Sunday 16 December 2018

TWENTY ONE YEARS OF POETRY TRYING TO EASE MENTAL HEALTH.



Introduction.

We know that facing Mental Health has a huge effect on peoples' lives, each and every person who faces it, face it in a different way and deals with it in a different way. My way is, for example, I had a mental break down in 1997 over a relationship break-up I was 27 to 28 yrs old, which to how I feel about this person now is nothing at all now but back then he felt like my world. The worse part about it started during the winter months, which I was never aware that I was suffering from Depression and I had no idea that I could get help and support, even though my mind was back then I want my boyfriend back or I just don't want to live anymore but now I would not stand to be in the same room with him who was my boyfriend. As crazy as this sounds I'm hoping that this will raise awareness of how serious mental health is anyway and how worse it can get during winter months.

During my break down all those years ago I started to write poetry because I was so at breaking point. Before then a few people had adviced me to goes on Anti depressives and get counseling, Anti depressives I was scared to go on them in case I didn't get off them plus I was drinking very heavy at the time. Counseling scar for a time cause I didn't what it was in those days but then about 6 months from the start of the breakdown I gave a go, which was in the college. So glad I went for it cause it helped me to move forward and yet I had no faith in myself, never thought I was going to get through each day and I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel but as I was starting to improve I had gone on to write poetry, read some to my counselor at the time, he couldn't believe how I was improving to the last three months of the counseling. Due to the great support, I was getting I still managed to get through my studying. I think it was just by chance that I was studying English at the time and I happened to pick a poetry book from the library and read it, it was John Keats. I just happened to have had the blank paper on me to where John Keats inspired me to write my poetry.

I will admit I was very lucky to come through this breakdown but I did come to some very close suicide attempts and every day was very hard to believe I was going to get by to the way I was feeling at the time. Never thought I'd make it and never know how to this day that I did. However' I'm here to help others but although I am, those of you thinking not everyone is as lucky, yes you are completely right. This is why I think as silly as it may sound to professionals, your mind is even more life-risking than your body. We know counseling, Emotional, support, Mentoring, and other Mental health support, etc doesn't make any difference to all people but it does to some, it's better that people have the chance to try than there be nothing at all, even though those numbers in people suffering in quiet is not much different to when there was no counseling etc around, all we can do is try. However' the government should more responsible for funding these services as much as possible. We know we can't save everyone but we can work harder to save more people who face Mental Health.


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