Mental health awareness week

The 14th - 20th of May marks 'mental health awareness week'. A week where people share their own struggles with mental health and bring awareness which is exactly what our society needs, however, the only problem is that these conditions affect people all year round and not for just one week. So my worry regarding this, is that it's great we're all talking but once it's over, the talk stops and those suffering go back to feeling alone again. So we have to remember to think about and talk to the people who suffer from their mental health every day of the year.

In my opinion, the most important message to get across for this week is that everyone we meet may be fighting a battle we know nothing about, so it's incredibly important to always be kind. Mental health illnesses are invisible which means they're very easy to disguise and even though a certain person may always be smiling it doesn't mean there can't be something deeper within. We should always keep in the back of our minds that someone could have more going on than what meets the eye and not just assume that because they look like their happy that they actually are. 

Stop just assuming loved ones are always okay and check up on them every now & again. There might be something they're holding in and waiting for the right person to talk to about and by you simply saying are you okay or how are things with you might help them to have the courage to share something they're going through.

The fact that mental illnesses cannot be seen makes it very difficult for people to understand. I believe that as a society if we can have a greater understanding of mental health it will help to remove the stigma it carries, and a lot of the reason it carries a stigma is due to the fact people cannot see it. We have no problem with physical conditions because we're able to see a person in pain or see their injury, so I believe if there's a better understanding of the invisible conditions, there will be the same level of respect.

For me, I think mental health awareness week should be the start of a year-long conversation, where we discuss these conditions all year round and not just for one week. Talk about your struggles with mental health always and share how you got through them. Be kinder to one another because you never know the battle people are facing daily, and remember to call or text your friends and family to just check their okay, because, for someone who is having a hard time, it can mean everything.