This blog was inspired by reading an interview by Neil Morrisey who played Fagin in the recent production of Oliver in Dublin. I unfortunately didn't get to see the production but was intrigued while reading the interview when I came across the fact that Charles Dickens' father had been sent to a Debtors' Prison and how this had had a huge impact on Charles Dickens' life. Curiosity got the better of me and I found myself reading more about Charles Dickens and his experiences here is a link to some of them http://www.historyinanhour.com/2012/02/07/dickens-and-debt/. As you can see it wasn't an easy life and family life became completely fragmented, on the other hand you can see where he channelled a lot of his experiences into writing which were invaluable.
Well we all know and can be thankful that things have changed but it got me thinking about the impact of this recession and the financial crisis that Ireland continues to try and deal with; the impact that this is having on families and individuals. We have seen Pieta House launch a new campaign called Mind Our Men because there are 8 males completing a suicide every week in Ireland. Another article I read spoke of averages of 1 in 4 people suffering mental health issues in their lives, but because of financial pressures that becomes 1 in 2. I read another story in the paper today and the concern for teenagers who are reaching higher levels of stress, self-harm and suicidal behaviour and the thinking behind this is because teenagers are having to deal in their own way with the stresses that this recession is having on families Everyday we hear about spending cuts, new taxes and how these taxes are going to be paid one way or the other, if not willingly they can be taken from your wages. Insolvency laws that have now been introduced are coming in for some harsh criticism, and we hear stories about politicians making references to what kind of things people should or should not be spending their money on - there was a reference made to having the money to pay for something like sky television and that this was questionable, banks dictating where people can send their children to school and how much money a family should be able to spend on food and more recently the possibility of women being forced to quit their jobs if they cannot afford childcare. We hear about people who are in negative equity and how they will be paying off mortgages for the rest of their lives.
It appears that although we may not have the same kind of Debtors' Prison that we had many many years ago, however we seem to have invented a new kind of one. We don't lock up people anymore in prisons for debt but through reckless lending and reckless property pricing among other things we have managed to create a society that has locked people into a prison of debt;, there aren't any bars on the windows but what's on offer doesn't seem to be offering people a lot of freedom or support in helping them to manage their way through it. It seems that as always the people who created the mess continue to thrive, declaring bankruptcy in other countries with proclamations about reinventing their businessess and other people who are left behind to pick up the pieces are carrying the burden!
In the midst of all this pressure and stress though I am reminded again why everybody needs to be aware of how they self-care and help themselves deal with the pressure and stress. Don't be afraid to look for help, and although there is a perception that Psychotherapy and Counselling can be costly, my advice is to look for and find therapists who offer this service and can meet your needs. There is no need for people to have to wait either, some of the voluntary organisations have long waiting lists but there our Centres like ourselves www.johnstowntherapy.com who continue to offer services to people at a cost that they can afford. Your health is your wealth!
