Whale vs Fidelity
The SST reports:
A CONTROVERSIAL blogger is struggling to convince his insurance company he is clinically depressed in order for the policy he depends on for his livelihood to be reinstated.
Cameron Slater, who writes a right-wing blog under the name Whale Oil, has received about $100,000 a year under an income protection insurance policy, due to depression he claims has left him unable to work since the collapse of a business five years ago.
Despite his condition, Slater has spent the last four years developing his blog, pouring his energies into the project fulltime. But two months ago his insurance company, Fidelity Life Assurance, cut off his benefits, saying their specialists had determined he was no longer unfit to work. …
His recent engagement covering the Tua-Cameron boxing bout on Twitter had left him shattered the next day.
“I can put on a good face but the next day I’m a wreck.” …
He said that for confirmation of his mental health status, his insurance company needed to only look as far as a Facebook group which had 82 members, including a number of MPs, called “People who think Cam Slater is nuts”.
“Even my enemies say so,” he said.
Maybe Fidelity could hire Cameron, if they don’t think he is nuts 
October 25th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
a seriously strange story. He should try being nicer about people and see if that improves his life
Seriously though he is living off other people (his insurance company). Does this mean any criticism he makes of beneficiaries should now be counted as hypocritical? I must go back and see what this might mean…
October 25th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Does this mean any criticism he makes of beneficiaries should now be counted as hypocritical?
Probably more the mentally ill ones than any. He paid for income protection, so he isn’t receiving taxpayer funding.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
DPF – Maybe Fidelity could hire Cameron, if they don’t think he is nuts
Jesusonasurfboard farrar, grow the fuck up.
Depression is a serious illness, but depressed people are not nuts. And the smiley doesn’t change the slur.
[DPF: Wow so uptight on such a nice weekend. Whale himself used the term, so it is hardly a slur.]
October 25th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
I thought you had photos of a whale sleeping around. I’m not sure if I’m dissappointed or pleased.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
“a seriously strange story. He should try being nicer about people and see if that improves his life”
Up yours mate. This is what NZ has come to, where people who take a stand against the left are persecuted.
You should be defending Mr. Slater’s right to offend, not cheering for those who would stifle his voice. Millions of our fathers and grandfathers gave their lives fighting against totalitarianism and for freedom of political expression, and now such vile sentiments as you and so many other like Progressives express here are common place.
Nauseating to see civilisation decline this way at the unknowing hands of those who by design are kept ignorant of history.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Actually it states in the article:
It rankled with the National Party activist, son of a former party president, to be a beneficiary of the welfare state to which he was ideologically opposed.
So it sounds as if he is recieving taxpayer funding, presumably the sickness benefit.
Having read Slater’s blog I’m satisfied that he’s mentally ill, and I think his insurance company should honor their contract with him.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
I’d be depressed too if I thought the National Government would have been different to the labour Governemt
October 25th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
@billyborker The joke is obvious, he’s not belittling depression at all.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Danyl, I too was struck by the statement that he is a “beneficiary of the welfare state” as I had always understood that he was getting insurance monies but not welfare.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
He may be nasty, but he certainly is not nuts. At $100,000/year for 5 years, he has gotten his money’s worth from that income protection policy, so it is time to end the rort. It does not help his case when he attends expensive sporting events and cruises around in his blogger/partymobile all the time engaging in shameless self-promotion (and selling ads on his site). Any insurance company would be wise to take a closer look at his status. Fidelity did, and rightly pulled the plug. Time to join the daily slog Cam!
October 25th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
I work hard and get home tired and often remain that way from Monday to Saturday. Cranky often but doubt that I’m nuts despite having been through all the stuff Slater has endured and probably more and at an older age. Do I get a benefit, well no, I just pick myself up fire myself up and way we go again. Tough but that’s life. I’m pleased for him that he was insured and brownie points for being so. The argument really must be based on his policy and whether he meets the policy requirements for benefit. He can go off to court to demand his entitlement and argue his proof.
Why are we bothered by this?
October 25th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Of something which may well finish up in the courts, the less said the better. I’m surprised the SST ran the story and even more surprised you did, David.
