'Steve McDonald' in Corrie covering Depression!

[MyNameIsTerry]

Think Steve is going through a mid-life crisis as opposed to Depression!!!????

^^^^^^^^^^^^ Love it!!!

I haven't really been watching it much recently but I did see the episode where he bought that car and found myself like yeah he has his low moments but then his behaviour swings to the positive and it reminds me more of the mania seen in bipolar (which is can't be due to how all that works for those guys) but I thought:

1. Unhappy with current lifestyle = Check.
2. Leather jacket = Check.
3. Ridiculous kit car bought by a very boring bloke = Check. (Usually it seems to be an old soft top or a motorbike)

= mid life crisis.

So, I'm not sure on this now. You do sometimes drift between moods if you have mild depression like with anxiety disorders but its not a great portayal. A few weeks back he was getting depressed about Peter and the court case which he now seems completely over and it seems to be more about him

[Carnation]

So, we've come to the height of Steve's Depression in Corrie.
The GP has prescribed medication and his girlfriend is staying with him to support him.
It will be interesting to see where they go with this now.

[debs71]

I was pleased and expecting good things when this storyline emerged...

....but having watched last night's episode with Steve sort of trotting along ok, appearing periodically behind the Rover's bar with only a token sad face and a bit of backroom consolation from Michelle, I thought 'well what a load of unrealistic pants this is'.

Where is the total lethargy? Where is the can't get out of bed or have any inclination to? Where is the not wanting to mix or socialise with anyone, not even your own family? I get that not everyone exhibits their depression the same way, but he just looks like someone stole the jam out of his dougnut, not much more!!

These mental health storylines do tend to pan out as so wishy-washy.....just thrown in there as a nod to the viewer that they are tackling real issues, but they really don't ever do them justice.

The only one that really sticks in my mind as having been excellent was in Eastenders years and years ago, when Arthur Fowler had his mental breakdown. His slow deterioration, mentally and physically, was bang on.

[Carnation]

I totally agree Debs.
The next installment in the story is going to be about a Panic Attack while driving a car. This is something I have experienced many times, so I wonder if they will make this realistic?

[MyNameIsTerry]

I've been watching it over the last couple of months.

He has had a minor panic attack already when he went to see his GP the first time.

He's been lying around in bed a lot and backing out of a lot of his responsibilities and disengaging with his family, having some outbursts, etc.

Then after the crash he broke down with Michelle and told her what was going on and she made an appointment to see the GP.

I didn't see these last couple of episodes so I don't know whether he has been prescribed any medication or referred on for therapy. The original GP offered counselling but nothing was explained after that.

He does seem to be much better since asking for help. He was openly talking behind the bar despite the punters sniping at him about being responsible for the crash...which would have prompted a response in anyone! Then he was open with Eileen in the back room after having depression and seemed quite chipper about it!

So, whilst there was some realism, for me, leading up to it, it seems to have changed again and he is acting more like his old self. Its these swings that I don't buy really.

Soaps have a habit of running with a storyline for a bit and then tieing it up nice & neat or letting it disappear. So, I expect he will find himself in counselling quite quickly and then be fine shortly afterwards. I bet if he starts antidepressants he will just be nice & calm with no side effects as opposed to the nightmare a lot of us go through!

[jimsmrs]

I think they're trying to show how there are different ways depression/anxiety can manifest itself in different people, the triggers etc, like when Ian Beale (Eastenders) had his meltdown and he shuffled off in his dressing gown!


Will the Corrie writers put Sinead (who has the spinal injury after the crash), into a depression??

What really stuns me is the NHS in the Soaps seems to be brilliant!!!! Same day GP appointments, no queues at A&E!!!!

[Carnation]

Only someone who has suffered 'Anxiety' can really tell the story as it is.

[MyNameIsTerry]

The Ian Beale story was a good example of stigma around mental health.

It was similar with Zack Dingle in Emmerdale who was found wandering.

These types of sensationalised stories just reinforce the old view of mental health as being 'loonies'.

The same can be said of the bipolar storylines in Eastenders. How they referred to poor Jean and treated her like she was inferior was very distasteful. They seem to like to portray this issue as one of lacking intelligence yet the same channel have QI with the highly capable Stephen Fry!

I think they have done things better with Steve in the last few weeks but I didn't buy the whole car thing which leans closer to mania and asking for help seems to have cured him right now. So, I guess we will see.

The funny thing is, the woman who plays his mum has suffered depression. Although I'm often skeptical about celebs as a lot of those that claim to suffer or be substance misusers don't tend to match to thosessions in real life eg the celeb alcoholics that can still have the odd drink and control it.

[MyNameIsTerry]

What really stuns me is the NHS in the Soaps seems to be brilliant!!!! Same day GP appointments, no queues at A&E!!!!

The first time he saw his GP he seemed to just turn up and wait. But soaps do have the GP's run around to people's houses all the time or treating emergencies which is very unlikely. My surgery have an open session in the mornings but is not the first time they seem to just turn up and ask for an appointment and it never seems to be a set time frame.

From tonight's episode, be has been diagnosed with clinical depression. I doubt this diagnosis since he has been functioning some days and be was very interested in his car.

He starts his therapy this week. Thats the biggest joke of all! The NHS will be very pleased at how unrealistic this past is!

[MyNameIsTerry]

I think they're trying to show how there are different ways depression/anxiety can manifest itself in different people, the triggers etc, like when Ian Beale (Eastenders) had his meltdown and he shuffled off in his dressing gown!


Will the Corrie writers put Sinead (who has the spinal injury after the crash), into a depression??

What really stuns me is the NHS in the Soaps seems to be brilliant!!!! Same day GP appointments, no queues at A&E!!!!

Can you remember years ago on Eastenders where everytime someone was ill or had an accident someone would always say "I'll fetch Dr Legg"? That bloke must have been the hardest working GP in the UK...he was getting more & more skeletal as the years went by!

I really wish these programmes would be realistic in terms of healthcare professionals. You get farcical programmes like Holby City where they are all willing to go to the ends of the earth to resolve your personal problems and any other area of your health which is nothing like the experience anyone will ever have, although on the flipside I suppose at least we know our real life hospitals are not going to either kill us or diagnose us with a suddenly life threatening condition thats never bothered us for the previous 50 years. Typical Holby City, go in with a minor cold and come out in a box and they wonder why people are afraid of the places!

---------- Post added at 04:38 ---------- Previous post was at 03:36 ----------

The only one that really sticks in my mind as having been excellent was in Eastenders years and years ago, when Arthur Fowler had his mental breakdown. His slow deterioration, mentally and physically, was bang on.

Was that after Pauline smacked him around the head with the frying pan?