World Mental Health Day 2011

Illustration by Claire Pitt

So today is World Mental Health Day! Why is this important?

As many as one in four people will suffer from some kind of mental health issue at some point in their lives, yet it’s still an issue that is presented as a taboo and swept under the carpet.

We are quick to judge people who aren’t “normal” by society’s standards, and can be just as quick to disassociate ourselves with those who have mental health issues by calling them “weird” and “crazy”. But at the end of the day, we’re all people. If someone fell over in the street, you’d probably (if you were nice) help them up, yet mental health is an issue that many run away from. It can truly happen to any of us, and it does. Instead of running away from it we need to start talking about it. Granted, you probably aren’t going to discuss suicide over a cup of tea, but then again, why shouldn’t you? Getting things out in the open is one of the biggest things that’s helped me, purely because it’s helped to drain the negative thoughts out of my head, which used to orbit and eventually become obsessive that they blocked all other thoughts out. It’s also helped me to realise that there are lot of people in a similar situation to me, especially people I already know. It’s an issue very close to home and a lot of people, like me, are almost too good at keeping things quiet. But there’s really no need to.

I reckon I’ve always suffered from slight anxiety but when I started university, the stress of moving away from home and living with people I had absolutely nothing in common with and didn’t like made me feel completely alienated, and gradually the pressure from work amplified it. I had another health problem which I constantly worried about, gradually to the point where I felt permanently anxious and had to spend hours getting ready just to pep myself up to leave my flat; often I’d been running through all the bad situations that could possibly happen so obsessively that I wouldn’t even be able to leave for panicking. Out of all the things I’ve experienced, anxiety is on another scale. The word “anxiety” doesn’t sound too bad in itself, it sounds insignificant, just a bit of worrying: one might worry about trivial matters that hold no real significance, but anxiety is more than that. It comes with the obvious; anxiety attacks which I’ve had my fair share of, which gradually manifest into a fear of fear itself which is possibly the most fatal vicious cycle as it means a fear of well…everything…but also there’s an inability to see past the present moment, and the worst, the “fear of impending doom”. Then there’s the general feeling that you’re never going to feel any different and will have to constantly spend your life making-do rather than actually living, which ultimately led me into dark periods of depression.

So long story short, eventually the anxiety got so bad that it overrode everything and I felt like I couldn’t cope anymore. I somehow got talking to someone on Twitter who eventually told me to go to a doctor, but actually checked up and invested some time into making sure that I did, and asked me how it went (you know who you are, and I can’t thank you enough). Going to see my GP was something I wanted to do for so long, but I was too ashamed and embarrassed about how I would address the issue, and thought they might just think I was stupid or I didn’t have a “real” problem. If I hadn’t have been actively encouraged to go I can’t even imagine how much of an anxious wreck I’d be now, and if you honestly have anything that’s getting you down then go and see a doctor too. I can’t endorse it enough. Get a friend to go with you, or even like I did just get someone – anyone – to check up on you once in a while. It’s a scary process to go through alone but once you get past that initial hurdle you will notice a massive difference. I eventually got prescribed anti-depressants to help with the panic attacks – being me I was completely sceptical, didn’t think they’d do much – but within a few weeks and after a couple of initial side-effects, I was as right as rain. Despite a few wobbles now and again, the panic has completely gone. I'm actually amazed at how easy it was, considering the level of anxiety I was experiencing before. I thought I’d never be rid of it, and so to suddenly feel completely “normal” and without panic was amazing. No weird feeling in my chest, no claustrophobic feeling like I needed to get out of certain situations and as a result, no worrying. Or, if I did worry about panicking, it never culminated in actual anxiety. I no longer avoid or panic about certain situations and can actually do things I want to do, not just the things my head will allow me to do. I can go to places, and feel calm, and enjoy myself because my head isn’t preoccupied with anxiety.

Mental health isn’t a smooth ride and there’s always things in life that will resurface and bite you on the arse from time to time, but I can’t imagine how I coped the way I did, and I honestly feel so much better at the moment. I can go to my lectures and not feel like I’m going to run out midway through because of an anxiety attack. I can go to social events and actually have fun. It’s amazing the things you’ll put up with when there’s no visible alternative, and there’s absolutely no need to, but I think the main problem is 1. an embarrassment of confessing to have such a “taboo” problem and 2. people simply not knowing what’s on offer to them, and how it can actually make a massive impact.

Personally, I think one of the biggest issues with mental health is that ultimately, it is all in your head, so it’s really easy to feel alienated and alone when you’re going through a rough patch. But if you go through the process with someone else then it makes it so much easier. If you know someone with a mental health problem, or even if you see someone who might be a bit down, just ask them how they are. Seriously, talk to them. Make them feel appreciated, and let them know that someone cares about them. You don’t have to be a qualified counsellor, and you don’t have to be an expert in mental health. All you need is patience, a little understanding, and less prejudice. Stop labelling people as “crazy” and stop mocking people who have mental health problems, because it could happen to any one of us. It makes the world of good, and I imagine it doesn’t require a massive amount of effort on your part, but can be life-changing to someone else. Everyone deserves to be happy.

So go on, give each other a big hug, have a cup of tea, and let's talk about our problems.

How are you today?