I apologise unreservedly for my comments about Putin being mentally ill and the anger it has caused amongst some posters here who have friends, family with mental health issues or work in the field. I wasn't trying to equate being mentally ill with being a tyrant. It was a poorly worded attempt at my incredulity that someone who is supposed be so calculating has gone and invaded the Ukraine.
My wife has had huge issues with mental health issues in the last 12 months including a 2 month period in hospital. I took no offence whatsoever at anything you or anyone else posted on the subject. In fact I find it a point worthy of discussion. I fully understand the thought process, that we can't see any rational explanation for Russias actions. But as I said in that thread I think that's mainly down to the whole world not sharing the same moral framework.
You have absolutely no reason to apologise whatsoever. All you did was suggest that Putin may be mentally ill. In my opinion that doesn't equate to aligning every one with mental health problems as capable or willing to start a war (how narrow minded would that be, for someone to judge your comment in that way), nor would it deter someone from seeking help for their own mental health issues, because why would it? I.e. 'Some people are saying that Putin is mentally ill, I don't think I'll bother reaching out for support for my own issues now because of the stigma.' That argument is a load of bull. Mental health problems come in all shapes and sizes. Only Putin and (potentially) his doctor know if he is struggling, and you weren't in the wrong and don't need to apologise for suggesting a mental ailment could be influencing Putin's current decision-making. It has no bearing on the rest of the world and the individual mental health struggles within it, which are all deeply personal.
I'm not sure that he's mentally ill; just has a crushing, overwhelming inadequacy, which he's acutely aware of & lashes out as a result because he thinks that compensates for it. A tiny, tiny man - not particularly bright, stunted personality & unbelievably weak. Exactly the kind of fu¢kwit you want with the access codes. My hope is that even his most loyal generals know that pressing the button would represent the end for them too, so would turn on him in that situation.
I replied to your first post about Putin's mental health - I wrote about my late father's severe mental illness which resulted in him being sectioned in a Mental Hospital not recognising his family and being on 24 hour watch - having ECT which caused a major stroke etc. Thinking back those times the strongest emotions are ones of sadness and grief - I'm sure a lot of people whose lives have been touched by mental illness feel the same. The difference when it comes to the narrative about Putin's mental health issues whatever they may be is that we don't feel any sympathy or understanding towards him. Not sure about this -- but once we and others start to see mental illness in some people as something nasty/ugly it could skew our perception and the perception of others of the people we know/knew who have/had a mental illness. kestyke - don't think you had to apologise - we looked at an issue from different angles.
Sorry to hear about what your dad went through. I too had a close family member who deteriorated to such a degree that ECT was deemed the only option. And it did help temporarily but ultimately depression returned and I believe she died because of it (total shutdown). I've also been prescribed medication in the past and have had issues that come and go that I won't go into. As I said above mental health problems are deeply personal to the individual. But they don't define a person. Good people suffer from poor mental health, and evil people suffer from poor mental health. Mental issues may or may not influence their bad decisions towards others, but there are other factors at play (things that have happened to them; how they have developed as an individual etc.; how they perceive the world and their place in it). I think it is very important to talk about these issues. The OP raised a good point, in my opinion, about Putin - what is driving him to act in this way, and is he also experiencing mental health problems. Crucially, it is important to remember that poor mental health doesn't discriminate, it can affect anyone at any time. There are also steps to take to improve one's mental health, but some people deteriorate to such a level that it is very hard to recover and come back. Regarding our actions, people always have their own free will, and poor mental health isn't the reason for one's evil intentions towards another; people will hurt others regardless of whether or not they have a mental health condition, if they really want to. Alternatively, people will also show kindness and love to others regardless of whether or not they themselves have a mental health condition.
