Well I am glad the subject is out there, and thank anyone for their contributions as long as they are sensitive to the actual pain physical and emotional that the black bastard dog can do.
It is complex and can often be a lifelong chronic disease- with no easy solutions and at best just bandaids to patch you up till next time you are bitten.
We all have life experiences that can bring us down, some are catastrophic and some are merely flea bites. But it is always hard to determine from the distance the injury suffered and its consequence. Some are like a broken arm- easily seen and treated with little long term effects. Others are like asbestos and are not recognised for what they are- ie a silent killer that is hard to ascribe to any certain event and will in all likelyhood Kill you.
Sometimes the biggest bites from the dog are caused by factors we either don't understand as been important or block them out as a protection mechanism. It is these insidious bites that often fester and cause systemic problems to our mental and physical health. Chronic mental health issues are often a hidden problem especially for men as we have this view of ourselves needing to be tough and stoic- this sadly is reinforced by society and often our friends and family.
IF their was ever a medical condition that for which we could say "society is to blame"this is it. It is societal attitudes and indifference that make this disease's effects magnified and often a killer.
Whilst we would like to believe we live in enlightened times- society, including government and health services have let us down badly.
Unfortunately we are also often let down by our loved ones who either do not understand or have little emotional maturity to deal with it and thus increase the burden on sufferers.It takes compassion and maturity of mind to help someone with mental illness- these are things that can rarely be taught and for which society in general does not reward.
Nor does society normally accept that the wounds caused to the person are wounds at all or it minimizes them as mere "flea bites". Or in some cases actively tries to denigrate the sufferer as a 'winger, leaner, bludger, sook, soft, just a angry bugger, a nutter etc.......
This only increases the harm greatly and makes survival even more difficult.
We then also have institutional harm caused by the response of the perpetrators of the harm be it a church, government, the armed forces or big bussiness. They protect themselves at all costs and will always blame the victim and often make it impossible for the sufferer to gain help and refuse any meaningful resolution.
As I write this the Royal Commission into sexual abuse is still running and the poor souls affected by this national disgrace are still been actively harmed by the coverups and refusal to provide meaningful help, justice and compensation. The government has in its power to stops this continued harm but refuses to do so- they protect the churches legally and ensure they are not legally accountable to compensate.
The continued harm caused by this abuse has led to thousands of Australians to die from their injuries by suicide and many more will continue to die as government plays lip service to this tragedy and the lawyers feast on the corpses.
The same could be said of the military- far more soldiers will die of the black dog than ever in combat , they know it and will continue to give bugger all help and denigrate the sufferers. It is telling that Major General John Cantwell left the armed forces rather than take up the role as head- because he could no longer put up with a system that even he at the top of the system could not get adequate help for his PTSD. It is a sad indictment on society and nothing seems to change- but mainly silently those effected just crawl into a hole and are savaged by the dog many fatally.
The epidemic of depressive illness and societal including government neglect have a direct correlation. Yes we as individuals have a responsibility to be compassionate, patient and thoughtful. But the greatest help must be systemic and this we have failed at miserably.
This is my lived experience- some days the dog has a lick and those are better days than some. On others there is no hole deep enough to hide from the beast. No dog catcher come along to help and no government brings a ladder to help you climb out the hole.
I am sorry if this all seems negative- but that is the nature of the beast.