Sir, – Few people would be surprised to see the massive rise in the prescribing of antidepressants. The daily stress experienced by so many people is tangible.
The pain of living for some people is unbearable, and the only hope of relief for many is a prescription from a GP.
GPs can struggle to find appropriate services to refer people on to for support.
Professionals have told us they can often find themselves accused of “wasting time with people” if not adhering to time limits, generally set up by those with questionable experience in the value of human contact.
This too we now hear is creeping into the NGO and voluntary sectors, with pressure on them to meet targets to get funding.
This certainly will have consequences for many vulnerable people and those attempting to care for them.
The late Tony Gill who lived on the streets was known to us for many years and rests now in our burial plot in Glasnevin.
He once wrote: “Today I spoke to no one, And nobody spoke to me. Am I dead?”
With those simple words he certainly captured a sign of the times we are living in. – Yours, etc,
ALICE
LEAHY,
Director of Services,
Alice Leahy Trust,
Dublin 8.
