STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

Each and every one has overcome – or still wrestles with – mental illness, from the debilitating dread of anxiety to the blindsiding flashbacks of post-traumatic stress disorder. So, as we come to the close of a year in which mental health hit the headlin

23 inspirational women on their battles with mental health

Take a quick glance around your workplace, spin studio or brunch table. What do you see? We’d put money on your eyes falling upon a bunch of women bossing life; women who inspire and empower you; women who make it all look easy. Statistically, one in four of these women are experiencing a mental illness. 2017 was the year a member of the royal family caused the national stiff upper lip to tremble with his candid admission of seeking counselling to help with grief; millions more shared their stories both online and off; and the Government pledged an extra £1.3 billion of annual investment in mental health services by 2021. But hold the national back pat. A study* published on World Mental Health Day in October found that 85% of UK workers thought there was still a stigma attached to mental health in the workplace. And figures from the National Centre of Social Research show that a fifth of the 5,000 people surveyed believed mental illness was brought on by a ‘lack of self-discipline and willpower’. For all our progress, when it comes to mental health, we still haven’t got it right. The stories that fill these pages paint very different pictures of the female experience of mental illness; and our 23 interviewees speak with a candour usually reserved for their nearest and dearest. If one thing unites these stories, it isn’t a lack of grit, drive and strength; it’s an abundance of the stuff. So over to them, the women who’ve been there.