Emma contacted me on Twitter and asked if I would tweet out a link to the video she has made to raise awareness of mental health. I thought I would go one better and write a blog post for her.
Emma only a young girl yet one who has had to grow up fast, bravely expresses her opinions on the j judgmental society that still to this days stigmatises against mental health.
Ashamed of what society would think of her, she began hiding her problems afraid of what others would think of her.
Emma spent 6 weeks in a psychiatric unit and when she returned to school she told her friends she had suffered from a physical problem and had spent time in a general “normal” hospital, she wasn’t judged for this. Everyone gets sick right? And although the lie of her physical illness was accepted, she began questioning why she was continuing to lie about her mental health.
Why do we have to hide our illness because we feel ashamed?
Emma has finally broken her silence and I would like to not only congratulate her, but thank her.
I know all too well how difficult it is to speak out about a topic that is still judged and ridiculed. If Emma does loose any friendships over this then she needs to realise those were not real friends to begin with.
Say NO to mental health discrimination is Emma’s video and I hope you will take the time to view and listen and share it either on Facebook or Twitter.
I made this vlog in the hope that it will help put an end to mental health discrimination. I want to make people understand that mental illness does not define you. only you can define you. I am 15 years old. When I was I was diagnosed with OCD last year I made a suicide attempt. About a year after I began to self harm I was admitted to a psychiatric ward where I was diagnosed with depression. People need to be educated in the fact that mental health is everywhere and tabooing the matter will not mean it is not there.