BDT Q&A with Alastair Campbell – send us your questions
* Do governments need to be doing for mental illness sufferers? If so what?
* Should we be measuring country-wide happiness and wellbeing?
* What did you think of his recent book The Happy Depressive? And his mental-illness focused novel All In The Mind?
* Are politicians more prone to mental health issues, but the last to come out about them?
Now’s your chance to ask
Best known for his time as Tony Blair’s media advisor, and before that a Government-baiting journalist, Alastair Campbell has in more recent times gained attention for his work in raising awareness of depression and mental health by talking about his own personal battles with this invisible condition.
Campbell has written extensively about depression, and his latest venture is a digital book called The Happy Depressive: In Pursuit of Personal and Political Happiness. The UK government recently conducted its first ever happiness survey, and in his book Campbell questions what happiness should mean to us both on a personal level and collectively as a nation. Taking some economic theories, he questions how happiness can survive in a grossly negative media culture and how it could inform social policy? And what is truly the fundamental part of happiness? He also recently wrote a blog post, partly inspired by Blackdogtribe.com, about how he dealt with an episode of depression when his good friend Philip Gould passed away, which is featured in the book. You can read an excerpt of it here.
Campbell is not the only one wanting to do something about the stigma surrounding mental health in this country. The Labour health spokesperson, Andy Burnham, recently called for a rethink of the UK’s mental health policy. In a speech, Burnham said there is a need to think of the reform of the NHS, social care and mental health not as three separate, distinct challengers but together as an integrated, preventative, people-centred system.
Now for the really exciting news; we are delighted to announce that Alastair Campbell will be joining us for a Q&A session next week, but we need your help!
If you have a burning question you would like to ask Alastair, please post it in the box below, on Facebook or email us on sutro@blackdogtribe.com before Wednesday 8th February and we will forward as many as we can to him.
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I'm hseont about this: If I thought there was the slightest chance that I was a phony, I would think about it and correct it if that were the case.TMink and his ilk just get aggressive and throw feces.
Write something...Unfortunately I think that some of your actions, ie that led to resignations at the BBC, are something to be very depressed about - death of Dr David Kelly, Iraq war with casualties on both sides, lies told while New Labour in government - all this is very depressing and if you are a sensitive soul you will go on being depressed - a bleak outlook!
I think I'd be depressed if I'd taken Britain to war based on the lie of WMDs.
I sort of agree with this comment, and it kind of means I can't trust Alastair Campbell. I find it hard to reconcile someone who has had sad and depressing episodes and can still say "Any decision, you can go back over it, but on the big picture, on the leadership that he [Tony Blair ] showed, on the leadership that the British government showed on this issue, I was privileged to be there and I'm very very proud of the part that I was able to play." with regards to the Iraq invasion. Someone who has been at the centre of something that has caused suffering, both physical and mental, should be more apologetic. So perhaps the question I would like to ask is "Do you think your mental health had anything to do with suppressed guilt?"
I watched you and Ruby last night on The Week and I think there is a stigma to mentioning a mental illness when you are in a position of responsibility. Did everyone treat you the same? Or did you find that there were some, some that you thought would be OK with you, that were awkward with you?
Should secure/semi secure mental health facilities be in the NHS or private sector? Where do you stand on offenders with mental health problems serving sentences in prison/in hospital?
Did you recieve treatment/support from health services for your depression? If so, what was helpful/less helpful? What makes a good Mental Health Nurse?
You were in a high profile position when you 'came out' as experiencing depression. Did this have a negative effect on the way your work was percieved?
Dee
what do you think needs to be done to address the issue of stigma of mental health issues, particularly amongst employers and to allow room for coping strategies to be used to support continued employment? (love the blog btw)
Write something...My question is:Alastair how did you manage to do such a high profile and high pressured job whilst suffering from depression?
Write something...
John Sawkins (not anonymous)
Write something..
Why do you think it is the case that only sensitive people are deemed suitable cases for psychiatric treatment, whilst psychopaths and folk with narcissistic personality disorder are generally not only tolerated, but promoted to the very top positions in society (despite the collateral damage they always leave in their wake in terms of the impact not only on the people they come into contact with but also theirfmily members and friends, too?
P.S. I know through seeing your programme about mental illness on TV and through reading your novel, All in the Mind, that you are a sensitive soul, Alastair!