Why are people with mental health not allowed to talk about it..

Take your mind back approx 30-40 years ago, when a person was diagnosed with a form of mental illness they were committed to an asylum and out of the public eye, However in the late 1980’s those who had spent years in asylums were released in the care of the community under a new act, and because of the lack of qualified support staff and without proper care became a threat to themselves and others. One of the major issues that these patients had was a lack of voice and they struggled with the torment of their demons which controlled their fragile minds usually caused by a loss of discipline when it came to their drug regime and there was no one to turn to.

Move the hands of the clock to the present day and you will see nothing has really changed much, people with mental illness are still struggling to come forward and talk about the day to day battle with their psychosis. One of the most frustrating aspects of mental health is that even in age of political correctness, sufferers are still maligned with heartless titles such as head cases, mentalists or worse, and this degrading behaviour causes mental people to hide away and suffer in silence.

Even though we are in the 21st century, the word depression is still associated with someone is just having a bad day and not in its correct context. As a sufferer of depression, I can categorically say that depression is not just someone having a bad day, there is much more to this condition then the ignoramuses who malign it understand.

Depression is has been a recognised condition for many years and unfortunately the number of sufferers grows alarmingly year on year and yet those who suffer are still embarrassed to talk about it for fear of ridicule. Sadly depression is not confined just to adults as children are also exposed to the debilitating effects of this condition.

When I was consumed by the effects of depression on of the first steps I took was to reveal to family and close friends the difficult times I had been through and starting to reconnect with society which I had lad left behind for a life in blackness (anybody who suffers or has suffered with depression will understand that statement). It is now two years since I had depression and just by talking and and communicating with the right people I am now in a much better place, I can think much more clearly, and with the help of my counsellor I see life from a completely different perspective. I now have the confidence which I lacked for many years and the self esteem to stand up and talk about depression as I have found it a good way to continue my therapy.

So to wrap up this weeks blog, I want people who have suffered or suffer with depression or any other form of mental illness to stand up and say “I suffer from mental illness” and don’t be forced to suffer in silence. Everybody has a voice and with the various mediums of social media we have the chance to make the world see that mental health is a global epidemic, and now it is time to create the ideal infrastructure so that suffers can access the best of treatment without being stigmatised.

Thank you.