down that my income was in excess of £94thousand pound, despite this being the same local authority who I had been getting free school meals from while on benefits directly before going to university and who were dealing with my student grants and funding.
    I agreed to pay the full rent as I had been told but continued to insist that an error had been made and that they should keep checking as I knew I was entitled to some housing benefit & council tax , but they kept saying no and threatening me with eviction each time my rent was late.
    I asked if it would be possible to make an arrangement that gave me some scope with my payments to work round when my funding went into my account which was quarterly and even offered to pay my rent upfront when my grants & loans were paid but was told I ws not allowed to do that. Additionally I was told that they had to take me to court each time it was late as it was policy even though they knew it was paid as soon as my payments reached my account.
    I continued to try to explain that I had expected to pay about £100 pound a month on my calculations before going to university and had worked my finances around this, & that I was now paying 3times more than I believed I should be so it was very difficult as it was almost a £300 deficit per month to my expected budget on the figure I believed I should be paying , this affected everything else, I was £300 a month down on my income , but they wouldn't work round the couple of weeks towards the weeks my grans and loans were due  help me out and took me to court about ever 3 months which meant I insured about £200 court cost which was added to my rent arrears bill each time. The financial distress was unbearable, and I was threatened each time I was taken to court with eviction,and I knew I had no where for me & my two sons who lived at home to go should that happen.
    Additionally I was receiving demand letters for council tax that I believed I should not be paying because I was exempt, and with these also came threats of court action telling me I could loose my home.
    I became quite ill physically, I couldn't eat because of the stress & also because of the financial stress, I had two sons to feed, & gas & electric and other bills to pay also.
     
    In 2008 when I was taken to court I read a statement to the Magistrate McDonald of Telford & Wrekin magistrates court saying I was going to challenge these issues and would take legal action against every department involved and cited various acts of law relevant to the case including the human rights act and mental health act as there was no doubt in my mind of what these abuses & bullying tactics were doing to my mental & physical health.
    The magistrate told me he felt I had grounds to take action but that he had to deal with the case in hand.
    On that July day 2008, I was there on the pretext of of rent arrears in the region of £900+ that had been paid directly to the Telford and Wrekin housing trust a few days prior to the hearing, in other world I had no rent arrears at the time I was in court, but I was made to pay court cost of £235 which was added to my housing & council tax arrears bill, and before I left the hearing room the housing officer who was in attendance handed me a bill for rent due in 2weeks advance of that day 28th July as I recall, and  told me in front of the judge if I was late they'd have me back in court and request my eviction.
    The judge told me I could leave and to find a lawyer , and asked the housing officer to remain after I had gone as he had thing to discuss with her.
    I left and tried to find legal representation , no one would take on my case.
    I wrote to the ombudsman , liberty and various other agencies seeing advice , I have copies of all communications I made. I contacted various advisory agencies, they all said they couldn't help or I was wrong. I was becoming increasingly frustrated depressed and desperate.
    I contacted various tv & media outlets, including this morning itv, bbc, Rughters, almost every uk news paper I could think of and even some American ones, I contacted Zane lowe at the BBC as I had heard he was involved with amnesty and I presumed he was a human rights activist, I contacted Gordon Brown and pleaded for help twice, after the 1st time I wrote to mr Brown it seemed like there were even more demand letters arriving thought the door everyday form places I couldn't even associate with debts I had, I was going out of my head with worry about being evicted, I was trying to hide it from the boys, and I was having menstrual bleeding that didn't stop for about 4-5 months, so I was really tired.
    I have no doubt I was behaving irrationally and this impacted on my sons behavior.
     I had what I can only describe as a break down.
    My youngest son was removed from my care , without my consent or even proper consultation or investigation.
    He went to live with his sister in scotland temporally  but returned later, I had various problems with social supervises regarding their behaviors during this period as they did not fulfill proper procedures, this I know to be fact as I previously worked in residential child care and had knowledge of child care legislation, & procedures regarding child protection issues.
     
    I was late making my registration for my BA year at university as a result and this cause various other problems with my registration and funding.
    I wrote to Brown again in November 2008.
    By this time only my youngest son was living at home and he was having various problems at school and with the police regarding minor issues related to graffiti tagging.
     
    In November 2010 I was after much inquiry proven to be correct and that Telford and Werkin Housing Trust had in fact been wrong I should have been paying £80.00 a month towards my rent as I was entitled to housing benefit of £300month and was indeed except from Council tax as a full time student.
    I was repaid some monies, i DO NOT BELIEVE i WAS PAID THE FULL ANOUNT I WAS OWED.
    I did not receive a proper formal appology, and I was denied my right to bring action against then for negligence, extortion harassment bullying & the health problems they caused me for the duration of their harassment for the rent I was made pay that I was not in fact liable to pay during my time at university from 2006-2009.
    I tried to bring legal action through Telford Magistrates court twice and was struck out I believe on false grounds.
    I have all paperwork and documentation pertaining to all of these incidents.
     
