--- Limerick Mental Health Week 2009 ---
Fiona Beville’s Speech:
Ladies and Gentlemen, People are complex human beings. There are many
dimensions to our lives and these dimensions are determined by
the environment in
which we live. Environment is defined as the physical, social and cultural
conditions or situations that surround us. We are here to show that
these conditions can have a serious impact on our mental health.
I’m going to highlight the social environment, Tara will
discuss the physical environment and Kathryn out third speaker
will talk about
the cultural
environment. Our mental health is defined as a state of well being, in
which people have the ability to cope with the normal stresses
of life in which
we can work productively within our community and where there is an emotional
balance in our life.
My name is Fiona, I’m 16 years old and like most young people my age,
1/3 of my life is spent within the social environment called school. Within
this little society we interact on a daily basis with fellow students, this
environment can help destroy or create our development! Dr. Mona O Moore
of the anti-bullying centre in Trinity College says that within this social
environment, 200,000 students are victims of bullying. It has been described
as a “modern social evil” “the Culture of silence”.
3 out of every 10 incidents go unreported.
Bullying is defined by the department of education as repeated verbal or
physical aggression conducted by an individual or group against others.
When this happens there is absenteeism, depression, personality changes
and sometimes
suicide.
Depression is the most common of all the mental disorders. It is characterised
by fatigue, despair, lack of concentration and very very low self esteem.
The ruthlessness of bullies and the suffering of their victims are best
described by an American researcher, Patrick Tolan when he said “Bullies are
like the lion looking for the deer that has left the herd. They try to single
out the weakest kid.” This is exactly what happened to Leanne Wolfe,
the 18 year old Cork student, who committed suicide.
As I read through her diaries, one message is clear- life was a living
hell for her, and I quote; “they thumped me straight into the face “They
egged my car” “All I’m thinking about now is killing myself.” The
lion had singled out Leanne and through constant bullying left her socially
excluded, depressed and she took her own life.
On the morning of her funeral, her sister found her diary. When they read
it, her mother said she did not recognise her own daughter and felt so
guilty. Ladies & gentlemen doesn’t this just show the lonely isolated world
of the suffering victim? Her mom is convinced that if the people were more
conscious of Leanne’s bullying problem in school, she would be alive
today. The family allowed her diary to be released and during anti0bullying
week in October, a copy of it was sent to all schools. It breaks the silence
on the torment of a suffering victim. To date this has won several awards
in Ireland & America. This is evidence that bullying is such a huge problem
and has a major impact on people’s mental health.
Many of today’s bullies use technology-this is called cyber bullying.
Victims receive unwanted text messages, phone video recordings or web posts
being used to threaten or harm someone. Ann Lynch of the national parents’ council
tells us that bullying still remains the main reason why parents and students
contact them. 13% of victims have changed their phone numbers.
As pupils leave the school environment, 1 in 5 victims are afraid to walk
home-we know the evidence is there… Parents have to collect their children
from school. We must realise that our social environment within the school
keeps changing. Take for example special needs students who have ADHD-that
is students with hyperactivity & attention disorder. When we researched
this topic on Healthyliving.com we found that a recent study in Sweden
shows that ADHD students are 4 times more likely to be bullies. We must
realise
that the medication which these students are on, help with their attention
span only, it does not stop them from being bullies.
But the bullying does not stop once the victims leave the school gate.
If 8 out of 10 young people use bebo, the torture can continue within the
privacy
of their own bedrooms and unknown to parents, bullies continue to ruin
other students’ lives.
Mental health Ireland encourages us to confide in family, friends or counsellors
to help us so if the victims don’t do this they remain unhappy within
their home environment.
In case we think we are under any illusions; young people are not the only
bullies. 40% of employees in the work place suffer in the same way as young
people. Many become socially excluded by having to leave their place of
work and cannot any longer contribute to their work environment.
Mairead Gaffney, a senior psychologist in Mental Health and Social Exclusion,
in a report in 2004 strongly stressed the importance of returning to work.
Work means social inclusion.
As we speak the Irish Examiner reported recently 30% increase in bullying
in the work place. This is due to economic down turn, and those most vulnerable
are suffering, especially non-skilled or semi-skilled workers. During our
research, we came across a website called SpunOut.ie. Spun out has won
a HSE award because provides a friendly, accessible and quality non-stop
source
of information, support and help to those suffering. Just like the first
ever walk-in mental health clinic in Ireland located in galway.
The employment equality act 1998 is there to protect workers within their
work environment. Anti-bullying policies in school must protect against
bullying and be updated regularly. . If procedures are not followed through,
the suffering
continues and all the policies in the country are useless. They may as
well become dead documents gathering dust in some principals or managers
office.
Tara Kelly’s Speech:
Oscar Wilde once said: “When man is happy, he is in harmony with himself
and his environment.” In the context of this topic being discussed,
I think that this is a relevant quote. If man has a sense of well-being
and is emotionally balanced, his mental health will thrive within the environment
in which he lives... I would like to discuss the impact of the physical
environment
on our mental health. When I talk about the physical environment, I mean
the built environment, especially within socially disadvantaged areas,
where there are dilapidated buildings, unattractive landscapes, high unemployment
and high rise apartments where there is no accessibility to education and
social services.
