Report to the People
15th October 2007
A Brave Tackle
Whether
you see him as a hero or villain, you can’t deny that Neil Lennon is a very
brave man. To speak as frankly as
he did last week about the depression which he has battled throughout his career
took real guts.
Lennon’s
comments came during World Mental Health Week, an annual event which aims to
raise awareness about mental illness and challenge the stigma which still
surrounds it.
It
perhaps says something about our society that we need a celebrity to suffer from
a particular illness before we take it seriously, but if Lennon’s comments
give even one sufferer the strength to seek help, he’s done his job.
One
in four of us will experience a mental health problem at some point in our lives
and we could do worse than follow Lennon’s example.
At
Wednesday’s launch of the Carers’ Pack at the Inverclyde Carers’ Centre in
Cathcart Street, they made the point that mental illness doesn’t only affect
the individual sufferer - in impacts on whole families.
Indeed, nearly three quarters of us will know someone who will be
diagnosed with a mental illness.
Just
as there is nothing to be ashamed of if you have a mental illness, there is
nothing wrong with admitting you need help looking after a loved one with a
mental health problem.
Practical
assistance and good advice is invaluable in these situations and, if you need
either, you can call the Inverclyde Carers’ Centre on 735180.
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