NaomiLyons

Let's Start That Conversation...

Monday 13th Apr

Mental Health is important for everyone – and anyone can experience mental health challenges in any stage of their lives, no one is immune. No-one is immune to the ripple effect mental health entails on us all, whether it be your own struggle or that you are at a loss or your wits end to help someone you care about. Sadly, hand in hand can follow suicide.

The unfortunate thing is that we don’t talk more about it, and we don’t have enough funding to support the services that are required to help those in need. Mental Health is complex and has so many variables and everyone that experiences issues with their mental health have different reasons, triggers, and treatments that work for them. But the one constant that runs with Mental Health is that there is not enough conversation, acceptance, understanding, and most of all funding to support this ever-growing shadow in our lives.

Mental health is something I feel very strongly about, I empathise with others and try to hold out a helping hand and a guiding light as I battle with my own mental health on a daily basis. My battles have followed me for many years, and to a small handful of you this is not new information however to others it may come as a surprise. I have decided to share some of my personal journey and by doing so I have decided to join my friend Don on his journey to raise Mental Health awareness, and discuss the sticky subjects, share my personal experiences and reflections and at the same time raise much needed funding.

To be honest I am not sure where this will take me personally – but I hope that you join me on this quest and maybe it might be enough to get the conversation rolling with others in your own life. Friends, family, work colleagues or even a complete stranger. The smallest act of kindness and care can have the biggest impact on anyone’s wellbeing, and you wouldn’t even know it.

The beginning of my fundraising  journey was thwarted with the outbreak of the CoVid19 Virus and the ensuing isolation rules and lockdowns that followed, so it felt wrong for me to start asking people to donate to this cause in a time of sincere uncertainty and major job losses. It is apparent to me though that because of all this, more now than ever do we need to hold strong and look out for each other and check in with those around us. We need to start the conversation.

It has now been 5 weeks since we have begun the isolation journey in this crazy world we live in. The constant changing information and media overload has somewhat subsided although still a major constant, it has enabled me to catch my breath again and finally feel comfortable in reigniting this quest I have, first and foremost to raise awareness, and start that conversation and hopefully appeal to those who are still in a position to do so to support my cause and raise much needed funding.

Now more than ever Mental Health needs your support – Your Mental Health needs you.

Knowing dear friends who have lost jobs and face complete uncertainty in their futures, and living within the rules of our countries Isolation ( a means to an end and a new beginning) has triggered for me a varied range of my own personal challenges, anxieties and demons. So, I appeal to you all – now more than ever is the time to reach out to those you love and are friends with (even acquaintances) and stay in touch, have the conversation and be honest. Now is the time we need each other in our communities more than ever to have an open ear and not to dismiss someone’s need for support or even just a conversation. To feel connected is the first step to doing better, but to remain connected and feel supported is the only pathway to living life as it should be.

My goal was to raise as much awareness as possible with as much time as possible for people to be able to support and join my journey right to the end – The end being Mental Health Day on October 10, 2020 where my ultimate goal was to shave my hair off… if my target dollars are reached, or even surpassed I have made a pact to shave my entire head bald.

SO please join me along this journey, my personal quest, to raise awareness of mental health issues and help prevent suicide with Black Dog Institute and together we will make a difference. Let’s start a conversation. 

Even the smallest amount can make the biggest difference.

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