[DPF: Sigh, I ran the story because the SST did. If I didn't, then people would accuse me of censorship and not reporting on it because Whale is a mate. Personally I would fight my battles in private on an issue like this, but the great thing about diversity, is we are all different]
October 25th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
No Adolf on your point regarding SST and DPF even running the story – conclusive proof of Cameron’s mentallness is that HE spoke to a repeater when he knows damn well they repeat, while the case is still unresolved!
October 25th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Ha so true. Part of the ploy I suspect or maybe it is about a mental lapse.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
It rankled with the National Party activist, son of a former party president, to be a beneficiary of the welfare state to which he was ideologically opposed.
Well yes now that I READ the article…odd. Time to reevaluate things? ‘Full story at 11′, i’m sure.
Also, if he’s ideologically opposed to the welfare state he shouldn’t be in freakin’ National then, should he.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Ripping off an insurance company, if that’s what whaleoil has done, resembles shoplifting morally if not legally.
Other insurance customers (that is, all of us) pay through higher premiums when someone rips off an insurer, just as other shoppers pay through higher prices to cover shopliftings.
Mind you how can any insurance company be stupid enough to issue a policy offering protection against mental illness, when half the world is mad (mainly the left half)? Was the firm WhaleOil B. Even Morph Cooked? Or the well known Madras insurer R. Poon Indy Bak?
October 25th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Malingerers just make it so much more expensive fore other to get insurance for when they genuine can’t work. Sometimes you just have to spine up and go to work.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I have always thought it odd that he can run his blog and do other things but somehow he cannot do work so he collects a form of welfare and has got very comfortable on it. Maybe his father who is a successful businessman could help out. Thank goodness he is not on welfare or ACC.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Redbaiter (7621) Vote: 4 4 Says:
October 25th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
“a seriously strange story. He should try being nicer about people and see if that improves his life”
Up yours mate. This is what NZ has come to, where people who take a stand against the left are persecuted.
You should be defending Mr. Slater’s right to offend, not cheering for those who would stifle his voice. Millions of our fathers and grandfathers gave their lives fighting against totalitarianism and for freedom of political expression,(…)
Would they be the same fathers and grandfathers getting stuck in to a few young and immature schoolboys for being, well, young and immature?
Nauseating to see civilisation decline this way at the unknowing hands of those who by design are ignorant.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Anyone asked Fidelity ?
I can imagine the review.
“we have a guy claiming depression being paid $100,000 a year for the past five years ”
” hell thats awful”
“Yup, it is. He spends most of his time doing a blog and playing on twitter and going to boxing matches”
” cool, he can use a computer ?”
“I guess so”
” right employ him in the typing pool, he’s fit to work”
October 25th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Having met Cameron, I can assure you he is indeed missing a few Marmite sandwiches in his lunchbox. There’s some lucky NZ psychologist who will one day have a mental condition that blossoms in the children of politicians ascribed in the DSM VI. They could do worse than name it after Cameron.
$100,000 is the difference between being eccentric and being nuts. Just ask the sexual abuse walking wounding getting tossed off ACC.
(Note: The sexual abuse support should never been in ACC. It’s just that Labour were piling on the Health budget anyway and they had to find another department to pay for it all. ie. el schmucko levy payers.)
October 25th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
I fuckin’ loled.
October 25th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
C’mon philu – I dare you to make a comment on this……..
October 25th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
what’s to comment on..?
i have no idea of the mental state of whaleoil..
and know nothing of any aspect of this..
so..i have nothing to say..
but..y’know..!..facts like that have never dissuaded you before..
so i’m presuming you will lodge the p.o.v. from your little corner of the ‘exotic-dancing/flesh-trade’..world..?
eh ‘starr’..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
October 25th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
When I met Whale Oil I was reminded of that old quote;
“There is a mixture of madness in the most excellent of men”
October 25th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Right wing blogger has the good sense to take out private income protection insurance, gets sick, makes a claim, gets investigated, gets reported in the MSM
Left wing blogger, never contributed to society, makes a lifestyle choice to suck off the taxpayer for the rest of his life, no investigation, no one takes any notice,
- kinda whats so fucked up about our society
October 25th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Right wing blogger gets mentally ill and lives off his insurance company – not a good look.
