Welfare state costs £473 BILLION!!!!

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

Wookster wrote: »

The real problem is that Labour had a good (actually great) chance to reform the welfare state while the times were good.

Instead they sat on their bums and let the number of benefit and disability claimants rise to a silly level (i.e. 1M disability benefit claimants - we must be a country of infirmed)..

Physically infirm,fair enough but people claiming for stress,drug and alcohol addiction and the constant cry of I'm depressed I don't agree with.
What is wrong with people nowadays that whinge constantly about stress.
We were told to just get on with it.
As for depression,I know true depression is bad but we all have bad days and I don't think some people know the difference.
And what's all this panic attack and agraphobia that's suddenly sweeping the country.
I think we've allowed people to get too self indulgent and normal uncomfortable emotions have become symptoms of illness to some.

SingleSue

Serious depression is a hell of a lot worse than a 'bad day'.

Those who have never had this true, severe depression, often think it is just about having a bad day but it is much much more than that.

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

SingleSue wrote: »

Serious depression is a hell of a lot worse than a 'bad day'.

Those who have never had this true, severe depression, often think it is just about having a bad day but it is much much more than that.

Totally agree with you,I had post natal depression myself and it's terrible but I know of two young men both in their early twenties who have been on the sick with depression who happily go the pub and do all the other things twenty year olds do and don't seem very sick to me.
One even admitted they've never ever taken the pills as they don't need them it's the people like this I'm talking about who make a mockery of genuine people with depression.

SingleSue

Oh, yes know those sorts...they tend to give most everyone the wrong idea about those with depression.

I had PND x 3, some mild depression in between and then a major breakdown in early 2005...the breakdown was horrendous, took me 3 years to get over it but was only off work when it was at its absolute worse (full sick pay from my company, so no benefit claim for it) and walls, bridges, sharp objects etc were no longer a fatal attraction for me.

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

SingleSue wrote: »

Oh, yes know those sorts...they tend to give most everyone the wrong idea about those with depression.

I had PND x 3, some mild depression in between and then a major breakdown in early 2005...the breakdown was horrendous, took me 3 years to get over it but was only off work when it was at its absolute worse (full sick pay from my company, so no benefit claim for it) and walls, bridges, sharp objects etc were no longer a fatal attraction for me.

Hope you are ok now.
Once was bad enough for me but you suffering three times,that's just not fair.
You need a medal coming through that.

sequence

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/163850bn-official-cost-of-the-bank-bailout-1833830.html

Only 473bn ? Thats a tiny amount when we can afford to give the w@nkers million pound bonuses and a loan !

ses6jwg

The welfare state should be there for when times get tough, not a way of life.

Davesnave

MRSTITTLEMOUSE wrote: »

And what's all this panic attack and agraphobia that's suddenly sweeping the country.
I think we've allowed people to get too self indulgent and normal uncomfortable emotions have become symptoms of illness to some.

Ah, I can tell you about that one. Basically, you can be anywhere, and suddenly your heart goes into overdrive, even though you might be sitting down on a bus and thinking about kippers for tea.

As you have done nothing to set your body off like that, you naturally feel scared. Automatically, your body releases adrenaline which makes the symptoms worse. You will start to sweat and breathe heavily, and unless you get the breathing under control, you hyperventilate, causing faintness. At this point you will need to lay down, or you may fall down anyway.

People who don't know what's going on often deteriorate further, becoming physically sick. My experience, even when aware of the nature of the problem, was that one needed to find a toilet PDQ, thanks to the involuntary bowel movements which also occur. Afterwards, you feel like you've run a half marathon and just want to lie down in a dark corner.

All in all then, not a great thing to have on the No47 to Newport Pagnell.:o

Worse, there used to be doctors with an attitude like yours, who would say helpful things like: 'You've got to pull yourself together, Mr Snave.'
Really handy advice, that was!

Fortunately, after a couple of bad experiences through the usual NHS channels, I met a lady doctor, who prescribed beta-blockers and explained that although they wouldn't stop the attacks, they'd regulate heart rhythm sufficiently to give me a fighting chance of gaining control. That proved correct, so within 4 months I'd beaten the panics for good.

It doesn't always work out like that. While I was having treatment I met someone who had sufficient funds and connections inside the medical profession to gain access to the best help available. Despite that, he was medically unable to take beta-blockers or find any solution. He did a very high powered job in the media, always knowing that at any point he might suddenly keel over. It must have been a nightmare.

The point is, neither of us gave up the day job. I sympathise with what you say when it is related to those swinging the lead, but it is wrong to imagine that illnesses which are not understood very well, or which have no physical symptoms most of the time, are 'imaginary.'

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

Davesnave wrote: »

Worse, there used to be doctors with an attitude like yours, who would say helpful things like: 'You've got to pull yourself together, Mr Snave.'
Really handy advice, that was!


The point is, neither of us gave up the day job. I sympathise with what you say when it is related to those swinging the lead, but it is wrong to imagine that illnesses which are not understood very well, or which have no physical symptoms most of the time, are 'imaginary.'

Dave please don't think I'm getting at genuine cases I'm talking about people who use the very problems you talk about to their advantage.
It's just too easy to look these things up,(what does'nt the internet tell you) and then declare you suffer from them.
It's not easy to disprove,surely you know that but very unfair for genuine sufferers like yourself.

SingleSue

MRSTITTLEMOUSE wrote: »

Hope you are ok now.
Once was bad enough for me but you suffering three times,that's just not fair.
You need a medal coming through that.

Not too bad, I have good days and bad days but none really too much more than the normal person, so it is dealable (is that a word?).

I liken it to the teetering on the edge, at the moment I am teetering and looking to the long drop down but it could quite easily become a full pelt slide down the cliff face, recovery is the hauling one self back up the cliff face to the teetering position and then hopefully to the nice patch of grass where you can have a picnic.

This was the time of year me and hubby split, so I am always more emotional and down than at other times...this year being made worse by worry over my eldest son.

My normal online name is far more apt for my character than my online name on here :rotfl: