We Speak About It But What Do We Do?

We Speak About It, But What Do We Do?

By Klaudia Fior

Have you ever wondered what it is like to constantly feel an irking pain? Not a physical one, an emotional burden trailing your every decision and thought. A little voice inside your head that constantly whispers ‘crazy’ thoughts into your ear. But yet no one wants to listen when you try to tell them about the pain that you’ve been in. On a good day, you’ll get the odd ‘It’ll all be okay!’

Well, 1 in 4 people in the UK, feel that pain every minute of every hour, and only 1 in 8 receive the treatment necessary. 

As a society we have developed a stigma around mental health, as well as reaching out for help. When we suffer physical injuries we are looked after with the utmost care and attention, whereas mental health problems are diminished to a ‘phase’. Mental health lacks the urgency and importance that surrounds physical problems. Clinical psychologist, Dr Ilan Ben-Zion, agrees and claims, “You can’t ‘see’ mental health difficulties which means that some don’t take these sorts of issues seriously or believe that they exist.” In the past years up until now the shame associated with mental health has stuck, “Considering how people with these sorts of difficulties have been treated in the past (eg. asylums etc), it’s no surprise that there is now a certain distaste towards those suffering, and the help provided,” says Dr Ilan Ben-Zion. People should not feel alone and isolated, after all an astounding 16 million people in the UK battle with mental health issues at least once during their life time.

We have without a doubt succeeded at raising awareness about mental health, but until this day people are too scared or embarrassed to seek help. That is simply wrong, at the very least as human beings we should feel comfortable enough to ask for guidance when in doubt. Despite the high levels of people affected by more common diseases, such as, depression and anxiety, only 6% of the UK health research is dedicated to mental health. 

Many charities have been set up in order to tackle the lack of round the clock care for those suffering, in particular people with intentions to self-harm or attempt suicide. A key charity amongst them all is mind.org.uk, they have 140 local mind clinics all over the country, providing thousands of people with the assistance they need. Famous comedian, Stephen Fry, also the president of ‘Mind’ is a prime example of not only talking about mental health but taking action too. He became the president of ‘Mind’ in 2011, “If people can’t acknowledge that they have mental health in the first place, how are they meant to talk about it when they’re struggling.” He himself suffered with bipolar disorder, but he chose not to suffer in silence. In his 2006 documentary, ‘The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive’ where he not only explored his own battle, he undermined the negative stigma that is attached to mental health. When asked what he believed needed to be done he simply said, “More money”.

There is a clear need for an improvement. Not only improvement regarding therapy and treatment we need to think about what we can do to support an individual in the entirety of their lives, not just within the scheduled appointment they have. Take a look at mental health wards for example, they claim to prepare patients for a responsible life amongst the rest of society, but yet they do this by locking you in a ward of about 20-30 people, with no access to the outside world. Ilona Terynska, 39, a patient at Queen Mary’s Hospital, “When you are sectioned, you are cut off from everything, including any type of responsibility and worry, and that really sets you back.” We need to invest in help outside of the NHS, such as housing services, social groups and employment schemes. 

In July 2016 the government had set out to add on a new ‘mental health workforce plan’. The government had decided to increase expenditure on mental health services but £1.3bn. The new plan aimed to help an additional 1 million people by 2020/2021. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt had made previous claims to increase spending. However, this was once again a case of talk and no action. As in recent news, the government has been accused of failing to live up to the reforms it had promised before. The promised increase to expenditure is out of the question. Theresa May, a woman who claims to be committed to improving the current state of mental health services, has been criticised for her control over the NHS budget cuts, that are frankly making matters worse.

Talk is all good and well, until the people who depend on the promises that are made are left disappointed. Patients are being let down in many aspects, “The worst thing about trying to get help when suffering with psychosis has to be the constant referrals, from doctor to doctor, hospital to hospital. It’s exhausting!” said Ilona Terynska. The lack of prompt access to mental health is a critical problem, almost 1 in 10 people have been waiting over a year for the help they need, and over a half have been waiting to receive treatment. Too many people are being made to wait for too long,“Sometimes it makes you want to just forget about it,” says Ilona Terynska.

Has it really gotten to the point that the lack of effective services is causing people to shy away from seeking help? Although it is great to see people like Prince William and Harry speaking out about their own mental health, it remains a grey area within the Government, not enough is being done and that is clear. Mental health affects us more than we think, every year according to the Mental Health Foundation, 70 million workdays are lost as a result of mental health problems. This is not a small issue we are faced with. So, the question is why do we continue to ignore it? 

Mental health is something we are all familiar with, whether it be good or bad. Some experience it worse than others, ranging from stress to bipolar disorder or psychosis. It is something that majority of us experience in our life time. There is no need to ignore it, instead take action.