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Dave Humphreys

6 SUVs you can drive away for under €500 a month on PCP

With a deposit of €5,000, here are six SUVs you can own for a set monthly sum.

MOST OF US simply don’t have tens of thousands of euro to hand to shell out on a brand new set of wheels, but that doesn’t mean we have to write off the new-car dream. Thanks to Personal Contract Plans, or PCPs, buying new has become more straightforward, and in many cases, more affordable too.

The monthly repayments with PCPs are usually lower than those on a higher purchase agreement as they don’t cover the whole cost of the car. Instead, payments cover the difference between the current market value (minus the deposit and any trade-in) and the guaranteed minimum future value, or GMFV.

Once you’re willing to put down a deposit, you could have a brand new motor for just a few hundred quid a month. With that in mind, here are six 172 SUVs that can be yours for €500 a month or less over a 37-month term, with a deposit of €5,000. As always with PCP purchasing, do make sure that you read the fine print before committing.

1. Honda C-RV – €498.36 per month

Dave Humphreys Dave Humphreys

Fancy getting your hands on the world’s best selling SUV? With monthly repayments of €498.36, you can drive away in a Honda CR-V powered by a 120 hp 1.6-litre diesel engine. By opting for the SE trim C-RV, you’ll get 17-inch alloys, Bluetooth capabilities, dual-zone climate control and City-Brake Active System among other features.

2. Hyundai Tucson – €497.45 per month

Newspress Newspress

Repayments of €497.45 a month on PCP plus the standard €5,000 deposit will get you the well- equipped Executive trim model Tucson. This includes 17-inch alloys, Bluetooth, sat-nav, and a eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with reversing camera. Under the hood is a 115 hp 1.7-litre diesel engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

3. Kia Sportage – €454.37 per month 

Paddy McGrath Paddy McGrath

For well under €500 a month you’ll drive away in the handsome Kia Sportage, powered by a 115 hp 1.7-litre diesel engine and a six-speed manual transmission. The €454.37 per month price is for the Platinum SR model, featuring 17-inch alloys, a rear view camera with dynamic guideline, Bluetooth and a seven-inch infotainment system with sat-nav.

4. Peugeot 3008 - €396.28 per month 

Dave Humphreys Dave Humphreys

The cheapest of the lot at under €400 a month, the Peugeot 3008 is money well spent. Crowned the 2017 Car Of The Year, the 3008 has a 130 hp 1.2-litre PureTech petrol engine. The reasonably priced Access trim gets you 17-inch steel wheels with Napoleon finishings, Bluetooth, electronic anti-skid system and the wonderful Peugeot i-Cockpit digital panel.

5. Skoda Kodiaq – €442.74 per month 

Dave Humphreys Dave Humphreys

The Skoda Kodiaq is a comfortable and very practical member of the SUV family. It has a huge boot to carry all of your gear and plenty of space in the back – you’ll get three adults across the back seat. There is great visibility all round and a commanding high driving position. With a €4,997.15 deposit and monthly repayments under €450, you can have the entry level Active trim five-seat Kodiaq with its 1.4-litre 125 hp petrol engine plus a range of slick design and tech features.

And for just a little extra…

6. Toyota RAV4 – €508 per month 

Toyota Media Toyota Media

Yes, it’s a few quid more than €500 a month, but the Toyota RAV4 offers space, comfort and style with all the reliability that comes with the Toyota name. Under the hood, the RAV4 has a 143 hp 2.0-litre diesel engine so its not short on power. The entry-level Luna trim gets you 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear-view camera, Bluetooth and a 4.2-inch infotainment display.

READ: The electric BMW i3 REx has a battery that just won’t quit – but it’ll cost you>

READ: 5 high-tech new cars hitting Irish roads just in time for 172 plates>

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    Mute John Collins
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    Sep 5th 2015, 6:08 PM

    He’s a brilliant man for all he does for mental health.

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    Mute Trish Delaney
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    Sep 5th 2015, 6:15 PM

    Yeah a great guy plus the money he’ll make off the book, wonder which one is his real motive.

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    Mute Paul Hughes
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    Sep 5th 2015, 7:00 PM

    Does it really matter when he’s raising such good awareness?

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    Mute Meehawwl O'Buachailla
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    Sep 5th 2015, 7:07 PM

    Disgustingly cynical Trish.

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    Mute Martin Byrne
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    Sep 5th 2015, 7:13 PM

    Ah give over you begrudgers

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    Mute Trish Delaney
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    Sep 5th 2015, 7:19 PM

    Probably not and he is raising awareness around an issue that so many young people are struggling so he is to be commended in that regard however I’m tired of all these celebrities selling out via books, newspapers and interviews. He does profit from the book after all. There is a possibility that some of the profits are being donated to mental health organisations and if so then fair play to him. He is highlighting an important issue.

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    Mute Susan Adair Farrelly
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    Sep 5th 2015, 7:48 PM

    Youre “tired of”?? Are you for real? It doesnt matter WHO he is, god love you and you ever suffering life you have to put up with this. Disgusting attitude.

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    Mute little jim
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    Sep 5th 2015, 7:52 PM

    He has to eat Trish, won’t get his message out there on a 9 to 5. Just how many “celebrities selling out via books” have worn you out?

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    Mute TheDoctor
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    Sep 5th 2015, 7:56 PM

    If celebrities selling books is having such a negative impact on your life, maybe you should change something. You’re doing life wrong.

