Mental Health Awareness Week: nothing more lonely than feeling like there's something wrong with you

Have you ever felt like you are somehow different to everyone else and that you aren’t as good at life as other people? These days, there are messages all around us that reinforce that we need to “work hard” to always be happy, and that if we’re not happy pretty much most of the time, there’s

something wrong with us, and that we might even have a “mental health issue”. This is such a disempowering message to share with young people.

The focus of Mental Health Awareness Week is on loneliness. There is nothing more lonely than feeling like there is something wrong with you, that you’re the only one who feels this way and that therefore you cannot tell anyone about it. That’s why we’re just as likely to hear people who were the “popular” kids at school saying how lonely they really felt at the time.

One of the recurring themes in the feedback from young people who have participated in “Resilience for All” is that they feel less lonely at the end of it. Here’s what one 10-year-old participant said about it, in their own words:

“I enjoyed the fact that it wasn't all about taking deep breaths and telling yourself lies about everything even if it'll make you feel better. It was about how emotions are alright to feel and you might feel like you're the only one feeling this but honestly you're not. I think it can help any child anywhere because everyone will be going through something and I bet every single person who is could benefit from this.”

And this is why I do what I do.

What’s your take on loneliness and resilience?

I’ll be sharing more for the rest of Mental Health Awareness Week – stay tuned to discover more about my take on what resilience is and what it most definitely isn’t.

#ivebeenthere #mentalhealth #loneliness #resilience #schools