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We need to talk more about Mental Health



It’s 1am and I can’t sleep.
I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to say concerning mental health. It’s something that I have strong feelings about and I really want these words to come out right.

I want to start by saying that I personally have not been diagnosed with any mental illnesses and in saying that, I acknowledge that I cannot fully understand or relate to those that have. However throughout my life I have been surrounded by many who have and are experiencing mental illness in their lives. I have seen how life altering, consuming and heart breaking it can be. Those reading this post with a mental illness I want you to know that I genuinely care and feel for you and I hope those words don’t come across as patronising or condescending in any way. I’m actually starting to tear up as I’m writing this, that’s how much this topic means to me and how much I want to say the right thing.

When I returned from my missionary service in the UK back in 2015, after the experiences I had over there, I felt very strongly that I should go back home and study Mental Health. At the time I was unsure if I should or would pursue a career in this area but I knew that learning more and becoming more educated on the subject would be useful and beneficial. I am so grateful for the things I learned throughout the course and the insights and understanding I gained through listening to both mental health professionals and those with lived experience. I want to share a few very important things that I have learned from my study but also through my life experiences.

The first thing I learned in class that changed the way I viewed mental health was on the very first day of class. Our teacher drew a scale on the board with “Mentally Healthy” at one end and “Mentally unwell” at the other. He explained that throughout our lives we will all go up and down on this scale. We will all experience times of being mentally healthy and times when we are mentally unwell. Mental Illness however is more than just feeling depressed or feeling anxious. When someone has been mentally unwell for an extended amount of time it can then develop into a more serious mental illness. By definition mental illness is a condition which causes serious disorder in a person’s behaviour or thinking.

While there are some things that we can do to try and stay mentally healthy (get lots of sleep, eat well, exercise etc) Mental Illnesses can come to anyone at any stage of life and are becoming increasingly more common. I am not an expert and I’m not here to give a lecture on mental illness. What I hope will happen from sharing this is that it will help open doors for more conversations about mental health. Not talking about how we are feeling does not help. Making assumptions, judging and putting labels on people does not help. Educating ourselves, Listening and Reaching out to others are not just nice suggestions but are crucial things we all need to do. It is literally a matter of life and death and that is why I feel so strongly about it.

I hope that my words have come across the way I intended. I hope reading this sparks something in you. Whether that’s a feeling to message a friend and ask how they’re doing, or maybe to have the courage to let a loved one know you’re not okay, or even just to do a bit more research... look into mental health first aid or how to help someone who is having a panic attack... you can make a difference and you are important.

For those reading this who are not feeling well at the moment I want you to know that I’m here if you need someone to talk to. If we don’t know each other I hope that you have someone you can confide in and if not there are many resources available for those who need more support.

Let me know your thoughts. Let’s keep the conversation going
❤️Jade




Comments

  1. Twitter Qrstuv_RileyJanuary 21, 2020 at 11:06 AM

    A well-considered and thoughtful comment Jade. A big part of it is not being judgmental, listening and being kind

    ReplyDelete

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