HUNDREDS of people living with mental health joined forces to stand up and speak out to mark World Mental Health Day.
The awareness day – which took place on Monday – is an opportunity to get people talking about mental health issues and find out about the help and support available.
This year’s ‘IAMWHOLE’ campaign – which involved people posting pictures with a black circle on their hands – is part of an initiative to get rid of the stigma around mental health.
A long-list of celebrities – including James Corden, Ed Sheeran, and Liam Gallagher to name just a few – have also backed the campaign.
Becky Doyle, a borough mother-of-three who has been living with depression after her son was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis in 2010, has said the campaign is a huge step forward for mental health.
She told the paper: “Every night I would lie awake constantly reliving the moment.
“I suffered from severe exhaustion and realised I needed to reach out for help.
“When I discovered counselling didn’t work for me, I turned to running which made me realised what my purpose was.
Becky was invited to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the London Eye to hear the royals speak about the importance of having mental health services readily available.
She added: “It is still early days for mental health there is still a long way to go, but it seems as though things are starting to change.
“My advice to anyone living with mental health would be to simply talk because after all a problem shared is a problem halved.
“But most importantly never give up.”
Determined to not let her depression defeat her, Becky is taking part in the London Marathon next year where she will be running for Heads Together – a charity supported by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to eliminate the stigma around mental health.
