Archives for “Mental Health”
The death of a nightclub bouncer. A man, we’re led to believe, with a history from an early age of bullying, violence and intimidation of others. A man known to mental health and social services for refusing to take up the offer of the help that he had asked for. A man with connections to [...]
On Another Planet this week: controversial new government plans to tackle ever increasing worklessness using waterboarding. Techniques refined and perfected by secret military personnel known only by their codename ‘Our Boys’ are being piloted by the NHS in an effort to ‘encourage and empower’ people claiming statutory sick pay to return to work. One persistent [...]
Thanks to Dan Lynch’s reminder, guidance and example, here is my own effort based on the 38Degrees letter template (the bits I added are in bold). I’d strongly encourage everyone to write to their MP, too, but read Dan’s article first! He has some good advice on how to do it as well as background [...]
Time is running out for Akmal. Please join the campaign to try to save Akmal’s life by writing to Gordon Brown and the Chinese Ambassador to the UK Madam Fu Ying using the text below: “Dear Prime Minister Brown and Ambassador Fu Ying, I write to express my deep concern for Akmal Shaikh, who faces [...]
Tomorrow Later today, I’m giving a talk to EMU (Enfield Mental Health Users’ Group) on the subject “A Day In The Life” of David Marsden (that’s me), Chief Executive of Enfield Clubhouse (my day and night job). Their request, not mine. So I thought I’d better think about what I’m going to say. I could [...]
Please write to the Lords about the Digital Economy Bill, today Jim Killock, 01 December 2009 Tomorrow, the Digital Economy Bill is debated by the Lords in its Second Reading. This is the first serious discussion of the contents of the Bill: so we need to make sure the Lords know that this Bill is [...]
I posted yesterday about a visitor to my home – a golden Autumn leaf specked with raindrops – and took some nice photos of it. I connected it to some reminiscences I’d had about a crying boy in my childhood. During this time, I also had to reset the time and date on my camera [...]
Yesterday, I took some photos of the golden Autumn leaves outside my window. This morning, it was miserable weather, rain and wind, and there were more leaves than ever before on the ground as well as swirling around. Overnight, the leaves seem to have become even richer in colour (or is that just me messing [...]
I’m posting this to give people who want to write some idea what you can say to personalise your email. The quoted bit is Reprieve’s standar email. I added the bit below in bold. From David Marsden <david.marsden@enfieldclubhouse.org.uk>To Andrew Love MPSubject URGENT: protect Akmal ShaikhMessage Dear Andy Love, MP I am very concerned at the [...]
Suffice it to say, no one should have so much alone time that few of his friends knew what was bothering him. Isolation is a set up for future problems. Source Interesting point about isolation. Some pretty shocking research statistics from Australia here, too: “Mentally ill endure lives of loneliness and exclusion“. I don’t think [...]
Jonathan Naess writes in The Guardian on Christine Laird‘s “victory” over her bullying bosses at Cheltenham Council. His excellent piece highlights all the main issues around discrimination faced by people with a history of mental health problems trying to get jobs. But one thing stands out to me: “She spent three months in a psychiatric [...]
“Doctors said many operations were for medical problems – but some patients were thought to be suffering from body dysmorphic disorder, a psychiatric condition….” Last time I looked, Psychiatry is a medical profession and psychiatric conditions are medical problems. Sun-like and discriminatory reporting in the London Lite rag tonight.