An Anniversary (of Sorts)

 
Friday marks four years since I first used this blog to open up about my struggles with anxiety and, most prevalently at the time, depression. Looking back, it is quite a messy piece of writing and perhaps proved as a catalyst for many more emotion-filled blogs that probably illustrate the positive and negative sides of mental health.

Far from regret, as I reflect on what felt like a gigantic step at the time, the overwhelming sentiment is of satisfaction. This stems not from my own wellbeing, but instead from the development in mental health awareness since 1^st April 2017, the extent to which I find extremely heart-warming.

Back when I first wrote that piece, things seemed extremely lonely. I had very little experience or interaction with those in similar plights (those people will forever mean the world), little thought of where to go for support, and perhaps most importantly, didn’t understand that mental health isn’t only for those with a struggle. So when I was diagnosed with depression, I had no idea that the mind was not really something I ought to have been looking after for my whole life.

No doubt that has been similar for many. There has been lots of discussion about a stigma about being honest about emotions, but it’s impossible to quantify how that affects people, given that even in each day, humans are experiencing a vast multitude of positivity and negativity. To “speak out” is an ambiguous term and doesn’t truly capture how this stigma may affect individuals in completely differing ways.

Yet the fact I even feel confident to lament the specificity of mental health awareness, as anecdotal as it is, suggests we are getting somewhere. Many of the erratic blogs I wrote about mental health back in 2018 and 2019 were cynical, untrusting and devoid of hope that there would be more awareness.

Now, everywhere I look, I see people fighting for change. Through schooling and higher education, mental health is always a priority for those instigating awareness. Through social media I see people raising awareness through their feeds, sharing and fundraising for mental health. Through my own life, I continue to come across people who are aware of its impacts, more willing to help others and focused on a creating positivity, love and respect.

Credit: smokeypointbehavioralhospital.com

The positive nature of this article needs to be taken with the caveat that this is only a platform to build on. There are still many fighting mental health problems, and we haven’t fully accepted the benefits of being open, honest and respectful towards each other. You can point out facts and figures for days about the scale and need for mental health provisions – and indeed I will continue to – but the truth is that this needs to be matched with policy reforms and distinct change. Unfortunately, there are still those in power who neglect its importance and the wide-reaching physical and social effects that it can have.

With an increasingly aware generation though, that is possible, if not inevitable. Many companies are already switching to four-day working weeks for employee wellbeing. Resources and conversations are developing amongst young people, who are disproportionately affected by mental illness. This experience and compassion can only serve as a positive aspect in the future – as much as it may seem far off.

Despite that, it is great to see how attitudes are changing, awareness is growing and the world is moving into becoming a more open and accepting place, in all forms of society. I'm proud of the change that society is making, and even more so for my part in that. I owe this pride to a depression-ridden version of me, which made me realise the value of honesty. Hopefully, hat blog and all the activism it has fuelled in me, has a small impact on the how society views mental health.
If so, it will forever be worthwhile.