Anniversary: The First Rant

It's been a year since first opened up about my mental health publicly on Facebook.

The catalyst for this was a tweet sent by that most charming of repugnant toads that is Piers Morgan in which Mr Morgan suggested that it was "utter nonsense" that 34 million adults in the UK were suffering from mental illness and that people should "man up."

The Mighty posted a wonderful article on this idiot's bile (https://themighty.com/2017/05/piers-morgan-tweets-man-up-mental-illness/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Mighty_MH_Page&utm_campaign=FBreg-MH&tmsignup=1&T=mhpage) which inspired me to open up. Because I had been trying to "man up" for years as my world began to crumble and fall around me before seeking help.

Fuck it and fight it.
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I'm sorry but a rant is coming.

I have been battling depression for a few years now, and I put off seeking help because I was trying to convince myself I was alright because all I needed to do was "man up."

Throughout this time I felt stupidly alone and isolated despite having some of the best friends anyone could ask for. It felt like for about a year and a half everything just stopped. Nothing would get better, no matter how hard I tried to "man up" I'd still be stuck in the same rut. It was only after I opened up to my friends and family and sought some help that things improved, and the love and support they gave meant far more than I could ever repay. For the first time in a long time I wasn't alone.

I know that Mr Morgan is as compassionate a person as Katie Hopkins or Voldemort, but the amount of people who suffer in silence because they expect to encounter this sort of attitude is horrible as is the toll it takes on them. Then again, I don't suppose it's surprising that such a loathsome man has such a loathsome attitude to the well-being of others.

If you feel low, don't man up, it doesn't help. Talk to someone. Being open with folk about your mental health is one of the scariest, bravest and best things you can do.