In 2003, a British researcher, Gary Evans, wrote a book called “The
Built Environment.” He highlighted the importance of how poor housing
quality, unattractive buildings with no central heating for example, can
lead to stress, anxiety, social isolation and depression – all symptoms
of poor mental health. Within this physical urban environment in Ireland,
this has proven to be the case.
Take for example the high rise apartments of Ballymun. An environmentalist
called Frank McDonald described the building of the high-rise flats
as the worst planning disaster in the history of the state. Urban
regeneration began
ten years ago and although it’s still not the finished vision, it's
getting there. Today the town of Ballymun is people centred. It boasts
a new main street, football pitches, art projects, and an ultra modern
leisure
centre. The local Drugs Task is working successfully. There has been no
increase in heroin in recent years and no waiting queues for methadone
treatment in
this area. This is a far cry from the days of the high rise flats. Bono
sings about a desperate and suicidal heroin addict in one of his songs
and I quote:
I see 7 towers but I only see one way out.
Private and Public companies have invested in the area. 40% of houses
are privately owned.
In 2008, IKEA, the furniture company created 500 jobs in Ballymun.
Employment, as Fiona has already said, is social inclusion. A job
gives high self-esteem
and positive mental health. A salary gives independence and freedom
of choice. Any research we have found about unemployment in socially
disadvantaged
areas
highlight how it leads to distress, anxiety and depression- all of
which are mental illnesses. A recent study in Britain states that
those unemployed
spent more time at the doctors, took more medication and spent more
time in bed than those employed and who had the very same illnesses.
The impoverished
urban areas in Limerick might take hope from the regeneration of
Ballymun.
There is an upbeat feeling of hope and expectation that the regeneration
of the urban physical environment in Limerick City will help improve
the mental health of its residents. People can fulfil themselves
within their
community. The very fact that this project is happening is living
proof of the need for a new look.
John Fitzgerald, chairman of this regeneration program said on the
Marion Finucane show that not only are we rebuilding houses, but
more importantly,
we are rebuilding our communities. While we admit that there are
other negatives contributing to the social problems in these areas,
mental
health is one
of the most serious in this region. The Limerick branch of Barnados
tells us that in the Mid-West Region, Limerick city has the highest
rate of self-harm.
Self harm means a deliberate injury to ones body without the intent
of suicide. It is a means by which people manifest their mental suffering.
Limerick City
also has the highest rate of methadone treatment patients attending
clinics
in the Mid-West Region. 70% are from urban areas of Limerick. These
facts speak for themselves and portray the need for urban regeneration.
In the past 10 years, a lot of research has been done in both England
and Ireland to highlight the mental health of single mothers, living
within
the built environment. Did you know that single mothers who reside
in high rise
apartments are most likely to be the mothers suffering from post
natal depression? After the birth of a baby, a woman’s health is vulnerable, both physically
and emotionally. Imagine living 5 storeys high, without accessibility to
social services, without a stable relationship maybe and without an attractive
green environment. This really is social isolation and it’s not surprising
that her mental health suffers. Added to this is the responsibility of
a new baby.
Children equally feel isolated in the same way as mothers so within
this unattractively built environment. They have little or no opportunity
to
play right outside their own door. If you plant a tender flower and
nurture it
in the right environment, it will grow to blossom to its full potential.
In the same way, a child must be nurtured and all physical environments
must be child centred. For example, they must have access to libraries,
social
services, schools, a green environment and natural surroundings.
This gives comfort and warmth and according to the Swiss psychiatrist,
Karl
Young,
warmth is a vital element for the growing plant and the soul of the
child.
I have talked about the unattractive physical buildings where people
have to live on a daily basis within the 4 depressing walls they
call home.
Add to this, lack of space and lack of privacy which many people
experience in
socially dis-advantaged areas. For those who do not own their own
houses, there is a sense of hopelessness and despair in the community.
Man
is not happy within in this environment.
So take 4 depressing walls, no space, no privacy, non-ownership of
your house... now add to this community noise... You get a lethal
cocktail for
mental illness.
The world health organisation, in a medical journal in 2004, highlighted
that community noise is one of the greatest sources of stress in
socially disadvantaged area. Noise is defined as unwanted and unwelcome
sound,
and strikes the very cord of our nervous system. The world health
organisation has found that in urban areas, where community noise
is greatest, the
use
of tranquilisers is highest. Tranquilisers are medically given to
release anxiety. They are often called anti-anxiety drugs as they
relieve sweaty
hands, palpitations, fear and sleepless patterns... But they are
a only a mask, covering up the serious mental health symptoms which
leave
people
whose
lives are disturbed by noise, excluded and emotionally imbalanced.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, let me take you back to my opening
quote... “When
man is happy, he is in harmony with himself and his environment”. I
think that I’ve proven to you that when man is not in harmony with
his environment, his happiness suffers.
