Warning: discussion of suicide Last week in my county division, someone stood at the edge of a motorway bridge with the intention of jumping off. Fortunately, the emergency services got there in time and their life was saved. I know personally the devastation that suicide can bring on family and friends. My close relative died […]
mental health
The January Blues: Depression
The still, dark days of January are often associated with heightened levels of depression. Actually, depression is omnipresent. The charity Mind details depression as ranging from mild to moderate to severe. They list some types of depression: Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)– depression that usually (but not always) occurs in the winter. Dysthymia– continuous mild depression […]
Willie Rennie to run almost 5 marathons in 4 days to raise funds for mental health charity
As far as we know, Scotland doesn’t have any elections this May. Willie Rennie isn’t going to be slacking though. Over the Easter weekend, he’ll be running the 117 miles of the Fife Coastal Path which runs from the Firth of Forth to the Forth of Tay. He hopes to raise £1000 at least for […]
Willie Rennie’s Christmas Message: Scottish Lib Dems stand up for better mental health, education and police services
Embed from Getty Images Here is Willie Rennie’s Christmas Message: May I wish everyone a Merry Christmas. 2017 was the year the Liberal Democrats turned the corner. We started winning elections again with more MPs and in charge of more councils. I believe that winning is not just good for the Liberal Democrats but is […]
How the Samaritans helped me and how they can help you
In the last two years, I have been helped twice by the Samaritans. The first time was when I had a number of personal, family and work issues piling up. I felt as though everything was getting on top of me, and that if I wasn’t careful, I would end up feeling worse. As usual […]
Improving Mental Health Services For Our Young People
On Monday 30th October I asked the Government what action they were taking to ensure that children and young people could access mental health services in a timely way. I have been campaigning to improve CAMHS and this was my latest attempt to put the Government on the spot. The best that Lord O’Shaughnessy, the […]
Notes from a new councillor: How to change things
I am frustrated about the bureaucracy I recently encountered as a County Councillor. Oxfordshire Mind, which provides many valuable mental health services throughout the county, has a new initiative to promote mental health awareness throughout Oxfordshire. The question I submitted to the Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Public Health was: Oxfordshire Mind is seeking […]
Notes from a new councillor: How to change things
I am frustrated about the bureaucracy I recently encountered as a County Councillor. Oxfordshire Mind, which provides many valuable mental health services throughout the county, has a new initiative to promote mental health awareness throughout Oxfordshire. The question I submitted to the Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Public Health was: Oxfordshire Mind is seeking […]
Mental Health deaths must not be neglected
This October, I will have been associated with the Liberals and the Liberal Democrats for some 45 years. In 1972 I joined the Liberal Students at Manchester University Medical School where my best subjects were Psychology and Psychiatry so it is unsurprising, perhaps, that I have not only pursued the interests of the NHS as […]
Mental Health deaths must not be neglected
This October, I will have been associated with the Liberals and the Liberal Democrats for some 45 years. In 1972 I joined the Liberal Students at Manchester University Medical School where my best subjects were Psychology and Psychiatry so it is unsurprising, perhaps, that I have not only pursued the interests of the NHS as […]