Let's keep talking - Time To Talk Day - let's talk about mental health

Something to get the ball rolling...

When you hear the words 'mental health' or 'mental illness', what do you think of/about?

Some are really casual, stuff like OCD has become a commonplace thing to say for anyone who even tidies their house or puts away the dishes. It's a blessing and a curse, because it means that it has increased awareness but at the same time it's often taken less seriously.

Alot of things that are certified mental health issues are seen as cash cows, the ADHD drug that pharmaceutical companies produce being a clear example. Whilst it's been proven to be a real problem, over awareness of it has belittled the disorder and it's become something of a running joke.





Then there's the stuff that is popularly misrepresented. The one that immediately springs to mind is multiple personality disorder - which is not the same as schizophrenia. Alot of films, literature, and even cartoons have portrayed it for hundreds of years now, sometimes with gravity, and others with levity. But there's never any real popular desire for education to be done on it.


I think that we have sex education as a standardised thing in schools, and we have racial awareness periods in which children are taught cultural history.

Would it really be so difficult to have a mental health awareness week in which popular myths about mental health disorders are pre-emptively debunked?

I really hope this thread gets seen by everyone on TSR today as there is SO much stigma around mental health that every single barrier no matter how big or small needs breaking down!


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Brilliant stuff Thank you for setting this up!

Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of - if you broke your leg you wouldn't be ashamed, or embarrassed or feel you couldn't talk about it.

We've all had our moments of feeling a little blue and sometimes due to a number of stressful times impacting on our lives those blue times can become a few shades darker and become more prolonged. But by supporting one another through those moments, days, weeks, months or years those navy blue times can eventually become brighter and brighter.

So let's talk about it

one thing that I would like it to add is over prescribed medication for mental health disorders, I really wish doctors would stop giving out pills to patients with anxiety or mild depression who don't really need it. And instead they come out with therapy sessions with psychologists. However, I am not sure how it works in UK but here in Canada, if you go to your GP and tell them you are suffering from anxiety, you get prescribed with xanax and thats the end of it. Well this is based on my personal experience. I was against taking xanax as I really don't like to take medications so I asked if they could refer me to a psychologist but my request was declined as "i wasn't in a critical condition".

Also,
most psychologist are very expensive if you go to them privately. If there were any places that offered talk sessions or anything along that lines for people who are suffering from anxiety and depression, I think that be a major help to the people like me who don't want to take any medications.

Some are really casual, stuff like OCD has become a commonplace thing to say for anyone who even tidies their house or puts away the dishes. It's a blessing and a curse, because it means that it has increased awareness but at the same time it's often taken less seriously.

Then there's the stuff that is popularly misrepresented. The one that immediately springs to mind is multiple personality disorder - which is not the same as schizophrenia. Alot of films, literature, and even cartoons have portrayed it for hundreds of years now, sometimes with gravity, and others with levity. But there's never any real popular desire for education to be done on it.

I think that we have sex education as a standardised thing in schools, and we have racial awareness periods in which children are taught cultural history.

Would it really be so difficult to have a mental health awareness week in which popular myths about mental health disorders are pre-emptively debunked?

So if we're encouraged to talk about anything then why won't you let us discuss unjust warning points on TSR?

I agree - there is nowhere near enough education on mental health.

Much more needs to be done, I mean it is just as important as physical health and sexual health, and (most) schools delivers lessons on this. The only 'education' the public get on the mental health is via the media - and more often than not mental health is portrayed in a derogatory and discriminatory way - although I think that this has slightly improved recently.

Some are really casual, stuff like OCD has become a commonplace thing to say for anyone who even tidies their house or puts away the dishes. It's a blessing and a curse, because it means that it has increased awareness but at the same time it's often taken less seriously.

Something to get the ball rolling...

When you hear the words 'mental health' or 'mental illness', what do you think of/about?

Unfortunately when I think of "mental illness" I think of silly teenagers self-diagnosing because they think it's cool/have been feeling sad about boys/hate their parents etc. I think a lot of people have this image when they hear it too, which makes them automatically switch off, ultimately to the detriment of real MH issues and causes.

We've promoted this thread on the home page in one of the pods - we really hope everyone sees it too.

So if we're encouraged to talk about anything then why won't you let us discuss unjust warning points on TSR?

Unfortunately when I think of "mental illness" I think of silly teenagers self-diagnosing because they think it's cool/have been feeling sad about boys/hate their parents etc. I think a lot of people have this image when they hear it too, which makes them automatically switch off, ultimately to the detriment of real MH issues and causes.

This is certainly a problem, but i don't think it's as big as you maybe make out. It's fair enough to call yourself depressed without a diagnosis as depressed is just a feeling not a mental health condition. "Depression" is the condition itself and obviously should be diagnosed. I reckon lots of teenagers are too afraid to visit a doctor even if they do have a mental health condition but those are the ones who don't go around telling everyone out loud usually.

Oh, i mostly use the app so it might not show on there only found out about it through MHSS


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True. Also I was bullied relentlessly when people found out I had depression - not really "cool" I really don't think it's a big ptoblem

True. Also I was bullied relentlessly when people found out I had depression - not really "cool" I really don't think it's a big ptoblem

I always wonder about this. Why do people get awkward if someone tells you they have a mental health condition? I reckon it's very misunderstood. People don't react in the same way when you tell them you have a physical condition.

Tyrion, you know from conversations with people from here that that's what they think MH issues are Of course, it's not ACTUALLY cool but there are a LOT of teens (especially the woe-is-me type) who like to shout a lot about this sort of thing in a manner which doesn't present it in a good light.

Maybe it's not as big a problem in the wider community as the areas I come from I certainly hope not.

That's a really good point - thanks for making us aware