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It's time to talk, it's Time to Change
Posted Wednesday 23 March 2011
Our campaign Time to Change, is trying to break down the stigma attached to mental health problems, quite simply by getting people talking.
Research for Time to Change has consistently shown that people’s knowledge, attitudes and behaviour towards people with mental health problems are better when they have had the opportunity to hear first hand from someone who has experienced a mental health problem about what it’s like.
You might think that, with one in four of us affected by mental health problems at some point, all of us would have had this opportunity – all of us should know someone affected and have spoken to them about it.
But this isn’t the case. As a society, mental health isn’t a subject we’re open about. We feel afraid – either to talk about our own mental health problems (for fear of how people will react), or to talk to someone we know has been affected about it (maybe for fear of having an awkward conversation, or of not knowing quite the right thing to say).
This fear means we’re silent about mental health issues. We tread on eggshells, we decide it’s less awkward just not to say anything. We don’t ask, we don’t tell. This silence fuels the stigma – which in turn makes it even harder for those of us with mental health problems to open up about it. It’s this vicious cycle of silence and fear that we’re aiming to break with our new campaign.
Our advertising asks the public – what are you afraid of? What’s the worst you really think could happen when you just ask someone who’s been off sick for a while how they’re doing? It gently pokes fun at our fear of these conversations, and shows that you don’t need to be an expert to just ask someone how they are. We hope it’ll spark conversations, and encourage people to say:
How are you feeling?
Just those few simple words could make a real difference to someone who’s been having a tough time. And, if we all made an effort to say them more often, they will really help us break down the taboo around this issue which, ultimately, affects us all.
What are your experiences of talking about mental health? Tell us in the comments below or join the conversation on the Time to Change Facebook page.
You can also read our tips for getting those conversations started.
Kate Stringer, Time to Change
5 Comments
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I've been struggling with depression for about 15 years now, it has been a constant fight within myself. I had never spoken to anyone about it as, like you say, I was extremely fearful of peoples reaction towards me. I found because of my depression, I was pushing people away from and I was becoming more dangerous. The breaking point for me was when I was fantasying about death of others, and my family. I decided at that point was time to talk. It does help.
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Hi - I'm the founder of the new mental health safety net organisation, 5 Quid for Life, just launched this year to raise funds to provide support for people with mental health difficulties facing possible loss of income, homes or — worst case scenario — even their lives as a consequence of the changes being imposed on the UK benefits system.
What I've found is simply this: the more I talk about mental health issues, the easier it becomes! At first I was hesitant: I'm not mentally ill, so who am I to talk about mental illness? But the fact is, a lot of my friends and some members of my own family do have / have had mental health difficulties — and I've found that all they need to start talking about their difficulties is an opportunity, a trigger. That's all: like you say here, "How are you feeling?" — just those few words can unleash a torrent, like a dam bursting.
Trouble is, of course, that can be scary if the person asking the question isn't ready for it, if you're pushed for time; so the other thing that's needed as well as the question is time: time to listen, time to take it in, maybe even time for a gentle hug where that's appropriate. Time to comment on blog posts — time to tweet!
That's actually how I got involved in mental health issues: through twitter. I can't remember quite where it started: I was twittering away about something or other, @bourach replied, @serialinsomniac said something and before I knew it, a whole network opened up in front of me and suddenly here we are with this new project, 5 Quid for Life, already featured with a full page spread in One in Four magazine...
There's a lot of talk about negative triggers in mental health circles, in the madosphere: warnings about triggery posts and so on; but what we need are more positive triggers — simple words to release words. I'd urge anyone who's on the threshold of a conversation to take that next step, to take the risk of opening the door, even if you only open it a little crack, just enough to let a little light in — then watch the darkness scatter!
I don't know where the conversations we've started will go next; but I'm very glad we started them and equally glad that I can be part of this conversation: thank you.
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The worst institutionalised discrmination comes from the health service and government - employers, public and media take their cue from them and every policy supports this.
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Thanks for the mention, Phil!
After I spoke up about my mental health problems - firstly on Twitter, secondly on my blog - I found an entire world of support opened up for me. The internet is a lifeline to those of us that are socially isolated, and I've met so many wonderful people via this medium that I feel will be friends for life. I've even had the pleasure of meeting some of them in real life now, social anxiety issues notwithstanding!
Being so open online served as something of a catalyst for me to be more open about my illnesses in my real life. I don't go around bringing the issue up necessarily, but if people ask me why I'm not at work at the minute or whatever, then I tell them. I've met the occasional unreasonable comment - "mental illness? Does that mean you just hate work?" being one particularly frustrating one - but in the main, people seem surprisingly accepting.
I think the more that those of us with mental illnesses are able to speak about it, the less such problems will be societally stigmatised. That said, of course, it isn't necessarily easy, and I certainly couldn't blame anyone that feared hostile comments. I suppose it's about finding the right time, and decent people with whom you can be honest, before you might be comfortable making admissions to the wider community.
At the end of the day, those of us with mental health difficulties have nothing of which to be ashamed. If other people don't like that we are in this position - well, that's ultimately their problem and their ignorance.
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Just before my 21st birthday I was diagnosed with depression, now Im 23 and I can actually feel and see myself getting better. Over the past two years I've had to put up with friends ask "what have YOU got to be depressed about?!", I've had a close family member comment that I'm just lazy and I'm scrounging off my partner, my younger sibling tried to commit suicide at a point when I was trying to get better first time round, which obviously sent me straight back down, and I've also had to come away from university with an HND instead of a degree (which I know is still very good, but it wasn't the qualification I had planned for).
I have had a rough couple of years, and every now and then I do have a bit of a breakdown (crying, screaming, not wanting to be here anymore) but I am actually having regular counciling with 'Mind' and have managed to change some of the ways my thought processes work.
I absolutely HATE my depression and anxiety, and cannot understand how some people think that I choose to live this way. When I saw the advert on the telly about speaking up and listening about mental illness I was so happy, because I don't think enough people are aware of the problems and also that they don't know how to approach others who suffer from it.
I really hope this campaign makes a difference. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
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