October 25th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
left wing blogger gets lazy and lives off you and me – fucken disgraceful
October 25th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Why don’t you all fuck up and die? Leave the poor bugger alone to sort it out with his insurer.
If he is independently confirmed as being unable to work he will be paid. If he is deemed to be suffering from depression but able to work, he will not be paid.
That’s the way it is and the way it should be.
October 25th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Right wing blogger pays a few years of insurance premiums, gets away with $500k over five years. Right wing blogger gets offered a payout to settle the claim of $50,000, refuses to do so and decides to pull up a legal fight over whether or not he should, you know, go to work for someone else because his business failed and he wouldn’t get another loan to start another one with his history without punitive borrowing rates.
Right wing blogger earns more than most lawyers, accountants and junior doctors for those years of premiums (which most likely never totalled half a mill) while running a blog (where he calls other people ‘bludgers’ and ‘troughers’) and doing National Party promotional work, earning twice as much as a police constable or soldier while taking none of the risks they do.
Right wing blogger would be okay to compare to left wing blogger if right wing blogger hadn’t spent four years going on about welfare bludgers and how the state is full of shit. Now specialists have told right wing blogger he’s fit to work, right wing blogger… doesn’t want to.
Right wing blogger doesn’t mention this on his blog, but carries on talking about how other people are liars and bludgers.
This man writing this comment has suffered from depression in the past, and has often been amazed at the ability of Slater to run a blog and do all this party work when depression at its worst means you rarely do anything at all, if ever. Depression is crippling, and Slater isn’t crippled.
If he can do all this crap for National and run his blog from morning until late, then he’s well enough to get off his arse and go to work.
October 25th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
no investigation, no one takes any notice,
Well…philu’s blog is a little more low profile than Mr Oil’s.
October 25th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Why don’t you all fuck up and die? Leave the poor bugger alone to sort it out with his insurer.
Venturing opinions on this sort of thing is kind the point of blog comments and talkback.
October 25th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Adolf: “That’s the way it is and the way it should be.”
Malingerers push up the premiums for all of us, its just as bad as benefit fraud, that’s NOT the way it should be.
October 25th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Ernesto, you demonstrate the worst of blog comments. Whale is not a malingerer. He is a claimant who is under review and who is disputing the insurer’s interpretation of the review.
However, I’d have to say in passing, making oneself a public persona via the Sunday newspapers does not help one convince an insurer that one is unable to devote one’s energies toward activity which will generate useful income.
You see, the test is not that one is suffering from depression. The test is whether one is capable of engaging in activity which will generate income.
I think he will struggle to make this one stick.
October 25th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
why take out income protection insurance if, when you claim for it, jealous fuckers slag you off .. good luck WOBH from all those who have been suckered by insurance companies.
October 25th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Claiming for it over five years at a very high rate of compensation – some people work themselves ill to earn that kind of money – without returning to work and while maintaining one of New Zealand’s most popular blogs, well, that’s taking the piss.
Good on Fidelity for finally showing up for their customers. That’s what the private sector is all about.
October 25th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Right wing blogger has a contractual dispute with an insurer – so fucken what, it doesn’t cost me anything – ‘pushes up premiums’, give me a break, things like this are only a partial balance against all the legitimate claims the insurance companies decline
the point is a Left wing blogger, perfectly fit to work has been claiming taxpayer funded welfare for a minimum of the last 14 years – does it make the media? – nope – why? because it’s so common in NZ no one gives a shit.
October 25th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Adolf: “Ernesto, you demonstrate the worst of blog comments. Whale is not a malingerer. He is a claimant who is under review and who is disputing the insurer’s interpretation of the review.”
Malingerer: one who exaggerates the symptoms of mental or physical disorders for a variety of “secondary gain” motives.
The jury is still out, but IF Whale is objectively capable of work but claims that he is not THAT is malingering, particularly if it is done to get compensation from his insurance company.
