Mandie Holgate

How can 4 words rile a person so!

The headline's 4 words were posted on Twitter this morning, and as I wake and admire the blue sky and think about the lazy Sunday ahead I grab a cuppa, actually hubby brings me one! And this morning he also brought me my blackberry so I wandered through the tweets and I saw this one.

Why did this offend me so?

Well as many of you will know I had a severe mental health illness 6 years ago, I am an incredibly lucky woman to come through it stronger and more able to tackle anything in life than I was before, but plenty are not so lucky. And because of my experiences and the thought of how many people are suffering in silence across the UK (and the world) right now I decided to speak up and joined a national campaign called Time to Change. A campaign that wants to get rid of the stigma attached to mental health issues.

Let me ask you if you had a friend with lungs that did not work and she was going to die if she did not get a new lung would you say things like "Oi Darth Vader lay off the fags!" (As my friend was suffering with LAM I know THAT would never happen!)

Would you say to someone who had to have a mastectomy "Looking a bit lop sided today! or Oi Baldy!

NO!! We would never disrespect someone who is going through a traumatic experience. We offer support, help, and ear to listen but insults and negative comments would never be uttered. And yet it is acceptable to post comments like this across the world about people suffering with a mental health illness.

Double standards here?

People disappear of your social radar when you announce you have a mental health illness. In the 18 months I was very seriously ill and looking after 2 children under the age of 3 I didn't get offers of help from my extensive network of friends and contacts outside of my family. Why?

I do not understand all the complexities of my friend's LAM illness and yet I have always been there as a support and a friend. So why do people disappear during mental health illnesses?

We need to stand up as a nation and say that's enough. The UK is not a country that prejudices against people because of what is happening in their mind, that they have no more control over as to the cancerous cells in another person's body.

If we all do this, there will not be people afraid to go and see their boss and admit that there is a issue here affecting my life and my work, to go to their doctors and say I need help without fear that their children will be taken away, to help people understand that just like any other illness or disease you will get the same level of care, consideration and support as anyone else.

Sorry for my rant - but I have signed up to this campaign and I have no problem with telling the world that mental health illnesses are horrendous, it is the worst experience I have ever had to endure and I will go out of my way to help people appreciate that attitudes are changing and we are going to be a country that respects everyone who is suffering from a mental health issue.

And if you are suffering from any kind of illness or disease right now, my comments were only used to reiterate the ludicrousy that we are allowed to treat people with a mental health issue in this way, in no way would I wish to offend anyone and I send my thoughts and healthy wishes to you.

And if you feel that something is not right, if you feel that this could affect you, contact your GP, your local Mind charity or speak to the national campaign a Time to change - don't suffer in silence.

http://www.colchestermind.org/

To make your pledge go to - http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/