Yesterday, on the 10th October 2017 people came together to support World Mental Health Day.
From Topman pushing awareness via their eye catching L’eau de Chris campaign, working together with Chris Hughes of Love Island and the charity CALM to some of the biggest names in showbiz sharing their opinions on mental health…
It really got me thinking.
Are we really doing enough?
Now I don’t know where this post will lead.
I’m 3 coffees in, it’s not even 10am here in the UK and my fingers are hitting the keyboard fasting than they ever have.
It’s Time To Rant
Awareness around mental health is getting bigger, and more people are now admitting to their own struggles around mental health…
But why is mental health as a ‘subject’ still globally neglected within the schooling system?
Why is mental health still often stigmatised within society?
Are we still really doing as much as we possibly can to bring light to just how serious our mental well being is?
My Dad took his own life in 2009 without any real warning signs of being mentally ill. Shortly after, I too battled with depression.
But even after being affected by mental health personally, it still took me years to discover the shocking fact that suicide is the biggest killer of men under the age of 45.
Out of all of the suicides last year, 79% were men.
You know the UK? That tiny little country on the world map? A man takes his own life every 2 hours there.
No #, no ‘day’, no ‘week’ and no celebrity tweet can change those statistics quickly, and even though it’s a work in progress is still scares me how many people are avoiding mental health.
You read it…
I’m scared.
From a lack of knowledge amongst health professionals in terms of treating depressed, anxious and other mentally unwell patients to the fact social media allows us to compare ourselves to others and hunt for instant gratification within seconds of picking up our phones.
This is serious.
Changing the face of mental health is something that’s going to take years, if not decades. You can’t wipe away old conditioning and take down the way society views mental health by raising awareness through a #.
As they say in Tescos, “every little helps”… but for now I feel focusing solely on ourselves and the people close to us is the best way to tackle mental health.
Are you looking after yourself?
Do you know how important it is to work on your own mental well being?
When was the last time you asked a loved one… “are you ok?”
If you feel unhappy, don’t be afraid to talk. If you see someone unhappy, don’t be afraid to talk.
Focusing on you and the people closest to you can help more than you think.
