Does society make us mad?

I'm trying to catch up on this blog - last Friday week nearly 70 of us squeezed into hear 6 or 7 speakers on mental health at the monthly Coffee House Discussion in Stroud - each spoke for 5 mins on their own experiences as workers and/or users of mental health services - we don't normally get so many speakers but one dropped out so there was a rapid phone around to see if others could be found - several of them didn't confirm and then turned up!!

Photos: Cafe discussion

In fact it made it all the more interesting - some great discussions around the tables looking at many aspects from personal experiences, the prejudices and stigma around mental health to whether our society is making us mad. A particularly powerful talk was from a woman who experienced some 5 years in hospital and talked about her health now having moved back to Stroud - she talked particularly about the healing powers of walks - see a previous blog of mine on that here.

I've also quoted in the past on this blog the research at Cornell University study that shows that if you want your children to grow up to actively care about the environment, give them plenty of time to play in the *wild* before they're 11 years old. It is no wonder there is so little understanding about our environment...

One issue I raised was re Oliver James' work - see previous post on his book Affluenza here and his newer book goes into more detail - 'The Selfish Capitalist' is a devastatingly clear account of why our obsession with economic growth is leading to a huge increase in human misery.

Capitalism is based on increased consumption, increased work and increased inequality. Oliver in his book argues that the work of Mrs Thatcher, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, in removing barriers to capitalism, have created an epidemic of mental illness. They have privatised and deregulated, all three celebrating billionaires and worshipping corporations. Although this is supposed to raise standard of living it has made almost all of us poor when it comes to quality of life. In a dog eat dog society people, insecurity and unhappiness have risen to extraordinary degrees.

As Greens we know ever increasing economic growth is ecologically impossible - it is time others woke up to this - now we have a reminder us that economic growth is also no guarantee of a better life.

The book covers research that indicates that a society's increased Gross National Product (GDP) can actually lead to greater dissatisfaction. His powerful interpretation of 'To Have or to Be' by Erich Fromm, psychologist and grandfather of green politics, is great stuff - as blog readers may know I have worked as a social worker and have more recently been working as a Community Mental Health Worker so it is good to read something that really rings true.

I also just read that Derek Wall, one of the Principal Speakers of the Green party said: "If you read one book this year, read 'The Selfish Capitalist – it provides powerful food for thought and will be a vital campaigning tool for those who want to move to a new greener, gentler, people orientated economy."

Derek highlights as a flavour of the persuasiveness of Oliver James' critique this passage:

"We desperately need - and before long, I predict we will get – a passionate, charismatic, probably female leader who advocates the Unselfish Capitalism of our [Western European] neighbours. The pitch is simple. Not only would reduced consumerism and greater equality make us more ecologically sustainable, it would halve the prevalence of mental illness within a generation. With overstimulated aspirations and expectations, the entrepreneurial fantasy society fosters the delusion that anyone can be Alan Sugar or Bill Gates, never mind that the actual likelihood of this occurring has diminished since the 1970s. A Briton turning 20 in 1978 was more likely than one doing so in 1990 to achieve upward mobility through education.

"Nonetheless, in the Big Brother It Could Be You society, great swaths of the population believe they can become rich and famous, and that it is highly desirable. This is most damaging of all - the ideology that material affluence is the key to fulfilment and open to anyone willing to work hard enough. Selfish Capitalism stokes up relative materialism: unrealistic aspirations and the expectation that they can be fulfilled. It does so to stimulate consumerism in order to increase profits and promote short-term economic growth. Indeed, I maintain that high levels of mental illness are essential to Selfish Capitalism, because needy, miserable people make greedy consumers and can be more easily suckered into perfectionist, competitive workaholism."

Anyhow the fact that so many people turned up to the event that was not advertised at all well is an indication of interest and need for more on such topics - one other point I also made was a call for more street parties as a way of cutting isolation and building community - talking of which I must get thumb out re Bread Street Street party - provisional date 28th June - but need to talk to more neighbours - having said that, street parties will not deal with the very real challenges of living with a mental health problem....hey lots more to write on all this but need coffee and want to go out in snow...for my mental health...

Oliver on his latest book here and more on Coffee House Discussions here.