Re World Mental Health Day and what people are sharingon social media? **Suicide discussion**

[Aryaneedle]

I am prepared to get a flaming for this but I really need to rant about it. The Wellbeing Worker and Mental Health practitioner at work (I work in childrens social care and we have CAMHS, Drug and Alcohol Team and psychological services sat in as MDT) have today sent two emails round about World Mental Health day. Inviting staff to stop and join for lunch, smell some things 'dotted around the office' in order to promote mindfulness and share food to promote wellbeing and a yoga session. I don't know why but this, combined with the meaningless onslaught of post sharing on FB about talking, has made me so angry.

I have a history of post partum psychosis, an eating disorder and 3 suicide attempts. The suicide attempts were not completed (obviously as I'm writing this) but it wasn't a cry for help, I felt I needed to end my life. My reasons were because of trauma (I was raped as an 11 year old by a family member) and the last attempt was because I was in a physically abusive marriage and I had unbeknown to me, post partum psychosis.

I'm finding it really difficult to hear World Mental Health day (which is focussed on suicide prevention) being lumped in with mindfulness and wellbeing and yoga and eating. When I have been really ill, in psychotic episode or with anorexia or suicidal, the things that helped me were inpatient care, anti psychotic meds, anti depressants, intensive psychiatric intervention, EMDR and psychotherapy. I don't know what I'm angry at or who but AIBU to feel like focussing on wellbeing is making me want to hit a wall? I feel like the wool is being pulled over people's eyes and that (cheap and not needing much education and training to deliver) alternatives to mental health care are being normalised and promoted? It feels like we are getting the message: 'I know you broke your leg but have you considered a carrot and the downward dog in place of a cast?' Mental Health Services are so stretched and such a struggle to fight for and it feels like this stuff enables that as an ineffective sticking plaster on an axe wound to save money. Or maybe it is because it's hard to cure?

I know I'm being reactive to feeling uncomfortable and guilty but AIBU?

I’m sorry about your experiences but I do think you are being unreasonable. Like physical health, mental health covers a huge variety of thing - some which are more serious than others. You obviously were the extreme end of the spectrum and that must have been very difficult to deal with. I have been at the more ‘mild’ end of the spectrum - suffering with OCD, anxiety and depression which still dramatically lowered my quality of life and put me in a position where I was at times suicidal and deeply suffering. I found that focusing on myself - mindfulness, yoga, exercise routines, diet and lifestyle changes - actually made the world of difference to me and were all things that put me on the path to healing and while I still have my struggles, I also now have a selection of methods to help me unwind, cope, deal with my struggles, raise my emotions, etc. I know a lot of people who feel the same. I don’t think that anyone’s struggle should be undermined (mental or physical) or anyone’s method of coping criticized. I do agree that the memes etc are stupid, but it’s all just people trying to raise awareness and do their bit I guess. Stupid gestures but with good intentions.

Mental health isn’t just about bad mental health. It’s also important to talk about good mental health and steps we can take to maintain it. Our HR pre-warned us so that we could talk to them ahead of today. I suffer from depression and ptsd and do have suicidal thoughts. I think the point of today is to encourage a conversation about all aspects of mental health. I was pleased that work felt able to talk widely about it because it encompassed everyone’s experiences.

I'm so sorry to hear of your past and struggles. I grew up with a very mentally ill mother, nothing was talked about. She was so misunderstood back then and it makes me so sad as an adult to realise it.
The awareness is so much better ( not so much mental health care though!) now and social media and days like today have definitely had an impact and role to play. I do share occasionally some of these posts as I feel it gets people thinking and creates that awareness and may help one person who recognised that something isn't just right

I'm a little on the other side of mental health such as stress, anxiety etc and actually feel some of the self help/self care suggestions have helped me manage this myself.

You are being unreasonable. I think its brilliant that people even talk more about mental health and wellbeing. All this sort of stuff helps people not go on a downward spiral.

I know what your saying and it's like a lot of things ,mental.health awareness tends to focus on less extreme cases ,I was a mental health nurse and I worked in acute mental.health for a long time do I have experience of working with extremely unwell people ,I also have personal experience anxiety and depression ,( although more mild) ,I suppose they are saying anyone can have mental health issues and we all need to be more mindful.o