Of all the issues in modern life that play on my mind, none occupies more space than mental health. This is not just because I have been plagued by depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, it is also because of the number of people I meet who suffer from mental illness, and the terrible state of mental healthcare in the UK.
I recently entered my latest bout of therapy for a kind of high-functioning anxiety that has been affecting me for some months now. The sessions take place out our local Community Mental Health Centre. They are conducted by a separate organisation which makes use of the rooms when the centre is closed. I used to attend regular sessions with the mental health team there eight years ago, when I was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Back then it was open Monday to Friday. Now it is only open for two full days and one morning a week.
There is a poster in the waiting room that reminds us that one in four of us will suffer from mental illness in our lifetimes. A quarter of the population, even of our relatively small town, is a lot of people. When Theresa May took over as Prime Minister she made a speech about how mental health provision is an absolute priority for her government. I remember it pretty much word for word because at that point I decided to suspend judgement on her and give it time to see if she would actually stick to her word.
Fast-forward to now and not only has she failed to keep her promise, she actually lied through her teeth - and continues to do so. Mental health provision has reduced and been cut back even further, funding and resources have been slashed, healthcare professionals and trainees alike have been left in demoralised despair, and waiting lists for therapy and intensive treatment have lengthened significantly. In the worst cases, instances of suicidal patients in dire need of urgent care ending their own lives, directly because of all these factors, has increased.
Despite this, Theresa May and her inept health secretary Jeremy Hunt still state that 'funding and resources for mental health provision are increasing'. Meanwhile our local Community Mental Health Centre is a desolate windswept place that is barely able to stay open. All the reading I do supports the conclusion that this is certainly not a local phenomenon.
There have been good news stories in the UK though. Charities, NGO's and pressure groups are having some impact, raising awareness of conditions, highlighting stigma, lobbying government, campaigning online and supporting healthcare professionals and patients alike. The amazing work of Rethink Mental Illness and others is encouraging. I believe that the stigma mental illness carries is slowly reducing and people are gradually feeling more confident in being open about their mental health.
Sadly, however, for anyone with a serious underlying mental illness in the UK, getting the treatment they need to ensure the best outcome for them, and indeed society as a whole, remains a brutal uphill battle. Many people have already fought their own private battle, not just with the terribly debilitating effects of their condition but often with addiction issues from self-medicating, self-harm and suicide attempts. When they arrive at a point where they face their demons and decide to get help, most don't realise a new battle is about to commence. A battle they should never have to fight.
First you have to get past your GP. They are usually not trained in mental health and usually they will prescribe medication and send you away. Sometimes they will refer you for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy if appropriate. This is fine if you don't have a major underlying condition such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia etc. These conditions often go undiagnosed for years however, especially when the picture is complicated by alcohol or substance abuse which masks symptoms and alters the behaviour that you present with.
The major conditions are often only finally diagnosed at the point of crisis. Getting the help you need in these dire emergencies is a postcode lottery from the very first call. Many mental health crisis teams seem to operate barely a skeleton staff. Too often it is the police or paramedics who have to make the call. Then you face the fact that there will probably be no beds at the psychiatric unit and you may well have to go many miles away from your family and friends. All these worries to deal with, all this stress, when you are already in a state of complete stress overload and have broken down.
When you have a physical illness, you go to your GP and from there get referred to a specialist for treatment. There are waits and frustrations but generally if the condition is serious you can expect fairly swift action and be reassured that you will get the treatment you need in most cases. The NHS, despite the total mismanagement, dreadful funding and resource cuts and backdoor privatisation that the UK government is heaping upon it, is still an amazing, world class, free service staffed with incredible people who want to do their best for you.
There is no parity between physical and mental health treatment. Remember that poster I spoke of in the waiting room - one in four of us will have a mental health condition in our lifetimes - so, a quarter of the population will face the fight to get treatment. How much of our lives will ultimately be wasted trying to get treated? Imagine if you had diabetes or an appendicitis and you had to fight like this to get it treated.
There are no official figures on deaths of patients awaiting mental health treatment. The government doesn't want you to know how they're failing us. It's easy for Theresa May to lie about the state of mental health provision. She has no idea of the true impact her governments policies have had and continue to have on those who fight for help.
You could be forgiven for concluding that she doesn't really care.