October 10th is World Mental Health Day. That means we should talk more.. about mental health. So here goes..

In this blog post, I want to talk about mental health. Mind state that :

Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year [1]. In England, 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (such as anxiety and depression) in any given week.

Gone are the days where mental health conditions were swept under the carpet. And gone are the days where the somebody that we knew who had a mental health condition was an friend, of an auntie,well actually a second auntie who ….

Today, most of us, if not all of us, will know somebody first hand, who has been diagnosed with a mental health condition. And it could be YOU who is the 1 in 4 that Mind talk about. And that’s just the diagnosed statistics. Even today in a society where we are encouraged to be more open about conditions such as anxiety, stress and depression, many of us still live in secret with our condtion, afraid to actually open up about. 

Despite us being encouraged to talk more about mental health conditions, many of us still feel somewhat embarassed to admit that ‘things are not okay’ with us – Christopher Paul Jones.

So, I want to talk about how YOU can open up (or encourage someone close to you to open up) about a mental health condition.

3 ways to ‘come out’ about your mental health condition.

 

1. Journal. Come out to yourself, before you talk to others.

Sometimes, the reason that we are afraid to talk about mental health issues, with other people, can be because we have not yet fully decided, whether there is actually anything ‘wrong’ (I use that word loosely) with us. I suggest that you begin to start a journal. Be really open in this journal WITH YOURSELF, about how it is that you are feeling.

By keeping a journal you will be able to chart any ups, downs or  episodes. You will then be able to ask yourself if any moods, or patterns that you recognise, are related to things such as exteranl influences, hormonal cycles and such like. If you notice for example, that the way that you feel is related to your hormones, you can speak to your Doctor about it. If you do not see any influece, then you can come to the conclusion that it may be time to seek help about your mental health.

2. Talk to people on a forum. Or use the power of social media.

The internet is a great tool to use in order  to come out about your mental health concerns. These days you can post a status along with a shared post from a page, that gives friends and family enough of a hint of how you may be feeling. This often then sparks conversation, and leads to people inboxing you to see if all is okay with you. Be open and honest. Nine times out of ten, clients tell me that they felt a huge sense of relief when they did this, and by no longer suffering in silence, it already started to feel like a weight was being lifted.

Forums are also another great place where you can share how you are feeling. You can remain anonymous, and you can find connections with other people who are going through something similar. Loneliness, due to not reaching out and connecting with others can really affect mental health recovery, so be sure to find ‘your people’ and have someone you can talk to.

3. Write to your friends and family. (Or better still, talk to them).

I say write, because a lot of people do find it hard to actually say how they feel out loud, and this can be partly because it’s hard to admit to YOURSELF how you really feel.

Also, if talking, people often interrupt you with their own questions and this can take things a little off track for you. If you write a letter you have the chance to put down on paper how YOU are really feeling (which in itself can be a real revelation for you), and the person reading your letter has a chance to read how you feel, and take time to absorb things.

The main point that I want you to take away from this, is that you don’t necessarily have to know how you feel, or even have the words to explain it. By opening up, and just STARTING to talk, things may just become clearer for you. But you don’t have to suffer in silence. The more people talk about mental health, the more we also inspire other people to do the same.

If you do have anything that you feel is holding you back, perhaps you have had traditional treatment for anxiety for example, but you still feel like something is going on on a subconscious level, then feel free to contact me for a FREE clarity call to talk about how I can help you.

Until next week,

Chris.

Christopher Paul Jones. The Breakthrough Expert. Harley Street.