World Mental Health Day 2021

Just posted this on FB, I wanted to include you too!

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It's #worldmentalhealthday2021 on the 10th October! We shall be supporting the @Mind campaign to #DoOneThing to start or raise the conversations around Mental Health Inequality. We shall be sharing lots of posts on the day which it would be great if you could share, or if you'd be interested in signing your name to pledge to keep talking about mental ill health there will be an option for that too! Each voice added makes a bigger noise which soon becomes more difficult to ignore!
Hope you get involved! Let us know what kind of posts you would be interested in sharing - things like information? Inspirational messages? Ideas to help? Stories from people who have been there? Any other ideas?

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I’m up for doing something. No idea what exactly but yeah I’m up for it.

Yay! Thank you! :)

Fabulous idea. Well done

I’m going to be flooding fb with NHS resources for WMHD in my ‘other’ job! I’ll try to do something connected with that, if that’s ok?

Perfect! Thank you!

https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matter...ind-plan-quiz/

5 questions gives you handy tips and advice to help mental well-being

Just a quick call to see if anyone wanted me to share anything for them - your story?

I’ll try and do something for you over the next 24 hrs.

Thank you, but don't push yourself if it's too much right now...

It’s done. Dunno if it makes much sense cos my noggin is slightly scrambling.

It's beautiful. Thank you.

As I know some of you don't use FB, I thought I'd share the posts from our DWD page to here as it's WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY today!

Post 1:

Today is WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2021! We at www.dealingwithdepression.co.uk are proud to be supporting this annual event. We will be sharing posts and stories that we hope are of interest or helpful for you throughout the day. Please, as always be kind and mindful of the person on the other side if you don't like a particular post - just scroll on by, the next one might be perfect for you.
Suzi
#worldmentalhealthday2021 #depression #dealingwithdepression #WMHD #WMHD2021

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Post 2:

My story....
This is my own personal story, please be kind.... Although I have had Post Natal Depression (PND) with each of my babies, it hit me differently with each one. With one of them I couldn't put them down, hated it when anyone else went to hold them, with one I struggled to bond, with the other it felt that I was giving them away far too soon. PND is hideous. It's meant to be a magical time and the best thing in the world, only sometimes it isn't. sometimes it's f*ing hard just to get up and to take care of this tiny little person that you suddenly have all the responsibility for and are meant to know exactly what to do.... Except for when they have milk allergies, or don't sleep for days on end, or you feel you're failing in every area, or you couldn't give birth naturally or if you couldn't breastfeed.... The list goes on. It's only now that these things are being more openly talked about - with the help of some amazing people on social media such as Knee Deep In Life and I Know, I Need To Stop Talking who are amazing and are saying things as they really are for so many.... I didn't know that if you had it once, you could have it again and again. I also didn't know that the symptoms would be so very different from each other. I was lucky my husband helped spot the signs and allowed me the time and space to work through it.
However we also have other experiences in our house with my wonderful husband having dealt with severe clinical depression, severe anxiety, social phobia, panic attacks..... So we talk a lot about mental health in our house - whether this is the right thing or not, our children have grown up knowing that it's OK to not be OK, that sometimes things really are hard and mental health matters.
www.dealingwithdepression.co.uk was born from a conversation I was having with an amazing lady who I had become friends with from her parenting forum. When my husband first became diagnosed I was lost. I had no idea how to help him. I asked the doctor and didn't get much help apart from, "it will take as long as it takes," and, "just help him to remember to take his medication." It took so much more than that. It's very isolating being desperate to find answers, but when some of those searches lead you to places on the internet where self harm and suicide were being advocated as "coping strategies" I was terrified. So I started designing and www.dealingwithdepression.co.uk was born. I've been running it ever since my lovely husband bought it from her for my wedding present. It is my 4th baby and I'm very proud of what we do.
Suzi

#worldmentalhealthday2021 #dealingwithdepression #WMHD #WMHD2021


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Post 3:

