Tag Archives: mental health
World Mental Health Day: I battled depression for six years, I didn’t just ‘get over it’ overnight
We need to look at how far we’ve come in removing the stigma surrounding depression, and see how we can act to do more.
It’s the 20th anniversary of World Mental Health Day today. Twenty years of awareness-raising about mental illness and yet, when talking to a friend’s father about writing this blog I dropped the ‘d’ word, his response was to roll his eyes heavenward and exclaim “oh I don’t believe in all that, you’re either happy or a bit pissed off”.
Anecdotal evidence I realise, but I wondered nevertheless whether this attitude was an isolated one, perhaps the result of belonging to a generation whose answer to curing ‘the blues’ is giving yourself a stern talking to. Unfortunately not.
Wrong that carers feel hidden and neglected
The government’s care minister says more must be done to help young adults who look after unwell or disabled relatives.
Norman Lamb was quizzed for Newsbeat by 18-year-old Pippa Haines from Southampton, who’s been a carer since she was four.
The Liberal Democrat said: “You should be open about it [caring], proud of it, and supported in doing it.
“We’ve got to escape from this sense that you feel hidden and neglected.”
Pippa took a list of points to the minister that were raised by young adult carers in Radio 1 Stories: Keeping Mum, broadcast on Radio 1 on 8 October. Rebekah Clark, 21, with disabled older sister Ashleigh
She told him the list “includes more support in schools and colleges”.
‘Incredible burden‘
He replied: “We’ve established a £127m fund which goes to colleges and further education, to support learning. Young carers can apply for that.