    On February 6th 2009 after an argument with my youngest son he sad he was going to Scotland for a couple of weeks to say with his sister. I didn't want him to go for various reason, like school, it had become his habit that when he wasn't getting his own way he would say he was going to his sisters, I felt that this was not good as it interfered with his education and also because it meant every time, I pissed him off he'd go up there , come back behave a couple of weeks then start playing up again , he was a teenager, that's not unusual, I felt if she kept allowing him to do this it was counter productive to me being able to enforce boundaries and deal with his behaviors that were getting out of order, I admit I wasn't coping as well with his problems that I might normally have done I was really stress with the ongoing financial & housing problems I was depressed but I felt his pissing off when ever it suited him was not the correct way to deal with it either. His brother had sent him a ticket though so there was little i could do to stop him. I was very upset, I think when I took him to the bus station I said if he went I was finished with him I couldn't cope with this, I was hoping he would give in and not go , he didn't, he got out the car and went for the bus. I drove home in tears.
    When I got home I called my daughter and said words t the effect of I had had enough, I couldn't take anymore I was gonna end up topping myself.I was very distressed.
    She called the police, they came and asked me to go for a mental health assessment to the hospital as my daughter was worried I was going to kill myself, I said I wasn't and explained to them what had happened earlier and they asked would I go for the assessment to put my daughters mind at rest , I agreed to do so. I went with the two policemen in the police car to the princess royal hospital for a mental health assessment.
    At the hospital the police checked me in then left.
    I was put on a trolly in the corridor to await a doctor.
    I was a mess I hadn't slept the night before, I hadn't washed that morning , or combed my hair, I weepy, I felt very embarrassed and self-conscious as I lay waiting on the trolly , people passing and looking at me.
    After what seemed a very long time, though it probably wasn't I informed the staff I was leaving I was fine , I was under no obligation to be there I wasn't a risk to my self or anyone else and I was going home. i left and walked the short distance home.
    When I got home I took two of my prescribed tablets for sleeping and went to bed.
    I had been having regular counseling from my doctor since the problems began, I did not take anti depressants I don't like them , I had had them in the past and they had not helped my condition , they made me lethargic , and irritable, I coped with my depression by doing yoga, meditating writing & studying for my degree, I had sleeping tablets for emergencies for when I was really exhausted & couldn't sleep and to help as relaxants for the stress in my shoulders I rarely used them, But o this occasion I just wanted to sleep I felt it would help calm me.
    I went to bed.
    At around 4pm I was awakened by someone at the door.
    I got up went downstairs and answered the door . There were two policemen there. I invited them in.
    I showed them into the living room and put the dog in the kitchen because he has a tendency to sit and stare at strangers looking to get stroked, its distracting.
    I went back to the lounge.
    The one doing the taking ,McIntosh was very confrontational from the offset ,removing a torch that was on my chair next to me from where it was , when I questioned why he said in case I used it as a weapon against them, I asked why would I do that,I had not been aggressive or given any reason for him to think I might be violent, I had no history of incident with police ever, no police record, charge or even warning against me.
    I then said for all you know its like a comfort blanket to me you had no right removing it, I had not been threatening, he said the hospital had sent them and I had to go back as I had left without being discharged . I said no I didn't I was not under any section to be there I had went volentarly and could leave the same way, he said I had to go back to sign out,I said again I didn't have to do anything , and explained I had gone in the first place to put my daughters mind at rest, I didn't need to return, he said I did, I said if they tried to force me to go back it would be kicking and screaming.
    I then explained the circumstances that had caused me to be there, why I was depressed making reference to the letter to Brown Zane lowe ect, there were papers beside me on the table regarding it all which I threw on the floor while explaining saying I wrote all these , McIntosh was continuing to be confrontational , I picked up the paper saying , they were important and put them back on the table, still trying to explain whey I was depressed. I was talking with my hand's and swearing, i swear a lot, particularly when Im wound up, McIntosh said he was going to arrest me for being threatening and abusive, I had not threatened anyone, I had refused to go back to the hospital which I was under no obligation to do, and I can use whatever language I like in my own home, McIntosh stood up and grabbed me by the arm and put my arms behind my back about to cuff me , I kicked him in the shin, with my bare feet , i had got out off bed I had no shoes on. He released me there was more talking to calm me down the other one got me a coffee and a cigarette. I was now sitting at the other side of the room on the sofa McIntosh was at my left, I called him a fascist bastard.  Gurman to my right.
    I was informed I was now being arrested for assaulting a police officer. I knew I had by kicking him, so I agreed to go with them to be charged, but said I wanted to go put out food for the dog and cats as I had never been arrested before and didn't know how long this would take, I also wanted to go put clothes on and have a pee they said I couldn't they would feed the animals, I said they didn't know where anything was, and I had to get dressed anyway,
    I stood up and went to walk toward the living room door and McIntosh grabbed me from behind turning me round and pushing me onto the sofa face down. I had the cup of coffee in 1 hand the cigarette in the other cos I was going to put the cup in the kitchen when i went to feed the animals, the cup flew out my had as did the cigarette. He was pushing my arm up my back to my shoulders twisted I was face down on the couch with his knee in my back screaming with the pain , Gurman continued to sit on the sofa watching as he was dong this I screamed at him to get hm off me he was breaking my arms.  
    Eventually my shoulder clicked and he released me, I stood up and went faint, I arm was limp hanging, They sat me down and I said I was gong to be sick I say down on the carpet still crying I couldn't move my arm, from my shoulder it was limp and painful, I don't if I lost consciousness, Next thing I remember is the paramedics being there and examining my arm my shoulder , but my elbow was really painful too , they put me in a chair and took me by ambulance, I kept saying to them he did this to me, don't leave them in my house, but they did.
    Next thing I remember was being at the hospital I was seen right away, I vaguely remember seeing someone from mental health apparently, but its vague, I remember being x-rayed cos the girl kept asking me to move my elbow and I couldnt , I kept telling her what he done, I was taken to a room with Gurman,to wait for the x-ray result, then Mcintosh came to the corridor and Gurman left the doorway where he'd been standing to go speak to him in the corridor, then he came to the room and said there was nothing wrong wth my arm and they were taking me to the station to charge me. they took me out a back door into a paddy wagon and put me in the back, every bump they went over sent pain through my arm, and every round about seemed to send my sliding off the seat and banged my arm.
    I was then put ina cell where I was left for 19 hours. I was allowed to see the doctor , who said I was fine, and gave me 2 paracitomal.
    At 3pm the next day I was introduced to the duty solicitor who said she wanted my arm photographed which it was, during the interview, someone came in and the tape was stopped the person spoke to the copper interviewing me then they started again, by now my arm was completely disfigured black and really badly swollen, I kept saying this isnt right he did this to e, i want to bring charges. they wouldn't let me . I was told I could request a copy of the tape at any time , at a later date i did I never to this day received a copy.
    I was charged and bailed pending inquiry.
    I had no coat, and was taken home by two police men who were really nice to me , one commented in the car , we'r not like that, don't judge us all the same.
    when I got home I took pictures of my arm.
    I was in shock I think for about a week maybe more...
    I cried a lot, I couldn't do anything, I couldn't sleep for the pain, but the hospital said it wasn't broke so i had no cause to doubt them, so I put up with it. My head was fucked , I couldn't understand what had happened , how it could have happened, it didn't make sense , it was a concern for welfare call , how could this happen on a concern for welfare follow up...
     
    In the weeks that followed before the bail appearance i got a letter from the lawyer,what it said was not accurate and I wrote to tell her , i got no answer , then she didn't turn up the day I was to attend the bail thing at the station, so I sacked her and sought different legal representation. When I went to the bail thing the first time i was told the date had been changed they'd informed my lawyer but not me , nor had she informed me. same second time, both times I said I wanted to make a complaint and each time I was told there was no one available at that time to take my complaint. I was til wearing a sling my arm still wasn't right.
    Eventually I went to the hospital about 6 maybe 8 week later cos things were still not right my arm was misinformed , the treage nurse actually commented on it.
    The doctor x rayed me and said he felt  my elbow had been chipped and referred me for a second opinion, which confirmed these findings. they said their was no need for surgery as it had healed itself.
    I was offered physio , I refused. I could do that myself , they had already let me down by getting the original diagnosis wrong and releasing me into police care on the 7th feb with a chipped elbow , having attended originally on a concern for mental health call, I had no fiath left in them.
    I sought legal representation. I was given a solicitor to pursue the complaint against the police the, solicitor I  asked to take action against the hospital said she would not take the case as I could not win.
     
    This was only the beginning of a very long journey...
    I will write more tomorrow, I can't write anymore about this tonight , what i'v written so far has wakened a lot of sleeping demons I have been trying to keep at rest for 4 years...
     
    TO BE CONTINUED...

Monday, October 14, 2013

Tonight as I write this blog it is with very mixed emotions, mostly unhappy ones, indeed I have left my bed where I'v been most of the day to write it.

I had a doctors appointment this morning, nothing to do with my Mental Health issues, although I suppose in retrospect, everything to do with my Mental health.

Today's appointment was in regard of recent physical health conditions that have been increasingly "coming on top".
I try very hard not to mention when I feel unwell to my daughter, or other family members,(not that I see them or hear from them by and large) as a mental health patient you tend to find that physical health problems tend to be disregarded when your a MH sufferer, often regarded as  laziness, or hypochondria, or self pity,  as a result of this, in my own case, I try to just say nothing although sometimes my mood reflects my being down, and ends up with raised voices accusations or the likes , apparently, according to my daughter I reflect these behaviors every  6weeks or so.
I dont deny she may be right, but nor do I feel I get the support I need from anywhere , and this has been the case for the last 5-6years when my problems began.

