A reflection about mental health issues A few days ago I went to a dance performance where I saw Luke Gillingham performing his choreography "Who I Am" to raise awareness about mental health issues. I was very touched by his dance. He was able to express so much through dancing without using any words. After this I started to do some research and what I found was this: "Overall, around one in six adults surveyed in England met the criteria for a common mental disorder in 2014." (Such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, eating disorder, etc...) https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20180328140249/http ://digital.nhs.uk/catalogue /PUB21748 This is from Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey: Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, England, 2014 This survey says that 16.7% of the english society suffer from a mental health disorder (the survey is from 2014). So I wanted to search for mental health issues in Germany as well and found these numbers. https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/prevalence-by-mental-and-substance-use-disorder?country =DEU In 2017 there were: 6.5% of the society with anxiety disorders and 3.9% with depression. And these are just the percentages of two common mental health disorders (so you can't compare it to the 16.7% because they include all common mental health disorders). And then some questions started to circle in my head/mind. Why do so many people have problems with talking openly about mental health issues? And why do psychiatries have such a bad reputation when they are basically nothing except a hospital to help people with illnesses that aren't physical? What we should realise is that mental health issues are more common than we often think and that we have to raise awareness to be able to talk openly and honestly about these problems.

More need to talk about Mental Health without fear of being judged. It has been said that every member of the UK will strughle with mental health at some point in their lives. I am one who has struggled over the years. I battle depression and anxiety on a daily basis and ended up having a nervous breakdown in 2002. I never left the house for 7 years due to crippling anxiety and panic attacks. Thankfully they have now eased to what they were but I urge everyone who is struggling to talk to someone they trust. It's okay not to be okay. Don't filter feelings :)

🙂I share your opinions about a more open and non-judgemental awareness of mental health issues. I too have experienced periods of anxiety and depression, but thanks to a patient and understanding wife, along with sincere frields, I emerged from the darkness as a stronger person. Let's talk more about it, without any feelings of shame ! God bless you.