Benefit Street, Brighton.

People paid good money to go and see the inmates of Bedlam.  I'm thinking of charging for personal appearances on the bus, in the shops, etc. (Imagine if we all did that! They'd soon see how many of us there are and be bellowing for Something To Be Done.)                                   One of the most common comments people make  since I left The Regency Town House is "You're so brave." Not, I hasten to add, because I've left the Town House, but because I tell people why I left. I also hasten to add, to anyone who has said those words to me, that I appreciate what you're saying, and the spirit in which it was said. But it just isn't true. I never have been. Oh, I don't deny that I've done things which might seem brave: dragging my kids from one continent to another with a couple of private detectives one step behind might seem brave - but it wasn't. I was petrified the whole t...

Now that I’ve had intimate, lived experience of how the NHS in England functions within the parameters of Mental Health policy, I feel it’s important to speak out. It is now more important than ever that people – whether involved with community projects or not – understand exactly how the current system is failing Britain. In yesterday’s blog I gave suggestions as to how one could supplement the NHS Mental Health programme. To-day I’m illustrating some of the stories of NHS patients, and public perceptions. 1.    Attitudes to Mental Health. I’m sure we are all in agreement that public the perception of Mental Health issues has changed due to more education and exposure to the role mental health plays in the overall health of Britain? My frequent ‘Victorian’ jibe in relation to mental health care could, possibly, be therefore dismissed as hyperbole. But the reality is that  most marginalized people – of all ages – who are currently experiencing the worst aspect...