I know you are a buddy of Whale and you guys have been pretty hand in glove over the LabTests thing, but can we please have a little objectivity from the doctor in the house.
PS You’re not by any chance the doctor who has been signing of WO’s certificates are you? … nothing would surpise.
October 25th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
FFS Whale brought and paid his own money for a contract to protect him and his family if his earning power was stopped.
He has not asked for us tax payer to help. He PAID his own premiums.
The current review will be sorted as is the case in most claims.
Going public is not a good look but equally for both sides.
By the way I have been in insurance on both sides, for 35 years so know a couple of things about claims.
October 25th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
You know what, the jury isn’t out. The jury hasn’t even sat. All we’ve had are legal threats, in public, from Slater. The specialists appointed by the insurance company have told the company that he’s fit to work and the company has offered him a $50,000 payout to end the claim.
He’s said he’s going to the courts. Fidelity are protecting their own income and protecting the interests of their own premium paying customers by stopping his claim. He’s running one of NZ’s most popular blogs and running about doing canvassing work for a major political party.
The only thing I’m shocked about is that it’s taken them this long to sort it out.
If Fidelity don’t fight this now, they’re probably going to be looking at losing more custom as people transfer policies over. Slater’s now made it a higher profile incident, and if that means the company has to fight it harder to keep its custom, then Slater’s brought it on himself.
Again, this is the free market at work. You guys should fucking love this.
October 25th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
If I held a stake in the insurer I would definitely be questioning why it continued to pay out someone who appeared fit for (at least) a desk job.
Whale Oil, as boring and repetitive as I find his blog to be, has it together enough to get some good scoops going. That and the constant appearances in other media lead to me believe he can probably support himself without an insurance payout.
October 25th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Being nuts is not the same as having depression. Nuts can mean anything from having a phychological illness (such as, but not necessarily, depression), a personality disorder, an interlectual disability or just being very eccentric/unusual/different. Cameron and probably a lot of bloggers would probably qualify for the later. I also do not doubt his claim that he has depression, However, having depression does not necessarily preclude someone from being able to work. While I am sure that his illness is genuine, having payments from an insurance company for not being able to work, would put one off going to the effort of overcomming the illness and working despite it. He has managed to overcome his illness and run a successful blog despite it.
(David I dont think the use of the words “nutts” is offensive, but is an inaccurate way of describing depression)
[DPF: Oh I agree absolutely. I am well very aware of the effects of depression on people. I was being flippant as Whale had been]
October 25th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
I am sure the Right Wing Blogger gets seriously depressed at having his gravy train cut off. Stick him on a sickness benefit, give him a few pills. He’ll be find in a few days.
October 25th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
ok (Chris C) my comments were a little rash. I’m glad Cameron got a compensation for his ‘issue” .. it must have been approved by the Insurance Company though. They have decided to come to a end game scenario to cut their losses .. that’s what insurance is all about about .. they took a risk and lost.
I hope all parties come to a win win.
October 25th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
struth! the balls on this guy!
take 5 years off on full pay, fine.. but do then spend 40 hours a week being a political animal and media whore.. fuckin hell.
this right winger says – youre fine, get to work son!
October 25th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
dime
What the hell do you know about Whales condition. If an insurer coughed for 5 years then believe me there was a health problem.
That is enough evidence for most of us so fuck off
October 25th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
To Ernesto and all the other c*nts who think this thing is a box of laughs…fuck you all.
The insurance companies OWN psychiatrist in his report to them was asked by the company if I was malingering, his reply was emphatic. It was NO.
So not malingering, the insurance company’s own psychiatrist says so, and why would I? Why would I want my life as it is at the beck and call of an insurance company on 75% of of what I earned 5 years ago. You do the fricken math. You try paying 100% of your expenses you had on 75% of the income you had….very quickly doesn’t add up and so the spiral continues…downwards.
