‘All politicians should seek psychiatric help,’ says Blair’s former spin doctor Alistair Campbell
Posted on February 15th, 2015

Source: The Independent Newspaper, UK

Every politician in Britain should be seeking the help of mental health professionals, according to former Downing Street spin doctor Alastair Campbell.

Consulting psychiatrists would ease stress – with the elections less than three months away – and would develop cognitive and emotional control skills needed to become better leaders, he said.

Mr Campbell also revealed that he urged Tony Blair and Gordon Brown to seek couples’ counselling when their working relationship disintegrated – but the prime minister rejected the idea.

He claims that Labour lost power after 13 years because the two leaders had failed to work together as a team.

After Mr Campbell suggested the services of a psychiatrist who had helped him cope with depression in the run-up to the 2005 election, he claims that Mr Blair said: I am prepared to think out of the box. But not that far.”

In his new book Winners and How They Succeed, Mr Campbell argues that modern politicians are less effective leaders than senior sport and business professionals.

AFP: Psychiatric help would assist in coping with stress and depression, says Mr Campbell© AFP Psychiatric help would assist in coping with stress and depression, says Mr Campbell

He says that this is because psychologists are routinely employed to improve performance in those sectors, in the book being serialised by The Sunday Times.

If you look at the best of elite sport, it does stuff better than the best of business, and the best of business does it better than the best of politics,” Mr Campbell told the newspaper.

Sport is predominantly a physical activity, and yet hardly any of these top sports guys go without proper psychological support. And yet politics, which is primarily intellectual, mental, psychological – most of them don’t have any psychological support at all.”

Politicians are afraid of seeing mental health and performance professionals due to the possible stigma it may carry and seeing headlines such as Cameron has a shrink,” he said.

The former director of communications for Mr Blair said that he hired Andy McCann, a mental skills coach to the Wales rugby team, to help him prepare for his appearance at the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq War.

5 Responses to “‘All politicians should seek psychiatric help,’ says Blair’s former spin doctor Alistair Campbell”

  1. NeelaMahaYoda Says:

    Very good Idea for Sri Lankan Politicians also.

    They should Start with President Sirisena, though he might need in patient treatment. Ranil and his inner group might need Long-term forensic psychiatric care.(some may have problems with Homo sexuality, one cabinet minister has pervert sexual desire)

    Long-term forensic psychiatric care concerns itself with patients who do not profit enough from treatment to return safely to society. For many of these patients return to society is no longer an option. Consequently, treatment is not primarily focused on risk reduction. Rather, the main objective is to offer the patients an optimal quality of life. This demands a specialized approach, which provides a life environment optimally attuned to individual possibilities and needs, as well as tailored psychological, psychiatric and somatic care

  2. Geeth Says:

    How if we re locate entire parliament to Angoda “pissan kotuva” and bring pissan kotuwa to the current parliament?

  3. NeelaMahaYoda Says:

    Geet
    They will do a better job.

  4. Susantha Wijesinghe Says:

    YES !!! CAMERON ALWAYS HAD A SHRINK SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, HE GETS IRRITATED AND ACTS LIKE A SCUM BALL.

    GEETH !! JUST CALL PARLIAMENT “””ANGODA “””****Then CALL ANGODA “””PARLIAMENT OF SRI LANKA.””” Just change the name boards.

    NMY !!! VADHA KAHA SUDIYA SHOULD BE AVAILABLE IN THE PARLIAMENT CANTEEN AS A DAILY ELIXIR. IT ACTS AS A PANACEA FOR REGULAR SHRINKAGE, WHICH DILUTES COMMONSENSE.

  5. Nimal Says:

    Irrespective of what is written, they have made the country great for everyone to live in and they are accountable to the people. The reason why people seek refuge in large numbers.

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