The problems began with stress resulting from the financial problems I was having with my social landlord, I won't go through it all again, its logged in my blog, how it began & how it escalated to bring me to where I am now, I cope with the stress, the trauma, triggers & flashbacks to all of that , I believe, fairly well.
Of course I get upset that I was denied justice, I don't deny that, but I don't know what more I can do about  it and I am by and large out of energy to try to find ways, though I try to stay positive, its not easy, my life has been, I feel, taken from me, my career path, my possibility of financial security, so no , its not easy, but I cope and try to move on...
sadly I can't move on, because my memory of it all won't let me, and no matter how many times my family tell me to move on and forget it, I can't, because of both the injustice in relation to the events that caused the crime of violence against my by police , with a duty of care, and all that ensued there after,
my family seem to  have no idea how its feels to live with that from then till now, they have no idea of what I went though emotionally and from the aspects of the bullying and harassment, and unjust treatment  I was subject to, and I would challenge any of them to move on had they gone thru it themselves with none, to little support, particularly from their loved ones
. Don't get me wrong I realize they may find it difficult to talk about  or hear about, but that being the case they should try living with being the person it happened to.
Anyway , I deviate, I never meant to do that...

So, todays appointment was in regard of pains I have been having in my head and other related symptoms that have given me raise for concern regarding the deterioration in my physical health lately.

I should explain I haven't been to the doctors since april, with the same problem, these pains in my neck and back of my head.
At the time I suggested to him I expected it was stress as had been previously been diagnosed for similar pains and he agreed. so I left it at that, mostly because of the way I had been treated by his colleague when I went to register as a new patient and was rushed and made to feel uncomfortable, I had mentioned to her my MH problems & related insomnia witch had been my reason to visit, I don't use meds for my MH, I manage it with alternative therapies, writing, painting ,meditation, & what not, It has to be very bad before I go to the doc for any kind of meds, as my records will reflect, so to get told to get up have a cup of tea if I cant sleep and then try again , is frankly insulting, particularly when I had explained my condition and how I cope , indeed she never even looked at my records , just rushed me out as I had reached my 10minite appointment slot.
 This is not good new patient care, and the reason I have avoided attending, as I have since then, feeling I could cope, which I have, although to be honest having some talk support might have helped here and there, but thats not to be, so thank fuck for social net works and the kindness of the odd stranger now and again to chat to and just vent...
Back to today's appointment, I made it because in recent weeks I have had an increased feeling of exhaustion, more than what I might normally have as a result of a depressive episode, I have been run down as they call it , I had a chest intention which it took me a long time to get over , and I still don't feel completely recovered from that, I have had increased pain in my shoulders neck and the back of my skull, increased headaches more frequently, I am pron to migraine, but this is not like migraine or even tension headaches because it seems to stem from the pressure I feel constantly at the back of my skull, and my left arm is weak, this I tend to ignore as since my elbow was broken by the police I get occasional discomfort in that arm when the weather is bad, but again, this recent sensation in my arm is different its more like a numbness or laziness as opposed to pain.
So I knew I should see a doctor , because hypochondriac MH patient or not, these are, I know serious physical symptoms that could indicate risk of stroke, anurisum , or even brain tumor,
Yes, I realize that that all makes me sound even more like a paronid hypochondriac, but that doesn't deflect from the fact that the symptoms are real and I am correct in my possible prognosis so is-int it the correct thing to get these things checked out, that's what you'd advise someone with these symptoms who didn't have mental health issues, which is what I had to convince myself of in order to make the appointment, so I did.

The doctor was late arriving , my appointment was for 9.15am he arrived at 9.20 and didn't call me through till just after 9.30, so I was already would up as another pacient who arrived after me told me the doc didn't start work till 9.30 so why the fuck give me an appointment for 9.15, I have the slip of paper it was writtin on I had not got the time wrong.
When I entered the room he was looking at the computer which is fine,he may have been checking my history, but when I sat down and he spoke to me , that would have been a good time to at least look at me instead of talking to the screen, which was what he did, i delayed answering him and only then did he turn to look at me, bad start...
I told him about the pains in my head, he took my blood pressure, took him three times to get a accurate reading, it was low, HE never asked f I had normally low BP, I don't , but he never asked, nor did he explain the issues related to hypo tension, , blood pressure. I guess he just presumed I would know, i didn't , not everyone would, he should not have made that presumptions & should have briefed me on some of the problems that can be related to low blood pressure.
Again he said it was probably stress since it had been going on so long, I said I wanted to rule out worse case sinareo since it had been on going so long, he told me if it was a tumor something would have happened b4 now given how long I said i'd had it, but he checked my eyes & ears and gave me an appointment referal card with the hospitals number & told me to phone the hospital & make an appointment for an x-ray,,, it might be some ostio in the neck and shoulders he said we can check it out...
I can't phone till Wednesday I got no credit on my phone and no money till I get paid , but, I never told him that, by then  his behavior, manner, tone and attitude had me so wound up I was no longer taking anything he said in, and forgot to mention the tiredness in my arm, that could indicate stroke ... nor did I ask for pain relief for the pains in my head, he never offered any though I had said how bad it was and that it was interfering with my ability to sleep... so I left, quite upset by his manner if I am honest...
when I realized at 11.45am I hadn't got anything for the pain I nipped back down its only a few doors from where i live  5 minutes, surgery time is 9.30am -12pm apparently, but when I got there at 11.50 & explained to the receptionist  I'd forgot to ask for pain relieve & he hadn't offered any she said he'd left the building & It would have to be tomorrow...
There's little I could say so I left...
& to be honest there is little I can think of to say now... about any of it...

So I shall close this now, and carry on managing and hope its not serious & that I don't have a stroke anytime soon... and that the pains in my head and neck are nothing serious
& just tell mthe arm has gone to sleep, and hope that all is well with my health after all, and my physical symproms are all just in my mind... thought i know damn well they are not... cos the pain in my head & neck & shoulders is so intense that I feel like crying... but I won't do that either ...
I will just manage it all as always ... and carry on...






Wednesday, October 9, 2013

uk social policy & the issues pertaining to Atos

I have tonight completed my Atos form prior to my next assessment, this will be my third assessment since 2005/6ish.
When I had my 1st assessment I didn't fully understand the content of what had been said about me, some of the terminology was not in my vocabulary and additionally I knew nothing about the DSM ,The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the set of rules, the criteria used for assessing mental conditions, I learned about that in 2006-2008 while studying Helth & socail welfare & socail policy at Wolverhampron university.

http://psychology.about.com/od/psychotherapy/f/faq_dsm.htm

Truth is I don't know what made ask for a copy of my assessment  to be sent to me at that time, i guess it was intuition.
When it arrived I glanced over it and put it away somewhere, it was quite some time later I went back and looked over it, I was infuriated at what had been said , and also at the fact that much of what I had answered had actually been twisted , I can categorically remember the answers I gave at the time, the position I was sitting in the desk, the room, the doctor, I remember these things and although they would be different to how I would answer them now, there is no doubt that they did not align with the assessment made.
As it happened, I was deemed unfit for work at that time, by the time the assessment had come through I had already made the decision to go to university, and made the application.

I had worked in various sectors of care previous to the depressive episode that had stopped me from working & and lead to that 1st assessment.

I have suffered from various mental health problems since I was a child, not all of them diagnosed or recorded. Although there were various health issues that were investigated from childhood that I can now recognise as being related to some of the issues & emotional traumas I experienced.
 I was, as a child deemed to have what was then called lots of nervous energy, I was excitably, also fainted in some situations as a reaction to certain things and my mum once said that a doctor had said I was super sensitive and that was why I reacted in certain ways to certain thing. These days I have no doubt many children like I was are diagnosed with adhd & shoved on Ritalin, I was fortunate, and had a busy programme of activities that I imagine heled not only give my mum a bit of space from me when I was at them but helped me channel my energy gave me interests to occupy my mind.