The first two years were the worst, then I found an outlet, it was called Whale oil Beef Hooked. It makes zero money, cost more to run than it earns but it provides me an outlet. I am now back where I was two years ago medically. How frustrating do you think that is? After all the years, and all the psychologists, which btw I paid for. 1 less house and its rental income, no savings, and a 5 year gap on any CV, the sleepness nights, the pain of muscle tensions, the hypervigilance, the inability to go even to a shopping mall without having panic attacks and worst of all the drugs that the insurance company makes you take and changes regularly and their side-effects. Yeah, real fun. I’m not complaining btw just telling you how it is.
I wouldn’t wish this illness on my worst enemy, even Winston Peters. If it wasn’t for the support of a select few which can be counted on 1 hand then who knows where I would have been.
October 25th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
It’s a funny world when Philu is one of the more sensible commentators on this post.
October 25th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
whale: for a guy who shows no compassion, empathy or decency when dealing with other people’s flaws, and who attacks people because of conditions they cannot control or need help in controlling (obesity, being gay, alcoholism), you sure do whinge a lot. Plus there is a wiff of hypocrisy in your expressed views on the blog and your current situation with the insurer.
Perhaps you need to adjust your lifestyle to your diminished income expectations and make the most of what you can have rather than moan about what you would rather have.
October 25th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
You fucking idiot, my lifestyle is well adjusted thank you very much, badly, and just a month ago got seriously adjusted again.
You want to think you are a Gnadsmasher, how about you say that to my face?
October 25th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Whaleoil
your blog is not my kind of blog, but of course I uphold your right to blog as you see fit.
I went through a reasonably sized business failure quite a few years ago now, and absolutely understand the trauma involved for you. As they say, you certainly find out who your true friends are!
I was lucky in that I largely recovered emotionally, although not quite financially, but it’s OK.
You paid your premiums and you are entitled to the income the insurance company contracted to pay you in these circumstances.
I’m reminded of the John Hawkesby case years ago when TVNZ tried to get out of honouring Hawkesby’s contract. The nub of the matter was that they could afford the best lawyers to examine any contract they signed, and they signed the contract that said they had to pay him out. End of story. But John received bad raps from the media and the public. Duh!
Fidelity have been paying you for 5 years, so they accepted you have a valid claim. Now they are just trying to wriggle out of it by bullying you with expensive court action.
Don’t let the bastards get away with it!
October 25th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
no, fuck you whale oil
depressed people don’t even get out of bed in the morning, never mind spending their entire days publishing right wing blogs and fucking around on twitter.
October 25th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
You must be really pissed off that the Klark government was ousted, cos that is where your actions are aligned, rather than where your pretend right wing ideological philosophy lies.
October 25th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
In actual fact, Dirty Rat, you are totally wrong in saying that depressed people don’t even get out of bed. You demonstrate not only ignorance but also a complete lack of human empathy.
Cameron is of the right, which is why he paid for his policy. He is being true to his ideals. Fidelity needs to be true to its contract. Perhaps you think Cameron wrote the contract himself?
Seriously, why support an insurance company trying to wriggle out of its own contracts?
October 25th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
Someone who actually gets involved in such a thread isn’t someone suffering symptoms of his alleged condition.
Get a job, mate.
October 25th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
He paid, he’s obviously nuts, so keep paying him.
Where is the problem here??
And whats happened to SB????
October 25th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
whale: that response is clearly you playing at being deranged, when the evidence suggests otherwise. Insurance companies suck but you are starting to look like the reason the rest of us pay unreasonably high premiums for basic coverage. My comment about your hipocrisy and whinging still stand. And always remember that when you start issuing physical challenges, it is an admission you have no other argumentative cards to play. As for the challenge itself: beware of what you wish for. Sometimes the fist cannot deliver what the mouth promises.
October 25th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
I think five years is plenty enough time to adjust to a reduced income. Especially an income clearly above what most families earn in this country.
October 25th, 2009 at 11:54 pm
In fact Luc
Here is someone with a condition he has had for five years and claiming money for those five years whilst publicly proving he is not incapacitated.
I would call that theft, it is debatable about whether it is a civil case though.
He can type, he is no longer incapable of employment. A leech on other policy holders. I would say that having a claim of now probably now over half a million dollars, say it again, over half a million dollars, one more time, over half a million dollars, should give me concerns.