Thought this might be of interest. It's an NHS quiz where you answer a few short questions and it creates some wellbeing tips and advice tailored to you.

https://www.nhs.uk/.../mental.../your-mind-plan-quiz/

Suzi

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Post 4:

Hello out there! Hello DWDers! I'm someone who will say "hello" to anyone and everyone, but not everyone reciprocates.... If I saw you in the street and said "hello" would you say it back?
Suzi

#worldmentalhealthday2021 #depression #dealingwithdepression #WMHD #WMHD2021

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Post 5:

The following is by one of our forum members. The lovely 'Stella' has been so open and vulnerable with this post. We are all so proud to call her our friend. She's changed so much over the time that she's been with us. Thank you Stella for your kind words.
As always please be mindful with your responses...
Suzi

When I’m gripped by depression I retreat from the world. Not because I want to be alone but because I think I deserve to be alone. Convinced that nobody likes me because I don’t even like myself. I feel like a burden on the people I care about and they would be so much better without me in their lives. The world would be a better place without me in it.

Funny how in the darkest moments we think we can make choices for others, to know what they are thinking and feeling. We also get it badly wrong but we do learn so much when we finally see the light. So often the people we thought were our friends, the ones who would be there through thick and thin are the first to turn their back but that’s ok because you also find the people who will reach out and pull you out of the darkness. In my experience usually the people you least expect. The work colleague you only ever smile at in passing. The neighbour whose name you don’t even know. The postman. The people who know our routine better than we do ourselves sometimes and notice the changes. They step forward and ask “how are you? Really.” Somebody noticed you. Cares about you. Is there to help you.

I joined DWD originally back in 2014. Suzi and the mods will tell you I can be a bit difficult to handle. I totally lacked trust in anybody, because every time I put my faith in someone they let me down. I’d built walls so thick and high nobody was coming in. I had to protect myself from world and the world from me. Every time somebody said they were there for me, I was convinced it was a lie. When they told me I had friends I didn’t believe it. When they said no matter how much I pushed them away they would never leave me I just waited for them to drift away and their lie to be exposed. I mean why would anyone want to be my friend? Everyone leaves me eventually and no one is there when I need them. These are just a bunch of random strangers on the internet. What do they care?

However, in the past 7 years I have had more love and support from these “random strangers” that anyone else in my life. They have stuck by me even when I have lashed out and said or done horrible things. They know when I need a kick up the arse, or a gentler approach, when to give me space, and when to check up on me. They have taken the time to get to know me and true to their word, are still by my side today.

I still don’t believe I’m worthy of the friendship that is offered. At times I get angry about them looking after me when I don’t want to look after myself. My defences are still there but now there is a little back door for the forum staff after they chipped away at the wall for so many years. I don’t even know if I would still be here today if not for the forum.

If you reach out into the darkness there is always somebody out there ready to take your hand and pull you into the light. Suzi and the team at DWD are amazing and I can’t thank them enough for believing in me.

#worldmentalhealthday2021 #WMHD2021 #WMHD #dealingwithdepression #depression

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Post 6:

All about you! I've noticed we have quite a few members from all over the world! Where are you from? Can you share a picture?
Suzi

#worldmentalhealthday2021 #depression #dealingwithdepression #WMHD #WMHD2021

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Post 7:

This #WorldMentalHealthDay we at www.dealingwithdepression.co.uk are supporting the Mind campaign to ask each and everyone one of you to make a pledge to do something to change access to mental health provision and end this injustice. Have a look at the campaign if you're interested and we will have a special PLEDGE POST coming to you in a little while! Below is all the information from Mind to help you to decide to be part of this campaign!
Suzi x
#worldmentalhealthday2021 #depression #dealingwithdepression #WMHD #WMHD2021

This #WorldMentalHealthDay we're inviting you to #DoOneThing. Because if we all do one thing, we can change everything.
Access to mental health support is too often determined by where we live or who we are. It shouldn't be like this. Join us as we fight to right this injustice.
Together we can change things.
Visit our website to find out how you can get involved, download our resources and help us spread a message that's more important now than ever > https://bit.ly/3CQB5pr
#WMHD2021

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Post 8:

This is our PLEDGE post! Will you take on the challenge to pledge to #DoOneThing to help fight the stigma and end inequality? Whether it's sharing our posts, sharing other posts about mental health, talking about mental health or getting more training in mental health first aid? What are you pledging to do?

