BBC Horizon

[Bobby Chariot]

just saw a trailer for an upcoming BBC2 Horizon programme on News24 :nerd:

as far as i can tell, there are ten people, five of whom have a diagnosed mental illness, and 'experts' try to 'spot' them...

not so sure about the title, but looks interesting - was wondering if anyone else had heard/knew about it...?

[Guest HayleyMartin]

hi

i was supposed to be in this programme - went for the interview at the bbc an everything and was all ready to go and i broke my leg so had to pull out

you are right what you have said hunny - thats exactly what supposed to happen , the idea was to put 10 of us in a ''big brother;'' style house and give us different activities etc , so that experts can identify the 5 with a diagnosis of mental health problems , the aim is , is that experts wont be able to differentiate between the ten

in the interviews back in may time we had to do loads of different psychometric testing or what ever its called , and tons of differents tasks and tests , and they were trying to pick people with a ''mental illness'' who 'appeared ' normal and those without one who looked like they could have one

i got picked cause i came across as ''normal'' whatever that means

i guess its controversial in some respects but the main aim of the programme is to highlight that these things can affect all of us and to try and challenge taboos and stigma , so they did promise it was gonna be done sensitively

last may the idea was to do a 2 part series on it ...not sure what the latest is , but i cant believe that i had to miss it

Edited November 3, 2008 by HayleyMartin

[Guest hsu]

Wow, this looks brilliant, i'll be setting the tv to record it.

Found this on the internet:

Confronting the stigma of mental illness

Horizon, showing Tuesday November 11th on BBC 2 at 9:00pm

Around one in four people in the UK has been diagnosed with mental illness at some point in their lives. For many, simply being called "mentally ill" is a heavy burden, as it can bring profound social stigma, leaving some patients outcast all their lives. This two-part Horizon special confronts this stigma and probes the fine line between mental illness and sanity. It asks: how mad are you?

The programme features ten volunteers (pictured); half have psychiatric disorders, the other half don't - but who is who? Over five days, the group takes part in a life-changing experience as they are put through a series of challenges - from performing stand-up comedy to mucking out cows - to see who copes best with the tests put before them. The events are designed to explore the character traits of mental illness and ask whether the symptoms might be within all of us.

Watching the volunteers are three leading experts in mental health who accepted the challenge to work out who is who. This is something they have to do every day, but this process of observation turns out to be far harder than any of them expected.

The programmes explore some of the ideas behind a seminal 1970s experiment by Dr David Rosenhan - where sane patients faked symptoms to gain admission to psychiatric hospitals. It was an experiment which transformed how mental illness was diagnosed.

Horizon's own series of tasks, conducted by psychologist Professor Peter Kinderman, probes the line between "normal" and "mad". But will the individuals who have been affected by mental illness reveal themselves?

It would be interesting to see how we all do in these circumstances. I think I act relatively normally, but I hide most of what I have.

Sounds like one that might help stigma.

hsu

[Guest legend]

thanks for that hsu

ill be watching, it might also be available afterwards on the bbc web/ i player for 7 days afters

legend

[Bobby Chariot]

i'm looking forward to seeing it.. :nerd:

Hayley,

:hug:

i bet you would have been fab in it, but i had to come up with a cunning plan to stop you hogging all the OCD media coverage limelight :euro: :lol:

(seriously, you are fab, and you do way more than your share already )

[Guest HayleyMartin]

awww thankyou hunny :hug:

thankyou - i might not watch it cause it will make me sad cause i wanted to do it ....sympathy please

xxxxxxxx

[Guest legend]

the trailer looked good, and maybe it will raise more awareness

legend

[Ashley]

Or, as someone as already pointed out to me add to the stigma of seeking help for OCD. The trailers seem to suggest how easy it would be to fool a professional and having seen the trailer I would agree, so will that put some sufferers off seeking help in the future because they fear being labelled a fraud?

Hopefully the entire show will be about spreading the message of seeking help for Mental Health related problems and it will be positive rather than negative. We shall see.

[Guest charlie75]

Is this the programme on tomorrow night?

[Ashley]

Yes Charlotte

[Guest charlie75]

Thank you :original: Ashley

My partner read it in the paper earlier just wanted to check it was the one you're all talking about.x

[Guest legend]

the title hasnt done itself any favours has it..." how mad are you ?"

great name for people with mental health problems .........

[Guest HayleyMartin]

it is a two part series though, so there is a follow up next week looking at the aspects of different mental health conditions in a serious way- so i reckon that will be done sensitively.

i think the main aim is to point out to everyone that mental illness can affect anyone - even the person standing next to you .

unfortunately there has to be an area of ''entertainment'' in any programme that is ever shown on tv , or else it would not get on tv - thats just the way it is .

the controversial titles draw in the people - thats media and we either work with it - or against it ....so sometimes we have to work with what we are given and trust that there are people out there intelligent enough to draw their own conclusions from what they see.

i realise that my opinion is a controversial one - so apologies in advance , and ui really hope i havent offended anyone - sorry :blushing: i just have weird opinions sometimes

i'll leave off posting on this topic now cause i will worry that i have upset folk - so sorry in advance :group:

[Ashley]

i think the main aim is to point out to everyone that mental illness can affect anyone - even the person standing next to you .

