When we have a cough, a sore throat or a headache we generally tell others and we do what we can to make ourselves feel better. We might snuggle up in bed with a hot water bottle and watch our favourite things on the TV. When it comes to feeling anxious, overwhelmed or feeling a sense of numbness we have a tendency to keep that to ourselves. We struggle on with things in the hope that we will feel better soon.
If our cough, sore throat or headache persists we seek help from a medical professional and accept advice and medication from that person. This does not always happen for people who are struggling with their mental health - many of us hide how we are feeling. In many cases people don't want to bother others or they feel that they are responsible for fixing their problems.
As a society we need to ensure that looking after our mental health is as important as taking care of our physical health. We should be able to have open and honest conversations about the different ways in which poor mental health affects us. We also need to learn to be kind to ourselves - to allow ourselves to take a break, put in boundaries for ourselves and not punish ourselves for having bad days.
There are many organisations that can provide advice and support about how to look after our mental health. If you feel you are struggling please reach out, don't suffer in silence.
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