Mental Health.
Two words. Two words that when combined strike fear into people as
though uttering the mere words would cause you to catch a mental illness. Two
words that change people's lives each and every day. Yet it's just two words,
what's stopping us talking about it? Why are we more willing to discuss
dulcoease and thrush cream than we are to sit and talk about mental illness.
It's so hard to know what to say. So people say nothing, which is sometimes the
worst thing.
I have thankfully never suffered from a mental health problem, but I've
seen some of my closest friends destroyed by depression. I've seen people that
mean the world to me hit the lowest point, then sink lower than they even
thought possible. But I've also seen them build their lives back up, slowly and
with support, they've come out the other side.
It's difficult, if someone has a broken leg, they have a crutch and a
cast on their leg. You'd open a door for them, you'd check they were okay to
get up the stairs or weren't in too much pain. Then when their cast was off,
the solid support taken away, you knew that they were feeling slightly better
and their broken bone was nearly healed.
You can't see mental illness. You don't know that behind the smile is
the loneliest person you will ever meet, fighting the urge to run away and
hide. That person needs a cast and a crutch as much as someone with a broken
leg. That cast or crutch is a chat and a cup of tea, a smile and a 'how are you
today?' or a compliment and an 'I'm here, if and when you need me'.
1 in 3 young people in the UK will suffer from a mental health problem,
that's one of the other people stood waiting for the bus with you, 5 other
people in your class, 6 people on your street or 9 of your block-mates. Never underestimate the power of your smile,
your voice or your ears. Sometimes all someone needs is to be listened to. I'm
not saying you can solve their problems but you can listen to them and that is
sometimes more valuable than you will ever realise.