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    Mute Ciaran
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    Sep 5th 2015, 8:27 PM

    Ye know jack shit about the man, he is great for highlighting this issue, crawl back under your rock, it’s people like you on this island that are toxic, always whinging and moaning. Go get your leg over or something.

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    Mute donal
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    Sep 5th 2015, 9:25 PM

    Wow Trish ! Incredibly cynical comment. I genuinely think it’s one of the most cynical comments I’ve ever read.

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    Mute Trish Delaney
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    Sep 5th 2015, 10:14 PM

    You might perceive it as cynicism, I see it as a health dose of skepticism. As someone who personally knows the struggle of mental illness ( on medication since 16 and 4 periods of in- patient treatment in hospital) I’m wary of seeing a celebrity that I perceive ( perhaps wrongly) hijack the issue for financial gain. What I would like to know is if he penned the book himself or had a ghost writer? I’ve read countless of his interviews this week where he talks about “his book” if he didn’t write the words himself, that is in itself disingenuous. It might not matter to you but as someone who has felt the stigma of mental illness it really matters to me. He is a “celebrity” and the reaction he is going to get is clearly not what a young 18 year man is going to get off his friends. People are fickle when it comes to how they treat people and my worry is Bressie will be treated like a hero when the people who are suffering from mental illness will still be ridiculed and made little of.

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    Mute donal
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    Sep 5th 2015, 10:18 PM

    Trish – you’re out in your own on this one. And do you even know what a ghost writers purpose is ?

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    Mute Brigid Popps
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    Sep 5th 2015, 11:43 PM

    I’ve always found Bressie to be very sincere! It is not a crime to make some money on his book the main thing he is helping to bring awareness of a horrible isolating illness! This is a good thing and he and others who talk about their experience help bring those suffering out from the cold! I wish him well

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    Mute Zandranalily
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    Sep 5th 2015, 7:38 PM

    Antidepressants don’t work for everyone. They did work for me. As my doctor said, they are not a magic bullet but are intended to help you out of depression. I still have low days (sometimes weeks) but am no longer suicidal. I no longer see life as a pointless journey. No doubt, pharmaceutical companies are making a fortune off the back of people’s suffering but antidepressants have a place on the road to recovery. Also, the quote saying depression is a natural response to trauma is true but it ignores the depression that has no external cause. That is brain chemistry. Statements like “what have you to be depressed about” are ignorant and damaging.

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    Mute Alan White
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    Sep 6th 2015, 2:09 AM

    There have been NO proof that the “chemical imbalance” theories are correct. That’s a fact. I’m not saying that depression isn’t real and that some suffer more than others, but the chemical imbalance nonsense is a myth. Please look it up for yourself, absolutely no evidence of it at all, not a single lab test. It’s the drug companies and paid off (and sometimes plainly gullible doctors) who sprout this stuff. Has no basis in reality, but is great for selling drugs.

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    Mute Wynnner
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    Sep 6th 2015, 10:18 AM

    Seriously Alan go educate yourself

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    Mute Aine Nibhern
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    Sep 6th 2015, 11:44 AM

    He did. And so did many of us injured by these drugs. Not forgetting the placebo effect that comes when taking a drug. It is not possible to measure neurotransmitter levels in the brain of a live human so claims that anti-depressants “rebalance brain neurotransmitter levels” is fraud. The public have been duped. Time for mainstream Psychiatry to come clean about their delusion.

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    Mute Anne O Donoghue
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    Sep 5th 2015, 7:00 PM

    Keep the flag flying Bressie, even more so after the interview with Helen O Driscoll on the Late Late Show last night,on how her Son battled so much with mental illness and the devastating outcome for her and her family.

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    Mute Aine Nibhern
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    Sep 5th 2015, 9:29 PM

    Just went back to listen to the interview. The assumption being that the drugs are the cure not one of the potential causes and triggers. As I remember my brain ‘spinning out of control’ on the “anti-depressant” Citalopram 7 years ago. I was put on it for anxiety. Luckily I didn’t harm anyone but now I know that sometimes people have harmed others. Withdrawal from the drug is also a difficult time if not stopped correctly. I was taken off the drug ‘cold turkey’ but our mental “health” system. A nightmare time.

    Donal Schell case ~ Paxil / Seroxat is one of the most dangerous of them all. He was only on the drug 2 days ~
    http://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/drug-injury-press-releases/paxil-maker-held-liable-in-murder-suicide.php

    Lessons from Charleville ~
    https://leoniefennell.wordpress.com/2015/08/22/jonathan-odriscoll-paddy-and-thomas-charleville-murdersuicide/

    Leonie Fennell’s son Shane was on the same drug as me. Citalopram back in 2009.

    Some honest experts in this field include Psychopharmacologist and Psychiatrist Prof David Healy and Psychiatrist Dr Peter Breggin.

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    Mute Aine Nibhern
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    Sep 5th 2015, 9:33 PM

    There can be increased risk of suicidal thinking in Jonathan O’Driscoll’s age group. Hence the black box warning on these drugs in the US for 18 to 24 year olds. Also NOT suitable for children as I think of Jake McGill who was 14 ~

    http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/InformationbyDrugClass/UCM096273

    Reach out if in distress. Samaritans Tel : 116 123

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    Mute Aine Nibhern
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    Sep 5th 2015, 9:40 PM

    PS I went into mania / ‘Psychosis’ thanks to the anti-depressant. Psychosis is a temporary loss of touch will reality. Most people do not harm others in this state.

