An Edinburgh man has shared his experience with mental health, after his life became "controlled by anxiety" at just 18-years-old.
Jamie Donoghue is one of many young people across the city who have suffered with a number of different conditions, from anxiety to depression.
Despite a wider conversation around mental health, new research from See Me, Scotland, has shown that there are still barriers to people sharing how they are feeling with loved ones.
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Encouraging people across the city to use their New Year's resolution as a chance to express what they are suffering with, Jamie explained that his anxiety and agoraphobia began years ago at the age of 18.
Now in his 30s, the mental health volunteer said: “For the longest time, I didn’t really understand exactly what I had. I didn't discuss it with anyone. The day that things started to get better was the day I went to my mum and said, ‘Mum, I've got a problem here, there's something going on, I've got an issue.’
“So much of my life was controlled by anxiety. When I first spoke about it, it felt like a weight off my shoulders.
"The moment I talked about it, I also started losing the stigma over it. And every extra person I told about it, I felt a little less shame about what I had, I felt like I was taking ownership of it."
Hopeful of seeing others make that first step to openly talk about how they are feeling, Jamie is backing See Me's Time to Talk Day on February 3.
After a fully digital day in 2021, Time to Talk Day will this year run as a mix of online and in-person events and activities, in line with Government guidance, to get as many people as possible talking about mental health.
See Me say that speaking up reduces stigma, helping to create supportive communities where we can talk openly about mental health and feel empowered to seek help when we need it.
Jamie added: “For Time to Talk Day, I’d encourage everyone to have a conversation – even just ask a friend how they are. If you notice someone who's maybe cancelling plans a bit more, maybe you'll notice slight differences in them – quite often, there's a lot going on under the surface. I found it quite difficult to pluck up the courage to talk.
"So I’d really like people to take the opportunity to perhaps not just speak to others if you’re struggling, but speak to your friends if you think there's something wrong with them.”
Director Wendy Halliday added: “We all have mental health, and any of us could go through a period where we struggle. So we want everyone to feel comfortable talking about mental health – whenever they like.
“By opening up or offering a listening ear, we’re making real progress towards breaking down the stigma that continues to exist around mental health. However you do it, have a conversation about mental health.”
You can access tools to plan your own Time to Talk Day event, download an activity pack, request resources or check out what’s happening nationwide on the See Me website.