I have in my life been diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, clinical depression, anxiety and bipolar.
I am neither embarrassed or ashamed of this, although that has not always been the case, I readily admit that I can be very emotional but I have also learned how to wear a mask, that hides what I am feeling behind a smile or sometimes a frown or look of indifference, but indifference has never been something I have mastered , but that's not to say those who see me & don't know me can tell .
Anyway I am going off on a tangent...

I still have that 1st assessment, I keep papers of all sorts of things not always easily found , but I know where they are, I have a filing system of organized ciaos but that suits me, cos its my shit and others don't need to know where I keep my files & records, oh yes, I get paronid but that's relatively new, and to be fair its only paranoia if its proven to be unsubstantiated fears, I don't believe mine are, but I am sure that some others would disagree, of course though it could be suggested that that would be befitting their agenda.

Anyway, that 1st assesment is covered in scribbles from later, when I realised the issue related to what had been said, and the arguments I had against them in relation to the findings, thats imaterial to this blog though.

My next assessment was in 2011, I had to walk 17 miles to it and 17 miles home because my benifits had already been cut and although I had asked that my assessment day be arranged within the days soon after my giro day, it was always sent towards the end of my payment day when I was inevitably skint.
Having cancelled the appointment previously on these grounds I was scared to cancel again in case theY stopped my benefits as they had done before, as it happens at that time I was not getting the full benefit I should have been as a result of errors at the DHSS, but this I was used to, it was an ongoing issue from 2008 , 2007 really, when the issues that had began the problems that had me  be on the sick began, but that another story and irrelevant to this blog.

So I walked 17 miles to my 2end assessment, I have video of the day, including the interview , its on the net, and probably on my blog somewhere, I was about 6 stone at the time, I recently found video of me exercising I had made a few days before in preparation for the long walk I knew lay ahead of me... I look like a skeliton , far from healthy.

It took me 4 hours to walk there it was grooling but a pleasant day weather wise.
 I remember telling the Dr doing the assessment I had walked there & would have to walk back & she said I was fit, I smiled my legs were begining to seize up having sat for an hour for the interview and I had a long walk back, truth was I wasn't sure I'd make it the whole way, I was hoping she might be able to arrange my fare payment home , out of kindness if nothing else, it was , February , the road I had to walk was a rural country rd, no pavements or street lights lots of traffic and articulated lorries,I was not looking forward to it, but she didn't offer to arrange my fare and I didn't ask, I just got on with it , because I knew I had no option, I thought if the worse happens I can phone an ambulance!. I made it , by the last 8 mile it was getting dark, I couldn't feel my finger or toes, my limbs ached  it was dark and I was in tears I collapsed when I got into the house and climbed up to the bathroom to run a bath.
 As it happens I was deemed unfit for work on that occasion too.
 I guess none of that seems relevant to the Atos assessment but it kinda is, because my mental health at the time was fucked, I was coherent, I may have looked fit, but had she seen me without the layers of clothing for the February day I was very undernourished, again as a result of issues I had had with the benefits agency & in relation to my mental health condition because when I am stressed or anxious my eating pattern suffers. I can't eat, I want to but I can't , i force myself to now, but at that time my diet was not healthy as a result of the issues I was having with my benefits I couldn't afford to always eat well, additionally because of the benefits issues I was having it was often a choice of eat or heat for the gas meter and heat generally took precedence, although at that time I generally had gas for about a week of my fortnightly payments and electric till a couple of days before the next payment was due, it was tough times, and all of these issues did not serve to help my recovery from the ongoing issues with depression that in themself had been triggered by errors made by the local housing trust  & council tax when I was a full time student & they had made errors with payments which had gone on throughout the duration of my course plunging me into poverty, not to mention other issues that occurred I believe as a result of me challenging these errors which for over 2 years they denied making, while for 4 years they threatened me with eviction from my home & extorted money from my student loans that I did not own them. but that's by the by... lets move on to this bloody Atos assessment form I filled out tonight.

As I read through the form I could not help wonder what box ticking imbecile comes up with these pish stupid assessment questions that serve little purpose but box ticking nor reflect an iota of sense, not only in relation to mental health assessment but physical health assessment.
Before I discuss the points relating to social policy in relation to these assessments in relation to health & socail welfare I will briefly cover some of the questions in the assessment form that we fill in prior to our medical.

 Questions begin on page 3 requesting a phone number to to arrange a suitable date for appointmet.
this is flawed on  grounds.
1, Not all those who will be assessed are able to use a phone a result of their oral auditory or other physical physical disabilities
2 Therefore this means a third party or primary carer needs to be available to take the call. This impedes on the carers time & is not always a convenient form of communication to address appointment arrangements ie  a carer whose number may be given may not always have to hand the times and days available to the person being whose appointment is being made to concur other medical  appointments that need to be considered when organizing a suitable time in the best interest of the patient, so this is time wasting as well as an imposition.
What is wrong with the normal mode of written communication for organizing appointment which allows for unexpected incidents that may arise that may mean appointment date needs to be changed/reorganized, why is the usual mode of appointment for DHSS or NHS appointment making not being used, question is surplus to requirements and impractical.
 next...

Tell us about any times or date in the next 3 months when you cannot go to a face to face appointment.
People with health problems be they physical or mental cannot always plan issues related to their health 3 months in advance.
IE, if someone suffers from epilepsy they cannot tell you if three week on Tuesday they are going to have a serious seziure that may affect their well being that day or in the days following rendering them unable to leave their home or indeed their beds that day.
Likewise someone who suffers from clinical depression or bipolar cannot plan when they may have an episode that affect their ability to function or indeed comunicate on any given date.
 The practicalities of forward planning can and do apply to people with disabilities in regard of transportation and arranging accompaniment however this can and is often subject to their health condition, yes in some cases appointment may have to be cancelled at the last minute and rearranged as a result of this however the practicalities of requesting 3 month prior notification of someones life is an imposition and impractical from a medical assessment prospective. 
It is better to offer the appointment in advance by written communication and allow the patient to change it necessary in advance if appropriate additionally to ask the patent for their dairy of appointments 3 months in advance could be regarded as intrusive question is impractical & question is surplus to requirements and impractical.

page 6 asks about out patient treatments the patient is having & overnight stay as well as if pacients health issues are linked to drug or substance misuse.
however page 4 asks about patients doctors and one would expect that the patients medical history is already subject of record pertaining to the patients condition that are held by DHSS & patients reason for being in receipt of benefits  additionally one would expect that in order to assess condition, medical records are examined and therefore the question is surplus to questionnaire requirements additionally these are questions that should be discussed at medical assessment and do not need to be box ticked on questionnaire as the info should already be held by ATOS.& DHSS.