That may be the aim, and I hope it achieves that Hayley, but I have OCD and I don't consider myself mad, so what does the title of the show say about people with OCD? My fear is that someone with OCD may be put off seeking help for fear of being labelled 'mad' as per the title of the show.

We are polar opposites of our views on media awareness of OCD, and sometimes I fear you have swallowed what the media people have fed you of the years, that is something we have discussed before but I just feel sometimes you have to be so careful about which shows we seek to raise awareness of OCD, even the show title could be enough to do damage. Any serious documentary does not need to use an 'entertainment' type title. We have in the past rejected OCD features in the Mirror and News of the World because they made it clear they would use a sensationalist title, yet by the same token assured us it would be a sensitive piece, there is a contradiction in terms there.

They say all publicity is good publicity, I disagree and would not jump at every chance to feature OCD. I would much rather the charity tried to focus on serious features, and not jump at every show that comes along, the Vanessa show is a prime example of where we went wrong. If we want to reach a specific audience we will carry out awareness campaign geared towards that specific group, which is something we are hoping to do in 2009.

unfortunately there has to be an area of ''entertainment'' in any programme that is ever shown on tv , or else it would not get on tv - thats just the way it is .

Entertainment shows yes, serious documentary's no. Dirty Filthy Love was entertainment, I get the impression the Horizon show is supposed to be a serious look at mental health.

Of course the show may be brilliant and do a great job to lift stigma around mental health but if I was thinking of seeking help for my OCD then overhear a trailer about mental health where OCD is mentioned and it is called 'how mad are you' then I may well have thought twice about seeking help for the fear of being thought 'mad'.

Hopefully the title is just a small blip for what is a great piece of serious broadcasting.

[Guest HayleyMartin]

sorry i dont know how to quote ...but you made a commet ashley : quote

''sometimes I fear you have swallowed what the media people have fed you of the years,''

i was a bit upset about that comment only because i was really proud of what i had written and i thought it was my own ideas and opinions - cause i have never had any conversations with any media people along those lines .

sorry i just wanted credit for my own ideas and opinions not attributing them to anyone else - i was proud of what i put - its my idea not theirs :a1_cheesygrin:

think we will have to agree to disagree on this subject of media ashley . but i do respect you opinion :hug:

just talking about titles they give things and the use of the word ''mad'' being used , i cant find the email at the moment , but i will seek it out when i get a minute, but i work closely with another mental health charity , and they have been given a couple of million to challenge stigma in a massive campaigne i have spoke about before - making tv adverts and such like.

well this charity works with schitzophrenia, ocd, depression , anorexia , bpd, bi polar- just the absolute whole range of mental health issues and they sent out a survey to those of us with these conditions , with a range of titles on it asking people to vote on what people wanted one section of the campaigne to be called .

well i thought all the titles were awful - they were things like ''drop the psycho'' and ''mad about the media'' and all stuff like that , so i just wonder , (and i am not sure what the purpose of my post is :lol:) but i just wonder why people voted for these titles and if people really objected to the use of the word psycho and mad being used so closely with mental health issues- it obviously didnt bother the people that voted - i didnt like the titles personally - but some didnt mind them

( sorry - dont know why i posted all that :lol:)

i'm going back to my on line christmas shopping now - i'm in a happy festive mood

Edited November 11, 2008 by HayleyMartin

[Guest Gryphon]

Another piece of Trashy telly, fly on the wall rubbish that wont do a bit of good, apart from old ladies in cardigans saying what poor souls .

What do the people who make this stuff really think about, i shall tell you.

Not how mental illness affects people and the destruction it causes, to the individual or indeed the carers or there familys or indeed what they can encourage the public to do to help.

No there going to get a panel of so called specialist sychs, clinical sychs, counsellors to try and spot who is ill, fantastic why dont the bring back the colleseum!!! put some of us in there without our meds for a couple of weeks and watch as we expolode in a frenzy of anxiety and depression and to finally for us to kill ourselves in front of millions. that would be great eh

All this is about is ratings not about how we feel or how we live our lives with constant agony and anxiety, and broken promises for more CBT trained people.

Just fiqures and as per Hayleys post, well that says it all really, when they asked what they felt the name for the show should be.

I aint watching it, the beeb just lately need to really think about what they are doing, as i think they are losing the plot, with the JR and that other cretins performance

[Guest HayleyMartin]

Another piece of Trashy telly, fly on the wall rubbish that wont do a bit of good, apart from old ladies in cardigans saying what poor souls .

What do the people who make this stuff really think about, i shall tell you.

Not how mental illness affects people and the destruction it causes, to the individual or indeed the carers or there familys or indeed what they can encourage the public to do to help.

No there going to get a panel of so called specialist sychs, clinical sychs, counsellors to try and spot who is ill, fantastic why dont the bring back the colleseum!!! put some of us in there without our meds for a couple of weeks and watch as we expolode in a frenzy of anxiety and depression and to finally for us to kill ourselves in front of millions. that would be great eh

All this is about is ratings not about how we feel or how we live our lives with constant agony and anxiety, and broken promises for more CBT trained people.

