LAST Tuesday, the world celebrated Mental Health Day, under the theme: ‘our Minds, Our Rights’, declaring mental health to be a universal human right.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) holds that people everywhere should be able to access the highest standard of mental care, be protected from mental health risks, and have the right to “liberty, independence and inclusion in community”.

However, figures show that one in eight people globally are living with mental health conditions, increasingly affecting the young, yet less than two-thirds are receiving treatment. It all comes back to the stigma attached to mental health, and the reluctance of people to even talk about it or even admit that they are suffering.

In recent years, celebrities and sports personalities have been openly admitting to experiencing mental health issues, and this has fed into the wider community. But there is still much to be done to break down the wall of silence around mental health, carefully erected over so many years.
Experts are unified in their view that dialogue on the subject is of the utmost importance. And well-known host of the popular Voice show, Carson Daly, added his own voice to the call, in his speech at the inaugural gala of Project Healthy Minds (PHM), a non-profit group formed to foster dialogue and end the stigma against mental health issues.

Daly told the audience at this year’s event about his first panic attack, and his decision to talk to a friend about it. He called it “the single most important step in my mental health journey,” making the telling observation that he felt this simple act had led to 10 more people ‘opening up’ about their challenges.

“I may never cure my anxiety,” Daly confessed, adding, “sometimes it’s tough, but it’s more important that I had the bravery to share my story just in case it helps somebody the way that my friend helped me.”
In fact, his friend surprised him by admitting that he was familiar with panic attacks, having suffered them all through school, and advised him not to seek the help of a doctor, but of a qualified mental health professional.

Like so many of us, unaware of what help is available out there, Daly said, “…This is something I did not know existed. I didn’t grow up with any of this; we didn’t talk about our mental health. It was, ‘suck it up’.”
Among many societies, including our own, this view still prevails. The idea that we must keep our mental health challenges private and solve them ourselves still holds sway. The shame that people feel is still preventing them from seeking professional help either for themselves or for a family member who may displaying ncharacteristic behaviour.