Part 1  physical functions  a set of very specific questions related to distance weights and abilities however, with physical disabilities although some cases & conditions may be subject of constistancy, many more conditions are not.
ie someone with rumotiod arthritis or osteoporosis  may be able to do things one day they can't on another, many physical health conditions are not the same everyday and the pain threshold and ability to do things  may vary considerably and fluctuate so the question are impractical  and in efficient for assessment purpose in questionnaire.

part 2 Mental cognative & intellectual function  Again questions deal with a set of specific  questions related to day to day living. Although there may be some conditions that can be subject of permanent
  behavior traits or abilities many more mental health conditions can't be.
As I explained before many conditions particular those related to mental health ie depressive episodes or manic highs or lows are not predicable , nor can anxiety attacks or conditions related to PTS that may see the patient fine for an unspecified short or long period but can be trigger unexpectedly at any given time. Further more the fact that these questions are preresented as multiply choice is just ridiculous and had no relevance as how this can be assessed .
Additionally these are all questions related to information that should already be included in the patients medical & DHSS records which are subject of the medical practitioner who actually knows them best and deals with then on a regular basis & is therfore familuar with their condition.

This is where the question of Atos becomes an issue of considerable waste in relation to public funds.

 Atos is I believe an insult to the NHS and is surplus to DHSS requirements.
It is my contention that when assessing a patients stability to be in receipt of benefits on medical grounds it is a question for their MD and indeed any specialist from the medical profession who has been directly dealing with their case.
A persons medical history is subject to record and it is both impractical and improper to have an Atos health professional assess their suitability based on a inefficient set of questions on a questionnaire and 1 hour or less, face to face interaction with the patient which the Atos assessor can then override the prognosis or diagnosis that has been recorded by their MD and regular care practitioners who know their condition & their case history best through regular interaction and assessment which should be being monitored by their doctors if they have an ongoing medical condition.

Further more the procedures and policy that are being used by Atos has been shown to have negative impact on the health of many patients and this in turn, in the long term does not save money but cost more and lifes.

There is no procedure or polices  in place and working that actually supports those being assessed as fit for work who loose benefits to support them through the transitional period financially or even practically to ease them back into work , although there is a fascist proposal by government that people will earn or learn.
There has been no consideration that when their benefits are cut and they prepare to try and find work that the financial strain that is imposed on then makes them vulnerable to financial distress and indeed may plunge them into debt or homelessness, their has been no consideration to the fact that many of these people have tightened their belts as best they can to manage on whats coming in despite inflation, rising costs of gas electric & the food they put on the table & the loss of benefits has a serious impact on not just their financial distress but their mental health & well being which impacts on their families and children's health and welfare as they try to cope with the consequences of these issues.

In addition the proposed earn or learn policy fails to address that for some people who will be forced into inappropriate jobs because they have no option the enviroment in which they are forced to work may inflame their health condition it is not always congenial for people to work in some situations but people will be forced to , additionally, might I suggest forcing people to do jobs they have no interest in does not pertain to getting the best performance from them.

Furthermore the phalicy that people don't want to work is a myth created by government , sure their may be some who don't but the vast majority of people do , but they also want a fair living wage for a fair days work.

The vast majority who of people who are on disability or other benefits as a result of health conditions are not on them by choice, they are on them because their health conditions whither physical or mental have rendered them unable to work.
Many, most,would like to work, and would, where the correct support mechanisms both financially and suitable to their health conditions available to them to do so,but they are not, not because of any fault of their own but as a result of government failure, as a result of government cuts to many of the services that would help some of those, with some conditions, that could be better addressed, back to work,
 but not by force, because the government has fucked up the economy and jobs market and need to make cuts and pick on the most vulnerable, which is what is presently happening though the incompetent impractical and frankly , damaging policies and procedures being implemented by the present UK government.





Tuesday, October 8, 2013

The following blog is as a result of a discussion I was having on Twitter regarding Mental Health & medication. I was unable to continue in the discussion for 2 reasons,

1. I was informed I had reached my tweet limit for the day...
2. I'm shit at following threads to different participants, I am, to some extent social network dysfunctional,
I have never really got my head round the workings of the internet in many area, like threads...
I've tried my head doesn't take it in, I have, if you like IT issues, I have never so much as ripped and burned a disk , I've tried, I can't work it out, I've had it explained, I can't take it in and keep it registered in my head, its a problem.... but I do my best to keep up with technology as best I can, and use it in the ways that suit my needs which is basically as a extended type writer, means of communication & research & aid for my art and photography work.

Anyway , I diversify, this is normal for me , I go off on tangents...

I shall try to keep this relevant to the subject of Mental Health issues , medication and how in relation to health & social welfare..

  I shall endevour to write it in report form but not a formal report, its a blog, but report format is probably the best way of addressing the issues involved, however its been a few years since I wrote a proper report so I may go off on a tangent, I will try to keep it relevant & hope you can bare with me in that regard.

It has been the historical practice of health professionals to relate many "mental health " conditions as genetic or with regard to the nature nurture argument.
http://www.simplypsychology.org/naturevsnurture.html

My pesonal opinion is that both factors can & often do contribute, however, I strongly believe that the biggest contributor to the most commonly recognized mental health issue in the 20th & 21st century that the  medical & phyciatric professions see, diognois & treat these days are directly related to the wider aspects of social conditions,
& that the most common & frequently diagnosed mental health issues ie, those related to depression, stress, alcoholism, drug & substance addiction, eating disorders & other issues of abuse, ie domestic, sexual, race or religious/cultural,  gender/sexuality based abuses, bullying etc are directly related to social conditions & conditioning.

Note I do not include bipolar disorder within this list, I regard bipolar disorder as a separate condition with  a separate set of diagnostic prognosis that may &  does include depression in its various varying degrees of intensity, and stress. Additionally, I do not consider it as diagnosed under the medical or psychiatric diagnostic models in relation to that deemed as schizophrenia according to the prognosis of its previous name in relation  to what was widely known  and recognized as hysteria though it has been my experience and observation that these days many people are diagnosed as bipolar when in fact they are suffering from  various degrees of depression , and that this is in fact mis-diagnosis.
I do however believe it is still subject of the sociological & societal aspect that contribute to mental health as all other conditions, and indeed in respect of social conditioning , possibly more than others.

 I also regard & consider medically diagnosed conditions such as autism , aspergers and similar conditions in the same way asBipolar disorder &other conditions which themself can include & cover a wide range of atomistic contributory factors related to the thinking process in relation to mind, or what 's recognise as brain functions, these being factors that involve a vast area of physiological structures related to the brain & therefore medical phyciatric models of health & diagnosis, but I believe traditional medicine often over overrides in issues related to consciousness and spiritualty in regard of mind function, remembering that the mind is not a physically anatomically identifiable organ it is a function of thought, energy transference that is linked  to brain functions ( brain waves if you like) & thus is a state of consciousnesses as considered by the likes of Jung, Freud and indeed many other lesser known spiritual leaders & philosophers going back over time immemorial not all with a backgrounds in medicine or the medical professions but who were socially or spiritual guides or philosophers in their communities or by profession.

That is not to say that I don't recognise that some of these brain disorders & conditions can be genetic or of a physiological, biological or anatomical origin, but I will cover this at a later point in this blog when considering the affect of treatments & pharmacological interventions and the role they play both medically & genetically in regard of the various treatments of mental health conditions.. 

In contrast the history of phyciatric medicine comes from physical medicine & the early attempts of treating mental illness during the 20th century were guided by a set of assumptions made by early German Psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin.(1856-1926)

 "Emil Kraepelin views can be summarized briefly thus;
 madness is qualitatively  different from normal functions
there is a finite and countable number of varieties of madness
these are best understood by biological illnesses."

