Over the past two years I've been fighting alongside Time to Change as a Young Champion and challenging stigma and discrimination around mental health.
1 in 4 people every year will struggle with mental illness, but every single person has mental health.
It's so important for us to look after not only our bodies but our minds, too, and to remind ourselves that it's okay not to be okay sometimes.
Every time I post something that promotes awareness, every time I share my struggles, my victories, and my in-betweens with regards to my mental illness I am potentially helping someone. Maybe I'm making someone say 'wow, I didn't realise it could be like that' or maybe I'm reaching out to someone who feels the same way and now feels less alienated from society because they're not as alone as they thought they were.
Every time I speak about, contribute to, or share something my fellow Champions do, I'm helping them reach a broader audience and giving them support is good for their self-esteem, too. I know from experience that it's ever so nice to know what you're doing is appreciated.
I've had so many conversations where someone has said that my willingness to be so open about my struggles has made them feel more confident to speak out about their own.
I've also spoken to family members who have started asking me the more challenging questions, ones that need to be asked, but perhaps they didn't before feel comfortable asking. 'Do you hear or see things when I'm around you?' shouldn't be something to be afraid to ask. And the answer is yes, I do; but it doesn't make me any less me. 'How would I know how to help you?' is the follow up, and nine times out of ten I would express that I was struggling, take my medication and retreat to a quiet place if possible, or place my earphones in and listen to calming music until the worst subsided. If I could not for whatever reason calm myself down or was exhibiting signs of unsafe behaviours, myself or a trusted person could call the Beacon or the Crisis team, or worst case scenario an ambulance. How is this making the world a better place? If my friends and loved ones know how to handle me in a crisis, and know how to help, they are more likely to have compassion towards, and be able to help, others in need of treatment.
It's also helped others who, whilst understanding I have an invisible illness and supporting me through each stage of my recovery, struggle to see it in others. I recently did filming for Time to Change with a few other Champions and I showed my close family the raw footage; my grandmother was shocked how 'normal' each and every one of us seemed. She said for the first time she really understood that absolutely anyone could be struggling and that you cannot tell just from looking at them. If this can change my grandmother, it has the potential to change someone else's thought processes too; and thus reduce stigma and discrimination.
I may not be doing more than making a few drops in the ocean; but the smallest ripple can change the tide...
No comments:
Post a Comment