The regime of the “Stiff upper Lip” has been a long one. We British may overcome any obstacle we put our minds to and we may do so without making mention of our struggles. Soldiering on through barriers makes us stronger as a nation and as a people. We bottle it up. We hold it in. We carry on.
In a post-war era this was simply the done thing. As was smoking.
It has been a long battle, but in recent years, just like smoking, the health risks of a stiff upper lip are being exposed for what they are. It’s not only damaging to keep things bottled up, it can be scary.
From Prince Harry’s 20 year fight with mental health, to J.K. Rowling’s battle with depression, there are no shortage of high-profile figures raising awareness of mental health illnesses. But they had to be brave. We hope that mental health awareness week has encouraged you to be brave. No matter what you’re facing, MHAW exists to encourage you both to seek and offer help, when you’re scared that everything may be becoming all too much.
Your voice and actions are more powerful than you believe and live in a world where help can be offered or taken at the touch of a button. The stigma is disappearing. Don’t hold it in, there’s no need to carry on alone, you don’t need to be scared anymore.
If you think you’d like to talk to someone, there are plenty of people to turn to. Samaritans, MIND and the NHS all offer comprehensive services to ensure that there is always somebody to speak to, if you’d like to talk.
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