#mentality updates

Hello! My name is Grace and I'm starting today as the Mentality Events Manager. I'll be at Mentality until October, working on an exciting event for the Freedom of Mind Festival.

Guest Blog adding more debate points to our #NotAdjectives campaign referencing culture -

Mental Health understanding in an Indian Culture

Health. Its meaning perfectly encapsulates vitality, strength and wealth (because of course ‘health is wealth!’). However incorporate the word ‘Mental’ prior to it and we generate an expression surrounded by stigma, which is still alien and unrecognizable in Indian culture.

Stress, anxiety and depression are not recognised as a mental problems, often brushed under the carpet, quickly blamed and shrouded by many excuses such as ‘ his wife’s pestering must be the cause of it’.

For instance if a person is diagnosed as having mental conditions such as Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder they are isolated within society and classed as ‘Pagal’ (crazy). There are no provisions for dealing with theses issues sensitively; the public does not know how to react and in most cases does not want to react as they feel being associated with these people’ will make them ‘pagal’ themselves, as if mental disorders are contagious diseases.

Even more surprising is the fact, that issues related to young people are non-existent. They cannot be stressed or anxious, as they are ‘only young’, what do they have to worry about?

Though health is defined as ‘a person's mental or physical condition’, the physical aspect, is rather sadly, the sole focus.

The drive of success.

Honestly to actually get somewhere in life seems so unachievable at the start but yet so rewarding at the end. Here is an inside story.

My school experience was the worst I had ever experienced. It just put a huge impact on my life. Not going out or seeing people, giving up on things that I love. It wasn't healthy.

These days dragged on to my first year of college. Where I was pointed to off the record just to talk to someone. It helped me out and figure things out.

While I was at college I am ready had an anti bullying website and was just raising awareness about bullying and the effects and how to get help. My dream or goal was to deliver workshops to schools and colleges and raise some sort of awareness or pointers.

Then once a few months went by and I was thinking can I do this? Is this the right thing for me? What am I talking about?

I'm talking about the mentality project. It's a group of young people who come together to campaign around the stigma of mental health. This is where everything changed.

This was the first move. The first step back into getting where I wanted to be and finding a passion. I found out that they deliver workshops and campaign and that's what hit me. Its what I have always wanted to do.

So I joined and to start of with it was just about finding my feet, getting to know people,finding the courage and strength to talk.

So the first few sessions passed and I was just listening getting up to speed.

Then one session I just spoke. People agreed and disagreed and it was nice to hear that debate. To know I started something. So a few more sessions passed and I started to gain the courage to be "me" the bubbly me! It was great knowing I started to feel like one of them.

So 2 years laters. I remember rightly. There was a job going at off the record  delivering workshops and helping run mentality. I said to my partner. I HAVE TO GO FOR THIS. She agreed. And I got the job. It was the best feeling ever. Knowing without realising I got to where I want to be. I achieved my life goal. But it didn't really hit till I done my first workshop. Standing at the front of the class delivering this.

To cut this short. No matter what you feel you can't achieve. You may already be doing it and you don't realise. I didn't know sticking with the group and doing my best through time was going to help me get the job I had always wanted.

I went from using the service to working for them and achieving my life goals. That's truly amazing.

If you're ever looking for a reason to not give up maybe it's the reason why you started.

A Mentality volunteer has just saw this on their facebook. Now whilst I like Mental Illness being talked about this, quizes like this are actually harmful and sents out the wrong info about this illness. OCD is not a personality, is not about having order in your life. It is about having extreme thoughts, that do not leave and stop you doing things in your life, which this quiz does not make any reference to. The result of this quiz told me I am clinical OCD, which is an harmful message and when working with people being told this over the internet causes more worried then being any help. The only good thing about this quiz, is that in the result it does encourage you to talk to someone if you are worried. However, we do not need to be talking about mental illness in a way that adds to stigma, we MUST start talking about mental illness that is a supportive manner! #NotAdjectives