TODAY – 10th October 2018, is officially World Mental Health Day.

“World Mental Health Day is a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organisation with members and contacts in more than 150 countries.”

People often get confused between Mental Health and Mental Illness.

“Mental Illness, also called a mental or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioural or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitting, or occur as a single episode.”

Mental Health should be no different to Physical Health, so why is it perceived differently?

If you google Physical Health and view images, you get positive pictures of people exercising and looking healthy, fit and happy.

If you google Mental Health and view images, you get negative pictures of people looking depressed, fed up and sad.

We can positively look after our physical and mental health by following these tips – www.nhs.uk/live-well

The more we talk about Health & Wellbeing and stop separating physical and mental health we can raise awareness and remove the stigma on mental illness.

When you have a cold you go to the pharmacy to seek advice and buy something that will manage your symptoms.

If you break your leg, you go to the doctor as you recognise the damage you can cause by not getting it treated.

Why do we suffer in silence, when we know the feelings we are experiencing are not right?

 

Food for thought?

If someone fell over in the street, are you likely to help them up and check if they are ok?

If you saw someone crying in the street, would you walk past and pretend you hadn’t seen them?

If a colleague is off sick with a physical condition, do you wish them a speedy recovery and then on their return ask them are they feeling better?

If a colleague is off sick with a mental illness, it’s a taboo subject! We don’t know what to say, so we say nothing. On their return, we avoid the subject.

Its ok to not to be ok. Let’s make a change and a commitment to show compassion to all and be kinder to ourselves and each other.