BS: not alone anymore: mental problems

Subject: Sinead O'Connor gets responses
From: keberoxu
Date: 16 Aug 17 - 03:23 PM

What especially interests me about Sinead O'Connor's latest cry for help -- she has done this before -- is the public support she is getting from others:

Tyson Fury

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: keberoxu
Date: 16 Aug 17 - 03:27 PM

Apologies, apologies, I'm sorry everybody.
I was trying to preview an attempted video link
and it got posted instead. Maybe this just isn't my day
for doing blue clicky links.

Anyway Tyson Fury's video saying that Sinead O'Connor is not alone may be viewed at the TMZ pages amongst other places.
Fury is not in the music business, he is a Below-The-Mudcat-Line figure.
More to the point, the topic is not music, but mental problems.
That's my justification for starting a thread on the topic below the line in the BS "breeze shooting" section.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: keberoxu
Date: 16 Aug 17 - 03:38 PM

Besides Tyson Fury, there are public declarations and responses from:

Janet Street-Porter, ITV

Fiona Apple

others? I give up on the blicky links though.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: Morticia
Date: 17 Aug 17 - 05:35 AM

I'm not sure why you are surprised? It's estimated that 1:4 of us will experience mental health difficulties at some point in our lives, why would celebrities be exempt?

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: Donuel
Date: 17 Aug 17 - 09:37 AM

My wife and son talk to themselves on occasion. Since they are better organized than me I see it as a talent.
Besides having company when alone in an elevator seems like a good thing.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: Gurney
Date: 19 Aug 17 - 12:31 AM

I find that talking to myself is useful when I have to go out to the shed for a tool.
By the time I get there I sometimes find I've forgotten which tool it was, because I'm always pondering different ways of doing the job.
However, I CAN remember hearing myself say "I need a #3 Pozidriv !" or whatever.

Nowadays they reckon stress and depression is mental illness. I always have had a job that involved that mildly and occasionally. Angling was my substitute for therapy.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: DMcG
Date: 20 Aug 17 - 03:53 AM

"Nowadays they reckon stress and depression is mental illness. I always have had a job that involved that mildly and occasionally"

I think we all have jobs like that. But clinical depression is not like that occasional 'down'.   My father in law was brilliant and had a senior position in the World Bank, but suffered greatly from mental health issues. Each of his children has clinical depression, and all but one of their children also have severe mental health problems. We are talking of people being so ill they attempt suicide multiple times, or have to spend weeks in mental hospitals in such deep despair that they spend all day every day crying in anguish, not just tearful.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: keberoxu
Date: 20 Aug 17 - 03:10 PM

I hear you loud and clear, DMcG.

My family has spent the last century or so, denying, minimizing, and squashing out of sight its hereditary alcoholism. Now there are fewer relatives, in present generations, with chemical dependency; but the mental fragility and instability is the new elephant in the room. Break the silence, and everybody freezes.
It's rough enough just to live with needing help and care; but to pile the denial on top of it! How long o Lord!

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 20 Aug 17 - 07:40 PM

Without wishing to contradict what you say, I should like to see the evidence that alcoholism is in any way hereditary.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: Andrez
Date: 21 Aug 17 - 08:28 AM

Celebrities aren't exempt nor are folkies from mental health issues especially as they get older. Recently after a phone call from someone who had just had a suicide note placed in their hand by a long time friend and national living folk treasure. Dropped everything and drove straight over there and managed to get said person into hospital and after sitting in A&E for about 8 hours got 'em into a safe place there for the time being. Going in tomorrow to see how goes and talk to folks there about the next steps and assuming they can reduce the impact of major depression, find out what resources and supports are available on release back out into the community.

The moral of the story? Fer fecks sake don't bottle it in, learn ter recognise the warning signs and talk to someone before it gets to that point! Yer family an friends'll be eternally grateful!

Andrez

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: keberoxu
Date: 21 Aug 17 - 07:56 PM

As sick as we are secret, the saying goes: a bit of truth to that. GOod night.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: Jeri
Date: 21 Aug 17 - 08:23 PM

Scholarly articles on genetic predisposition to alcoholism

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: keberoxu
Date: 22 Aug 17 - 12:31 PM

Jeri to the rescue!

Thank you!
Thank you!

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 23 Aug 17 - 07:19 PM

Well, keberoxu, let's just get two things dead straight. First, I said I didn't want to contradict what you said, merely asking for evidence (that's a funny thing with us scientists. It's what we do). Second, I've perused the articles linked to by Jeri, at least the ones that let me in without asking me for money. I see a lot of honest uncertainty and a lot of unproven, equally honest hypothesising, but little in the way of solid conclusions that confirm your claim. Not saying you're wrong. Just saying that the jury is well and truly out. Let's keep our heads screwed on, eh?

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: keberoxu
Date: 23 Aug 17 - 07:28 PM

Nothing wrong with saying thank you twice.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 23 Aug 17 - 07:44 PM

Can't argue with that.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 24 Aug 17 - 05:53 AM

From: Steve Shaw - PM
Date: 20 Aug 17 - 07:40 PM

Without wishing to contradict what you say, I should like to see the evidence that alcoholism is in any way hereditary.

