Dee Hmmm.... Well this is my story of..
 

How canny her surname's "Kelly", :laugh:

Anyway it's odd how since she's been in CBB everyone "including the press" has seemed to stop slaughtering her for being on benefits for "depression."

I must say i have suffered with severe depression myself over the last five years I had cancer in 2009 and was in hospital having chemotherapy locally for the first year and half, then in summer of 2010 i was transferred to London University Hospital in Euston for a stem cell/ bone marrow transplant and was basically there for about 3 months which was awful.

Thankfully now in remission.. But still suffering great health problems.

At the time i had no choice but to go onto ESA
(Employment support allowance)
basically the updated version of disabled benefit.

I'm a single mum to a beautiful 19 yr old daughter who is/has been my rock

Now i am clear and months ago the "Atos Healthcare Assesment" decided i am fit for work again because i can stand up touch my nose with my finger? and walk to the end of a room and back.

They just do not understand what you have been through mentally let alone physically etc.

But i can't help but notice even on the programme "Benefits street" Dee does not to me strike me as someone with "Clinical depression" i know for one fact that there is no way i could go in the bb house feeling like i do.
(I have wanted to go in for years)

I know not everyone can be tarred with the same brush with mental health issues, but depression is something you just cannot hide, i haven't seen it in her at all even from seeing her before CBB.

And the "Motherly role" she is trying to play is really grating on me atm.

How dare she shout in Gary Busey's face ??? :nono:
Of all people she should realise Gary has mind issues but she's trying to
"fit in" with the others slagging him off.

She comes across and probably is a nice person but don't be fooled she knows she's onto a good earner here.

Sorry for the personal info but just had to be said.
:unsure:
Peace x

You really need to appeal your case - i know people who have and all have been successful - You need to find your local charity based group - like my city has WECIL and they will help you and attend any further meetings with ATOS with you . A friend of mine has been back paid since his appeal - even though he is now fit for work , he was not at the time and my daughter who works for WECIL helped him get what he was entitled too.

And Dee does not come across as a nice person at all

----------------------------------------------------------
Thank you Hijaxers bless ya.
But it's gone beyond that i am now applying for every single job i come across i'm just still so weak physically with fatigue and am on a lot of medication there's nothing more i'd love right now to get a decent job but every form i get to fill in i feel that i will be judged by my health, and as for being out of work for so long it's so hard to get a job as it is, let alone with added health issues.

But i will never give up :)

I just can't see any signs of depression in Dee not one little bit and it annoys me to think people would use such a horrible disease just to get benefits!!
Depression is not just "having a bad down day" it is soul destroying.
You feel like you are in the bottom of a deep dark quarry trying to claw your way out, only to slide back down to the bottom again :shrug:
thx for your post x

I totally agree regarding depression as i have suffered myself and i know how empty and lonely it can make you feel - even in a room filled with people ! I spent a long time getting off anti depressants on my own and that was very hard indeed !
As Dee is no longer claiming its hard to bash her for it now but you are right she seems to be anything but depressed !
I'm so glad you have a great daughter but i still think you should go back to your doctor and get signed off again as i really don't think you are ready for work quite yet, then find the right people to help you immediately with the form filling because believe me having a person in the know will help you considerably, don't be scared just do it ! and please feel free to message me at any time.

I sympathise with your issues. It must be so hard to go through that and to be scrutinised over claiming benefits when you can't work must be soul-destroying. Hopefully you can recover as soon as possible. :)

Thank you so much Josh,
I might delete this post because i really did not intend the post to be aimed at me lol but it seems to be going that way :sad:

I was just trying to express that i really honestly don't think Dee in cbb has a serious depression issue.
I watched benefit street and Dee was basically laughing in the face of her daughter because her daughter said she wanted to get a job and not be on benefits like her mum, it made me feel sick. what mum would do that to her daughter?

I'm so proud of my girl she has finished college and is now a legal secretary :D she is what keeps me going :)

Peace
x

So sorry to hear you have "been there" aswell so you know what i am talking about.
I hope you are better now, i am trying many different paths to make me feel human again like "yoga" etc but after my treatment my body is just not what it was and its pissing me off lol :(
And i think my doctor fancys me tbh he doesn't listen to me he just leers and nods and types :/ so i don't feel comfortable opening up to him.
But anyway............... don't worry i'll get there in the end and thank you so much for your support your a lovely kind person.

I wish you much happiness.

Kels x

I think with our own trials and tribulations we learn anothers truth, we have to go down to go up but sometimes it is so hard so peace to you love....xx

Absolutely Jules2,

Ty for your post hun x

I wish they would stop messing about with the benefits system. My sister
was widowed recently, and has just been told she wont be able to have a widows pension, (even though my brother in law worked and paid NI)because she works still. They take no account of her having to pay rent,bills etc. Shes
now of sick with depression! Anyway Kels I wish you well, and hope that life
turns arround for you.

Susie that's so horrible,
I'm so sorry about your sister losing her husband :(

And yes i completely agree with you.
Many scrounging people across britain alone have unfortunately tarred everyone claiming "benefits" with the same brush.
It's very unfair and the Government have only made things worse :/
I hope your sister gets better soon and the citizens advice are a great help for advice.

And thank you xx

(It's amazing what a comment on a BB housemate can bring out in people that have such raw feelings, please feel free to message me anytime xx)

Great to hear you're on the mend and best of luck for the future with your health and otherwise. It's so lovely to hear you have such a great relationship with your daughter! My mum is a single mum too so it's just me and her (and our doggies!) and we're really close too.

At first when people were claiming Dee's depression was a lie, I felt quite offended by it. I too have suffered from depression (it seems like a lot of FMs have of some sort) and I know that a lot of even my closest friends would have no idea; the last thing I'd want is for them to know and to burden them, so I put on a "happy front" if you like. A friend of mine with depression does the same, and I always assumed that Dee could have been doing the same too, i.e. covering her depressive symptoms because she's on tv. (Maybe my depression was more mild than some other people's, so I could understand that some people would not be able to put on a "happy front").

However, if she is meant to be suffering from depression currently in the house, I would be really skeptical. She never seems down or unable to motivate herself. I dunno.. I guess we all react differently to depression, but considering we're seeing snippets of Dee from around the clock, I'm surprised she seems so upbeat so often.

Hi Jess

I'm so sorry you and your friend suffer from it yet you sound so young :( it is a horrible thing to go through, but stay strong hun you will hopefully find something in your life that takes you out from it even for a little while.

And yes i agree with you regards to Dee which was the main reason for my post, i can be the same when i go out the house shopping or for the odd lunch with my daughter etc i put on a "face", but she is in the house 24/7 if she had depression she would be in the diary room for half of it pouring her heart out although we wouldnt see it, i think BB would pull her out for it on health reasons, but she seems fine to me.

Probably a bit old for you but there's a song that's called "Tears of a clown" by Smokey Robinson very old motown song but it's very true, the beginning lyrics are ..

Now if there's a smile on my face
It's only there trying to fool the public
But when it comes down to fooling you
Now honey that's quite a different subject

But don't let my glad expression
Give you the wrong impression
'Cause really I'm sad, Oh I'm sadder than sad
Well I'm hurt and I want you so bad
Like a clown I appear to be glad

Well they're some sad things known to man
But ain't too much sadder than
The tears of a clown
when there's no one around

Anyway thx for your post much love to you and your mum and doggies ;)
Keep ya chin up :) take care x

They really are making so many peoples lives difficult - Shelter have a campaign at the moment to help anyone under threat of losing their homes because of difficulties like this so it may be worth a look at their site.