It’s Mental Health Awareness week and with the statistics, figures and facts have increased rapidly, especially since the dreaded COVID pandemic.
The facts... over 1 in 4 people will experience a mental disorder of some kind from mild to severe each year in the UK. Worldwide 1 in 8 people live with a mental condition. In the UK, the population (currently) is 67.33 million people; so that is 16.83 million people currently experiencing a mental health or illness condition; and one billion people in the world living with a mental condition.
We’re in 2023 and there is a huge stigma around anything and everything to do with mental health and illness! Our brain is our most powerful organ, we have and controls the rest of our bodies; so why aren’t we look after it and looking out for it better?
If you broke your arm, people would want to help without being asked; what to know all about it; so why not our brains!
As individuals and societies, we need to overcome the stigmas around mental health and illness. We need to start educating ourselves and each others, rip down the taboo barriers, start understanding ourselves, our family, friends and loved ones; and make talking about mental health and illness as normal as asking about other aspect of everyday life. The more it is talked about and understanding given; the more the stigma will disappear!
What is Mental Health? It refers to your emotional and psychological well being; and influences our whole life experience; and impacts the way we behave, think and feel, not just about ourselves but other people as well.
Mental Illness is not the same as Mental Health, they are two separate elements and need to be treated that way too; they are not interchangeable; although some symptoms may overlap. Mental Illness encompasses a massive range of conditions; including anxiety, bipolar, borderline personality disorder (BPD), depression, eating problems, hoarding, loneliness, paranoia, postnatal depression, (complex) post traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD/PTSD) and trauma; psychosis, drug and alcohol addiction; to name just a few.
Mental Illness disorders are often caused by our genes or our brain’s chemistry; the illnesses are recognised and diagnosed by healthcare professionals; and are treatable and able to be managed.
The biggest difference between Mental Health and Mental Illnesses; is that Health fluctuates and is dependent on our individual life experiences and mindset. Whereas, Illnesses won’t be caused or cured by influences on our lives, although this can trigger and exacerbate symptoms.
Mental Health and Illness is a passion of mine and very close to my heart (or brain).
In 2015, I was diagnosed by a Consultant Psychiatrist with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) and associated severe depression, anxiety and General Anxiety Disorder.
CPTSD is a mental illness condition, which can develop if you experience long term trauma; this is a stress response. Symptoms include anxiety, heightened emotional state; avoiding places, situations and other things that relate to your trauma(s); plus extensive issues with regulating emotions, identity, sense of self (worth, confidence and esteem) and relationships. It can come from long term domestic violence, childhood trauma and exposure to repeated traumatic events (for example, emergency services and military personnel, serving or retired).
The consultant who diagnosed my CPTSD due to multiple traumatic personal events; as well as living through everyone’s worst nightmares as a front line paramedic. This mainly manifests as vivid, traumatic and emotional nightmares. They can be related to an incident I attended as a paramedic, which something might have triggered me earlier in the day without me knowing or being domestically abused again. I have no control over them, I can’t get myself out of them; but I have an amazing four legged best furry friend, knows just what to do to stop them. I don’t know most of my triggers as the majority are from being a paramedic; it could be a smell, something someone says innocently, a sound, the list goes on. On the flip side, I know the majority of my triggers from being domestically abused by my ex finance and biological mother; and being assaulted whilst on duty as a paramedic, so I now know how to cope and deal with them.
Depression and anxiety are different conditions, however they commonly occur together. For me, my depression when having a flare up feels like I could cry at anytime over anything, even the smallest stupidest things; constant low mood and a sense of feeling hopeless and worthless. frustrating and exhausting, however over the years I have learnt and so have my close friends when I have got to this point. I go one of two ways, I either excessively clean and I mean everything; my furry family (my German Shepherd and six guinea pigs) I’m sure worry that they will be next and bath time for them; they are lucky as I have worked it out before it gets to that point: or, I go the other way which is I can’t be bother to do anything, except for looking after my furry boys!
Anxiety is defined as the sense of unease, for example fear, stress and worry; and varies in degrees. My anxiety, manifests itself as panic, even going to a close understanding friend’s house; paranoid about people watching me, what they think of me, what are they saying about me, they must be laughing at me, something terrible is going to happen; and full panic attacks having to go to a social event (this is called Social Phobia).
I also have another type of anxiety called General Anxiety Disorder (GAD), which is a long term condition that causes you to feel anxious about every situation and issue. GAD can cause both mental (psychological) and physical symptoms; including feeling restless, worry, trouble concentrating and insomnia. I have all these symptoms, it is a continuous battle between my head and body.
I have heard all the usual things; like ‘just pull yourself together’; ‘get over it’; ‘move on’; if only it was that easy! This is another reason, why there is such a stigma around mental health and illness. Lets start talking openly, honestly and understandingly; let’s be kind to each other and willing to listen.
Before you say these things to someone who is struggling with their mental and emotional state, put yourself in their shoes (or head) and think how would you cope. Without thinking, you could push someone over the edge or make their day; we all have choices, so think and make the right one!
We all have a brain and who knows when they could malfunction at anytime; with more than 15 million people (30%) of the UK population developing a mental problem at some point in their lifetime; are you willing to learn more and willing to listen to those who are struggling now; be there someone today, so someone will be there for you on your darkest days. It could be you one day!
Lets be kinder to our brains and other peoples, you truly don’t know what they are going through. Lets think before we spoke; learn to listen and to understand; lets be kind and break the stigma!
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