Is there still a stigma to talking about mental health?

Is there still a stigma to talking about mental health?

As you probably know, it was mental health awareness week a couple of weeks ago, which got me thinking about when I was a kid.

An older lady lived alone near me. The rumour was that her husband had left her, and she had suffered a nervous breakdown. At the time, my mum didn't want to talk about this lady's mental health; she just wanted to protect me from the woman who once came and sat in the deckchair in our garden and left me some After Eight Mints on our window ledge.

I know now that she needed help, and it was unfortunate to have to go through something on your own with no one to talk to. My mum also had mental health issues when she was younger due to various things that had happened to her, and she couldn't work for some time. She didn't receive counselling or support for her trauma; instead, she was expected to push through it and get on with things.

Back in the late 1980s, I was involved in a severe car accident when I was 18. I was very smashed up. I was in the hospital with three older ladies having different operations, such as knee or hip replacements. No one was around who could advise or guide me, and I was in a terrible state psychologically due to the severity of the injuries, following which I had to learn to walk again.

I wasn't offered counselling or support, and it wasn't until I was much older that I realised that I should probably have had some trauma or counselling support.

What we know about mental health now differs significantly from what we knew or thought about when we were younger, but do people feel they can speak openly about these things?

My dad was very private; would he have opened up about any mental health issues he had been through or was going through? Not a chance!

What about other men these days? Some are very brave and can be open and honest about the issues they have experienced, which is brilliant. Others find it more difficult, possibly because of their family upbringing.

I think women being more verbal processors, feel that we can open up about mental health issues too. But is it entirely accepted these days? I have to say that I'm not sure.

The UK has always been a bit "stiff upper lip" type of country where everyone must show that they are staying strong and resolute, but is that doing us any good as a nation?

Things have changed so much and moved on more than a few decades ago. The pace of life is more stressful, things happen so quickly, and it can affect us all massively.

Just look at what happened during the pandemic and how many families lost a loved one and couldn't even visit them in the hospital. How many people had to spend time alone because they couldn't mix households?

The knock-on effect of the pandemic will affect many people's mental health for years. So, in this case, we need to be more open, honest and caring about others. We need to stop getting our heads down for work all of the time; we need to start thinking more about having time to ourselves, time to breathe, and time to reflect on what makes us happy.

As someone said to me recently, you're only dead once and even if that isn't very nice or a happy thought, it's true. We need to enjoy our lives, including giving ourselves time and space to be ourselves. We also need to recognise that it's ok to ask for help and support and feel we can speak to others.

As I write this, I recognise how I need to heed my advice as I'm great at giving it. Do you need to do the same? I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for reading

Liz

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