This week is Mental Health Awareness Week. I always think awareness weeks should be more than just a week and awareness should be carried out all the time. Mental health is often overlooked and stigmatised, yet there’s a high chance that you reading this blog, someone you love or care about or know of will have been affected by mental illness at some point in your lifetime.
Recently in the press Everton footballer player Aaron Lennon was in the press after being admitted to hospital. There was a huge outcry on social media and questions asked, such as, “How can someone in the public eye have a mental health condition?” When just like physical health, it does not discrimate who can be affected it doesn’t matter who you are, what job you have or lifestyle you lead Mental Health can affect anyone at anytime in their life time.
Quite a while ago a mental health therapist told me that I didn’t look like an anxious person and I couldn’t have the mental health struggles I did as I have Matt my boyfriend and a few friends who I will be forever grateful for. Mental health doesn’t have a look, and affects people differently at different times in their lives. Whilst there may be a criteria for diagnosis, everyone is different, what might be a trigger for one person might be completely different for someone else.
Whilst awareness is crucial, it’s also important that change happens and with so many cuts happening left right and centre for mental health , that people get access to the right help and support they need and deserve to manage their struggles more easily.
Finally, to those who have experienced mental health difficulties: keep going, keep persevering. Never loose hope, tomorrow is a new day. You deserve as much kindness and compassion as you willingly give to others. You’re a lot stronger than you think you are and if nobody has told you this today I’m proud of you.
It’s important we keep the conversations going about mental health, you never know when or how you might be affected by it. Alongside dyspraxia/invisible difficulties awareness it will always be something important to me and I’ll be passionate about. Until next time….