    The majority of people in mental distress do not harm others and are no more dangerous than the rest of society, unless psychotropic drugs or alcohol is involved. Or when withdrawal from these drugs is not managed correctly.

    Mental disorders are neither necessary nor sufficient causes of violence ~ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1525086/

    In the overall scheme of things, people who suffer mental health issues are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetators ~ http://depts.washington.edu/mhreport/facts_violence.php

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    Mute Aine Nibhern
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    Sep 5th 2015, 9:46 PM

    PS While I think Helen O’Driscoll is an amazing lady, been in front of a live studio audience, considering the stress and trauma she has already been through not so long ago, seemed a little insensitive. Being on TV has it’s own stresses. As long as she was comfortable with it. a pre-recording may have been a little bit less stressful.

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    Mute Aine Nibhern
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    Sep 5th 2015, 10:05 PM

    Sadly it looks like Jonathan O’Driscoll never got the correct Psychological and therapeutic help that he needed to help him deal with his issues. It was plastered over with mind altering drugs, with tragic consequences.

    “a postmortem revealed no evidence of medication in his system”.

    From listening to other mother’s eg Maria Bradshaw mother of Toran Henry ( a 17 yr old who took his own life on Prozac in New Zealand) sometimes the tests do not show up the drug.

    “My son’s first two toxicology tests showed no Prozac in his blood while the 3rd showed it was present. The difference? The first two tests were the cheapest available and actually not able to detect the drug below fatal levels. The third, more sensitive test was far more expensive and therefore not used by our authorities” Maria Bradshaw

    If Jonathan O’Driscoll did stop the drugs before this tragedy that can lead to akathisia. A severe inner restlessness. Something I have experienced and it’s a pretty unbearable experience. One of the experts in this area is forensic Psychiatrist Yolande Lucire. Some people also have difficulty metabolizing the drugs.

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    Mute mary carey
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    Sep 6th 2015, 12:35 AM

    Aine it’s probably time to pipe down on this. U know very little on this case. Akathisia results in constant shuffling around, with an inability to keep still. A common side effect for neuroleptics (which decrease dopamine) but also a symptom of Parkinson’s disease (where there is a deficiency of dopamine in a particular region of the brain).

    Akathisia is not aggression and making fly away remarks like that instil fear & propagate misinformation.
    U don’t know what that lads history with recreational drugs was, if there was a predisposition to a psychotic break. U kno relatively little about his childhood. And actually none of u know or ever will, what was going on in his mind that day.
    we all know your position on psychopharmaceuticals, but your attempts to blame them for everything are unfounded. Many people can’t actually function without some pharmaceutical intervention. They can’t stay down, or up, or lucid. They can’t sleep enough, stop compulsions or eat.

    If medication can help 5%, it’s better than nothing.

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    Mute Suzie Sunsine
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    Sep 6th 2015, 12:59 AM

    fair play Mary , it needed to be said .

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    Mute Tiffany Mary O'Brien
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    Sep 6th 2015, 6:15 AM

    I have two members of my family (that I know of ) that cannot function without their medications .

    As West Cork Lad said a few weeks ago to Áine on the ‘Batman cinema shooter article’ – ” You cannot super impose your own experience to others.”

    How true.

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    Mute Aine Nibhern
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    Sep 6th 2015, 8:40 AM

    My own experience ? There is a Yale study which shows that I am far from alone. The link between SSRIs and mania / psychosis. I didn’t become violent on the drugs but it was a possibility eg the Donal Schell case above but there are so many examples I have lost track. There is also the David Crespi case in the US which is one of the saddest I’ve come across. No more than the O’Driscoll case. David Crespi was experiencing akathisia on a cocktail of drugs. He is now in prison. His wife Kim is an activist in the area. She managed to see the TRUTH of the situation. As does his other children. Their tragedy even featured in “The Darkside of a Pill” on TG4.

    It’s not me that is saying it. It’s top world experts eg Prof David Healy ~
    Psychotropic Drugs and Violence ~ https://vimeo.com/67245935

    Again the attempt to silence those who speak out on this. Been told to “pipe down”. I know as much as anyone else on the Jonathan O’Driscoll case from listening to his mother. I never claimed to be an expert on his background. That would have taken the work of a trained therapist. Seems like he never got the therapy he needed.

    As for Akathisia I have experienced it 1st hand. That pretty much makes me quite knowledgeable on it considering I have been through it !

    I have also listened to experts speak about it eg forensic Psychiatrist Yolande Lucire.
    Adverse Reactions to Psychiatric Drugs: Yolande Lucire ~
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEoSs6Yo0DA

    Dr Peter Breggin and Prof David Healy also talks about this drug induced condition.

    Family members don’t always fully comprehend the drugging regime. If someone has been on the drugs long term the chances are that they will need to continue. As they have become so dependent on them. But there is also a good possibility that their underlying difficulties were never addressed correctly in the first place.

    There are many working in the Psychiatric industry that would probably like me to be silent. You have to remember it was ye that created me in ye’re drug fueled dens. Pretending to help. When you brought nothing but misery to my life. Pay back time. But even if I didn’t exist the growing network of Psychiatric survivors and some family members who can see through the system is getting larger by the day.

