Mental Health Awareness day…it’s okay to not be okay

As part of Mental Health Awareness Day earlier today I visited the Senedd in Cardiff to attend a talk about Mental Health – ‘It’s time to be proactive and talk about Mental Health’ with Jack Sargeant AM and Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales. It was inspiring to see so many people in the room all wanting to improve awareness and services relating to Mental Health and remove the stigmas that are so often associated with it.  It is staggering to think that over £16 million was spent last year in Wales on anti-depressants.  Mental Health has no barriers and effects people in all walks of life – male, female, young and old.  1 in 4 people during their life will experience mental health issues and 1 in 5 will have suicidal thoughts.  It’s important for people to realise that it’s okay to not be okay at times.  Life can be like an emotional roller coaster on occasions.  It is so important to be able to share how you are feeling with others – and not just with professionals.  A lot of support can be gained from talking to loved ones, colleagues and people who have shared similar situations.  So why not be bold and start a conversation about mental health today.

Remember: when you replace ‘I’ with ‘We’ then ‘illness’ becomes ‘wellness’.

Kindest regards

Lisa