A message from Stephen Fry for Time to Change

A message from Stephen Fry for Time to Change

>>Stephen Fry: I don’t know if you have heard the good news that the Department of Health has injected some more cash into the “Time To Change” campaign; which should allow us and the mental health charities that work with us at MIND to continue for another four years addressing the – in my opinion – single most important feature of mental health in this country. And that is the mental health not of those who suffer from some disorder or another, the mental health of the nation who, for some reason or another, continue to have a view of those who are mentally unwell which amounts to stigmatising. Stigma, it seems to me is a thing we most have to address. Time to Change is precisely the campaign that attempts to do that. And we are very pleased that the Government understands that. We are very pleased that you understand that and we hope you will support the campaign too. It is time to talk; it is time to change.

17 thoughts on “A message from Stephen Fry for Time to Change”

  1. Thank you Stephen for being so open with your own mental health. The stigma surrounding it all will not go if we don't use our voices to speak up for ourselves and those who cannot

  2. @wepul And doctors with the same attitudes are the reason it's taken 11 years for anyone to start thinking about a diagnosis, 11 years of being passed from pillar to post with no one daring to diagnose. By all means hit out about too quick, unnecerssery diagnosis, but when someone suffers from a psychiatric problem, and no one will diagnose it due to these fears, makes that person life a ,lot harder then some idiot thinking it means they're deranged.

  3. @wepul I haved lived with severe depression and social anxietioes for more then 11 years, It has been due to what a 'diagnosis' could say about me why i haven't had treatment, Until this year. I'm at a point where i can not leave my house without my partner on a good day, Can not use the phone, answer door etc etc. It's Only since seeing a psych, due to it elevating to hallucinations, That i'm finally getting a true diagnosis, the right medication and real help.

  4. Is stigma 'the thing we most have to address'? as Stephen Fry declares. 'Recovery takes place regardless of symptoms and problems' (New Horizons research). If we insist on people's diagnoses being taken into account before anything else, we are in danger of missing out on things like aspirations, goals, hopes, dreams, gifts and skills. We are also in danger of patronising people with mental health conditions, as we insist on disclosure on their behalf without consulting them first.

  5. hope this helps everyone to know that even if u have a mental health problem,it makes u no different than anyone else. u will find people will find it hard to understand, but try to give them the benefit of the doubt and try help understand. weather ur the person with it or the person who doesn't have it.

  6. I was born with my disorder but it took them 35 years before they gave me a proper diagnoises, I'm now 40 and have still not received the correct help – I have 4 long term disorders – I have fought all my life against peoples attitudes and ignorance, and will continue to do so, have been sacked many times for being ill and different – so I started my own business – believe in yourself no matter how hard life gets – Don't let them grind you down

  7. Mr Fry I've no doubt you're a man of integrity, it would be good for you to visit Mind Head Office and speak to the employees there and how they feel the Directors and Paul Farmer treat them with regards to Mental Health. On the outside Mind has a caring image the reality is far from that for those being sacked from Mind one whilst being under section, if this isn't true ask Mr Farmer the man who earns nearly the same as the Prime Minister.

  8. How comes my son whos got schizoaffective disorder and brain resistance to medication just had some crap form sent to him that i had to fill in for him because the government wants him to go to work and they want to stop hid DLA…!!!! sorry mr fry but it doesnt look like a caring government to me !!!!……….

  9. yes i agree with you, you have managed to keep calm with your comment..i will try also , but i do get angry with this rotten government, cameron..pahhhhh..thsi country is going down hill fast , and seems fuuny as the same thing happened when thatcher was in, yes that alien thatcher , remember, high streets shops gone, no jobs, influx of aliens, channel tunnel, how many islands in the world have tunnels to a main land !!! because dont forget we are an island. mental health , support, what a joke

  10. why should i live on £58 a week, just because my wife and son have mental illnesses. why, why , why…its the old saying .." THE BRAVEST WORDS COME FROM THE SAFEST PLACES "…health policies bollox…i even have to pay using 0845 numbers in regards to my sons benefits, disgusting.shame on you cameron get real , get out and see whats really going on in the uk…its not good….

  11. But there again that would be a discriminatory view from the healthcare professional which in result is stigmatisation. I am currently researching for my dissertation on stigma in mental health and so far it appears that people who stigmatise have very little knowledge of mental health and use derogatory terms such as 'loony bin' and 'psycho'. I believe that Time to Change is a promising campaign, but there have been previous attempts which failed, but the funding should help dramatically

  12. Stigma exists only in the minds of the unwell. Whose stigmatising? The neighbour.? The man walking the dog across the street? They have their own problems to deal with.

  13. 'The single, must important feature of mental health…'

    Oh please!

    I couldn't give a toss about how people view me at the moment.  I could do with some 'funding' just to keep myself alive.

    Smug, patronising and complacent nonsense.

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