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    Mute Aine Nibhern
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    Sep 6th 2015, 9:06 AM

    The tragic Crespi case ~ http://www.crespifamilyhope.org/our-journey/horror/

    “Akathisia has two sides, or faces: outer, objective restlessness and inner, subjective agitation. The outer, visible restlessness caused by akathisia particularly affects the legs and may be mild, moderate, or severe. In mild cases, patients find it difficult to sit or stand comfortably. They may adjust their posture frequently, shifting their weight from one foot to the other while standing, or crossing and uncrossing their legs white sitting. In moderate cases, patients are more visibly jittery and fidgety, tapping their feet on the floor or pacing. In severe cases, patients are visibly agitated, find it difficult to sit still, and are driven to pace back and forth. (Page 66, The Antidepressant Solution.)

    “Akathisia can be extremely dangerous, especially in patients who have not been warned about the side effect and mistake it for a worsening of their psychiatric condition. Akathisia can trigger panic reactions in patients, increase paranoia, and drive patients to suicide and violence.” (Page 66, The Antidepressant Solution)

    Joseph Glenmullen MD ~

    A graduate of Harvard Medical School, I am a Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, on the staff of the Harvard Law School Health Services, and in private practice in Harvard Square. I am Board Certified in Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. I am the author of two books on the side effects of antidepressants: Prozac Backlash (Simon & Schuster, 2000) and The Antidepressant Solution (Simon & Schuster, 2005).

    In the last four years, I have given expert testimony in over two dozen state and federal cases regarding the side effects of psychiatric medications.

    http://www.drglenmullen.com/

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    Mute Specialist Design Co
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    Sep 6th 2015, 9:16 AM

    Citalopram and piradel working for me, I’d rather big business had these than not as the repercussions of not bring on the meds doesn’t warrant thinking of

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    Mute Aine Nibhern
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    Sep 6th 2015, 9:27 AM

    Not everyone feels damaged by Citalopram (in fact I was on it for 3 years before the obvious damage kicked in) but in the latest statistics from the UK as the % of prescriptions go up year on year, “The majority of SSRI deaths involve the drug Citalopram” ~

    Statistical bulletin: Deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales, 2014 registrations
    http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health3/deaths-related-to-drug-poisoning/england-and-wales—2014/deaths-related-to-drug-poisoning-in-england-and-wales–2014-registrations.html?format=print

    When you say “piradel” I assume you mean Priadel / Lithium.

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    Mute mary carey
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    Sep 6th 2015, 10:41 AM

    Yeah there is a study by Yale. There are also thousands upon thousands of studies showing marked benefit from drugs. I can’t actually believe I’m arguing this, because I’m not a pharma-phile per se. But you are insistent that ur way is the right way, and that is not correct.
    Your way is the right way *for you*. There are many people who don’t need therapy. Who’s issue is primarily pharmacological. I think most medication interventions are ameliorated by therapy, but you can’t talk someone down from an extreme high.
    I too have experienced akathisia and it is unpleasant. I have been agitated on medication, my inhibitions lowered, my appetite increased, electric shock feelings.
    But also (and I am not on meds now) I can recognise over the years, that there was fear and panic beyond any logical control and reasoning and without medication (which was administered involuntarily in an acute setting), I would have caused fatal damage to myself. Without it, I would not have survived abuse going on in my teenage years.
    It certainly isn’t the cure for me, but it brought the distress down to a degree where I could stay alive. U can do shag all therapy if you are dead.

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    Mute Aine Nibhern
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    Sep 6th 2015, 11:07 AM

    If you benefit from the drugs then good for you. That doesn’t mean that anyone who questions the link between these drugs and violence & highlights the knowledge that is out there on this should be forced into silence. There have been too many tragedies. Swept under the the carpet and scapegoat term “mental illness”. These are mind altering Psychotropic drugs. When used ethically they can help. When overused or not managed correctly (eg the withdrawal process) they can harm.

    “The ethical use of psychotropic drugs is perhaps the single most important aspect of
    Psychiatric care that requires urgent attention” Dr Phil Thomas. We do NOT have ethical use of these drugs. To try to cover up the damage done by Citalopram I was put on various drugs ~ Zyprexa, Seroquel, Lithium, Lamictal, Rivotril, sleeping pills, Xanax etc etc 9 foolscap pages listing them all. Over a 3.5 year period. I was on these drugs at far too high a dose and for too long.
    Not forgetting the cost of these drugs and the cost of disabling me. Before that I had a number of
    good careers and was a productive member of society. I had studied hard and worked hard.

    Take Zyprexa / Olanzapine for example. I know that it can help some people calm down as it is a major tranquilizer. And that short term usage benefited me in my last episode 3 years ago, as I withdrew from everything. I had been on it long term and at 10 mg. I also had a 3 month manic / ‘psychotic’ episode on the drugs as they fueled my symptoms when used long term. I am now free of these symptoms for a number of years.

    20 people died in the trials for Zyprexa / Olanzapine, it causes diabetes and rapid weight gain. As well as damage to the brain / brain shrinkage. “significant reduction in brain volume that affects both gray and white matter”. That comes from a study funded by the maker Lilly ! I first learned this from honest doctors Psychiatrists Joanna Moncrieff and Peter Breggin.

