Nurse

Nurse is a short series by Paul Whitehouse, a dark comedy with Esther Coles as a community mental health nurse, visiting a range of her patients (mostly played by Whitehouse). I was both intrigued and worried by this, knowing that Whitehouse is a talented character actor, that he can define different characters well; but also that making fun of mental health issues is an easy target, and not actually that funny.

What really struck me early on was that there was an interesting interplay between Nurse Liz and her patients - in some ways, her patients are more together than she is, to an extent because she has to pretend to be OK, whereas her patients don't have to. The question that it asks me again and again is Who is the one with problems? The answer is everyone, the nurse, the patients, those people like Lorrie's neighbour Maurice who is not one of Liz's patients, but maybe he should be.

What was interesting was that there was humour in the series - and it was not making fun of those who were ill. It was sometimes seeing the humour in their situations, and often the target was nurse Liz herself. Ray the forgotten rock star, who talks about all of his past glories, to put off the moment when he needs an injection in his behind, is funny and poignant. There is something of Les McQueen from The League of Gentlemen, but more nuanced, less cynical. Graham is hugely overweight, but the jokes are not AT his weight problem, but as much at those (like his mother) who pamper to his food desires. If anyone is the butt of jokes in these sketches, it is his mother, not Graham himself.

There was a sense in some of the storylines, of progress, development, a sense that there was progress happening. In the final episode this week, some of these were resolved - in various ways. Graham got out of bed and walked a little - no miracles, but important progress. Ray had nothing to say in his last meeting, his silent depression a reflection of him acknowledging his problems. And yet there is the Alzheimer's sufferer who is really no better at the end than at the beginning - her son, who is Liz's actual patient, may have had enough.

As a whole, I think the series was very sensitive to those with mental health problems. It was funny, in a rather dark way, and I would put a trigger warning on it for those with mental health issues. Not everyone would find it funny, some would consider it offensive. I am not dismissing these views, all I am saying is that for me, it was insightful. Rather than laughing at at people with mental health problems, the series as a whole did identify some of the issues that they face, some of the challenges that mental health problems cause for individuals. For me, Ray - that chatty, outgoing star who ends up unable to say anything, was perfect, and someone who (in some ways) I relate to. That is the reality for many - including myself - of depression.

So, despite some reservations, I think Paul Whitehouse has done something very good, very positive. Well done.

Germanwings crash

There has been a whole lot of discussion about the tragic crash this week, and the health of the co-pilot who (apparently) deliberately crashed the plane. There are some headlines suggesting that "people with mental health problems shouldn't work" - because we are clearly dangerous.

Aside from the ridiculous nature of these claims, I would love to never work again (of course, I would need to get paid as I currently do). The truth is that people with mental health issues can, often, work in jobs exactly as anyone else. Let me be clear - you who are reading this work with someone who has mental health issues, and you don't know about it. I can say this with reasonable confidence because it affects at least 1 in 4 people, and many of these work exactly as anyone else.

Of course, sometimes people with mental health issues have restrictions - just like people with physical health issues. If you have a broken leg, you might not be able to walk about quite as much as otherwise. If you have anxiety issues, you might not be able to cope with certain situations. It might be that people with particular health issues might not be suitable for particular jobs, something that is applicable across mental and physical health matters.

Andreas Lubitz (the co-pilot) had been cleared by Lufthansa to fly. I know that the airlines take the health of their pilots seriously, and if Andreas would not have been allowed to fly if he was unfit, either physically or mentally. I know many people with mental health issues who are perfectly safe to work in any area. The problem with Andreas was not his mental health issues - if his action was deliberate, it was because he did not have enough help and support, because he could not talk about his problems enough, he could not say "I need help".

Do you want to learn something from this tragedy? Maybe it should be that mental health is something that effects all of us. Maybe it should be that mental health is something we should talk about more. Maybe it should be that someone you know, someone you work with or socialise with, someone you meet somewhere and talk with needs help, needs to be able to talk to someone about what they are coping with (or not coping with).

To those who read this who suffer with mental health issues, talk to someone if you need to. I do help run the "Waving not Drowning" board on the Ship of Fools, which helps many people who have mental health problems. You are not alone - there are others who can listen and help. Call the Samaritans if you need to. Find those people who will not judge, who will be there for you.

To those who don't, find those around you who do, and be there for them. Nobody asks you to "understand" or offer formal counselling or medical advice. What we need most of all is people who can listen, who can hear when we are at our lowest and not get scared off. And no, it is not easy, but then living with it isn't either. We understand - we don't want you to be perfect.

It's time to talk about mental health issues. The answer to avoiding another Germanwings incident is not to label all people with mental health problems "dangerous" or "unfit to work". The answer is to accept that people have problems, and be prepared to discuss them.