It’s time to talk about mental health

If I told you I had a mental illness, what would your first honest reaction be?

Would you presume I was mad? An unfit mother? Unable to hold down a job or lacking in social skills? Would your opinion of me change, or would you still accept me at the ‘face value’ you always had?

Mental illness and the taboo surrounding it, often mean that suffers hide their illness away in shame. And with approximately one in four of us affected by mental health issues at some time in our lives, it’s time to shake off that ridiculous stigma.

My name is Ellie, and I suffer from depression. From my late teens, right up until today, I’ve ridden the tide of depression and on more than one occaision almost drowned in its choppy waters.

Depression is a strange beast. It grabs you by the throat and slowly squeezes every last ounce of enthusiasm from your soul. So much so that you don’t always realise you’re depressed. Life becomes nothing more than a necessary, joyless routine and gradually you lose yourself in the monotony. Everything is grey, there is no bright side. Deeper and deeper into murky waters you sink, too tired to gasp for air.

Until last year, I’d been pretty good at hiding my depression from the world. It was something I rarely spoke about in polite company. I had my ‘moments’ but to the un-trained eye, you wouldn’t have suspected a thing. I had no-one to talk to, so I plastered a smile on my face and kept all the sadness locked away inside. Then, one day I broke. When your husband finds you sobbing on the sofa for no apparent reason, you suddenly realise that it’s time to talk. Time to change.

Many people are embarrassed or afraid to open up about mental health issues, and as a result sufferers often feel unable to speak freely, without prejudice.

Possibly the worst thing you can do to a depressed person is repress and gag them. Without a doubt, absolutely best thing I ever did to overcome the cycle of depression was admit to my family, friends and colleagues that I was ill. No more pretending, no more whispers and shame. Simply, yes I’m depressed, yes I’m taking medication, and yes, with time and understanding I’m going to be absolutely fine thank you very much!

So if you see me, don’t be afraid to ask how I am. I’m not made of glass, I won’t shatter into a thousand pieces or try to kill you with my bare hands. I’m just being treated for an illness. In the same way you’d treat any illness, all I’m doing is helping the chemicals in my brain work the way they should. I was lucky, my employers were understanding, and my family and friends supportive. Many sufferers don’t receive the support they certainly need.

All we simply want, is to swim back to the surface and be healthy and happy. There’s no shame whatsoever in that.

Is there?

Mind, the leading mental health charity for England and Wales, and its partner charity Rethink, are currently running a national campaign to change the way people view and talk about mental health. Take a look at the video below, or visit Time to Change for more information.