Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners's negative message

I've watched Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners on many occasions, not for entertainment, as it seems to be the purpose, but to analyse the message it gives.  And with a second series now being aired it still does not reduce my frustration.

For those who aren't aware Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners is a documentary that takes those with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) who have compulsions to keep their homes germ free or minimalistic to help declutter those who hoard (who also suffer from OCD).  It is clashing two extremes of OCD.  The only aim I could get from the program is to allow those with OCD in minimalising and cleaning to tone down their obsessions by meeting those who are the complete opposite, and to induce some of their obsessions onto them.  If that really is the aim then it infuriates me.

On the last series I remember reading captions at the end of each episode, the ones that panged my heart were captions saying ‘It has made their OCD worse’.  How is this acceptable to happen?  Those who suffer from OCD experience anxiety when their obsessions are not satisfied by compulsive behaviours, for example somebody who is phobic of germs who cannot access a hand washing basin or anti-bacterial hand gel will experience anxiety and a fear of being contaminated.  Although exposure therapy is a proven technique to work for some people with different anxiety disorders this level of exposure is incredibly over the top and extreme.

I was intrigued to know what the public felt towards this program.  I went onto Twitter and was appalled to read the tweets.  OCD is often seen by the public as somebody who likes to keep themselves and their home clean, not understanding the anxiety that comes with it.  I've read tweets from people saying how they or somebody they know ‘MUST have OCD’.  Not only is it a pet-hate of mine to hear people self-diagnosing themselves with a mental illness but it shows that the level of understanding of OCD is still very poor.  Tweets that demonstrate how far we have to go in anti-stigma campaigning are ones that call the participants on the program ‘mad’ and ‘weirdo’s’.  I find that language unacceptable.  Not to mention the volume of tweets finding the program ‘amusing’, ‘hilarious’ and ‘funny’.  Only a few tweets showed understanding and compassion to those with OCD.

Channel 4 has made a massive mistake airing a second series of Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners.  It promotes a negative image of OCD and does not explain or show what OCD really is.  Channel 4 has taken a group of people, suffering from a serious illness, and put them through unnecessary anxiety for the purpose of entertainment.  This is not acceptable and I am shocked that Channel 4 think that this is acceptable.  Even if the participants agreed to be involved in this program this is still sending an inaccurate message of what OCD is, creating more stigma and discrimination to those who suffer from it.

‘Asylum’ and ‘mental patient’ themes – too PC or is it reinforcing a stereotype?

Looking on Twitter, Facebook and the BBC website I see articles and blogs reporting on how Thorpe Park’s The Asylum maze is stigmatising mental illnesses and portraying psychiatric wards negatively.  This comes weeks after supermarket chains Tesco and Asda removed their ‘mental patient’ themed Halloween costumes when they were deemed too stigmatising (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24278768).  There is a clear definition between mental health charities and anti-stigma campaigners who agree that there should be a name and theme change, but some of the general public have commented that this is becoming too politically correct and it is just a popular Halloween theme that has caused no issues in the past.

As an anti-stigma and anti-discrimination campaigner myself I can see both sides to this issue.  Firstly, I do agree that it is stigmatising.  Recently I spoke to people regarding mental health treatment and they often used the words like ‘psycho’ and ‘mad’ to define those needing treatment and describing the psychiatric wards as ‘mental homes’, ‘loony bins’ and ‘asylums’.   It always leaves a bad taste in my mouth when I hear these words as it describes these wards as scary, dangerous and dark, how ‘asylums’ are depicted in the media.  It’s also a reminder of the atrocious care that those with mental health problems received decades ago through electrical compulsion therapy.  Therefore I believe these themes reinforce the whole mental illness spectrum, and those with mental health problems, as an area of uncertainty, instability, danger and fear.  Rethink Mental Illness conducted a vote on their Twitter page for or against the ‘asylum’ theme, which shows a overwhelming ‘No’ (http://topsy.com/analytics?q1=%23asylumOK&q2=%23asylumNO&via=Topsy)

Flipping the coin, I can see why the general public think that this is political correctness taking over.  Thorpe Park commented that their The Asylum maze, for their annual Fright Nights Halloween theme, which has been operating for an eighth year running, has not caused issues in the past (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24278768).  We have to take a step back and view the Halloween themes, vampires, walking mummies, werewolves and other well-known Halloween characters.  These are all unreal with their intention to be perceived as scary and frightful.  The feeling towards the stereotypical ‘mental patient’ and ‘psycho’ fits this theme.  Games like Batman’s Arkham Asylum takes the player to a psychiatric prison for the criminally insane where the Joker, who has always been depicted as a psychopath, has caused trouble.  Films, that are popular to this day, like Silence of the Lamb and The Shining, have psychopaths as the villain.

I am sitting on the fence when it comes to this issue.  I, personally, am not a fan of the ‘psychopath’ and ‘asylum’ themed rides, events and media, whether that’s because of it’s stereotypical connection to my illness or as a matter of taste.  Members of the public (especially if you read comments on articles regarding this issue) think that mental health charities are taking this issue too far, some going as far to say that they are reinforcing the stigma and making it more of a taboo themselves.  I can see why they think this is so, but I do believe that this fantasy image of mental health is too imbedded into popular belief.  Mental health units and psychiatric wards are not places of danger or fear, but a bright place of safety and help.  I do believe that once the general public see mental illness and wards the way they deserve to be depicted then these ‘asylum’ and ‘psycho’ themed costumes and rides will become more acceptable.

Why The Sun's headline was irresponsible

On Monday 7^th October popular tabloid newspaper The Sun published on their front page ‘1,200 killed by mental patients’.  When I went onto Twitter that morning my feeds were full of tweets regarding the headline from mental health charities and other followers.  It shocked me so much I didn’t believe it at first, until I went onto the tabloid’s website.

The Sun is completely irresponsible for publishing such a headline.  The headline itself, the phrase ‘mental patient’ reminds me of stories of patients suffering inhumane treatment back in the ’70s and ‘80s.  It’s a term, which is derogatory, means a patient who is suffering from a mental illness and receiving treatment.  According to The Sun I am a ‘mental patient’, along with millions of other Britons undergoing treatment for their mental health problems.  The Sun, along with other media, must make an effort in using more acceptable language when addressing someone who has a mental illness.  Mind, a mental health charity, already has a page on this very subject:  http://www.mind.org.uk/help/media/how_to_report_on_health

It was made clear by other tabloids and media that the statistics used by The Sun were fabricated.  Half of those killed were by people with a mental health problem diagnosed BEFORE the murder, the other half by those diagnosed AFTERWARDS.  But looking at statistics of all homicides committed in the UK in that 10 year time span of 2001-2011 those deaths account for 5% of all homicides.  It is still a tragedy that any murder is committed but if The Sun want a shock factor in high number of deaths then they may want to turn their attention to road traffic accidents and drinking related incidents.

What we all must remember is that this level of violence from those with a mental illness is RARE.  Unfortunately films and other entertainment have branded those with schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses as unstable and dangerous when this really is not the case.  With the correct treatment plan they can lead a normal day-to-day life with limited problems.

Charities such as Mind, Rethink and Time to Change have all worked hard to help end stigma and discrimination against those with a mental illness and irresponsibility from tabloids, like The Sun, ruin their work.  I try to be honest about my illness, it’s my way of breaking the taboo, but since this headline has been published I don’t want to risk being discriminated against.  I am also concerned that this headline will make the public believe that those with a mental illness are dangerous, if so I worry for their safety.  After all, it has been proven that those with a mental illness are more likely to be a victim of crime than the rest of the public.