Start a Communion; End the Stigma

Today I read an interview on The Guardian website with actor and lead singer of Years & Years Olly Alexander about his experiences with mental ill health. During the interview he recalled his early experiences with night terrors, but also his struggles with anxiety and depression in his teens following being bullied and excluded at school. I initially read the article due to having really enjoyed Years & Years debut album, Communion, released last year, but what I took from it was instead a healthy respect for Alexander's mental health advocacy and what interviews like this could stand to do to break down the stigma against mental illness that still exists in modern culture..

There are numerous and continued efforts to break down this stigma; indeed next Thursday is being marked as 'Time to Talk Day' in an effort to promote conversation about mental (ill) health in the hope that more people will feel able to seek help. As Olly Alexander points out in his interview, people can be less accepting of how debilitating depression and anxiety can be, and sufferers can feel less comfortable talking about being sick and unable to participate in social events compared to a physical illness.

This stigma can also lead to self punishment. We take on board the messages that our mental health 'isn't that bad' and that we 'should be able to just get over it', and we put on the façade that everything is okay. We continue to suffer in silence, and people believe that everything is okay because that is what we show them. The cycle continues.

I hope, whether you have experienced ill mental health personally, know someone who has (or even not), you will be able to join in the Time to Talk event on Thursday 4th of February so we can continue to tackle the stigma of mental illness. Through this hopefully people will feel able to access the support they need through counselling privately, in the NHS and through their family and friends. Rather than hiding their pain and punishing themselves for not being 'strong enough'.