Cian Stephenson’s Speech (Sub: Kathryn McMahon):
Glamour queens in size 2 jeans.
Who are these glamour queens in size 2 jeans?
Making me look in the mirror
And hate what I see
Making me ugly and awkward
Making me eat rice cakes or whatever it takes
To fit into size 2 jeans
Making me punish myself
I hate myself
I hurt myself
I feel disgusted when I give in
To the temptation of sin
But why is it a sin
To feed our bodies
To nurture ourselves
To connect with ourselves…
To be ourselves.
This poem, written by an American teenager, has appeared in a teenage
magazine in America. It relates to the mental illness of eating
disorders. It has
a deep, serious message especially for many of today’s young women
who strive for bodily perfection. They want to fit into the size 2 jeans
and in the process, they disconnect with themselves and become another
person. This poem could be dedicated to the 7 million women world wide
who suffer
from anorexia nervosa and bulimia.
These are very serious illnesses and affect their sense of well
being as well as their emotional balance. Bulimia is characterized
by binge
eating,
followed by a feeling of guilt and then throwing up food. Anorexia
nervosa is a serious eating disorder, mainly affecting young
women in which they
suffer the intense fear of looking fat, avoid food and lose weight.
The side effects include fainting fits and blood pressure problems.
But this is the cultural environment in which we live. But what
is culture?
Culture is a pattern of behaviour and attitudes of a society
at any given time. Culture is how we think judge and perceive
what
is acceptable
and
what is not, but most of culture is about IDENTITY. In a celebrity-obsessed
world,
body perfection is the identity of our time. Body perfection
is not just a standard; it is the norm and anything that does
not
fit the
norm is met
with peer rejection, social exclusion, verbal and physical abuse
to name but a few.
This is a shallow reflection of our culture. The beauty queens
in size 2 jeans are the goddesses of our time and they eat into
the
self esteem
and
sense of well being of young women today. The cultural environment
is fuelled by the presence of the media. It is a sad reflection
of our cultural environment
that we love and admire the starving women. She has control and
discipline over her food intake and she is rewarded by today’s media.
Nowhere is the perfect image more promoted than in the glossy
magazine, music videos and films. Media creates an illusion and
portrays
it as reality. The
more women look at the media image of the beauty queen the more
depressed they get. In a survey, 80% of women said they felt
dissatisfied with
their body image after reading a glossy magazine.
They feel forced to attempt the impossible and go outside the
boundaries of nature. But airbrushing is a brilliant technique.
It portrays
perfection, as one top editor of a glossy magazine said “it can straighten teeth,
get rid of wrinkles, and take out unwanted bulges”
Women will try anything to re-invent themselves. We can look
at the perfect Sharon Osborne. With all her nips and tucks and
implants,
she makes the
average woman envious. But seriously, research has shown us that
the sad fact is
20% of these women with eating disorders will die.
As I said, culture is how we perceive and judge what is acceptable
and what is not. As well as the body perfect image being the
norm, being masculine
and feminine is still very much the norm. Despite the open culture
of our lesbian and gay young people, despite the positive development
of the “belong
to youth” project which was set up in 1987 and funded by the Dept
of education, despite the equal status act of 2004 which outlaws discrimination
against gay and lesbian workers, an accepted discrimination and strange
silence
still exists against gay and lesbian people.
Research in America shows that homosexual people are 3 times
more likely to suffer physical and verbal abuse than their heterosexual
partners.
This insincere cultural environment has not accepted those who
do not fit with
the norm of body perfect or being masculine and feminine and
has
caused a lot of stress, depression and suicide. Even in the school’s today,
can we honestly say most schools have a policy on homophobic bullying?
I think ladies and gentlemen, the answer is no.
How many people can look at the posters sent to schools by the
equality authority and agree with its slogan; “He is gay and we’re cool
with that.”
Most of these young people turn to drugs and alcohol for comfort
and thus they become socially excluded
Our own president, Mary Mcaleese has expressed her concern about
the link between homophobia and suicide. Last October at the
youth seminar
in Galway,
she said everyone has the right to their own sexual orientation
and that homophobia was the first cousin to sectarianism. I think
this
is a good
comparison because she herself faced prejudice due to her religious
beliefs and her
family were driven out of Belfast by loyalists.
She calls for a cultural environment of diversity. Diversity
means understanding other people who are different to us.
During the last 3 speeches, we have shown you that there is no
question about it. That the physical, social and cultural environment
has
a true impact
on our lives, especially our mental health.
1 in 4 people will suffer from mental illness and will be affected
by the environment in which they live. But how can it be any
other way ladies
and gentlemen because Man and his environment will always be
interlinked.
But I will leave you with one thought. That within our community,
country and worldwide, we must always remember that mental health
is and always
should be central to human dignity.
Thank you.
Thanks to Fiona, Tara, Cian & Ann Kennedy @ St. Nessans Community College Limerick.