05/07/2025
Some may wonder why I speak about mental health with such urgency — or assume it’s profit-driven. Life seems fine on the surface: colleagues are on holiday, the world keeps moving. I even left the St Ives Serious Discussion group due to narrow-minded attitudes that reject any mention of mental health support.
But here’s the reality behind my advocacy.
Years ago, I cared for my husband through a devastating battle with brain cancer, vision loss, and months of seizures and psychological trauma. He didn’t qualify for support — too young, not elderly — and was failed by a system that stripped him of dignity. He later took his life.
I saw firsthand the state of mental health care in the UK: impersonal, under-resourced, and often devoid of compassion. Many deteriorate not because of their condition, but because of how they’re treated.
Mental health struggles don’t always look dramatic at first. Stress, toxic workplaces, and unaddressed anxiety quietly build until people break — and when they do, the current system rarely helps them recover.
My message is simple: look after your people. Don’t wait for crisis. Spot the signs early, and support each other before the damage is done. Take care of yourself, and those you love.❤️