"Since its beginnings phyciatric medicine has advocated treatments that can fairly be described as cruel & barbaric; the incarceration of millions in crowded asylums, the introduction of brain damaging "therapies" such as insulin coma and the pre-frontal lobotomy."



"Even today in the case of most  severe mental health illnesses many people suffer from persisting symptoms and are socially isolated, economically-non productive & therefore poor, and astonishingly cross cultural comparisons show that people with mental helth problems in the developing world have a greater chance of recovering from their difficulties than those in the industrialized nations."

"Indeed many modern psyciatrists still resort to extreme remidies, eg; anti psychotic drugs which have very severe side affects such as Parkinsons symptoms, diabetes ,sexual dysfunction, obesity and risk of sudden death through a variety of rare adverse reactions. Yet 30% of people given them fail to obtain any benefit at all, for reasons that are not known, and so are being exposed to these risks for no good cause".
 including  Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)      which i personally witnessed patients being treated for alcoholism as well as schizophrenia and depression being treated with, in 1997 and saw both the immediate affects and the effects over a peiod of 11weeks, it was my conclusion that this treatment did not result in any long term benefit & quite possibley had negative side effects in both the short & long term.

"It is therefore argued that these poor practices reflect limited resources; it might also be argued that they are the consequences of poor professional training & practice."

Kraeplen believed he had identified three major types of severe psychiatric disorders  ;
1. dementia praecox (later named schizophrenia by Bleuer),  
2. manic depression ( covering all the serious mood disorder),
3. paranoia ( renamed delusional disorder) in which patients experience only delusions.


"Roll over Kraepelin" Wolverhampton university hand out (2006)


It is my believe that many practitioners of psychiatry have taken a step backward in recent decades and sadly have returned to using the diagnostic principles and methods originating with Kraepelin , and in fact have gone even further in bad practice method by combining & confusing the 3 disorders above and labeling them as bipolar disorder including diagnosing sometimes milder depression and stress symptoms under the umbrella of this medical label.

Additionally I believe that these poor practices stems from two major factors,which I call

1. medi-socio-politico,which I define in relation to the political influences on medicine to control that which is deemed anti socail behavior a role formally partaken by family and church influences to control anti establishment believes or behaviors, and which in todays society is often propagated by the media which itself has strong ties to politics & indeed media is controlled by 6 main corporations who's principle directors can be traced back to having financial links & investment in pharmaceutical companies.

2. capita-pharma -politico the influance of big pharmaceutical companies & the drugs trade as a means of suppression, oppression and indeed social control including war, & with relation to ecconomic & financial influences via these routes in relation to capitalist agendas and financial gains by political & corporate powers which in turn takes us back to these 6 media corporations which control the propaganda we read or watch in relation to advertising or promoting ideas in relation to health modes, & lifestyles & thus we have the combination of medi-socio-politico-capita-pharma 
This would probably be best represented with the word being written in circular form to demonstrate what I mean with regard to the continuance of the vicious circle it reflects.


I am not a physician or doctor,& it is important that I stress that, in the sence, I guess, these are my own thoughts in regard of these issues are based in my own theories  & conclusions in relation to what I have read & studied in relation to mind, mental health social health & spirituality and personal experiences & influenced by theories of those whom i have read and agreed with.

I touched on this subject in one of my university essays in relation to the tobacco industry,however I am far from an expert in that regard, although I have thought it through and elaborated & reflected on the theory many times since then.


 I realize this may be regarded as controversial, but I regard the condition now deemed Bipolar disorder to be related to a state of consciousness or spiritual awakening that is both,  mocked  and or, not medically recognized or even fully understood by many medical professionals.

Stigmatization goes hand in hand with mental health issues, it is the greatest barrier MH patents have to contend with before & after diagnosis, it is, and has also been one of the establishments greatest weapons of controlling mental health via the media & politico route. (medi-politico)

These day as before it causes discrimination & segregation and is a tool political hierarchies have, since their beginnings, manipulated as one of their greatest assets for oppressing & controlling society via the class, race, religious, gender & sexuality pathways of  establishment control.

I believe bipolar is a a state of heightened awareness or consciousness of exstsetial merit within the patient, ie a physic connection to a higher degree of kinetic energy mass linked to IQ & EQ  than is common, or the recognized norm,  and therefore is mistreated resulting in patients being stigmatized and thus prevents them from being able to address or channel these energies in a positive manner & instead leaves them fearful of what should be recognized as not only an asset, but a heightened state of consciousness or mental awakening or awareness that many intellectuals, philosophers and enlightened thinkers would wish to attain.

Indeed, among many ancient cultures & followers of ancient religions that predate Christianity or the modern religions , those who presented many of the  issues regarded as "symptoms"  of the conditions deemed hysteria/ schizophrenia/madness or bipolar were held in high esteem and considered prophetic or in possession of a special gift.
This fact, I think, did not go unrecognized by historical modern hierarchies as they were establishing themselves &  their links with religious hierarchies whose influence on family & society was indeed often more influential within communities, this is demonstrated by  the famous quote of Thomas Szaas

"“If you talk to God, you are praying. If God talks to you, you have schizophrenia.” 

In the early days of diagnostic psychiatry, & to this day if you hear voices, or to give it its medical terminology "have auditory hallucinations, you are mentally ill, however, we are expected to believe respect & even kiss the ring of consecutive popes who allegedly do not have schizophrenia but apparently a direct line to god with who they communicates frequently, apparently, as with  many papal predecessors, indeed according to the christian bible & this applies with the Islamic faith & Qur'an also,those with whom god communicated or spoke to were his prophets, but according to medical and established phyciatric models god is selective and if he talks to Joe Bloggs OR June Bloggs is a nutter, mad as a hatter and should be put on meds or incarcerated for his/her own & safety and safety of others.

Of course, if someone is a danger to himself or other he should be subject of inquiery, assessment, support/therapy & if need be or found suitable & just, incarceration, however the vast majority of people with mental health conditions are neither a danger to themself or the public but stigmatization & labeling they are subject of not only discriminates & causes prejudice & fear against them, but is in itself an issue that can be fundamental in contributing to what leads to them becoming a danger to themself or others. 

This demonstrates not only the discriminative aspects used in regard of the politics of psychiatry but it also demonstrates what I consider an absurd set of assumptions of those within the profession & the public to reject and or mock that which they have not experienced personally as delusion, or hallucination, yet still pertaining to the belief that in select cases and dependent on the how that person is placed in society either by profession , class or religious authority or believe that the possibility to communicate with god or spiritual energies exists. (medi-poitic)

I suggest that what one person may deem delusion is in fact another persons reality, and it is in this area I believe that the medical and phyciatric professions fail those of a heightened state of consciousness often as a result of their class or social position in society, or if you like, as pertaining to a state of awareness prejudiced,   ie those with better means of accessing various types of support/ therapy/treatment & consultation to consider and explore these states of consciousness have a better chance of managing the condition and understanding it, indeed even being able to to advance to a stage where they can  manipulate these ultra consciousness states to positive advantage for themself and others, instead of being stigmatized &  fearing them & indeed, the consequence of having them.
This is how I see conditions that we label like schizophrenia, bipolar,and the various degrees of autistic conditions.

I will come back to this in relation to medication & treatment, but I want to move on to
Social & cultural impacts on health ,"sociology", the environment we live in,  the contributing issue related to that environment that impact on health & well being that are are fundamental in assessing issues related to mental health conditions, any health conditions.

