As it is mental health awareness week I felt it fitting to write a little article

Mental health problems can affect the way you think, feel and behave. They affect around one in four people in Britain, and range from common mental health problems, such asdepressionandanxiety, to more rare problems such asschizophreniaandbipolar disorder. A mental health problem can feel just as bad, or worse, as any other physical illness – only you cannot see it.

Suicide is the biggest killer of young people – maleandfemale – under 35 in the UK.In 2015, 1,659 young people took their own lives. That equates to over four per day. Every year many thousands more attempt or contemplate suicide, harm themselves or suffer alone, afraid to speak openly about how they are feeling.

On a personal note I have suffered over the years and there is nothing worse than feeling that you are completely on your own when you are struggling and there is no-one that can help or there is no escape; well this is where charities like Papyrus UK, Samaritans and Maytree can help you and give you the opportunity to be able to talk to someone in confidence.

Talking about our fears and feelings is difficult – even to those we know, love and care about us. This can prevent other people from recognising distress and being able to help in a crisis. Words are often totally inadequate to convey the amount of pain a person may be suffering. It is easy to understand that someone is hurting if they have been badly injured or are physically ill. Emotional pain cannot be seen, but it can be just as unbearable.

These organisations are there to help, you are not alone and don’t keep it to yourself, talk to someone in confidence. Contact details are as follows:

Paypyrus UK Telephone: 0800 068 4141 Text: 07786 209697 Email: pat@papyrus.uk.org

Samaritans Telephone: 116 123 Email: jo@samaritans.org

Maytree Telephone: 020 7263 7070 Email: maytree@maytree.org.uk

Sources: Mind, Samaritans