Not only as an insurance company, but as a policy holder too.
He can use a compter, he publishes a blog, he tweets, he attends boxing matches.
Which part of those describes incapacity ?
October 26th, 2009 at 4:25 am
I suffer from both depression and anxiety, though not problems to the same extent as Whale. As former colleagues will tell you, this can make me a complete shit to work with, as on occasion I am irrascible, melodramatic, and display temper tantrums. I also go through periods of complete demotivation. This has not helped my working career any.
About the only arena where these negative traits are prized and valued is… well… blogging. Whale may be a very active and successful blogger, but that does not mean he is “fit to work”. Quite the opposite. He is literally certifiable. His blog is an outlet for his depression, not evidence of a lack of it.
As I say, my problems are mild compared to his, but from them I can completely understand why Whale might not be fit to work with anyone. He would be a mess by lunchtime.
As for his insurance, perhaps some people don’t understand how it works. If I take out a policy and crash my car a week later, it doesn’t matter if I’ve only paid $20 worth of premiums. The insurance company took a gamble that I wouldn’t crash my car, they lost, and they have to pay out. Same with Whale’s insurance and his business. It matters not that he profits from it – it’s a contract and has to be honoured. Whale was smart and conscientious in obtaining it, should be duly rewarded for his foresight, and nobody should begrudge him.
October 26th, 2009 at 5:21 am
Oh I’ve been in the “don’t even get out of bed in the morning” place, it’s not much fun, took two years to get out of that place….but then guess what the insurance company decided to do what they have done this time back then…..sets you back quite a bit.
Some of the comments show that they may actually be employees of Fidelity. Of course a check of ip addresses and registered emails with DPF should enable me to do find out.
I wouldn’t put it past them to do that, they have done so much more than has ever been published and i relish the opportunity when it is all sorted out to write a guide on what insurance companies will do to their customers.
The mistake that fidelity has made is pushing me into a corner and picking the wrong customer to do it to. The fact that their own reports that they paid for don’t support their conclusion will be served up to them and the paid insurance company flunky doctors they used will be exposed for what they did. If you google any of their names it is amazing the stories you find about them. they should be ashamed of themselves, but then their professional bodies will be dealing with that in due course.
The final mistake that Fidelity has made is making spend every waking moment of my life now focusing on them, they should give Andrew Williams, Brenden Sheehan, Winston Peters and others a quick call to find out where this is going.
October 26th, 2009 at 7:56 am
” Of course a check of ip addresses and registered emails with DPF should enable me to do find out.”
DPF, I assume there is no substance to the implied threat in WO’s last post (@0521) that you have or would grant him – or anyone in such circumstances – access to IP and account information.
[DPF: I would not give someone else access to the details, but I would be willing to check if someone from Fidelity was secretly posting here, pretending to be a disinterested party. Astro-turfing deserves to be exposed, as happened some years ago when a Ticketek staff member posted on a blog defending the Ticketek website and claiming anyone who had troubles with it was thick.
I suggest you read my Privacy Policy also]
October 26th, 2009 at 8:00 am
Well said Blair, and I can totally relate to your situation, having been there and done that. Throughout the two years I ran my blog, I was at a very low ebb – medicated, and piss-poor company – not pleasant to be around. Blogging for me was a release; a chance to say what I thought, without it affecting anyone in a personal sense. But it was also a two-edged sword; the more I blogged, the more I needed to blog. I became reclusive and insular – even more so than I had been – and my work started to suffer.
Since my self-imposed exile, I’ve started to get more balance, but it hasn’t been easy – I’m putting my oar in on less blogs, and less frequently, and have thus far resisted the urge to restart Keeping Stock. But I can totally see how Whale uses blogging to meet a social need, and as a therapeutic tool.
Cam – hang in there mate. You had the foresight to make provision for your future and not rely on the state for a handout, and that should be applauded. Stick to your guns, and don’t let the bastards grind you down – kia kaha, kia toa, kia manawanui!