    { Do not stop or change prescribed psychoactive drugs without talking to a good doctor, due to the dangers of withdrawal }

    Inquest of Teresa Mullaney ( who was a retired nurse on Effexor and Zyprexa ) ~ https://leoniefennell.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/teresa-mullaney-dr-desmond-moran-effexor-zeprexa-death/

    Interview with Peter Gøtzsche (co-founder of the respected Cochrane Collaboration, where doctors are supposed to go for evidence based medicine) ~ 4 mins in he speaks about Zyprexa / Olanzapine ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIIQVll7DYY

    Slán. I have other things to do.

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    Mute Aine Nibhern
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    Sep 6th 2015, 11:15 AM

    PS Thousands of studies but funded by who ? Be sure to check any conflicts of interest. Which sometimes are hidden. Psychiatrists have even gone into court as experts in murder trials without declaring conflicts of interests.

    There are “buckloads of research funding” coming from pharma and too close a link between pharma and Psychiatry. Affecting the outcome of some studies. 69 % of the taskforce involved in writing the DSM-5 (Psychiatric ‘bible’) had links to pharma.

    Here is just one example of these ethically challenged doctors.

    “Dr. Charles Nemeroff.

    A renowned chairman of Psychiatry at Emory University, Nemeroff was a proponent for drugs sold by GlaxoSmithKline, such as the antidepressant Paxil (Seroxat). While earning hundreds of thousands of dollars jetting around the country and giving talks about Paxil to doctors at fancy restaurants, Nemeroff also managed a multi-million dollar grant from the NIH to research drugs under development by Glaxo”

    http://www.forbes.com/sites/paulthacker/2011/09/13/how-an-ethically-challenged-researcher-found-a-home-at-the-university-of-miami/

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    Mute Diane Murphy
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    Sep 5th 2015, 7:31 PM

    fair play to bressie for puttin it all out there hes really using his celebrity to push this taboo topic it needs to be discussed and hes a great role model. hats off to him.

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    Mute Truthman30
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    Sep 5th 2015, 6:43 PM

    While I commend Bressie for bringing awareness to mental health and depression. It concerns me that he doesn’t seem to have an in depth knowledge about depression, and in particular the bio-psychiatry medical model (and the pharmaceutical industry which it supports). If he is asking people to seek help he should also make them aware that for the majority of public patients they will be prescribed SSRI drugs as first line ‘treatments’ Bressie says he doesn’t take them himself, but even if this is the case, most who seek help will be offered them before talk therapy. The mental health system in Ireland relies on medications because proper therapy supports are dire, and often people are left languishing on waiting lists for months of not years. They say that SSRI anti depressants are ‘useful’ in conjunction with psychotherapy yet most people (in the public health system) will not be given psycho-therapy in conjunction with SSRI’s so how useful are they? and what about side effects? and withdrawals? these are important questions, and it’s all very well advocating for people to get help for depression, but when the reality is all they will be offered is dodgy SSRI drugs, which could make them worse- then Bressie should be warning them of that!…

    http://www.my1000hours.com/introduction-to-medication-prof-jim-lucey

    https://truthman30.wordpress.com/2015/09/05/a-personal-message-to-bressie/

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    Mute Holly Kelly-Byrne
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    Sep 5th 2015, 6:59 PM

    SSRI’s are only one of many meds offered to people who are seeking help for mental health issues. They aren’t all “dodgy”, side effects are rare and usually subside within a few weeks, which is usually something that most people, given their situation, can deal with if it means it can start them on a path to recovery. Therapy helps in conjunction with the drugs, and medication won’t be applicable to everyone. You can take a “one method fixes all” stance when it comes to mental health treatments.

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    Mute Richard Winston
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    Sep 5th 2015, 7:47 PM

    That’s what the prescribers tell you and the brochures in their surgeries. That anti-depressants “rebalance brain neurotransmitters”. Has anyone out there had a neurotransmitter test before they were prescribed these drugs? And after ?

    An honest medical doctor should be able to tell you it is NOT possible to measure brain neurotransmitter levels in a live person. Sadly this is one of the biggest delusions in modern medicine. And the public continue to be misled through various channels. Including some mental health charities and their brochures.

    Book by Harvard Professor Irving Kirsch ~
    The Emperor’s New Drugs: Exploding the Antidepressant Myth ~
    http://www.amazon.com/The-Emperors-New-Drugs-Antidepressant/dp/0465022006

    As these drug prescriptions rise every year, in this billion dollar industry, to quote an honest medical doctor from his recent book on the subject of this delusion “Medical knowledge should be open to public scrutiny”.

    Some of us blindly listened to our doctors when it came to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / SSRIs / anti-depressants and similar drugs. We allowed our brain and it’s mechanisms to be messed with. We have paid a heavy price. But at least we are still alive. Unlike many others ~

    http://www.antidepaware.co.uk

    No one should stop or change these drugs without talking to a good doctor, due to withdrawal.

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    Mute Richard Winston
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    Sep 5th 2015, 7:53 PM

    Antidepressants and the Placebo Effect: The Emperor’s New Drugs by Irving Kirsch, Ph.D. (Harvard Professor ) ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ_EixhrFaw

    The hiding of negative trials on these drugs. Presentation by Psychiatrist and Psychopharmacologist Prof David Healy. See 6 mins into this presentation ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3YB59EKMKw

    Time for Irish people to start asking questions and not to blinding accept was is effectively an excellent marketing campaign. But one that lacks an honest Scientific basis.