Apart from Jeri's link above, I would like to point out that there is a difference between 'hereditary' and 'genetic'.

As an alcoholic parent is likely to inculcate a similar attitude in their children, I believe there can be a hereditary link.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 24 Aug 17 - 06:22 AM

There CAN be a difference, depending on context. Peerages are not passed down genetically though they may be inherited. The colour of my eyes was undeniably passed to me genetically, and it's also fine to say I inherited it. It means the same thing. The two words are synonyms as I understand them in this context. Can't speak for Jeri but she took up the matter by assuming that synonymy, judging from the heading for her links. I'm all for clarity. I'm challenging the notion that alcoholism, recognised as an illness, is passed down either in the same way as peerages OR genetically. Once you start talking about the transmission of illnesses you are in the realms of science. And when I say I'm challenging the notion, I'm not dismissing the notion, merely requesting some solid evidence. I'm not convinced so far, that's all.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: Amos
Date: 24 Aug 17 - 01:31 PM

Alcoholism can be established prenatally, and it can certainly be educated into the young, making it a culturally inherited artifact which then becomes organic.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: DMcG
Date: 24 Aug 17 - 01:36 PM

And for many alcohol is a coping mechanism to deal with something that is genetically inherited. Which can easily turn through overuse into alcoholism. That would not technically be inherited but is close enough for ordinary conversation.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: Jeri
Date: 24 Aug 17 - 02:37 PM

Are peerages a medical condition? I know that's silly, but I assumed people were discussing physical conditions. The idea of peerages isn't something I take into consideration, just as I don't think we're talking about family heirlooms or recipes or real estate, but I suppose I need to clarify that for some folks.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 24 Aug 17 - 03:22 PM

Yes, Jeri, some focus does appear to have been lost here..

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: keberoxu
Date: 24 Aug 17 - 05:12 PM

Keep my head screwed on.   Dead straight.

It isn't my head that is heavy. It's my heart.

Making disclosures to this thread about my family of origin is a way to feel a little relief from the heaviness of heart. To come to this metaphorical table, heavy of heart and bowed of head, rounded of shoulder, and ease some anguish out of my heart. To breathe a little more freely. Then, with less heaviness of heart, it is easier to lift my head.

Whereon, the conversation turns to getting things dead straight and keeping my head screwed on, and focus this, and focus that. Never mind that I just managed to get a weight off my heart and shoulders, and to let my head come up for air. The object is focus: head back down and look at this part of the table, over here, and for heaven's sake focus.

If heaviness of heart is more suitable to what have been termed "stupid and navel-gazing threads," maybe that is where my posts ought to go.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 24 Aug 17 - 05:59 PM

Sheesh. The thread's all yours from now on.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: DMcG
Date: 26 Aug 17 - 01:13 AM

Despite all the relatives I have with mental health issues, I would certainly not claom to understand it, or what you are going through. But what I do understand is the importance of someone being there, even if there is little they can do. So fwel frwe to PM me at any tine.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: Donuel
Date: 26 Aug 17 - 08:07 AM

I understood that there are genes that enable the efficient breaking down of alcohol and people who do not have these genes are far more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: Mrrzy
Date: 28 Aug 17 - 08:13 AM

The way one metabolizes alcohol is genetic. There are genetic differences that lead, say, Native Americans and Irish descendants to be much more prone to alcoholism than those of Japanese, for instance.

That being said, *alcoholism* is not genetic like color blindness or even eye color.

What practically gallops through my family is bipolar and, to a lesser extent, unipolar depression. Also, not "genetic" as such.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: Andrez
Date: 28 Aug 17 - 08:17 AM

I'll second that DMcG! If you ever need to talk or share Keberoxu, please feel free to PM me anytime too. I'm happy to listen non judgementally and your privacy is assured.

Take care,

Andrez

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: keberoxu
Date: 28 Aug 17 - 04:16 PM

Nothing new to contribute
but I had to say Thank You for offering a listening ear and your time.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: JMB
Date: 30 Aug 17 - 01:23 AM

I have depression myself. I have worked in the field of mental health promotions. I read the comments above that one in four will have a mental health issue within their lifetime and that celebrities are not exempt. This is very much true of a statistic. When it comes to celebrities, if you look up Neil Lennon talks about depression or Neil Lennon supports the power of okay on youtube, you will see anybody can have a mental health crisis.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: keberoxu
Date: 02 Oct 17 - 07:35 PM

I'm just wondering about this man who killed himself after methodically carrying a small private arsenal of weaponry to his 32nd-floor hotel room in Las Vegas and acting out his very own sniper fantasy,
which left hundreds wounded and nearly sixty dead.

Just wondering.

Suicide is one thing;
mass murder before you commit suicide, quite another.

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 02 Oct 17 - 07:52 PM

Judge not, eh?

Subject: RE: BS: not alone anymore: mental problems
From: meself
Date: 02 Oct 17 - 10:59 PM

Brain tumor? Apparently, that was the case with the guy who did the University of Texas bell tower job in the 1960s. Lots of possibilities - and we just may never know.