Mental Health Awareness Week – Why It Matters
Many people struggling with their mental health do not necessarily “look” unwell.
Someone can still go to work, reply “I’m fine”, look organised, smile at school pick-up or post photos online whilst struggling underneath it all. Because mental health is often invisible, it can sometimes be misunderstood, minimised, or dismissed entirely.
Mental Health Awareness Week exists to encourage greater understanding around something that affects so many people, yet is still often difficult for others to fully see or understand unless they have experienced it personally or supported somebody close to them through it.
According to NHS England, around 1 in 4 adults experience at least one diagnosable mental health problem in any given year, and 1 in 10 children experience mental illness. That means mental health affects most families in some way, whether directly or indirectly.
When people hear the words “mental health”, many often think first of anxiety or depression because these are some of the more commonly discussed conditions. However, mental health difficulties can also include OCD, PTSD, eating disorders, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, psychosis, personality disorders, phobias, health anxiety and many others. Some people live with long-term conditions, whilst others experience periods of poor mental health linked to grief, trauma, stress, burnout, relationships, parenting, work pressures or difficult life events.
Mental health does not always look how people expect it to look either. Sometimes it looks like someone cancelling plans. Sometimes it looks like irritability, withdrawing from people, overworking, perfectionism, being constantly busy, exhaustion, anger, struggling to sleep or finding it difficult to cope with everyday tasks. Sometimes it simply looks like someone trying very hard to hold everything together.
One of the things I often notice through counselling work is how many people minimise what they are carrying because they believe other people are coping “better” than they are. Many people struggling with their mental health become very skilled at appearing as though they are coping, particularly when they are used to being the person others rely upon.
For many people, one of the hardest parts is not only the anxiety, low mood, overwhelm, or emotional exhaustion itself, but also the shame that can come with it. People often feel they “should” be coping better, especially when they are managing work, parenting, relationships or caring responsibilities alongside everything else.
Counselling can help by providing a space where people feel able to talk openly without fear of judgement or pressure to “hold it all together”. Often people are not expecting someone to have the perfect words or immediate solutions. They simply want to feel heard, understood, accepted and less alone in what they are experiencing.
Not everybody wants or needs the same kind of support. Some people may benefit from counselling or therapy, whilst others may need medication, practical support, greater understanding from family or employers or simply somebody who listens compassionately.
For me, Mental Health Awareness Week is not about ticking a box or posting slogans online. It is about encouraging more understanding, more compassion and more empathy in everyday life. Because when we understand something better, we are usually less likely to judge it.
I often think about what the world might look like if we all approached each other with a little more care. If we were slightly less quick to dismiss. Slightly less quick to assume. Slightly more aware that people may be carrying things we know nothing about.
Maybe we would check in on people differently. Maybe we would speak more kindly to ourselves too.
Mental health awareness is not only about recognising when somebody is struggling. It is also about helping people feel less alone when they are.
As a counsellor based in Edenbridge, close to Oxted, East Grinstead and Tunbridge Wells, I work with adults, children and young people experiencing a wide range of emotional and mental health difficulties.
If any part of this resonates with you and you would like support through counselling, you are welcome to contact me via the enquiry form on my website.
Further Information & Support
- NHS Mental Health Services
- Mind
- YoungMinds — support for children, young people and parents
- Samaritans — Call 116 123 free, 24 hours a day
- Anxiety UK