I’ve been thinking about mental health a lot this week. Particularly apt with it being Mental Health Awareness Week.

Everywhere I’ve turned there have been reminders about mental health awareness. Social media has been full of quotes and articles. And celebrities as well as us ‘normal’ folk have been talking about our experiences with mental health.

I had an interesting conversation yesterday with someone who feels like people are just jumping on the mental health bandwagon.

I’m not sure people are ‘jumping on the bandwagon‘. But it does feel like more people are experiencing poor mental health these days. Or maybe we’re just becoming more aware of our problems.

Time to open up

What does seem to be happening is that people are talking about it more. And we seem to be getting better at opening up and talking about it.

Radio 1 has been brilliant throughout Mental Health Awareness Week. They’ve been giving their listeners space to open up and talk about their mental health. In doing so, the DJ’s have also been discussing their own challenges.

Celebrities have been opening up about their mental health experiences too. By opening up, they are letting everyone know that it’s ok to not be ok.

Workplaces are also starting to take a different approach to mental health. Whether they are creating mental health policies or simply getting better at signposting people. It all helps.

My own Mental Health Experiences

I created this very blog as a way of managing my own mental health challenges. I often struggle to put things into words when speaking out loud, but writing my blog helps me to have a voice and to say the things I often wish I could say in person. It also helps me to reflect and to make sense of things.

Yet, I can’t help but feel a sense of bittersweetness when we talk about mental health.

In a couple of months time it will be the anniversary of my best friends suicide.

I often wonder, if there had been more publicity about mental health before her death, if there had been easier access to information, support groups, etc., whether she might still be here.

We’ll never know.

What I am grateful for is the fact that times are changing.

Mental health has a growing voice.

Mental health is finally being listened to.

Amen to that!

🙏🏻