Let's Talk About... Mental Health

There is such a stigma nowadays surrounding mental health. From a young age we are taught to hide our feelings and not mention mental health - neither ours nor that of those around us. But if you are feeling like your mental health is suffering, then bottling up your feelings will only make it worse. Somebody very close to me has suffered with Depression and Anxiety for a majority of his life, and has recently been diagnosed with Psychotic Depression, and obviously his mental health has been a huge part of his life, as well as the lives of his family and friends.

For those of you who don't know, Psychotic Depression is a form of severe Depression in which the sufferer has hallucinations or delusions, 'for example, they may become convinced they're to blame for something, or that they've committed a crime' - nhs.co.uk. They may hear the voices of loved ones, and are convinced that the voices they are hearing are real. For the sufferer and the people around them, this is very scary. The sufferer can no longer trust their own thoughts, and their friends/family can't trust what the sufferer says either. Until the person I know was diagnosed with it, I didn't even know that Psychotic Depression existed. However, I knew that physical diseases existed, and could name many. This only goes to show how stigmatised mental health is.

If a young person has a mental illness, they are told to 'just get over it'. If that young person had a physical illness such as cancer, there's no way that they would be told to 'just get over it'! Imagine going to the doctor's and being told that your illness is in your mind, and therefore you're making it up. It would only make you feel more alone and more of a 'freak'. This is why the discussion of mental health needs to become more commonplace. Mental illness can affect anyone, no matter their age/gender/background, and the awareness of these issues must be raised.

Neither in primary nor secondary school was I taught about mental illness, all I had was a couple of classes on anorexia and bulimia. Depression was never even mentioned. So how am I supposed to know how to help my loved one when he is suffering so much? Had I been educated on the finer details of mental illness, it's causes, symptoms, and cures, maybe I would be better at helping my loved one.

After researching Psychotic Depression and mental health in general, I have realised that it is easier than I thought to help those suffering: you just need to listen. As scary as it might be, and however many tears come speeding towards your eyes, we need to talk about mental illness: it could save someone's life.

If anything I have written has affected you in any way, please feel free to message me, through any of the sites/email listed on my 'Talk To Me!' page.

Here are some lists of helplines if you feel you need help.
Get Self Help (UK)
NHS (UK)
Together We Are Strong (International)
Asking for help is NOT a sign of weakness; it is a sign of recovery.