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    Mute Richard Winston
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    Sep 5th 2015, 8:02 PM

    Adverse and side effects are not so rare. It can also be quite difficult to get off these drugs once started. A database of registered side effects on drugs ~ http://www.rxisk.org

    These drugs can also lead to mania and even ‘Psychosis’ in some ~
    Yale study ~ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11235925

    The person can then end up quickly labelled “Bipolar” / Manic Depression and on even stronger drugs. Manic Depression used to be a rare condition. Now it’s become a lot more common. The mass prescribing of anti-depressants is one of the causes of this explosion in diagnosis. As well as some changes in criteria in the DSM. Diagnostic and Statistics Manual. Not forgetting that 69 % of the taskforce involved in writing the latest Psychiatric bible DSM-5 had links to the pharma industry. Big business.

    With their bulging pockets human suffering caused seems to be of little concern.

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    Mute Truthman30
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    Sep 6th 2015, 12:57 PM

    The SSRI’s are all dodgy, and those that can tolerate the side effects are the exception rather than the rule- particularly for long term users. They don’t subside within a few weeks either, that’s bollocks. It’s what the drug companies say, because they have been playing down the side effects for years, as have psychiatrists because it’s in their interest to keep people drugged, and compliant. Indeed, you cannot take a ‘one method fixes all’ stance, but unfortunately, in Ireland, if you seek help for any kin dof mental health problem, you will be offered these drugs as first line treatment and most doctors con’t inform about the risks,. If Bressie is advocating for people to get help, then he is encouraging them into that quagmire where the first line treatment they will be offered when they seek help is medication, all I am saying is he has a duty to warn people that that is the situation they will find themselves in, that’s the reality- let’s not sugar coat it..

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    Mute Ken Moy
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    Sep 6th 2015, 7:33 PM

    It was barbiturates in the 50′s, then they were classed as evil due to addiction and overdosages, then came the miracle first benzo in the 60′s, diazepam, which was handed out like candy and earned the name ‘Mothers little helper’, now they’re the devil due to dependency, withdrawal effects and overdosages (hard to overdose on benzos alone, but combined with opiates/alcohol it’s a different story), so now big pharma focuses on SSRI or SNRI medication, (all to do with patents), once they run out they will already have a new miracle replacement ready. There’s trials on mice using Ketamine as a new anti-depressant therapy. It’s all about the $$

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    Mute Daffy the Bear
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    Sep 5th 2015, 6:07 PM

    Who’s Bressie?

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    Mute Felim Borland
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    Sep 5th 2015, 6:08 PM

    Somebody who wants to do something about mental health.

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    Mute Sgt Pepper
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    Sep 5th 2015, 6:09 PM

    No idea. And even if I did I’m getting sick of people using catch-all terms like depression. Depression is serious and not simply a down day here and there. Sooner we start dismantling useless terminology like this the better.

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    Mute Enforcer
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    Sep 5th 2015, 6:12 PM

    He’s a montrose celebrity, a nobody in the grand scheme of things.

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    Mute Sean Walsh
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    Sep 5th 2015, 6:30 PM

    who’s anybody in the grand scheme of things? what is the grand scheme of things?

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    Mute Richard Winston
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    Sep 5th 2015, 6:09 PM

    Depression: An Emotion not a Disease ~ by Dr Michael Corry and Dr Aine Tubridy ~

    “Depression is an emotion, just like fear, anger or love. It is the imprint felt after a stressful or traumatic experience. Depression is natural. It is not a disease process reflecting a change in brain chemistry. The sick brain model of depression is a hideous and terrifying concept, as it turns us into cogs in a machine where, if we find the going difficult and want to disengage, we are prescribed an emotional painkiller and advised to carry on regardless. Chemically-induced slavery has arrived. This book offers hope and understanding, and effective ways to create a new identity”

    http://www.amazon.com/Depression-An-Emotion-not-Disease/dp/1856354792

    Sadly Dr Corry and Aine Tubridy are no longer with us but their knowledge and spirit lives on.

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    Mute Sgt Pepper
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    Sep 5th 2015, 6:10 PM

    They’ll be telling you it’s a disease next.Oh wait…treatment centres and 12 step groups already are…..

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    Mute Richard Winston
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    Sep 5th 2015, 6:37 PM

    The most common “illness” in the country ??

    Since no true biomarkers have been found that is not based on Scientific fact. What the purpose of masses of people going around thinking they are mentally ill ? Who benefits from that ? There are many vested interests. The “mental illness” industry is big business. While I’m sure Bressie has his heart in the right place, I hope he is not just been used to suck more people onto the drugs. The biomedical model is still the main route of treatment.

    William Glasser MD is an internationally recognized Psychiatrist who is best known as the author of Reality Therapy, a method of Psychotherapy he created in 1965 and that is now taught all over the world. Like many of the older generation he was trained properly in Psychology and therapy.

    “William Glasser describes in ‘Warning: Psychiatry Can Be Hazardous to Your Mental Health’ the sea change that has taken place in the treatment of mental health in the last few years. Millions of patients are now routinely being given prescriptions for a wide range of drugs including Ritalin, Prosac, Zoloft and related drugs which can be harmful to the brain. A previous generation of patients would have had a course of Psychotherapy without brain–damaging chemicals. Glasser explains the wide implications of this radical change in treatment”

    http://www.amazon.com/Warning-Psychiatry-Hazardous-Mental-Health/dp/006053866X

    Anyone on such drugs should discuss this with their doctor and not make any changes without good medical advice, due to withdrawal.