October 26th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Whale, I agree with I2 (the bits I understand, anyway – the last part of the final sentence was written in some sort of code). Those who would attack you here have obviously never dealt with a depressive illness and, IMO, are the poorer for it. You are to be applauded for looking after yourself and your family without relying on the state, and I wish you well in your battle with Fidelity.
October 26th, 2009 at 9:46 am
WO: “Some of the comments show that they may actually be employees of Fidelity.”
Haha… WO has now accused me of being both an employee of LabTests and Fidelity (and a cunt for that matter). Sounds like he might have better luck if he claimed under the ‘paranoid psychosis’ or ‘narcissistic personality disorder’ categories.
I can just imagine the venom with which WOBH would attack, say Russell Brown or one of the twits at The Standard, if the tables were turned, and if Winston or Andrew Williams was was at the top of a cliff WO would be the first to start chanting jump.
Now the harpoon gets trained on him and the Whale’s all blubber …. beached az bro.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=606eK4abteQ
October 26th, 2009 at 10:01 am
“beached az bro” – you knobjockie.
October 26th, 2009 at 10:21 am
expat: “beached az bro” – you knobjockie.”
WO’s motto: a laugh at someone elses expense is still a laugh nevertheless ( I hark back to the Pearl Going episode).
‘Beached Az’ is in no worse taste than WO’s Chris Carter/cruising poof gag. Hilarious as ever. Hopefully WO will come to understand that picking on people because they are gay is right up there with hassling WO for his grief. With a few years to reflect on this, one hopes WO might become just a little more empathetic and tolerant. Bigotry and malevolence gets us nowhere.
October 26th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
DirtyRat:
How do you know that? Are you his doctor or any of his support team?
October 26th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
“Well…philu’s blog is a little more low profile than Mr Oil’s.”
sounds more like tall poppy syndrome. Get a sniff of a profile rightie with a scratch and the pack joins in, whilst ignoring the open wound leftie parasites shitting all over the den floor
- little wonder the MSM do so well in NZ.
October 26th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
This appear in an email newsletter I received today, which I thought was pertinent to Whale Oil’s case:
Identifying and Overcoming Depression – Dr Timothy Sharp
Depression is the single biggest cause of disability and lost productivity in the world. It’s the most common reason behind distress in individuals and families, as well as a major cause of workplace problems, and it leads to, in many cases, problems with drug and alcohol use. One in 4 people will directly experience depression at some point in their lives but up to 80% will be affected indirectly by knowing and/or working with someone who’s suffering.
As prevalent and disruptive as depression has always been, things have worsened in recent times due to the global economic crisis that’s occurred over the last year or so. It’s been estimated that 45% of the world’s wealth has been destroyed in this short period of time and not surprisingly, this has had a significant, negative impact on many people’s lives; and that’s before we even consider rising rates of unemployment and increasing uncertainty for most people when they contemplate their future.
Putting all this together, there’s no doubt that financial insecurity, unemployment, job uncertainty and high debt all impact negatively on health and well-being in a number of ways but most directly, the current economic downturn is leading to an increase in mood disorders such as depression.
Psychologists and medical researchers have found important linkages between lack of employment security and stress. People who feel insecure about job stability and their finances have been found to have higher levels of perceived stress and poorer general health than people with secure positions. Unemployment has also been correlated with lower self esteem, depression, increased alcohol abuse, and feelings of lack of control in life. Stress and tension can also disrupt sleep habits and relationships with family.
On top of all this, part of the problem is that many people are blaming others including banks and big business; some are regretting making what in hindsight were clearly poor decisions. But apportioning blame doesn’t help; all it does is add to the negative, downward spiral described above.
