World Mental Health Day

Honestly, I actually had another post planned for today but seeing as it’s World Mental Health day, I thought I should share some of my feelings.

To start with, I know for most of you this is just a hashtag that you’ve seen pop up on Facebook and Twitter all day so I won’t start preaching my cause or even tactlessly try and use the trend to get a couple more views. All I really want to say is that, knowing a few people who have had struggles with depression in the past, the perceived easiest way of dealing with a problem that you feel embarrassed about is to pretend like it doesn’t exist. It’s also the worst way of dealing with it.

Nobody should ever be made to feel ashamed about struggling with their mental health. That is why it is vital that days like this should be encouraged, not just on the internet but at schools and workplaces as well. The sooner we can rid all mental health issues with this stigma it’s been tarnished with, the quicker we can give a voice to those that really need it.

Here at Leicester, the University-run Mental Wellbeing service is a great place to get some advice or support and Leicester Nightline is a confidential helpline run by student volunteers that can just simply be a friendly voice to talk to. I just want to finish by saying, we can all sometimes underestimate how lonely mental health issues can make a person feel, so even a text or a call to a friend or family member telling them that you’re there for them can go a long way.

I’m always free to speak to anyone in the comments but otherwise, be happy!