    Be sure to reach out and get help if in distress. The Samaritans are a good backup service 116 123 but some talk therapy and lifestyle changes may also be needed to truly address any emotional distress.

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    Mute mary carey
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    Sep 5th 2015, 6:56 PM

    Depression is not an emotion. Depression is an illness that kills people. It is not ‘natural’. Insomnia, loss of appetite, loss of ability to interact, to concentrate. These are not ‘natural’. It is not ‘natural’ to have thoughts of hurting oneself. Or to act out on those thoughts. In fact it goes directly *against* nature to do that.

    Certainly not all psychopharmacological interventions are helpful. And there is mass overprescribing of neuroleptic and sedatives which serve to lower mood and motivation.
    But your argument is nonsense. I saw Dr aine tubridy for a while. I was on medication when I saw her. I suffered with crippling panic and her intervention was ‘chakra healing’. I know she was a medical doctor but illinformed attitudes like yours tend (imo) to prolong the suffering of people under the guise that it’s all ‘just a natural feeling’. Enough people in this country have lost sons, daughters, parents, siblings and friends to suicide. Don’t patronise us all.

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Sep 5th 2015, 6:56 PM

    Never “marry” a Russian psychiatrist.

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    Mute Daffy the Bear
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    Sep 5th 2015, 7:03 PM

    Don’t really get the down thumbs; everything in your comment both relevant and true. Still never found out who exactly Bressie is.

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    Mute Meehawwl O'Buachailla
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    Sep 5th 2015, 7:08 PM

    You could try Googling maybe? Just an idea.

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    Mute Richard Winston
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    Sep 5th 2015, 7:13 PM

    As someone that suffers from ‘Depression’ and who has been seriously misled by the Psychopharmalogical approach, t I’ve experienced the insomnia, loss of appetite etc etc Even in the past week or two as there was an anniversary of a traumatic event and certain people had cut themselves off from me.

    I took the “illness” approach for a number of years. I ended up in bed most of the time with no quality of life. Completely disempowered by the approach taken by the doctors I attended at the time. And highly sedated by their drugs.

    I now take a different approach. It’s up to me to do the work. I have started to see an experienced therapist again and am looking into getting more therapy. I’ve also tackled lifestyle and diet. Long term anti-depressant and other drugs I was put on has left it’s legacy. Anti-depressants can turn mild, moderate depression into a more chronic condition. This was pointed out by medical journalist Robert Whitaker in his book “Anatomy of an Epidemic”.

    I know of many people who have lost a son or family member. Emotional distress can have many consequences. Sadly including suicide. Things do get better. But sadly at the time some people find it hard to stay with their pain and to reach out. The drugs prescribed can also be a factor. Hence the black box warning in the US for younger people.

    Aine Tubridy’s book and CD on Panic was quite helpful to me “When Panic Attacks”. I have had chakra / Reiki work done in the past that has also helped. As part of a holistic approach to healing.

    Luckily her website is still there and maintained to show her approach to Panic and anxiety.
    http://wellbeingfoundation.com/panic-and-anxiety.html

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    Mute Enforcer
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    Sep 5th 2015, 7:18 PM

    That’s it ya just gotta pull yaself up by ya boot straps.

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    Mute Richard Winston
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    Sep 5th 2015, 7:20 PM

    @Daffy

    Bressie (35 next month), is a good looking Irish musician and former Westmeath Gaelic footballer and Leinster Rugby player. Breslin found success as the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter with pop band The Blizzards, as a co-writer and producer with XIX Entertainment and as a solo artist. He was the winning coach on the first and third seasons of The Voice of Ireland

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niall_Breslin

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    Mute Richard Winston
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    Sep 5th 2015, 7:33 PM

    To “pull yaself up by ya boot straps” you need supportive people around you and sometimes a supportive person to guide you (eg therapist and at least one good friend to turn to. Or Samaritans).

    I’ve had the ‘imaginary elephant sitting on your chest’ days where you feel like you cannot move. On those days you have to particularly kind to yourself,. The development of self-awareness over time has helped. Having a daily maintenance plan in place can help and also what to do if a person feels they are slipping. There is also a WRAP App.

    Wellness Recovery Action Plan ~ http://mentalhealthrecovery.com/wrap-is/

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    Mute monkeysocks
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    Sep 5th 2015, 7:35 PM

    @enforcer Hope you’re being ironic

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    Mute Aine Nibhern
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    Sep 6th 2015, 12:13 AM

    Are other countries going around claiming that a large % of the population are ‘mentally ill’ eg the Germans or French ? I doubt it ! Belittling ourselves instead of recognizing our strengths. Yes. Some people struggle. But that doesn’t mean we are diseased.

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    Mute Daffy the Bear
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    Sep 6th 2015, 2:06 AM

    Don’t care enough to Google.

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    Mute Ken Moy
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    Sep 6th 2015, 7:20 PM

    @mary excellent post. I watched an interview with Bressie on Ireland AM and he genuinely wants to help. He’s a man of great integrity in my opinion. The only thing I would disagree on is that addiction (classified as a disease by WHO) is more prevalent than depression. Smoking, gambling and alcohol for example.