But the good news is that there is a way out so keep reading…
By developing a personal sense of control, anyone can learn to better manage depression and stress, including negative events such as unemployment and financial loss, as well as work and/or relationship difficulties. So if you want to take greater control of your life then try the following:
1. Clarify what’s really important in your life and focus on these priorities; at the same time, try not to worry as much about matters that are either inconsequential or outside your control
2. Keep healthy: keep active, because exercise is a potent antidepressant, and don’t neglect your diet or your sleep
3. Practice gratitude: although you might be facing some very real problems, and although it’s important to acknowledge this realistically and deal with it as best you can, it’s also worth spending at least some time each and every day focusing on what you have rather than on what you don’t have
4. Maintain hope and optimism: again, it’s important to be realistic but it’s also important to remind yourself that you’ll get through this and you’ll get through quicker and more effectively if you can avoid excessively focus on the bad and reassure yourself that (possibly with the help of others) you can cope
5. Remember that you don’t have to do it all on your own: other people (family and friends and professionals) are here to help you so don’t be afraid to reach out and utilise social supports
6. Use your strengths to cope with difficulties: don’t just focus on your weaknesses and problems but ask yourself what you’re really good at and how you can use these attributes to get through
7. Practice meditation and relaxation: these strategies are very helpful for staying calm and for boosting our mental health and wellbeing
8. Solve problems: do what you can to actively resolve the issues in your life rather than passively waiting for them to magically disappear
9. Take small steps: With all of the above and with anything you’re trying to achieve, make sure your expectations are realistic. If you’re feeling stressed or depressed, then tasks you would normally complete with little or minimal effort might now seem more daunting
10. Reward yourself: give yourself a pat on the back for making an effort and for achieving whatever you can achieve
But if you’ve tried all this and you’re still struggling, you might need some more help: are you, for example, experiencing any of these signs or symptoms?
•Feeling sad most of the day, nearly every day, over a period of at least a couple of weeks
•Having difficulty engaging in usual activities and difficulty enjoying activities
•Withdrawing from social activities
•Significant loss of appetite
•Difficulty sleeping
•Difficulties with concentration and memory, and difficulty making decisions
•Feeling slowed down, tired, lacking energy or not very motivated to do things
•Irritability
•Feeling very guilty about things
•Excessively worrying or ruminating
•Feeling hopeless about the future
•Feeling very low about yourself and/or your abilities. Feeling worthlessness
•Reduced interest in sex
•Feeling suicidal, perhaps even thinking about how to harm yourself
If so, then consider the following options:
•Go to http://www.overcomingdepressiontreatment.com for a practical and very effective self-help program (which includes online, confidential support from qualified psychologists) PLUS free tips, free webinars and a free online course for overcoming depression
•Talk to your local doctor about the range of treatments available and about which might be most appropriate for you
•Find an appropriately qualified clinical psychologist (the Australian Psychological Society has a free referral service or you can check out http://www.makingchanges.com.au)
•Check out the resources at http://www.beyondblue.org.au
October 26th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
i would suggest a vegan diet..yoga..and cannabis to take off the rough edges..
sustain..invigorate..sedate…
(the three sisters..)
(oh..!..and no alcohol..)
phil(whoar.co.nz)
October 26th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Phil, Cannabis not so good for those with pre-existing paranoid psychoses.
October 26th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
no..it’s not for everyone…
but it is for many/most..
and is certainly a fuck sight better than the (addictive) tranks handed out like lollies..by doctors..
phil(whoar.co.nz)
October 26th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Cure for depression – contemplate Phool’s life for a moment and realise how much more worthwhile your own is…
October 26th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Cammy, Go get a job like the rest of us have to, $100,000 pa for 5 years, what a scam!
You’ve been caught out, go work or get one of your rich mates so lend you some cash.
But please, please stop whining.
October 27th, 2009 at 8:41 am
f.y.i..
http://whoar.co.nz/2009/can-your-diet-make-you-happy/
“..We’ve long known that a Mediterranean diet is good for the heart .. but it turns out it’s also good for the mood.
In a study published earlier this month, Spanish researchers looked at the diets of 10,000 people ..
.. and found those who mainly ate a Mediterranean diet had lower depression rates than those who did not.
The study compiled data from Spanish people who reported their dietary intake on a questionnaire between 1999 and 2005.
After an average follow-up of 4.4 years, the overall incidence of depression for those who followed the diet was 30 percent lower than for those who mostly did not follow the diet.
Even lower rates of depression were associated with intake of specific elements of the Mediterranean diet ..
.. such as fruits, vegetables and olive oil..”
phil(whoar.co.nz)