Tag Archive | stigma

Time To Change

Sep29

“Time to Change” is a mental health initiative run by the charities “Mind” and “Rethink mental Illness” to fight the stigma attached to mental illness. I am a Time to Change Champion and Rethink activist and whenever possible I volunteer to help this worthy cause.

As someone who has suffered with depression for more than 30 years, and actively committed to changing people’s attitudes towards mental illness, you can probably imagine my shock, disgust and outrage at the news this week that ASDA and Tesco were selling Halloween “mental patient” outfits.

Thankfully, the uproar was so great that both supermarkets have been forced to remove their products from sale and have pledged large sums of money as donations to both Mind and Rethink in recompense.

Whilst I applause this turnaround, I despair that two huge corporate giants actually thought it acceptable in the first place to sell these outfits. Who sanctioned this? Did they think? What is their perception of mental illness and why? Did they really feel that people would dress up as a mental patient for Halloween and why? Personally I find this difficult to comprehend but at the risk of being over-sensitive, I would like to understand more about the root of this train of thought before I make my final judgement. It’s all very well to make a hefty monetary donation but I would like to see our mental health charities following up on this to find out why it was deemed acceptable in the first place. It is simply disgusting and needs to be stopped now.

It really is “Time To Change”

Me, wearing my mental health patient costume.

Me, wearing my mental health patient costume.

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Diversity Week

May16
KPMG Diversity Week

KPMG Diversity Week

This week is the KPMG Diversity week, 5 days celebrating diversity in the workplace. We have a number of diverse groups within the firm ranging from the religous, Jewish, Islamic and Christian societies, our LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender society called “Breathe”, KNOW, the “women’s” group which focuses on issues particularly facing women in the workplace and sponsored by a senior male Partner along with groups providing specific support for parents, disabled staff, working dads and those promoting a healthy work-life balance.

Today I hijacked the lunchtime session as, being Mental Health Awareness Week here in the UK, I felt that it should be the focus of our day today.

We had a lovely time talking to several people about mental health and hopefully encouraged a few more to talk openly and honestly about mental health issues.

Richard is our Workability facilitator in Birmingham and he is on a mission to promote diversity and disability awareness in our office.

We need people like Richard to fly our flag!

Thank you.

Media tart!

Aug24

Over the past few weeks I have done a couple of interviews about my experiences of depression for the Sunday Telegraph Stella Magazine and the Daily Mail, neither of which has yet been published as there are clearly far more interesting and worthy news stories around.

The latest scheduled date for Stella is Sunday 21 October, but I’m not holding my breath. The Daily Mail is clearly holding us all in suspense but it will be worth waiting for 🙂

One of the benefits of the Daily Mail adventure was having a make-up artist and photographer come to my house and do a photo shoot. Normally I hate my photo being taken but they both made me feel very relaxed, to the extent that the make-up guy (can’t remember his name 😦 ) drank the bottle of wine that I’d bought to calm ME down and I didn’t notice until he fell out of my front door on his way to his car!

After my make-up was complete and I looked more like Elvira Munster than I cared to, I had a couple of arguments with the guy about what I should wear for the photos;

  • “No black”- “But my whole wardrobe is black!”
  • “Nothing jazzy”-” You are telling me that my M&S Per Una cardigans are too jazzy?”
  • “No low-cut tops showing vast amounts of cleavage”- “I don’t do low-cut tops showing vast amounts of cleavage” 
  • Me; “That dress is too tight”  
  • Him; “Caroline it only has to look good from the front!”

and so it went on until we agreed to disagree and I bowed to his greater experience in these matters.

I guess he was right 🙂

The stigma of depression-hope at last

May8

Many of those who read my blog regularly will know that I talk very openly and honestly about my experiences with depression and how it affects me day to day. I’ve recently been through a very dark and lonely few months but  thankfully those horrible black clouds have started to lift and I can get back to living my life. It won’t be a fast recovery. I’ve learnt not to rush things but instead to take my time (the wisdom that comes with age!)  and I still need plenty of rest so I can recharge my batteries which have been running on fresh air.

During the last few months I have continued to tell people about my depression in the hope that I can help others come to terms with their illness and seek proper help and I know from emails that I have had some success and have made a difference to quite a few people.  This is fantastic news  and is crucial in the fight against the stigma of mental health but still too many are afraid to talk about depression in case they are stigmatised. This only helps to perpetuate the illness and means that it can last longer than if help is sought early.

At the outset, my mission for 2011 was and still remains to help eradicate the stigma attached to mental illness and depression. I believe in this very personal campaign because everyone deserves a chance, and because depression can strike anybody at any time often leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. We  all need to be prepared and armed to cope with the onset should it strike.