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Sep 5th 2015, 8:57 PM

    Spike Milligan had awful trouble with depression… And the smallest of things could cause it especially some one being cruel to him…

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    Mute Richard Winston
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    Sep 5th 2015, 6:56 PM

    Just finished reading a new book about Depression by a medical doctor and Psychotherapist. As this book points out, considering it is not possible to measure neurotransmitters in the brain of a live human, not sure how much longer that drug companies and prescribers can continue to mislead people about pills fixing ‘chemical imbalances’ in the brain or “rebalancing brain neurotransmitters”. This lie has been costly and damaging for many of us.

    “Depression Delusion, Volume One: The Myth of the Brain Chemical Imbalance” ~

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Depression-Delusion-Volume-One-Imbalance/dp/1908561017/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8

    Even an article that I’ve read last week in the Irish Times compared the use of anti-depressants to using a ‘blunt hammer’.

    “Researchers looking to develop treatments beyond ‘blunt hammer’ of antidepressants”. I’ve felt the effect of this blunt hammer on my life for the last number of years due to the damage caused to my health. And so has many others.

    Paul’s recovery from antidepressants ~ https://vimeo.com/81584778 ( From Recovery stories on the Council for Evidence Based Psychiatry webpage)

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    Mute Alan White
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    Sep 6th 2015, 2:13 AM

    The amount of red thumbs you’ve received for stating nothing but facts shows that people don’t want to know the truth, they just believe what comforts them. It’s pathetic. There is no chemical imbalance. FACT.

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    Mute Aine Nibhern
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    Sep 6th 2015, 9:17 AM

    With so many vested interests and so much brainwashing over the decades the red thumbs are just a reflection of that. Time for the tide to turn. The battle is on.

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    Mute Denise Friary
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    Sep 5th 2015, 7:56 PM

    Every time I see or hear that talentless omadan I get depressed .

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    Mute Declan Murphy
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    Sep 5th 2015, 9:17 PM

    Denise’s understanding of Talentless;
    - inter county GAA player
    - Ireland rugby u20 player
    - Leinster rugby professional
    - 1st class honors degree
    - 4 double platinum selling albums
    -Countless works for charities such as LARC and cycle against suicide

    My understanding of Denise
    - Omadon

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    Mute donal
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    Sep 5th 2015, 9:31 PM

    Haha. Great response Declan.

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    Mute Denise Friary
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    Sep 5th 2015, 9:42 PM

    Declan well he wont need loo paper when your around so.

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    Mute wiklagirl
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    Sep 5th 2015, 9:43 PM

    Everytime I see the name ‘Denise Friary’ I get depressed by her negativity before I even scan her comment

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    Mute Declan Murphy
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    Sep 5th 2015, 9:52 PM

    Yes because I never leave the house without a roll of loo paper.. Or jacks roll as we call it down my way

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    Mute Ken Pepper
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    Sep 5th 2015, 11:25 PM

    I do wonder the reason why so many Irish drink so much is to mask their depression ?

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    Mute Suzie Sunsine
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    Sep 5th 2015, 8:42 PM

    I clicked on the article thinking I was going to learn some of the things we shouldn’t say to a person suffering with depression and I read two things , I guess he tells us the rest of the things in his new book that he wants us to buy .

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    Mute Aine Nibhern
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    Sep 5th 2015, 8:56 PM

    It’s in the 2nd video about 1 minute in. A bit on it.

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    Mute Suzie Sunsine
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    Sep 5th 2015, 9:02 PM

    thanks Aine I’ll have a look at it .

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    Mute Paudi Onail
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    Sep 5th 2015, 9:38 PM

    Bressie, i’d love to believe you, but i don’t believe you had it ‘that’ bad if ya know what I mean.
    Raising awareness? We’re aware. This whole raising awareness is code word for ‘seeking attention’
    Give us a story from a non-celebrity to raise awareness because I can tell you from experience, those suffering will relate to it much easier.

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    Mute Trish Delaney
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    Sep 5th 2015, 11:32 PM

    Here here!

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    Mute Nici Dixon
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    Sep 6th 2015, 10:52 AM

    stigma attached to mental health is a joke in this country my son was stillborn and i was told by a shrink i should just get on with it as i didnt bond with him…. and be happy ive another child.

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Sep 5th 2015, 8:55 PM
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Sep 5th 2015, 8:59 PM

    Seriously, I just discovered them…
    But if the one above doesn’t cheer you up— try this first verse of this one…
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk37yeY94_4

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    Mute Diane Caden
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    Jan 22nd 2016, 9:02 PM

    I think Niall Breslin is doing good work but he will wear himself out running around trying to convince us all that “it’s ok” to have mental issues and to talk about them. Meanwhile, most of the people I know already acknowledge that they have serious issues, be they mental health or otherwise. I agree that often people should be less harsh on others but neither that in itself or talking about it, will solve the core issues. Such as, the fact is that we reflect ourselves onto the world. I don’t think there are any easy solutions to this interlacing or that one person should be expected to solve these issues.

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    Mute Ronan C Gantly
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    Sep 6th 2015, 12:36 PM

    I hope he takes good care of himself too….something we all need to do.

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    Mute Diane Caden
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    Jan 22nd 2016, 6:22 PM

    I think Niall Breslin is doing good work but he will wear himself running around trying to convince us all that “it’s ok” to have mental issues and to talk about them. Also, most of the people I know already acknowledge that they have serious issues, be they mental health or otherwise. I agree that, often, people should be less harsh on others but neither easing that itself, or talking about it, will solve the core issues. We reflect ourselves onto the world. I think there are no easy solutions to this interlacing.

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