In some parts of the world, 10 October – World Mental Health Day – is already over. In other parts of the world, the day is only just gathering momentum. But for as many as 450 million people around the world, it will be mental health day again tomorrow. And the next day. And the next.
For those 450 million people, today’s spotlight on mental health hasn’t made their darkness any lighter. Their hope is that it’s made the depth of that darkness more visible; its character more evident; its blackness more tangible; its presence more acceptable.
The world is changing – but slowly. Stigma and ignorance are gradually being chipped away by greater knowledge and understanding – but will they be eradicated? Maybe not in our lifetime. And maybe not in the lifetime, gone too soon, of those 1 million people every year, who let go of the ledge from which they are hanging. The world is changing – there is a World Mental Health Day – but it won’t change in a day. It won’t change because of a day.
It will change because every day, those who share our nightminds, reach out and share their darkness with each other. Those who share our nightminds see us brightly and embrace us warmly. And that embrace enables us to open up a little of our darkness to those who do not share it, and to risk being truly seen. And the more we risk being truly seen, the less alien our nightminds seem. The world will change because 450 million people can’t be wrong – though they may feel like ‘wrong people‘ to their core.
If you’re not one of those 450 million people, do go out and do on World Mental Health Day -on this one, and the next. Read about mental health; learn about it; talk to someone with mental health difficulties; raise awareness; give generously, in whatever way you can.
But for the other 364 days of the year – just sit with me and share the view. Let me show you what I see, in the hope that one day, I can learn to see the things that you do. Let us share the view, if not the sights. Let us see together, if not as one. Let my darkness be a revelation and let your acceptance be my light. That’s how we turn World Mental Health Day into every day. Until we no longer need a day in which to try and understand that we’re all living life on the very same ledge, but with a different vantage point. Until we realise that it’s not the colour of our souls that differentiates the darkness from the light – but just the axis on which our world is spinning.
October 12, 2014 at 9:09 am
This is a lovely post with some real truths and a positivity about perseverance! Thank you!
Have always loved and identified with the ‘Nightminds’ song also, even long before I knew I had BPD. Love it! x
Aimee x
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October 19, 2014 at 12:28 am
Thank you so much, Aimee, for reading and commenting, I really appreciate your words. I came across ‘Nightminds’ after I had known about my diagnosis for a few months, and the words immediately resonated. Thanks again, and keep in touch!
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October 13, 2014 at 6:01 am
Reblogged this on The Walking Gallery and commented:
Ok, so the 10th has passed – but This blog mirrors what I think perfectly well without me adding anything else to it. 🙂
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October 13, 2014 at 7:06 am
sorry, reblogged using the wrong blog.. can’t figure out how to do it with the right one!!!
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October 19, 2014 at 12:26 am
Thank you so much for reading and reblogging! 🙂
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October 15, 2014 at 9:14 am
Shit, I completely missed Mental Health Day. I feel bad now.
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October 19, 2014 at 12:26 am
Don’t feel bad 🙂 To be honest, I think that was a common experience – the amount of publicity it received was absolutely shocking! But we can all help to make every day a ‘mental health awareness’ day… Take care, and thank you for reading 🙂
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October 17, 2014 at 11:27 pm
Reblogged this on Anxious Accessories and commented:
It’s great to see more people getting behind mental health awareness! I’ve only just recently found this blog, and it honestly gives me another insight into someone else with BPD. The more we know, the more we can help people and it’s important to get the conversation started on Mental Health.
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October 19, 2014 at 12:23 am
Thank you so much for reading, and for the reblog!:) I absolutely agree we need to get more conversations started, and combating ignorance and lack of insight is key – as I’m still ‘in hiding’ from most people, as far as my diagnosis is concerned, blogging is the main way I can help to do that, and it’s a privilege to be able to do so. Thank you again for sharing this post with others!
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October 10, 2015 at 8:02 pm
Reblogged this on Life in a Bind – BPD and me and commented:
I’m not sure whether it’s ‘the done thing’ to reblog one’s own post!I wrote this for World Mental Health Day last year, but these words from the Missy Higgins song ‘Nightminds’ were in my thoughts again today, and so I really wanted to share the post again.
I think these lyrics are very powerful, and what was in my mind as I was writing the post last year was not just a hope that compassion, acceptance and understanding about mental illness will continue to increase, at an ever faster pace; but a thankfulness for this online community where we share so much of ourselves with each other and try to shine a light into each others’ dark times. I believe that the support and acceptance we find here can make it easier for us to engage the ‘real world’ in a conversation about mental health, and to risk being seen as a ‘whole person’, mental health difficulties and all. That has certainly been my experience, and I hope it can be yours too….
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October 14, 2015 at 1:08 am
I hadn’t heard this song before – it is beautiful. I’ve been listening to it on repeat since I read your post. Thanks for sharing.
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October 19, 2015 at 7:51 pm
I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
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July 4, 2016 at 4:42 pm
Beautifully written. ❤
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July 4, 2016 at 9:13 pm
Thank you so much 🙂 And I’m still incredibly humbled to see you going through my archives…..wish I knew how to do a ‘heart’ back! Hang on, is this it? ❤
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July 5, 2016 at 9:36 am
You did it! 🙂 Yours is my favourite blog, so I’m taking it slow so I don’t finish it all in one day, lol. 😉
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July 22, 2016 at 10:14 pm
Thank you so much! I keep loving it when I see you’ve ‘discovered’ another post, and I read you wonderful comments 🙂 x
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October 10, 2018 at 11:03 am
Absolutely love this post. Thanks for re-sharing it….
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