I Pledge to continue running www.dealingwithdepression.co.uk and to use the platform here to continue sharing posts and stories to raise awareness and break the stigma of mental health illness. Suzi
#worldmentalhealthday2021 #depression #dealingwithdepression #WMHD #WMHD2021


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Post 9:

This is a brilliant post by Paula. As always, please be mindful in your comments.
Suzi x

‘I talk about my mental health on this page a lot so I’m not going to do that this World Mental Health Day. Today, I’m going to talk about perceptions and reality.

Whether it’s because someone really doesn’t understand what mental health issues are, or they’ve been fed by the media to believe that someone who is mentally unwell is dangerous or unpredictable (when in actual fact that person is far more likely to have harm done to them), perceptions of mental health are often completely wrong, leading to discrimination and stigma at one end of the spectrum, or being let down by a friend when you needed them (which probably hurts more) at the other. Most of us with mental health issues have faced being told to ‘get a grip’ or to ‘stop bringing others down’, or asked ‘what have you got to be depressed about’ or even being told, ‘but you don’t LOOK depressed’.

Those are some of the perceptions but the reality is very different. I’ve talked to hundreds of people over the years who struggle with mental health illness and I can honestly say that the reality is extraordinary people who battle serious illness every day and yet are still:

- warm
- caring
- loving
- genuine
- strong
- kind
- willing to put others first
- desperate, often, to work (though far less likely to be offered a job due to stigma)
- fighting, with huge amounts of courage, to get through each day
- much more likely to push themselves beyond what they should to hide how they’re feeling
- facing hell every day, but often without the support they need from friends, family, doctors and society

Far from being the people in our society that are brushed under the carpet in embarrassment, our society should be singing from the rooftops how AWESOME you all are! ‘Mentally stable’ people could learn a thing or several from you all!’

Paula

#worldmentalhealthday2021 #depression #dealingwithdepression #WMHD #WMHD2021

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Post 10:

What do you think: Social Media?
Currently we can be found on the forum www.dealingwithdepression.co.uk and on here. We used to have a twitter page and it has been suggested that people might like us to start it back up again. I have also been asked if we would consider running an Instagram account too. So, I thought I'd ask you all what you think? which social media platforms do you want to see Dealing with Depression on?
https://forms.gle/gbxjbsSMaDHtjcrP6
Suzi
#worldmentalhealthday2021 #depression #dealingwithdepression #WMHD #WMHD2021

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Post 11:

Thank you all so much for being part of our World Mental Health Day 2021. Thank you to everyone who has interacted or shared one of our posts - or posts by anyone who is raising awareness, fighting the stigma and fighting for equality for all when it comes to Mental Health support, diagnosis and treatment. There is such a long way to go, but by sharing this, as you have done today, you are helping to be that change.
If you ever fancy a chat on the forum, or know someone who might need us then please, know that everyone is welcomed and supported with no judgement. www.dealingwithdepression.co.uk where you can be as anon as you need to be.
This is the last post of the day, but stay with us as we've got more planned over the week/s ahead!
Suzi x

#worldmentalhealthday2021 #depression #dealingwithdepression #WMHD #WMHD2021

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Thanks for sharing them all here. You know what FB is like for losing things and this way I didn’t miss anything. Didn’t realise just how long my “story” was. Note to self, next year keep it concise.

Glad it's been something you've enjoyed. Thank you for your story, it was kind of you to share. Thank you love.