When the Lloyds Bank campaign for Mental Health was released, I was chuffed to bits. Very rarely do you see Mental Health on our television's, unless it's on a programme in which is a secure unit. It's as if we are labelled to be 'mental' (excuse the pun), and we cannot be seen as normal. As if you only have a mental illness if you are placed in a secure unit.
After suffering with mental health for almost 8 years now, I have decided to use my illness both creatively an postively to impact others. I aim to help other suffering individuals feel as if they are able to reach out for help, and break the stigma. I can't do it alone, but this is just the beginning. I shall be participating in MH projects which shall also help me on the road to recovery, starting off with the #GetTheInsideOut campaign. I am more than my illnesses and I am looking forward to see what the future holds.
I have currently posted this on my personal Facebook and Instagram, and doing so is scaryto say the least. It is hard enough to admit you have a mental illness to yourself, let alone to all of your close friends and family, alongside strangers. But using social media and my voice to influence others in coming forward, allowing them to understand that they are still normal and loved is something I have wished to do for quite a while.
It's time to end the romanticized side of mental health, break the stigma and allow ourselves to feel free when discussing our issues.
