Reaching out.




You were fine yesterday... It’s all in your head.... you really need to force yourself out of bed...... just think of all the people that have it so much worse than you... Sound familiar? This post is all about mental health stigma. 

It’s 2019 should there still be stigma around mental health? NO. Is there still stigma around mental health. UNFORTUNATELY YES.  Mental illness is a disease of the brain much like appendicitis is a disease of the appendix. It is an illness and should be treated with the same compassion as a physical illness. 

In the UK the percentage of males who commit suicide is considerably higher than the percentage of females. Why? One reason for some men could be that they feel because they are male they should ‘man up’ and not reach out for help. Seeking help for mental health is often seen as a weakness in men. This isn’t the case. It is okay to reach out regardless of gender, age, race, sexuality everybody in this world deserves to feel supported with mental health. If you had a broken leg you’d go to the hospital for help so why are people more reluctant to go to the doctor for mental health support? Because of the stigma. People are made to feel ashamed of what they are going through and that they need to hide how they feel. Fear of being judged. This is not okay! No one should be made to feel ashamed of asking for help. The more we talk about mental health and the warning signs, the triggers, the support that’s out there the more people will gain understanding and in hope be more considerate. Feeling anxious is okay. Even if the reasons behind the anxiety are seen by others as ‘trivial’ it matters to you. Feeling low in mood is okay. Even if you have a good job and you keep busy, it doesn’t make it any less of a issue for you. Everybody is equal it’s never a battle of who is worse than the other... each and everyone is entitled to support regardless of the severity. It’s okay not to be okay and reaching out is key! Early intervention is so important if you keep you are struggling even the slightest bit- Reach out. Whether that is reaching out to a family member, friend, doctor, mental health helpline. Whatever it may be talking is essential. I find in times when I’m unable to explain how I feel by talking I write it down and give the paper to someone I need to tell or I text them. Posted below will be some mental health helplines which use text based support and/or phone call support as well as self help links. Help break the stigma around mental health, there’s always time to talk💚


Shout Mental health text-line: 852 58 (text to SHOUT to this number and receive support in a matter of minutes) 

NHS 111 Mental health crisis support: UK only, dial 111, hold to speak to advisor when prompted press 2 for mental health support. 

Moodjuice Self help online workbooks: 
https://www.moodjuice.scot.nhs.uk
       
Stay safe💚
    

Comments

  1. JaxJuly 4, 2019 at 3:37 PM

    So true and very powerful . Brave stand against a silent enemy

    ReplyDelete

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