The sociological issues that affect our personal environment, include employment, housing, wealth poverty, education and various cultural &,family issues that impact our lifestyle, how we spend our days, our diet, exercise how we stimulate our minds, our interests, our interactions with others, all impact on our health in different ways, as well as the wider aspects of what we generally consider environmental ie, the condition's of our surrounding, whither we live in busy packed smoky dirty urban towns, or the country side where the pace of life is considered slower & indeed healthier.

It would be fair to say I agree with the school of thought that pertains to that which is known as the anti psychiatry movement of those like RD Lang, Thomas Szaas & David Cooper Sartre.

Death of the Family David Cooper (1972)
The manufacture of maddness Thomas Szaas (1970)
The myth of mental illness Thomas Szaas (1960)
The devided self RD Lang (1960)

The anti psychiatry movement  emerged in the 1960/70 & broke with the traditional theories of the medical & phyciatric models of treatments for mental health conditions, focusing on less chemical & drug  intervention  a more analytical & alternative therapies for treating mental health conditions, including allowing patients to explore their conditions often in what many deemed radical methods of self discovery, these methods were not always without drug induced states or mind altering drugs however drug intervention or use was seen as secondary to the treatment & was used generally as a short term intervention.
Treatments focused on talk therapy & support council as opposed to telling patients what was best for them ie drugs or surgical intervention. 
These treatment fell within the treatment methods known as the "third way" often attributed to Freud's psychoanalytical thearies, & his theories related to the unconscious state or phinomina & dream analysis.
These fields were also explored by Carl Jung(1875-1961) who tended not to focus so much on issues related to that considered as sexual deviance an issue witch it could be suggested Fraud himself was both obsessed & himself had issues in relation to.  

It has been shown that patients of the anti psychiatry movement had high success rates and  many found methods of alternative management of their conditions that eliminated the need for drug intervention  or treatment. 
see Mary Barns RD Langs most famous pacient.  
http://youtu.be/q2hY4N_fNWw
http://youtu.be/13s9oLvb-Bg
 http://youtu.be/9Fs7djUK-A8


OK, so lets talk medication  in relation to Mental health conditions.
I shall concentrate on the post 2end world war to date, period, because for the purpose of this essay, report , blog, it is I believe the period of relevance from both sociological and scientific pharmacological perspective's  in relation to mental & indeed physical health in relation to treatments & genetic/biological factors. 

Many of the  social & ecconomic conditions that affected those of post war WW2 Britain are the same ones we find many society dealing with now,in relation to poverty & deprivation, squalor, education ignorance,
housing shortages, unemployment want ,idleness,  health  physical & mental health conditions, desease.

It seems to me a sad reflection of our time that these same 5 core issues today in relation to Health & social welfare are the same 5 core principles that brought about the Beveridge report in 1942 & prompted the founding of the NHS in Britain.

  The core principles of todays social policies in the uk dates back to William Beveridge (1879-1963) The Beveridge Report  served as the basis for the post-World War II welfare state put in place by the Labour government elected in 1945
The report  written in 1942 identified what came to be known as the big 5, in other words the 5 main issues in society that contributed to social & ecconomic problems in regard of health welfare & indeed ecconomic progress, these were
1. squalor 
2. ignorance
3.want
4. idleness
5,, disease,
The report proposed widespread reform the system to social welfare to address these issues.
Beveridge stated it would be necessary to have a proper NHS, a policy of full employment & allowances paid to families with children, and that the scheme he proposed was in some ways a revolution but more importantly it was a natural development from the past.

As a new Liberal, Beveridge believed people had a duty to fend for themselves as far as possible
but that the government should intervene to guarantee a minimum living standard for all citizens.
He believed that citizens should be able to claim benefits based on contributions as a right rather than as a philanthropy but that they had an obligation to get fit to retake over responsibility for their life's as soon as possible.
He was against means testing.

http://cgshistory.weebly.com/uploads/1/6/9/9/16994998/the_beveridge_report.pdf

The Beveiridge report was followed by the foundation/creation of the NHS in 1948 its 3 core principles were; 
1. It was to be universal, i.e. to provide health care of the same standard throughout the
UK.
2. It was to be comprehensive, covering all health needs
3. it was to be free at the point of delivery, available to all citizens equally on the
basis of need, not ability to pay. 
 I have included this information because I believe it is relevant to what followed both in regard to social policy & the development of said down through the decades till now and also because I think  there are aspects of lifestyles  then & now that are comparable & reflect the issues that we are now find ourselves addressing in relation to mental health issues & the impact of social & medical contributory factors during that post war period into the 60& 70 & how they may be impacting on present generations from a social & genetic prospective as a result of treatments that were being administered then in relation to mental health condition.

Looking briefly at the post war error we can examine some of the social issues that existed then & compare them to now, in relation to how  these issues arose and also how they were tackled and addressed in relation to health & social welfare & including medical & pharmaceutical treatments that I believe could be linked to some of the mental health issues that appear to be on the rise in regard of  children of that era & those that followed.
I shall address this by considering each of the 5 giants, as they were called by Beveridge.
Squalor, 
Even for those of us who were born after the 2end world war it should not be difficult to imagine the state of Britain post world war 2. Many towns & cities had been subject of bombing attack during the blitz.
It is estimated that 2 million homes were destroyed during the blitz, 60,000 people lost their lives, 87,000 were seriously injured. Of course it was not only homes that were destroyed, small & large businesses were affected , rds & of course infrastructure.
This squalor is the same squalor that people now live &  face daily in countries like Iraq, Lybia, Afghanistan, Syria  many other where wars continue to destroy homes, schools, business infrastructure, & places where social interactions take place clubs etc & life's causing mass displacement as well as the other negative health impacts war has on peoples life's physically & mentally & emotionally.= issues of medical,social & political concern  (medi-socio-politico)
Squalor, poverty & deprivation has proven links to Disease, TB for example is linked to poor & damp housing conditions, malnutrition, =poor diet, these are only 2 examples however consider the knock on effect on mental health which of course relates to all aspects of those living with war or post war conditions and the impact of that on mental health, ie, PTS, depression, stress .

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2243951/The-astonishing-interactive-map-EVERY-bomb-dropped-London-Blitz.html

Ignorance 
There is little doubt that education standards in post war Britain were not as good as the are now, but were better than during previous decades where although education was seen to be mandatory from the age of 5, it was subject of various loopholes that allowed for children to work (meaning education was planned around work schedules) and was by and large the responsabiliy of churches, industrialist & charitable organizations, which meant education was subject to the ideology of the educator and indeed was basic reading writing & counting skill & religious ed, so not surprising that ignorance was an issue.

 Education was made compulsory to age 15 in 1947. The 1944 Act had  recommended compulsory part-time education for all young people until the age of 18, but this provision was dropped so as not to overburden the post-war spending budget (as had happened similarly with the Act of 1918) and it is fair to suggest that it wasn't until the mid sixties under the Labour government of 1965 that education began to improve for working class children.
If we then couple poor education standards with the emotional influences of people devastated by war who have lost loved ones, in conflict or find themself with or living with those physically injured or traumatized by the effects of war & add to this the propaganda elements they have lived with throughout war regarding race, culture hatred extra, we can see how patterns of ignorance are cultivated & manipulated in regard of ignorance. = education (media  cultural/social propaganda/political influences) (medi-socio-politico).
Additionally, this is where I suggest factors related to decease as illness or trauma /mental health issues begin to form a a pattern that introduces>
 want. 
want can be broken down into 3 parts
people WANT to always improve their lifestyles
people  WANT to be healthy
people WANT to provide  for the security & safety of their children. 

