The Courage to Talk

How marvellous it is that mental health is in the news and receiving much needed attention. Last week we heard during a Commons debate on mental health, two MPs talk openly about their struggles with depression and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Kevan Jones and Charles Walker showed enormous courage by speaking candidly about their individual experiences and by doing so did tremendous good for de-stigmatising the condition. Since then, mental health has been constantly in the news. There are newspaper campaigns and a renewed focus on health spending which has highlighted a deficit in mental health spending. This is all good and can only lead to better understanding of the problems caused by mental health issues and the support needed for all those who suffer the condition, in all its varying forms.
I have enormous respect and admiration for all those who talk openly about their condition as I am convinced that mental health problems are far more common than we think. By talking about it, we can understand it and hopefully encourage others to come forward. Help is there...