Today is #TimetoTalk Day – the day is all about creating supportive communities by having conversations with family, friends, or colleagues about mental health.
I’ve spent much of my career advocating for the right of those of us with mental health problems to be able, should we choose, to speak about our experiences without shame or the fear of negative judgement from others – not just on days like today, but everyday throughout the year.
These days are important, in my view, because they have the power to act as a springboard, to start behaviours that we mean to continue throughout the year; having open and honest conversations about how we’re feeling, so that we can support ourselves, be supported by others, or support when we think others might be struggling.
The day is also about harnessing the power of listening. In my opinion, listening and really hearing what someone has to say, are hugely underrated. Over the years, I’ve often been asked “will talking and being heard fix the problem?” - almost certainly not. Will it ease the burden, allow people to explore solutions, gain perspective, give a sense of control by verbalising what’s happening for them and perhaps navigate a way forward? – I’d say “yes, absolutely.”.
And for all those people who have taken the time to walk alongside me when I’ve been in a dark place in my life, from my partner (such huge respect and love for your enduring support Simon), my family, my friends, my work colleagues … I want to say thank you.
And thanks too to all of you out there who I don’t know, but who have supported others on their journeys – you who are the quiet but steady supporters who have taken the time to notice, to ask, to ask again, and to listen. You who have not tried to fix or to be the expert but who have legitimised our stories, and have helped us understand that living with a mental health problem is just a facet of who we are, a facet that will not will not diminish who we are, what we can achieve or how loveable we are.
So whatever you do today, tomorrow or into the future, let’s open up to mental health, let’s talk more, let’s listen lots, let’s change lives – one conversation at a time.
Jo Loughran