Just fiqures and as per Hayleys post, well that says it all really, when they asked what they felt the name for the show should be.

I aint watching it, the beeb just lately need to really think about what they are doing, as i think they are losing the plot, with the JR and that other cretins performance

awww mate

soz mate i didnt know what i could say to make you feel better , but i just wanted to say i'm sorry that stuff like this upsets you ....can i give you a hug ...

am sorry mate :hug:

[Ashley]

sorry i dont know how to quote ...but you made a commet ashley : quote

''sometimes I fear you have swallowed what the media people have fed you of the years,''

i was a bit upset about that comment only because i was really proud of what i had written and i thought it was my own ideas and opinions - cause i have never had any conversations with any media people along those lines .

sorry i just wanted credit for my own ideas and opinions not attributing them to anyone else - i was proud of what i put - its my idea not theirs :a1_cheesygrin:

think we will have to agree to disagree on this subject of media ashley . but i do respect you opinion :hug:

Sorry, almost missed this because I think you went back to edit your post and I did not mean to offend you at all, but the Vanessa show is a prime example Hayley of what I mean. You had asked to see us in the other room, we had asked to see you to check you were ok and not nervous and they told us it was not possible, they told you the same. Looking back I should have insisted, they kept all of us apart, they did not treat us with any great respect and everyone thought that but you could only see the good in the media people that day. They really did not look after you like they should of Hayley.

[Guest legend]

!!

legend

Edited March 11, 2009 by legend

[Guest HayleyMartin]

Sorry, almost missed this because I think you went back to edit your post and I did not mean to offend you at all, but the Vanessa show is a prime example Hayley of what I mean. You had asked to see us in the other room, we had asked to see you to check you were ok and not nervous and they told us it was not possible, they told you the same. Looking back I should have insisted, they kept all of us apart, they did not treat us with any great respect and everyone thought that but you could only see the good in the media people that day. They really did not look after you like they should of Hayley.

sorry :blushing:

i have to see the good and positive in everyone and everything cause i think that the alternative takes me down and makes me sad as a person , so i kind of try only to see positive - i think i got it off my dad- he always tries to see the best in people -i used to do it a lot as a kid as well and try and keep my pecker up as it were - just trying to be positive and look for the good in everyone and everything. i know i do this - but thats how i am think i would be a manic depressive if i didnt force myself to be this way - sorry

leggy i dont think there is an ocd sufferer in the show tonight hunny cause i was the one they chose an i couldnt do it, so as far as i am aware they didnt have another ocd bod lined up - agree with you though that a pure o would be interesting to spot

i'm not watchin tonight cause am going to play badminton wif loads of cute men sorry :blushing: that just slipped out :lol:

[Rachie]

I have seen some of this, about 20 minutes. I don't really see the point of it unless it is to say people with mental health problems often keep their symptoms well hidden due to stigma etc, which would be useful. I am wary of the way it is implying you can "fool" experts. I hate the way it's being trailed and the use of the word "mad". The programme itself talks about sanity and people being "normal", which I find offensive. One person has OCD, one social phobia, one anoreixa, one is bipolar, and one depression. I will reserve judgement until I have seen it all, though. I don't think the BBC would make this into a tabloidy programme. I do hope I am right.

[Guest Gryphon]

As we know, there will be an ocd sufferer on the show, but wouldnt it be interesting if there

was a pure o sufferer on there, bet that would be harder to spot!!

legend

I would love to go on that show, i would act up something terrible. Sorry about my rant last night but i am sick to death of the rubbish on the telly regarding mental health issues.

hayley no need to apologise one bit, its not you who upset me!!! thanks for the hug :original:

Edited November 11, 2008 by Gryphon

[Guest Meemz]

watching this just now... interesting part about OCD, however the part where they said the farm task was likely to upset a person was OCD was a bit of a generalisation - not all of us have contamination issues! I certainly dont and people seem to think its weird when I tell them about my OCD... they always seem to go "but your not obsessed with cleaning"... these stereotypes just frustrate me!

[Ashley]

watching this just now... interesting part about OCD, however the part where they said the farm task was likely to upset a person was OCD was a bit of a generalisation - not all of us have contamination issues! I certainly dont and people seem to think its weird when I tell them about my OCD... they always seem to go "but your not obsessed with cleaning"... these stereotypes just frustrate me!

I agree, and they also suggested people have a fear of danger to themselves, but as we all know it often is a fear for someone else and the typical stereotypical exercise to work out which person has OCD is to take them to a farm. :dry: OCD aside, overall I am still yet to figure out the point of this show, other than 'guess which one is mentally ill'. I think it is pretty inappropriate and unrealistic to diagnose someone this way to guess who is ill and a trained professional would not do any of these things.

So far this show is a pointless piece of entertainment masquerading as something more serious. Better pick itself up in the remainder of this episode and the next.

[Guest FlyingPenguin]

Anyone watching How Mad Are You? On BBC 2?

It is interesting to see the psychologists' thoughts behind the guy they suspect as having OCD.