Is it okay to not be okay?
Today was World Mental Health Day and there was a lot, I mean A LOT of posts on all my social media platforms about how it’s okay to speak out about not being okay. There were suitable hashtags such as #itsokaytonotbeokay and #suicideawareness and lots of ‘copy and paste’ statuses about kettles being on and doors being open. The sentiment means well, and I genuinely believe it’s a good thing. There needs to be a movement towards breaking down the barriers to accessing help when things aren’t going well. What I find difficult to appreciate though is the fact that very often those same social platforms are contributing to feelings of isolation and inadequacy. They are also very useful tools for passive aggressive behaviour or completely direct, in your face bullying. In my life I have tried to commit suicide 3 times. The first two times were very much cries for help, a desperate attempt to stop the pain of the emotions I was carrying at the time. The third time, I’m pretty sure I