It's Time To Talk.

It's #nationalsuicidepreventionday today. Mental Health is something we *STILL* do not talk about enough and we *STILL* stigmatise this. I'd like to take the time to make a personal plea about mental health, particularly how it is dealt with at work.

My own mental health is something I've struggled with over the years, especially in a professional environment where irrespective of being transparent with my anxiety disorder it was not always understood, and I am very, very fortunate to have come through the worst of it with extensive self-care and learning what my trigger points are and how to keep these abated. I'm very lucky to have found my feet somewhere that mental health is as prioritised as physical health, at long last, and where I am comfortable enough to not let the destructive gremlin in the back of my head get the best of me. Because it is a gremlin and it has seriously affected my life in a negative fashion.

Its important too because looking at my social media feeds today, I've seen stories of people from their lowest ebb, stories of people who had a history of hurting themselves quite severely, stories of their friends and loved ones, their brilliant and turbulent journey through the other side and how everyone can get through this and you can slay/beat/overcome your monster/demon/gremlin, and it's very inspiring but also incredibly sad.

Today also makes me think about those who aren't fortunate enough to find the secret to winning their fight with their inner monster. According to Mind, 40 people every second across the globe take their life. 

40. People. Per. Second.

That's not even including the number of unsuccessful suicide attempts, and doesn't even factor in the individuals who are hurting themselves every day.

Start talking, folks. Talk about your feelings, fears, hopes and dreams. When it's not going well, talk. But most importantly, we have to start bloody listening. We can encourage people to talk all they want, but if nobody listens then people who suffer from mental health struggles will stop talking and they will continue on a downward spiral, generally ending up as a statistic used in an article somewhere. And it is us, as a society, that has failed them at this point.

This is especially true at work. We spend more time with our colleagues than our families- and nobody is ever saying you have to treat them like your friends. But if your colleague is struggling, don't stop listening to them or worse, don't make them feel like their feelings aren't valid. Think about what they're fighting- even if you think you have more shit to deal with than them, then think about a story a friend of mine uses all the time to stop people justifying bad behaviour by pointing out false equivalencies;

"If you have a person with a cut on their arm that is bleeding, if you stick them next to someone with a broken leg their skin doesn't automatically sew itself back together and the haemoglobin doesn't crawl back into their body. The legs broken, the arm is cut and they're both still in pain."

If your colleague is brave enough to come to you about their mental health and ask you for support, give it to them. Don't ignore it or belittle it and be surprised when the problem becomes magnified. If you are managing someone with mental health issues, then ask them how they want to work with you to get through a downward patch and actually stick to it- use it to support and not punish. This doesn't mean you let people have free reign, but you speak to them about how they can get over this fight with your help. It'll make everyone happier, promise.

I've attached the link to Mind's website- and even if you don't share this article, please share this resource. It could take someone and save them from turning into a statistic. https://www.mind.org.uk/news-campaigns/campaigns/bluelight/world-suicide-prevention-day/

Thanks for reading- and take care.