Comments on: National Unknowing http://dublinopinion.com/2007/04/26/national-unknowing/ It's a group blog. What more do you need to know? Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:22:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Dublin Opinion » Blog Archive » Today I’m mostly listening to… http://dublinopinion.com/2007/04/26/national-unknowing/#comment-14128 Dublin Opinion » Blog Archive » Today I’m mostly listening to… Tue, 01 May 2007 13:58:08 +0000 http://dublinopinion.com/2007/04/26/national-unknowing/#comment-14128 [...] the light of a recent discussion here about Ireland’s general ignorance towards mental health (and I don’t think Ireland [...] […] the light of a recent discussion here about Ireland’s general ignorance towards mental health (and I don’t think Ireland […]

]]> By: Fence http://dublinopinion.com/2007/04/26/national-unknowing/#comment-13813 Fence Sun, 29 Apr 2007 17:30:11 +0000 http://dublinopinion.com/2007/04/26/national-unknowing/#comment-13813 I wonder if it down to that old cliche that we hate what we fear in ourselves. After all if we turn it into a problem that "other" people have then we can pretend that it'll never happen to us. I wonder if it down to that old cliche that we hate what we fear in ourselves. After all if we turn it into a problem that “other” people have then we can pretend that it’ll never happen to us.

]]> By: Donagh http://dublinopinion.com/2007/04/26/national-unknowing/#comment-13423 Donagh Fri, 27 Apr 2007 11:17:24 +0000 http://dublinopinion.com/2007/04/26/national-unknowing/#comment-13423 Yes, I agree and I should have looked beyond an article that was working from a press release. How can you know if there is widespread ignorance if you don't know how the question was framed or mental illness defined. According to an <a href="http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=217492478&p=zy7493y84" rel="nofollow">article</a> reprinted widely in the various vassels of the Tomas Crosbie media empire, the head of NSOP said "these problems can range from passing feelings of hopelessness, often in response to a negative life event, to the experience of enduring mental illness." But I can only imagine that the definition was more specific than that and probably related to the more 'enduring mental illness side'. The same article also said "81% of people agreed sufferers should have the same rights as everyone else, but more than half said they should not be allowed to do important jobs, such as being a doctor or nurse." Curiously the Irish Times article has been <a href="http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0426/breaking51.htm" rel="nofollow">updated </a>(that's the new link) to now say that one in five believe "that those with mental illness should be excluded from their neighbourhoods", which according to my rough calculation is, well, 20%. A big difference. Seanachie, the survey, which can only indicate a general trend, suggests that most would try to keep it hidden, although there's only so much you can hide. Alot has to do with the inevitable complexity of the problem. The general feeling seems to be that people find it difficult to talk to those with mental health problems. I know one guy who's very intelligent and sensitive on most issues but on two occasions that I know of has reacted very negatively to people who were having mental health problems. He seemed to take a strong dislike to their mild idiosyncratic behaviour. Which is weird, because he's got plenty of idiosyncrasies himself. Yes, I agree and I should have looked beyond an article that was working from a press release. How can you know if there is widespread ignorance if you don’t know how the question was framed or mental illness defined. According to an article reprinted widely in the various vassels of the Tomas Crosbie media empire, the head of NSOP said “these problems can range from passing feelings of hopelessness, often in response to a negative life event, to the experience of enduring mental illness.” But I can only imagine that the definition was more specific than that and probably related to the more ‘enduring mental illness side’. The same article also said “81% of people agreed sufferers should have the same rights as everyone else, but more than half said they should not be allowed to do important jobs, such as being a doctor or nurse.”

Curiously the Irish Times article has been updated (that’s the new link) to now say that one in five believe “that those with mental illness should be excluded from their neighbourhoods”, which according to my rough calculation is, well, 20%. A big difference.

Seanachie, the survey, which can only indicate a general trend, suggests that most would try to keep it hidden, although there’s only so much you can hide. Alot has to do with the inevitable complexity of the problem. The general feeling seems to be that people find it difficult to talk to those with mental health problems.

I know one guy who’s very intelligent and sensitive on most issues but on two occasions that I know of has reacted very negatively to people who were having mental health problems. He seemed to take a strong dislike to their mild idiosyncratic behaviour. Which is weird, because he’s got plenty of idiosyncrasies himself.

]]> By: Seanachie http://dublinopinion.com/2007/04/26/national-unknowing/#comment-13384 Seanachie Fri, 27 Apr 2007 06:39:04 +0000 http://dublinopinion.com/2007/04/26/national-unknowing/#comment-13384 I agree with Fence on the nature of the question asked but it doesn't surprise me that Irish people have such an ignorant attitude towards mental illness. The prevailing attitude among people is that mental illness is something that happens to other people, a similar case to alcoholism. I have noticed that many people (not just Irish) are particularly inept at recognising mental illness, particularly among manic depressives, suicides and anorexics. How often have we heard after the fact that 'he/she seemed so happy'? Many times, with a little bit of attention you could see it coming. But then again, if feelings that the mentally ill should be ostracised are so widespread, maybe this insensitivity is not such a bad thing. I agree with Fence on the nature of the question asked but it doesn’t surprise me that Irish people have such an ignorant attitude towards mental illness. The prevailing attitude among people is that mental illness is something that happens to other people, a similar case to alcoholism. I have noticed that many people (not just Irish) are particularly inept at recognising mental illness, particularly among manic depressives, suicides and anorexics. How often have we heard after the fact that ‘he/she seemed so happy’? Many times, with a little bit of attention you could see it coming. But then again, if feelings that the mentally ill should be ostracised are so widespread, maybe this insensitivity is not such a bad thing.

]]> By: Fence http://dublinopinion.com/2007/04/26/national-unknowing/#comment-13311 Fence Thu, 26 Apr 2007 19:16:52 +0000 http://dublinopinion.com/2007/04/26/national-unknowing/#comment-13311 Whenever I see survey results like these I always wonder about the actual questions asked, and if the people asked were asked to define what they thought of as a mental health problem. But then again, maybe I'm just overly optimistic. Whenever I see survey results like these I always wonder about the actual questions asked, and if the people asked were asked to define what they thought of as a mental health problem.

But then again, maybe I’m just overly optimistic.

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