“Make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority. World Mental Health Day is also a chance to talk about mental health in general, how we need to look after it, and how important it is to talk about things and get help if you are struggling.”

Mental Health Foundation

I’ll get straight into it. Hello, it’s been a year. My mental health has been in the gutter, and there’s no other way to say it. I have struggled so much that I couldn’t recognise myself anymore. I lost sleep, my confidence, my self-esteem, everything; most of all, I lost myself and losing yourself is one of the worst things in the world. I don’t think I remember much of what happened this year apart from..well.. my graduation. Yes I am now officially a journalist !!! Woohoo!!!

Yes, thank you, thank you. Who knows, maybe you’ll hear me on your radio/podcasts or see me on your screen one day…now where was I? Ah yes! My mental health affected my writing and day-to-day life; I am only now feeling better and for once paying attention to my body and mind. Nothing else matters if you don’t take care of your mental health; it becomes groundhog day. You wake up, get ready, go to work/university, come home, watch a few videos online, go to bed and repeat. It’s tedious, exhausting and diminishes the quality of your life. Still, with the correct information and support system, slowly but surely, you start to feel better and I can adhere to that.

You’re not alone, you’re never alone.

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

CDC

What does mental health day mean to me? Mental health to me means access to all. If you break your leg, you can quickly go to the hospital, but why is it so difficult when someone has a mental breakdown? In many cultures, you’re deemed ”crazy” when someone, more than anything, may have had a schizophrenic episode. That person is not okay; they are sick and need help, not to have fingers pointed at them while people laugh. Just look at these stats;

• In 2021, there were 5,583 suicides registered in England and Wales
• In 2020, there were 5,224 suicides registered in England and Wales
• In 2019, there were 5,691 suicides registered in England and Wales
• Around three-quarters of suicides were males (4,129 deaths; 74.0%), consistent with long-term trends, and equivalent to 16.0 deaths per 100,000, the rate for females was 5.5 deaths per 100,000 (2021)

Office for National Statistics

Therapy is expensive, the cost of living is awful. Bills! Bills! Bills! This doesn’t apply to the UK but worldwide. It’s not an epidemic, it’s not an endemic but it’s a pandemic. It’s very scary.

”Every year 703 000 people take their own life and there are many more people who attempt suicide. While the link between suicide and mental disorders (in particular, depression and alcohol use disorders) is well established in high-income countries, many suicides happen impulsively in moments of crisis with a breakdown in the ability to deal with life stresses, such as financial problems, relationship break-up or chronic pain and illness. In addition, experiencing conflict, disaster, violence, abuse, or loss and a sense of isolation are strongly associated with suicidal behaviour.”

World Health Organisation (WHO)

My hope for mental health day is for society to be aware and educated on various mental illnesses. My hope for mental health day is for little boys and men to be taught that it’s okay to cry and talk about how they feel because there’s always someone willing to listen. Information about mental well-being should be learned across nations, religions, cultures etc., for people to know that anyone can be mentally ill. Mental illnesses do not discriminate, and everyone deserves to access help whenever they feel mentally unwell.

Pay attention to your mental-wellbeing; everything and everyone else can come later because this is what is critical to your happiness.