'Steve McDonald' in Corrie covering Depression!

[jimsmrs]

No.... His breakdown was when he trashed the living room at Christmas after he had stolen the Christmas club money to pay for Michelle's wedding and she ended up not going through with it!!!!!!

Pauline clobbered him with the frying pan cause he had a fling with some woman called 'Christine'.

You're right about Dr Legg, Casualty is just as bad.

[Carnation]

The 'Steve" Storyline is annoying me now.
He got an appointment with a Therapist straight away!
That's truly not reality.

[debs71]

The 'Steve" Storyline is annoying me now.
He got an appointment with a Therapist straight away!
That's truly not reality.

Yes, I agree. I find it all very silly.

The therapist also appeared to be losing patience with Steve's hesitance to open up, and getting huffy.....do therapists really do that?? Doesn't mirror my experience. My therapist said I could sit there for the whole hour in silence if that is how I was feeling!

Also, the whole 'give him some errands to do' suggestion to Michelle was truly stupid, plus the fact he dutifully attempted to do it. This just doesn't capture a truly depressed state to me. I know not everyone is the same, but still.....

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yeah, I remember Michelle saying on the very day of the GP visit "he's got an appointment with a therapist on X". I guess they NHS have sold the producers a view that NHS GP surgeries offer this type of service which can be swiftly booked in but its garbage because its only more recently that the NHS have decided to offer these types of services as some budget has been mentioned to do it.

I did notice that too Debs. Was it just me or did the guy even look at his watch? I missed about advice on errands. Thats really stupid. They use Behavioural Activation to treat depression, or "do more stuff" in English, but its supposed to be about structure and getting you doing more & more to regain confidence, especially pleasurable activities. I'm not sure how "go and buy me some stuff from town" is going to help considering he's been driving around anyway. I recall that coming from a conversation with Leanne in the pub though so was that something that came from the therapist?

I also noted the therapists assumption that Steve's views on himself are based on his Cognitive Distortions and thought it was a real doh moment when he gave gim an example i.e. Chesney telling him to his face what he thought (as well as half the pub doing the same prior to this) so perhaps his therapist needs to do more listening before giving advice to avoid assumptions ...but this could just be the kind of poor writing expected of soaps I guess.

Steve has a habit of doing what he is told by Michelle and his mum anyway so I don't see how thats going to rebuild the self confidence & self esteem that he has obviously lost?

---------- Post added at 04:23 ---------- Previous post was at 04:12 ----------

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?

Well according to one of the whats on style websites, this episode might have been where he is supposed to have a panic attack as it states "Riddled with guilt about what happened during the minibus crash, and the fact that Sinead might never walk again, Steve is overcome with anxiety and suffers a panic attack."

I guess I must have blinked and missed it. The only panic attack I've seen him have was when he first went to see his GP.

[Carnation]

I don't think they have done that bit about the Panic Attack in Car. I read it somewhere, so it may be coming next week?

I found the Therapist Session totally unreal. Where on earth do they get their material from? The Actor who plays Steve is only doing his best with the material he is given.

[debs71]

I did notice that too Debs. Was it just me or did the guy even look at his watch? I missed about advice on errands. Thats really stupid. They use Behavioural Activation to treat depression, or "do more stuff" in English, but its supposed to be about structure and getting you doing more & more to regain confidence, especially pleasurable activities. I'm not sure how "go and buy me some stuff from town" is going to help considering he's been driving around anyway. I recall that coming from a conversation with Leanne in the pub though so was that something that came from the therapist?

LOL....yep, I think he did look at his watch too!

I'm not sure where the errands things came up. I was sort of half watching as I was working on my laptop at the same time, but I know Michelle was talking to someone about Steve, and they suggested sending him on some errands, which it what she then did, and he subsequently couldn't drive to do it.

I just sort of thought it all so dumb. Steve seems to be exhibiting a kind of half-hearted depression of sorts, but nothing concrete or realistic. I do understand that often people still carry on their daily life whilst suffering underlying depression, and depression can be minimal to extremes, but it just all seems so wishy-washy in this Corrie story, and not really doing mental health issues any justice or favours.

[Carnation]

I think the term 'Lame' is more appropriate.

If he was having a Panic Attack. Where was the erratic breathing, paleness in face, hot and cold sweating, pains in the chest, tingling legs or arms, blurred vision and feeling like you are going to faint? He just stood there and said, "I can't do it!".

[MyNameIsTerry]

This was the episode where he experienced a panic attack:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s3...p36QyiT8DqbqVv

I watched that and he was suddenly out of breath. I have to say, there was no panic involved though, he didn't know what it was and could just have easily ran over from The Rovers and been out of breath for all the impact it had. He's never had one since to my knowledge, even when he crashed the minibus where he wandered off.

I find this one quite annoying though from actor Simon Gregson, who has apparantly suffered depression:

http://www.unrealitytv.co.uk/tv/coro...ead-interview/

This part annoys me:

Do you think that would’ve happened even without the depression?

Yes definitely. The actual crash itself is nothing to do with the depression, and his reaction is the same one the old Steve would’ve had. He was angry with them like anyone would be. They then chose as a result to come back and taunt him again. Silly behaviour from both drivers, a typical road rage incident, but not necessarily linked to the depression. It’s Steve’s reaction afterwards which is a result of the depression.

Steve escaped from the minibus and wandered off. Sorry, you don't need to suffer from depression to experience shock or perhaps feel guilt or not know what to do. He seems to be suggesting that if you experience depression, you may not help those you love or abide by your normal moral code. It is also entirely possible for someone to break down after such an accident. Sorry Gregson but thats absolute crap mate!

Then we get:

He has a massive panic attack and just needs to get away. He can’t deal with the enormity of it. It’s fight or flight, and he flies. Most people would be there trying to help the others, but because of his depression, he can’t cope with it and he has to get away. He’s never experienced something like this, so all the panic attacks and massive anxiety are a first for him and he doesn’t know how to deal with it.

What panic attack? Perhaps you had better act better then.

And further confirmation that it's Steve's depression causing him to walk away:

Does he feel guilty about walking away?

He does very quickly afterwards, and he bursts into tears when Michelle comes over to him. He’s very upset that he didn’t do anything to help, and he doesn’t understand why he didn’t. He has no control over his own thoughts or his own brain.

More crap there Gregson. We do actually retain control. Perhaps its just in Steve's nature already to walk away?

[Carnation]

I didn't realize that Terry. (That Simon Gregson apparently has suffered from Depression).
I am currently annoyed with my GP Assessment for the Car Crash Claim.
Because I haven't got body damage, he has put me fit for work and looking well and no signs of being depressed.
Well, I've cried 4 times today and 3 times yesterday. I have bouts of just lying on my bed not known what to do with myself. Sometimes I can't even be bothered to get out of bed and get dressed and I think the whole world is against me and can see no future. The strange thing was, I had a Panic Attack when I arrived for my Assessment and I was crying, so I don't know where this Doctor gets his ideas from???
(I wish I could play that part in Corrie, because I wouldn't even have to Act!)

[MyNameIsTerry]

Is the ability to claim purely for physical injury then? I thought all accidents take into account psychological trauma?

Well, Gregson has been opening up about his battle with the booze shortly before all this started and then the depression & therapy he had because he had some untoward attention as a child actor has surfaced and there is part of me that things how convenient it all is that its coming out just before this storyline...and we know how these celebrities love to make claims, Kim Marsh has even started banging on about her depression and panic attacks because this storyline is making her low!