Four months into the year I would like to think that I have done quite a lot to raise the awareness of depression, its symptoms, the help available and convince people that if you talk about it openly, the support is there. I have been lucky. I have received a lot of support and wonderful comments from friends, family and colleagues and it does make a difference.

There is plenty more work to do, and I have lots of exciting projects to look forward to but we have made a start.

Me & others fighting against the stigma of depression

Jan26

Most people who know me have heard that I am on a mission this year. My mission is to fight against the stigma of depression and I have formalised my campaign by joining the Aspire Heroine’s Quest which starts in March.

Here I am [Caroline] in this quarter’s A Single Step magazine published by the Depression Alliance in a short article about stigma.

Depression Alliance-A Single Step Magazine Winter 2010

For all those who have been on a different planet to me over the past couple of months, here is a reminder of my Quest campaign:

My Campaign is:

To eradicate the stigma attached to mental illness in general and depression in particular.

Because?

Everyone deserves a chance.

Why should you care?

Because depression is non-discriminatory. Tomorrow it could be you or someone you care about.

Call to action:

I would like everyone to start talking openly and honestly about mental health issues and experiences of depression. Only in this way will we effect change.

Amen

 

What am I looking forward to this year? (1)

Jan13

In conjunction with Aspire and Dr Sam Collins, I have registered for the 2011 Heroine’s Quest and have committed to my campaign.

My Campaign is:

To eradicate the stigma attached to mental illness in general and depression in particular.

Because?

Everyone deserves a chance.

Why should you care?

Because depression is non-discriminatory. Tomorrow it could be you or someone you care about.

Call to action:

I would like everyone to start talking openly and honestly about mental health issues and experiences of depression. Only in this way will we effect change.

What’s the single most important thing I accomplished in 2010?

Jan4

An easy one for me.

2010 was the year in which I overcame the fear of prejudice, stigma and of being labelled and finally admitted to friends, family and colleagues that I have depression. There were many reasons why I felt this was my moment and whilst it hasn’t all been plain sailing, I don’t regret it for one minute.

It sounds dramatic, but since my admission last May, my life has changed completely both at work and at home. I am now involved in lots of depression-related activities with my prime target to eradicate the stigma associated with mental illness and depression and to help others come to terms with this illness. All I have achieved towards this end in the last year is dedicated to everyone suffering with depression and mental illness, and to encourage them to hang in there, keep calm and keep going.

It will get better but you have to believe.

Undoubtedly the best thing about my admission however is that I have at long last found my tribe.  I now belong to a large group of like-suffering wonderful people who I now count as some of my best friends because of our mutual association and understanding of depression. There is nothing like peer support to help deal with this illness as it can be a very lonely place and friends who genuinely understand the illness and it’s varied unpredictable symptoms are precious indeed.

Thank goodness for that moment of courage and thank you to all my new friends. I can finally be me.

Depression- stigma and discrimination

Dec5

Prejudice Ignorance Fear postcard

We all know about the stigma associated with mental illness and depression. We have probably all experienced it or seen it happen. The scale of discrimination against those with mental illness is shameful. The impact of stigma and discrimination upon individuals, communities and society is devastating, so why should we care and what can we do to eradicate it?

By speaking and writing openly and honestly about my experience of depression, I want to help to educate more people about depression and its symptoms and impact on all concerned.  I want to Stop The Ignorance (and) Generate Mental-illness Awareness. I want to de-mystify this illness and correct all those myths which can lead to discrimination.

Membership form

Why should we care?

According to “Stigma Shout” produced by Time To Change, stigma and discrimination;

  • Prevents people from seeking help
  • Delays treatment
  • Impairs recovery
  • Isolates people
  • Excludes people from day-to-day activities
  • stops people getting jobs

So how can you help?

Without doubt this problem is huge and beyond the best intentions of one or two individuals. What we need is for as many people suffering with mental illness to talk about their experiences and provide first hand experience of stigma and discrimination to organisations such as Depression Alliance, Rethink, MIND, Mental Health Media and Time To Change. These organisations fight every day for a fairer deal, more respect and extra support for those with mental illness. Consider being a Time To Change Champion or Rethink Activist.

We need successful people living with depression to come forward and explain how they cope. All those people who are in recovery can stand up and give hope to everyone not quite there yet.

Let us educate and communicate with the general public, family and friends so that they better understand depression and learn to see us, not the illness.

No, it’s not easy, and not everyone reading this will be able to or want to put themselves forward to assist. That’s OK too.

T ime To Change Campaign

BBC Access All Areas-Bi-Polar and Autism “hidden” disabilities

Cllr Robert Inwood speaks out

Rethink