#TimeToTalk

Time To Change.

Time to Talk is a charity lead programme aiming to put an end to the stigma of mental illness. Regular readers of my ramblings will know that I quite often talk about the difficulty trying to express yourself to 'normal' people or feeling very misunderstood within society. For some reason, mental illness is something we as humans chose to avoid discussing, whether that is through fear, misunderstanding or merely ignorance, it is wrong. Mental illnesses in whatever form are just as genuine and present in our lives as the common cold and they need to be accepted to be addressed. It is so scary feeling like there is something wrong with you, not knowing how to tell someone that your brain just doesn't seem to be working right. Fear of judgement is something I don't think I can put into words. For so long after being diagnosed with such severe depression and anxiety, I avoided telling anyone other than those really, really close to me. I was terrified of being judged as a weirdo, a loon or just a drama queen. Because there is quite often no visible cause or reason of mental illness, people seem to have a much harder time understanding them. I spent months telling people I wasn't drinking because I was on antibiotics or other bizzare things like that. Thinking about it now, how ridiculous is that?! I was telling such a stupid half truth. Why is it more acceptable to people that I wouldn't be drinking because I had some form of infection rather than the fact that I didn't want to deal with the depressant effect alcohol can have. It's so sad. And it is so hard as a young adult to have to hide such a huge part of who you are. It can have quite a negative effect on a life already plagued by negativity. Although it is still crazily difficult for me to talk about what's going on in my head, accepting that I have an illness is quite a weight off my shoulders. People are aware that there is something wrong, they may not understand it, but it's a start. I only hope that programmes like Time To Talk can continue to spread understanding and hope for anyone who is struggling with a mental illness.

If you have a few spare minutes, please talk a look at the  Time To Change website here and have a look at what it means to people battling their way through life, how you can help or maybe even make a pledge. Even the smallest things can make a difference.

Thank you to any of you who read about my struggles and my triumphs, it really does mean a lot.

Becca.