Dictionary Definition
rethink n : thinking again about a choice
previously made; "he had second thoughts about his purchase" [syn:
reconsideration,
second
thought, afterthought] v : change
one's mind; "He rethought his decision to take a vacation" [also:
rethought]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Pronunciation
Pronunciation
- /riː'θɪŋk/
- Rhymes: -ɪŋk
Translations
- French: réfléchir
- German: überdenken
- Japanese: 再考する
Extensive Definition
Rethink is the largest severe mental
illness charity
in the UK. As of
2 July
2002 'Rethink'
is the new operating name for the National Schizophrenia
Fellowship.
Rethink's mission statement is "Working together
to help everyone affected by severe mental illness recover a better
quality of life Take control and find a better way of living life
to the full."
Rethink were founded over 35 years ago to give a
voice to people affected by severe mental illness and today, with
over 8,300 members, they remain determined that this voice will
continue to be heard. Rethink help over 48,000 people every year
through their services, support groups and by providing information
on mental health problems. There website receives almost 300,000
visitors every year.
Their aim is to make a practical and positive
difference by providing hope and empowerment through effective
services, information and support to all those who need it. People
who use their services and their carers are at the heart of their
vision and we believe that all those who experience severe mental
illness are entitled to be treated with respect and as equal
citizens. Rethink carry out research which informs both their own
and national mental health policy and Rethink actively campaign for
change through greater awareness and understanding. Rethink are
dedicated to creating a world where prejudice and discrimination
are eliminated.
Campaigns
Amongst its recent campaigns Rethink has urged
the then Home
Secretary Charles
Clarke to look at the mental health risks of cannabis, rather than "fiddle
with its legal status". Cannabis was downgraded from a
Class B to a Class C drug in 2004, making most
cases of possession non-arrestable. However, Rethink wants
government support for new research into the relationship between
severe mental illness and cannabis. They have publicly stated, in
response to George Michael's advocacy of the drug, that cannabis is
the drug "most likely to cause mental illness". The evidence is
clear five or six international studies have found that cannabis
use doubles or triples the chances of developing psychosis if you
smoke when you’re under 18. The more you use, the greater the risk
– in two studies, those who had used cannabis more than 50 times
had 6 times the usual risk of developing schizophrenia.
Criticism
Rethink was criticised and congratulated for a statue it commissioned of Sir Winston Churchill in a straitjacket and unveiled in The Forum building in Norwich on 11 March 2006. This was part of Rethink's first anti-stigma regional campaign.The statue was designed to highlight the stigma of
mental health problems but was accused by figures like Sir Patrick
Cormack of being an insult to both the former
prime minister and to those with mental health problems.
However the statue was intended to show how people in today's
society are stigmatised by mental illness. Churchill had symptoms
of depression/bipolar disorder or manic depression in his lifetime.
People with those illnesses were often put in straight jackets in
the past. The statue was intended as a celebration of the life of a
man who triumphed over mental health problems and Rethink's
campaign to lift the stigma and discrimination faced by hundreds of
thousands of people with severe mental illness continues. Rethink
said:
"People who experience severe mental health
problems die, on average, 10 years sooner than members of the
general population, much of that due to discrimination that
prevents people getting the physical health care they need.
People are being denied jobs because of the
prejudice of employers. Today there are more people claiming
Incapacity Benefit for mental health problems than there are people
claiming job seekers allowance for unemployment. This is despite
people with mental health problems having the highest want to work
rate of any disabled group.
People are hiding the early symptoms of mental
illness because of the fear surrounding mental illness, denying
themselves the help and support they need to recover their
lives."
The criticism produced an interesting debate on
stigma and the research into attitudes as a result of the Norwich
anti-stigma campaign found that stigma against those with severe
mental illness decreased after the campaign in the area.