October is mental health awareness month

October is Mental Health Month, where organisations aim to increase awareness of mental health — usually through themes, such as ‘share the journey’ in NSW and ‘take time for mental health’ in Queensland.

The taboo nature of mental health has decreased rapidly in recent years, and this wonderful change certainly shows.

As BeyondBlue notes, “support-seeking appears to be growing at a rapid rate, with around half of all people with a condition now getting treatment”.

One of the ways the stigma around mental illnesses can be broken is by sharing the journey — which can often lead to support relationships being built as well.

If you’ve already sought out a doctor or therapist, you are sharing the journey with them, and possibly your close family as well.

Both of these are really beneficial to your mental health — regardless of if you have a diagnosed mental illness or not — as sharing with people helps conceptualise issues for yourself, strengthens relationships, and aids other people in understanding what’s going on in your life.

Regardless of where you’re at, talking through a problem with another person can often help you solve it or feel better about it as well.

However, in order to break the stigma surrounding mental illnesses, a broader approach is sometimes necessary.

Sharing your journey towards mental wellness may encourage someone else to get help; someone you may not even know is struggling.

It can also break down the misconceptions people have around

mental health — such as the annoyingly common ‘just cheer up’.

Be mindful how and when you share though.

If talking about a certain topic is going to be a trigger for you, don’t force yourself to share; if you don’t want to answer a certain question, you don’t have to.

Sometimes, just simply being honest with a friend that today isn’t a great day can open their eyes to the truths of mental health, or sharing a recent success over a coffee.

As Mental Health Month NSW states, “sharing the journey means understanding where someone is emotionally, how they got there, and where they are going”. This story does not constitute medical advice. If this story has triggered you or you need assistance, please see a medical professional.