I believe that one of the biggest struggles when it comes to Mental Health is due to embarrassment and the stigma surrounding it. I think the fear of talking about the difficulties can feed into an endless cycle of someone feeling more and more isolated, which can lead to things becoming ten times worse.
This is why I strongly believe that there should be an incredible emphasis placed on the support of others, and not just our own friends and family, strangers too. Being tolerant and accepting of how other people feel and what others are going through, no matter how well you know them can have the most amazing affects on mental health related difficulties.
At University, I volunteer for a charity called Student Minds, whereby we run support sessions for fellow students who have mental health difficulties. We have two support groups; Positive Minds (for low mood and mild depression) and Eating Difficulties.
The idea of these support groups isn't for us to hand out a diagnosis or provide any sort of counselling and instead, it is to provide support and a safe place for people to go to let off a bit of steam. By doing this, it really opened my eyes to how beneficial simply listening to someone can be.
The kind of feedback we received from those who attended the groups was based around how good it felt to have somewhere to turn when they felt most alone. Some would explain how they just couldn't talk to their own friends and family about what they were going through because they didn't understand. Some emphasised how good it felt to talk to like-minded people as they felt less judged. All in all, those who attended came because of the support and because the atmosphere made them feel accepted rather than the odd one out.
It felt amazing to provide something so important for people who felt like they lacked that support beforehand. It really made me aware of the importance of supporting others whether they are your friends, family or complete strangers.
The more we make sure those suffering with mental health difficulties feel included rather than isolated, the better they can begin to feel in themselves. We sometimes don't realise how our own actions and our own words can affect someone else who is going through a tough time.
It's crazy how many times someone has said to me 'I can't tell my friend because they just won't understand' or 'my family just doesn't get it'. It's heartbreaking to hear but I can totally relate to that feeling where it just seems like they couldn't possibly know what you are going through.
Sometimes, this can be inaccurate and it's more due to your own fears of the stigma that lingers in society. A lot of the time your family and friends probably would understand but your own fear of speaking up can prevent them from being able to give you the support. However, for those who are surrounded by people who truly do not understand, it can be incredibly difficult and make things so much worse.
Therefore, if you take anything away from this post, it is that your support and ability to understand is so important. Whether the person is your best friend, brother or even a complete stranger, showing them some empathy and that you are willing to listen if they reach out can make all the difference to their struggles.
Maybe you will be the one to reach out to them and ask how they are doing, or maybe they will show signs that they want to open up to you. Either way, providing them with that safe space and reassurance that even if you don't fully understand you'd never judge them for it, can make a huge positive impact on whatever they are going through.
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