More than a day

Today is the day we're reminded of the importance of checking if the people we know are ok, or if they're struggling with mental health challenges.

I spoke at a client event today, sharing the story of my own mental health struggles and the very rocky journey that led me to where I am today.

I wanted to share with my LinkedIn network the three key take-outs from that talk.

1) Being depressed and suffering from depression are two very different things. Don't assume that someone who has depression just feels the same way that you might when you're depressed. How they feel won't make sense to you if you don't have mental health issues, so rather than try to understand, just be there to listen.

2) Many people who suffer from depression don't know it. Having depression is like looking at the world through tinted glasses you don't know you're wearing. Perception is reality, so how you perceive the world and your feelings about it when you're suffering from depression, feels real to you, but it's not. Not really. It's imbalanced chemicals, misfiring neurons and dodgy wiring. If you suspect you or someone you know may be suffering from depression, opening yours or their eyes to that possibility is the best thing you can do. Once someone accepts they are ill, they're often open to getting help and questioning thoughts and choices previously assumed to be rational.

3) Telling if someone is suffering from depression. There is no magic formula for this, but there are some tell-tale signs that could give a strong indication. In short, look for any significant changes in behaviour, but it might be the ones you thought. If someone starts partying all the time, spending lots of money, drinking more, taking drugs and being generally more overtly gregarious, that can be every much an indication that they have mental health issues as if they're being more withdrawn, sleeping more, not working as well as they used to or are visually upset. Any key change in behaviour should be a cue to check to see if they're OK.

I can say from first-hand experience that living with mental health issues, mainly depression and anxiety, is extremely manageable if you have the right awareness and support. The more we all talk about this, learn about it and look out for each other, the less people will be lost through suicide.

If anyone in my network every has struggles with their own mental health, or has concerns over other people's and wants to reach out to me, I will always make time to listen and try and help. None of us ever need to try and deal with this issue alone.