I visited the site included in this article, and was really impressed at this positive attitude taken towards mental illhealth. Presently, I am studying medicine and I have a keen interest in Psychiatry, but I do not fully agree with the way in which psychiatric illness is delt with in the UK. Simply prescribing patients pills may reduce their symptoms, and it may be more pleasent for the general public, but it does not completely solve the problems the patient has encountered in the first place. I feel that decreasing the stigma attached to psychiatric illness will help patients deal with their problems more openly and should hopefully reduce the suicide rate in Britain. This is a very positive step in reducing the incidence and mortality associated with psychiatric problems.

Nobody in this country should be homeless if they do not wish to be. Homelessness was dangerous, degrading and full of hopelessness, I survived but I had a miserable existence. Mental health services for children and young people are being cut and a new generation of homeless youngsters is emerging, it just isn’t good enough. Self harm amongst young people has reached epidemic proportions. Despite millions being poured into the NHS, the services aren’t there for them. Money was wasted, services are being withdrawn and at the same time it is getting harder to claim benefits. Many charities now exist to help the vulnerable, statutory services do a bad job, more funding should to go to charities and less to the statutory services.