As a group of local artist who have all been affected by the problems of Mental Illness we decided that would exhibit some Art, Poems and Music this World Mental Health Day.
We all connected though the Time to Change campaign and would just like to raise awareness of Mental Illness and hopefully reach out to others who may also be affected.
Mental health problems are common – but nearly nine out of ten people who experience them say they face stigma and discrimination as a result. This can be even worse than the symptoms themselves. Time to Change is England’s biggest programme to challenge mental health stigma and discrimination.
This year’s World Mental Health Day – which took place on 10 October – shines a light on schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is a diagnosis given to some people who have severely disrupted beliefs and experiences.
During an episode of schizophrenia, a person’s understanding and interpretation of the outside world is disrupted – they may:
- lose touch with reality
- see or hear things that are not there
- hold irrational or unfounded beliefs
- appear to act strangely because they are responding to these delusions and hallucinations.
An episode of schizophrenia can last for several weeks and can be very frightening. About one in 100 people will have one episode of schizophrenia, and two thirds of these will go on to have further episodes. Schizophrenia usually starts in the late teens or early 20s, but can also affect older people for the first time.
Where there is life there is hope, so speak up, and speak out for one another.