- 1 in 4 people will experience some kind of mental health problem in the course of a year.
- Mixed anxiety and depression are the most common mental disorder in Britain.
- Women are more likely to have been treated for a mental health problem than men.
- 10% of children have a mental health problem at any one time.
- Depression affects 1 in 5 older people.
- Only 1 in 10 prisoners has no mental disorder.
- Suicide rates show that British men are three times as likely to die by suicide than British women.
- Self-harm statistics for the UK show one of the highest rates in Europe: 400 per 100,000 population.
Over the years mental health has been a very taboo subject with some people stating that it simply “doesn’t exist”. Mental health issues DO exist, it isn’t like Santa Claus or the tooth fairy, these conditions are REAL and are affecting people every day. Just because someone may not understand something doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist, that’s like me saying I don’t understand physics, it doesn’t make physics any less real.
Mental health problems can range from a worry we may feel during the day to a serious long-term condition. Lots of people who have mental health problems suffer in silence as they are afraid of what other people may think and their reactions, this includes myself. Help me raise awareness of mental illness and show people that mental health issues are REAL. Help make the invisible, visible!
If you are suffering with a mental health condition there is help out there and it is very important to get help. Please never feel alone. There are lots of amazing charities and organisations out there who offer help and support such as:
- http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/
- http://www.mind.org.uk/
- http://www.sane.org.uk/
- http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/
- http://www.mentalhealth.gov/
Thank you to http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk for some of the statistics.
Charlie x
CHARLIE CHATS 