In addressing the WANT issue I think we address the biggest contributing factor in regard of issues related to mental health we face today & I firmly believe many of them to have grown as a result of that post war period, the social environment conditions & conditioning of that time & the pharmaceutical treatments that were being used as well as some of the social solution that were encouraged and seen to be acceptable during the 50's 60's 70's.

Those who had came thru the Blitz had needs & want for many things as a result of war, just like those today. 
The obvious practical needs apart like housing, work and medical care which I shall come to are, it could be suggested, equal to the want to forget the bad times & revile in hope and more relaxing pursuits so it is not unfair to suggest nights at the pub socializing and mixing with friends is not a bad solution, and alcohol as we are aware promotes, at least in theory, an uplifting feeling.

Its also fair to suggest that job opportunists would also have been fairly abundant for those returning from war, towns and cities had to be rebuild from the ground up so job creation was there even if decent wages or working conditions were not, there was oppertunity to work and earn enough to put some food on the table & beer or gin in the belly. 
I believe its also fair to suggest that these social solutions would have been coupled with in many cases pharmaceutical treatments and evidance shows that apart from those who would have had want & need for medications to treat issues related to injury & indeed respiratory conditions resulting from conditions on the battlefield & in conflict as well as those related to the various deceases that may have been contracted in the trenches all give ample want and need for medical treatments and pharmaceutical interventions.
In addition there was a higher degree of proscribed medicines for sleep disorders, anxiety depression and trauma (pts).  
During the post war period & throughout the50's& 60's the use barbiturates,benzodiazepines,
& anti psychotic drugs was common practice,frequently and generously prescribed, drugs like Valium, Mogodon & Temazipan came to be known as mothers little helpers, although it came to be recognized that these drugs had serious adverse side affects that in fact presented the same symptoms as those that had been used as the prognosis for which they were proscribed, & additionally they were shown to cause addiction presenting further adverse health implications. 
As I mentioned earlier Anti Psychotic drugs have been linked to Parkinson decease, and there is strong evidance to support that the long term use of these drugs can be linked to many serious & cognitive conditions including dementia and Alzheimer decease.
Not surprising then that we are now seeing the onset of dementia & Alsheimer's in many of the baby boomers at a much earlier age than previously was regarded as a normal progression into old age.

It is therefore also fair to presume or suggest that the affect of these drugs on physical and mental health could also be attributed to genetically transferable conditions and  deformed births, as well as being cause for mental ill health conditions that are passed genetically/biologically.That which affects the pregnant mother also affects the fetus, ie fetal alcohol syndrome, or babies born to heroine addict having withdrawal symptoms & drug induced conditions


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1993866/
http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/75/suppl_3/iii2.full

It is my believe that these various pharmaceutical induced conditions and birth defects also contribute to many of the social ills that result in mental health conditions like alcoholism, substance misuse abuses as a means of doponine produced relieve , ie when people are stressed they are known to smoke more cigerettes or have a wee drink to calm them down however these socially acceptable and legal substances can also be shown to agrivate social behaviors and mood which can in turn lead to abusive and indeed violent and anti social behaviors and so the visious circle is perpetuated.
 ie media promotes drinking alcohol as a socially acceptable practice that relaxes and allows us to interact this is good for the alcohol buisness( capitalism in the same way the tobacco industry is big buisness dispute the health implications) so, alcohol is advertised as a socail, even happy thing, even though we know that it is indicated as a primary denominator in domestic & often sexual violence and other abusive and violent social situations, additionally we know that alcohol is additive.

Alcohol can lead to depression and is treated with anti-depressent and anti psychotic drugs which in turn are often known to be addictive & the pathway into other drug abuses ie opiates, and opiates are also fall within the range of composites that are used in seditives, sleeping pills, anti-depressant and the groups of  drugs mentioned previously.
But, the pharmaceutical industry makes big bucks so it is in the interest of both the medical & political professions to capitalize on them because they make for good ecconomic buisness, and so we have the perpetuation of medi-socio-capito-politico-medi = media promotes social benefits which boosts capitalist benefits which promotes political needs which promote social contol which benefits from medical    interventions which capitalises from pharmaceutical intervention which controls social behaviors which works for political capitalisation   which is promoted through media promotion & propaganda.

This set of politically motivated circumstances is then brings us to the issue of

Idleness
idleness is regarded by government as a social disease, it is the excuse they use to blame the working class for the failures of government polices and procedure, it is the excuse they use to stigmatize those who are unable to work either because work is not available or because they have health conditions related to physical conditions that may or may not be related to genetic/biological imparment as a result of the reasons given above or accident or whatever, or in relation to mental health conditions again which can and I suggest generally are as a result of social health & welfare contributory factors as related to the reason explained previously. 

Over the that 3 decades the uk has seen a decline in many of its once thriving industries covering everything from textiles & potteries to ship building car manufacturing and many others.
This has resulted in employment declines & that in turn has affected training initiatives for trade apprenticeship training, additionally many of the service industries including utilites & telecomunications have fallen victim of out sourcing to countries that offer cheap labor opportunities, & also who have poor regulation of workers rights and use child labor. 
All of these factors contribute to a rise not in idleness as possessed by government,but by unemployment and a rise in social and mental health problems most commonly linked to mental health & social health problems & concerns.
Additionally consecutive government have failed to maintain health care standards by cutting jobs , training and educational opportunities within the health & welfare sector to the detriment of health & socail welfare providers and those in frontline services, by veering towards the private sector, this affects employees as well as patients impacting on the financial, & mental health of these former employees giving rise to an upsurge in statistics related to depression , stress, & substance abuse issues including issues related to addiction to prescribed medicines. 
This in turn has a domino affect on whats we could call social deceases ie domestic abuse , sexual abuse,  substance abuse  issues that come under the umbrella of mental health conditions.

Additionally these conditions often see patients with mental health conditions being put on pharmaceutical treatments with out appropriate monitoring of their condition,or additional counseling support and or  alternative forms of treatment being offered, or available, as opposed to perpetual drug treatments often when the case is in regard of depression or stress or addiction issues when drug therapy is meant to be a stop gap to help suppress emotional distress while the patients works thru the issues involved and addresses them, often leading to additional physical health issues resulting from long term use of these prescribed drugs and often with additional addiction issues insuing, while actual health benefits to the patients from these pharmaceutical treatments are not long term or sustainable & often impact negatively on  physical health.


Aaddition those able to access treatment in the private sector are subject to financial resources, so it discriminates against those able to access treatments & support and thus causes class division in healthcare in which the poor and most vulnerable suffer most, and with high unemployment resulting from government cuts, the divide get bigger more people are subject to financial distress and again the problem is perpetuated negatively on the poorer classes.


In conclusion it is my beleive that there is a need to address the issues related to long term pharmaceutical intervention in and more emphisis should be put on explosing alternative therapies which should be available on the NHS, that in no way suggests that I do not appreciate the need for drug intervention in some cases , including long term, however it is my believe that the use of drugs in mental health areas presently is being misused to propagate political capitalist and financial interest of pharmaceutical corporations and as a means of social control to the detriment of individuals & pacients when alternative therapies and support should be and could be persued and explored.

post script ,
 I said I would address issues related to gevernment policy and Atos in this blog, i guess I got a little side tracked but as a blog i think this is long enough , i shall come back to address the Atos issue soon.