About mental health
Mental health is about how we think, feel and behave. One in four people in the UK have a mental health problem at some point in their lives that affects their daily life, relationships or physical health. Mental health problems take many different forms and affect people in different ways. Schizophrenia, depression, anxiety and personality disorders are all types of mental health problem. There is no single cause of mental health problems - the reasons why they develop are as complex as the individual.
Mental health problems can affect anyone, regardless of age, race, gender or social background. Without care and treatment, mental health problems can have a serious affect on the individual and those around them. Every year more than 250,000 people are admitted to psychiatric hospitals and over 4,000 people commit suicide.
And yet despite the frequency with which mental health problems occur the pain and misery they can cause us are often kept hidden from view by the stigma and discrimination which surrounds mental distress. This stigma and fear means it is hard for us to recognise when our own or those close to us are mental unhealthy and what we can do to make it healthy and what we can do to keep it healthy.
Recent government policy has reconised the need to shift the stigma to tackle the growing problem of mental ill health. Another way of breaking down the fear, discrimination and prejudice we all have about mental illness is listen to people's experiences of mental distress - Read about:
- Famous people's experience
- Real life experiences
- Personal stories and strategies for surviving mental distress
Stockport One-in-Four group is agroup of workers, carers and service users who campign to challenge the stigma and discrimination. If you are interested in joining us please contact Elysabeth Williams 426 5095 or email elysabeth.williams@stockport-pct.nhs.uk