Alistair Campbell- a book about his depression, will you buy it?

To describe depression the way you have done trisher is really wrong and shows a complete lack of empathy for those suffering from such a dreadful illness.

You would be the bigger woman if you apologised for your posts.

I am angry and upset, my darling daughter took her life, she
was a loving, caring woman, would going to confession have saved her life and cured the bipolar.

To use such a serious illness to score political points is as low
as anyone could sink.

I saw Alastair Campbell being interviewed on TV this morning. At least one chapter of this latest book is about the suicide of his cousin and the impact it had on the cousins family.

At the moment I cannot see me reading it, purely because since lockdown I have the attention span of a goldfish and have been sticking to uplifting reading material.

Anniebach please do not let posters get to you.

I may borrow it from the library when it opens. I agree with other posters. This isn’t a political issue as he has suffered depression from a young age. I also think that he is a very competent writer so if his experiences can help other people that is all to the good. What really makes me angry is some celebrities ‘jumping on the bandwagon’ of mental health particularly when they have a new album or book to publish. This does nothing for people who really do suffer with mental health problems who deserve our support and help. Unfortunately, the term ‘mental health problems’ is now being used so frequently that it is losing it’s meaning and people are becoming de-sensitised. This may well mean that those with genuine mental health issues fail to get the help and treatment they need. Sorry wibbled on a bit too long!!!

Thank you GrannyGravy x I am ok, but admit angry , I am
supporting my three grandchildren who are still trying to come to terms with their mother’s suicide and have my own grief to deal with, to read such tripe !

It isn't a book I will read but it's good that there's a lot more discussion about and recognition of the debilitating effects of depression, especially for men because I think they still find it difficult too talk about.

I'm not sure how to distinguish a 'genuine' mental health problem from the opposite.
We are a very unequal society and poverty brings depression with it when value is placed on possessions not people.
There are many personality disorders, developmental disorders, loneliness, chronic illnesses, disability all of which may well have a mental health component.
Unless you walk in the shoes of another, you never know what they are feeling inside or what challenges they are facing. Stiff upper lip-ness has done a lot of damage in the past and its legacy still lingers.

Is he donating the proceeds of his book sales to a mental health charity ?

I shall probably read it, mainly to spite those who think he is jumping on the celebrity bandwagon. His political past has nothing to do with his lifelong struggle with depression and I hope his book may help others who are told 'to pull themselves together' by the millions of people who have no understanding of the deep darkness of depression.

Well said GillT57

Firstly I seldom use family or personal experiences to support any of my posts on GN, but having been brought up with a father who was treated for what was then called manic depression (now known as bipolar) I have probably as much experience of mental health issues as any. I certainly reject any idea that I am not sympathetic or understanding of anyone with depression. I have family who have attempted suicide, family who have been sectioned and family who have battled depression so those of you who like to play the one upmanship game I can probably out play all of you as far as mental health goes. However having that experience does not in any way make me sympathetic to someone who behaves badly and then complains that they had mental health issues. As the psychiatrist told my mother when she asked how she should treat my dad when he was released from a mental hospital after electric shock treatment. "Treat him as you would anyone else. If he upsets you let him know. Mental health issues do not mean you have to tolerate bad behaviour"
And that is my complaint about Alistair Campbell when he was politically active he behaved very badly now apparently because he has mental health issues we are all supposed to forget about that. Well sorry I'm not buying that.

Whitewavemark2 I'll apologise for my remarks about Alistair Campbell when he apologises to the people of the Middle East.

Alastair wasn’t a spokesperson for the labour government because he suffered with depression, so no connection.

Suppose like Corbyn he could say ‘ I was there but I don’t
know if I was involved ‘.

so those of you who like to play the one upmanship game I can probably out play all of you as far as mental health goes.
Top trumps is so childish.
trisha an apology should be forthcoming for bad behaviour and not conditional on any other factor, or it's not a genuine apology. It's a shame no apology is considered necessary for distress caused to another poster even if it was inadvertently.

Annie he was Tony Blair's Head of communication. To sum up what he did
Alastair Campbell possesses unprecedented powers for an unelected party political adviser. Campbell is Director of Communications and Strategy, and as such he controls the Government Information and Communication Service (GICS) in Whitehall, three 10 Downing Street departments (the press office; the strategic communications unit; and the research and information unit); and since February 2002, even the Central Office of Information. The Central Office of Information is of course the Whitehall agency that handles the marketing, press and television advertising campaigns for government departments; its head now acts as chief adviser on all the government's marketing communications, reporting directly to Campbell.
Campbell's contract gives him the power to direct government communications and to present the government's affairs "in a political context". He may give orders to civil servants. He attends cabinet meetings and directly advises the Prime Minister. Formally, Alastair Campbell is simply an unelected special adviser. Yet he has become the government's unacknowledged Minister of Information. His aggressively partisan conduct, manipulation of the media and special deals with selected newspapers and journalists go virtually unchecked either by his political master, the head of the civil service or Parliament. And so a party political special adviser, accountable only to the Prime Minister, has the power to re-shape and direct the traditionally impartial Government Information and Communication Service and all government marketing and advertising activities.
But he wasn't a spokesperson?
Of course he was and he suffered from depression.
The connection is he is now writing about it and making money although at the time he probably caused more damage to other people than anyone else.
He published his diaries (4 volumes) and called them his pension plan, obviously he now needs a pension top up.

janipat I haven't behaved badly, I haven't mentioned anyone else's family and if someone misinterprets my posts I am not responsible. The idea that bad behaviour and damage to others is a necessary part of anyone's mental health problem is something I will always contest. Indeed those suffering from such problems are more likely to do harm to themselves and need support for that. By making out that you can say and do awful things to other people and then claim sympathy because you were ill Alistair Campbell has taken a step too far. The logical outcome of this is that if someone with a mental health problem kills someone we should all forgive and forget because they were not well. Of course they should recieve proper care and treatment, but should they then choose to write a book about it I doubt if many would approve.
There are some on GN who play top trumps all the time but just don't admit it.

trisher I never said you has depression when you told posters they were ‘embittered old crones’, because they criticised M&H.

And there is no connection between the war and Alastair’s many years of depression.

I just want to offer some support for Trisha because I really can't see that she has said anything to have to apologise for. it is not Trisha who is making personal; remarks.
Alistair Campbell is a public figure who has written a book about himself, he should therefore expect to be discussed.

I find a lot of Trisha's threads to be interesting and intelligent and I would hate for her to be hounded into keeping quiet about things that make good topics for debate.

As nobody actually knows Alistair Campbell in person, as far as we know, his thoughts and feeling can only be guessed at. Perhaps those who read the book might discover more.

I dont agree with Trisher, but I dont think she has anything to apologise for.

Thanks Ilovecheese and Galaxy I appreciate your understanding and I think I would hate it if everyone agreed with me.
I am just wondering if in 10 years time we will all be buying Dominic Cummings book about how he was suffering in 2020 (well some people might be anyway)

Can someone explain the connection between Alastair suffering from depression for many years before the war and
the war ?

Perhaps this willhelp and certainly his partner thought it contributed to one episode- he does try to talk him self out of it moderately successfully. www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlrYbImt_G8

One episode ? no surprise as he had ‘episodes’ for years

Really why ask the question if you are not interested in the answer?
I think the way he cannot remember things that he wrote in his diaries is quite interesting. We all have memory problems of course, but I do wonder if this is part of his mental health problem and if wiping certain things actually helps. My dad had huge gaps in his memory but much of that was due to the shock treatment he endured.