Breaking the Code of Silence

I’m currently running a series of posts dedicated to fighting the stigma surrounding mental health, by bringing it out into the open and encouraging discussion of subjects usually associated with shame, embarrassment and fear.

Most people’s lives will be touched by mental illness in one form or another, whether it’s through a personal problem, that of a family member, or simply being caught up in the repercussions of someone else’s suffering. Mental illness is common and widespread, just like the ignorance surrounding it. It’s time to educate and inform, to have those difficult conversations, and to bring into the light the issues that so many feel they have to hide.

I’m committing myself to this cause by bringing my personal experiences to the page. Through my decision to no longer be silenced, I’m taking ownership of those experiences. Instead of being a victim, I’m using them to encourage openness and education. It’s a difficult task – the incidents are not easy to write about, and have been barely acknowledged and rarely discussed among those involved. I hope I don’t cause hardship to my family by bringing them into the open.

For anyone wishing to guest post on this series, please contact me by email with your post attached (in a Word or text file). I will provide a link back to your blog at the bottom of the post, or respect your wish to remain anonymous should you so choose. You can find my email address on the Get In Touch page.

In the series so far: