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