Why We Need To Talk

So today is Time to Talk Day. This day is a national event held by Time to Change which is an organisation that works to stop the stigma that surrounds mental illness. I am a champion for Time to Change which means that I am someone with lived experience who works at different events to change attitudes towards mental illness and mental health. I am very excited about what we have planned for this day and my next blog will talk about the event being carried out. In this blog, I hope to explain why this day is so important and why it is essential that we start conversations about mental illness.

1. For people struggling with mental illness

Talking is shown to be one of the most effective treatments for mental illness- hence why a range of therapies focus on talking. For someone with mental illness, it can be so isolating. You feel like nobody understands what you are going through and that you are so alone in your struggles. Articulating your thoughts to somebody that will listen without judgement can be so helpful in feeling that bit better. It can help make your thoughts feel legitimate and clear your mind of some of that clutter that is growing in there.

This also includes talking to the proper people in order to get the treatment you may not even need but deserve for the courage you show fighting that voice in your head every day. A really good place to start is your doctor. They will know the appropriate services in your area for your particular problem (and will most likely give you a diagnosis which can really help to make your thoughts feel more legitimate). They will also be able to prescribe medication if they feel that this is appropriate for you.
If you do not feel comfortable talking to your doctor, there are many alternatives. Charities such as Mind provide a range of resources both online and in person that can really help.

If you are in a crisis situation, it is important to reach out and talk to somebody about how you are feeling. In the UK, you can call Samaritans on 116 123. If you feel uncomfortable talking on the phone, you can access the shout text helpline by texting SHOUT to 85258. You can also phone 999 and request an ambulance which will come and help you.

If you are struggling, please reach out. You are not letting anybody down and are so courageous for taking that step to improve your health and well-being. People are there to listen and want to help you feel more like the version of yourself you both want and deserve to be. Talking about your emotions takes far more strength than suppressing them down and you have that strength inside you- it shows by you fighting this illness every single day.

2.Helping someone you know with mental illness

If somebody you know is struggling with mental illness, there are many ways that you can help to make their journey easier.

The first way is to be there to listen without judgement. If somebody reaches out to you let them talk. Do not question what they are saying- these thoughts and feelings are so real that questioning them is just plain offensive, even if you don’t mean to cause any offence with your actions. You don’t even need to say anything, just being a listening ear can be so helpful to the person who is struggling.

Making sure you ask your friends if they are okay is another very big thing. Make sure you ask twice if you think someone close to you is struggling recently. If you notice a friend being absent recently, it is even more important to ask- mental illness is extremely isolating and people who are suffering will often isolate themselves socially. It takes just a few seconds to send a message to someone, but that message can make such a big difference to somebody who is suffering. Those few seconds can help to save somebody in need.

Another very important thing is to not stop inviting that person out. They may say no every single time, they may cancel last minute but it is so important that you continue to invite them out and not judge or get angry if they feel they can’t go. It feels so demoralizing if you are not invited out. Even if you know you can’t go, feeling like you are still part of a friendship group and that people still care about you can mean the absolute world if you are low.

If you feel like you need help supporting a friend, you can offer to go to the doctor with them- having that extra support there may give them the confidence to talk fully about what they are feeling. You can also access many resources on the Mind website which can not only help you to understand their illness more, as well as help you and make sure that you take care of your own mental health as that is extremely important.

3. Starting general conversations about mental health

You don’t need any experience of mental illness to start a conversation about mental health. We ALL have mental health; it’s not exclusive to one person or one group of people- if you are human, you have mental health.

The more that we talk about mental health, the more we can help those in a time of bad mental health or those with mental illness. Mental health is such a taboo subject- it is hidden so much in the real world and for what? There is nothing to be afraid of! The more we talk about mental health, the more we talk about mental illness, the more people will start to understand the truth and the easier the journey will get for everyone who is struggling.

I honestly believe discrimination towards people suffering with mental illness is caused by a lack of understanding. This is not any one person’s fault. We need to work as a collective group of people to start conversations and increase the understanding about mental health and mental illness.

So how will you be starting conversations this time to talk day? You don’t have to be trained in psychology to talk to somebody. It can be as easy as asking someone how they are doing- whether it be one of your closest friends or a stranger on the bus. If you feel comfortable to do so, you could open up about your own personal struggles. The most important thing is just to talk. The silence often experienced with mental illness can be deafening. One simple conversation can make the whole world of difference to somebody suffering with mental illness. Take today as the first chance, the first step to make a impact to people who are struggling.

It’s time to make a difference.
It’s time to talk.
It’s time to change.

Zoe x