I first became aware of mental health in 2009, following a diagnosis of depression. I had noticed my moods getting progressively worse and I was avoiding my friends and any occasion where socialising was involved. I found it increasingly more difficult to get up each morning and tackle a school day. My education suffered, my relationships suffered and I suffered.
I wasn’t sleeping and I was irritable and felt very, very sad. I realised I needed to do something to stop the downward spiral and was lucky enough to have a fantastic doctor who was committed to helping me. After trying some counselling (I didn’t have much to say) and psychological therapy (where I was told it was just a stage and I was merely a teenage girl trying to find herself), I concluded talking treatment was not for me and I wanted to give medication a go. It helped massively and I was able to start piecing my life back together. I then learned that one of my close friends had an eating disorder and I began to educate myself about anxiety, depression, bipolar, eating disorders and psychosis.
Mental health is a very hard topic to approach and many people avoid discussing their own mental health. This means people may not feel able to ask for help and so suffer in silence. There are many places to turn for support, advice and help and it is so important that people know about them. With so many myths surrounding mental health, charities and organizations are battling hard to end the stigma and educate people. Mind.org is a fantastic resource I used for learning more about mental health, with endless pages about different conditions and advice on where to seek support. Student Minds is another brilliant charity, focusing on student mental health. University can be such a daunting, difficult time and Student Minds offers a variety of support including running peer support groups for students experiencing eating difficulties and depression.
There are a huge number of charities out there focused on mental health and there are several directed at specific groups such as students, men and families who have lost someone to suicide. Many of these charities benefit massively from fundraising and donations and some wouldn’t exist without them. There are often organized charity events to focus on raising money and increasing awareness of the charity, such as sports events and this is a great way for someone to get involved to promote mental health, show their support and have some fun!
Everyone has mental health, it’s nothing to shy away from. In our lifetime, we will meet countless individuals living with a mental health condition and it’s down to us to make them feel supported, understood and listened to. It can be very isolating, suffering alone, so I ensure I help my friends and am always there for them and I hope that others can do the same.
Written By Amelia Hartley