Wednesday, 13 August 2014

Depression. Not a Dirty Word.

Been toying with publishing this post for a while now, it's a topic very close to my heart due to family suffering, and I've very much grown up with mental health problems being 'part of the family' It's a horrible situation for anyone to suffer, and also affects the people around them. But with 1 in 4 of us suffering from a mental health problem, why aren't we more aware and more understanding? Why is there still a massive taboo around mental health?
Why can't we talk about it?

Even with well-known household names talking openly about their battles with mental health issues, many others often feel ashamed, and family members struggle to speak out not wanting to heap more pressure on the sufferer by outside judgement. Why is having something wrong with your mind, any different from having a dodgy heart, or diabetes? Fear of the unknown is making those suffering unable to communicate and unable to feel secure in the fact that they won't be labelled 'nutters' Understanding the word depression and mental health issues is complex, and we really just need to realise the only thing you need to ask is...
Are you okay?

If you are noticing changes in a family member, or friend, ask them. Don't tell them to 'snap out of it' and don't tell them to 'cheer up, might never happen!' You never know, for them it may well have already done. Being at the bottom of that big black hole, it looks like there will never be a way out. Lend that hand and show someone that it's okay to not be okay.
And if you feel like you need to talk, why not get in touch with The Blurt Foundation

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