My very first blog post , so I thought I'd discuss something close to my heart.
Suicide. Having 6 failed attempts in 2016 , I am trying my best now to encourage others to talk about what is going on in their heads and understand that Mental Illness is a clinical condition.
There is a stigman with mental illness , whereby it is dismissed by others with statements like "get over it" or "its not that bad" , and maybe it isnt so bad but it's fucked in my head and prople cant grasp it. Mental illness is a disease / condition like diabetes , or diseases like cancer. You dont choose to have it and it doesnt go away. You can treat the symptoms , and if my 4 little pills every morning can give me a sense of normality I am happy to do that my entire life.
The movement #itsokaytotalk was started in particular for men who are reluctant to talk as it makes them appear "weak" , this is not true.
On a whole the biggest killer of men under 45 is suicide , and men are 3.5x higher in suicide rate than women. I am not having a battle of the sexes , but as a male , that is why this movement appealed to me.
My goal in 2017 is to become an established public speaker and advocate for talking out. I helped a friend close to me and now we help each other.
Suicide does not make you weak or a coward , no one will ever understand the moment when you're there and going for it. It is harrowing.
For more on #itsokaytotalk , see here :
https://themighty.com/2016/08/luke-ambler-starts-itsokaytotalk-to-raise-suicide-awareness-among-men/
Regards
Grant
