I think that experiences like depression and anxiety get called “illnesses” as a way of signalling the vast difference between someone when they feel mentally “well”, compared to when they don’t. Indeed, most of the diagnostic criteria for mental “illnesses” include the fact that the symptoms either cause significant distress to a person, or significant impairment in their day-to-day functioning.
I think I’m good at hiding my mental health difficulties, but I know there are times that they crawl out and completely overwhelm me.
This month on our vlog we interview Joey who talks to us about mental health, transgender healthcare and informed consent.
World Mental Health Day and New Zealand Mental Health Awareness Week both fall in October, so we’ve nominated this month as ‘mental health’ month on DPSN. We’ve asked our bloggers to let us know what they think on the issue of mental health, be it personal experiences, social and cultural attitudes and awareness, stories of supporting others, or the perspectives of those who work in the field. As always, we’re keen for you to be part of the conversation, so let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or jump over to our Facebook page to join the conversation.
