World Mental Health Day - 10/10/14

Hey there!

For any of you busy bodies, who are too busy with your nose trapped in a book, studying hard for school or just generally being proactive, you may not be aware that today is World Mental Health Day! A special day with the objective to inform individuals of major health issues, help them to understand their peers and learn how to deal with certain situations. This event is celebrated on the 10th October, focusing on a different aspect of mental health each year. 

Mental health is something I've always been interested in and extremely passionate about. It's a subject I find difficult to talk about, as I have previously dealt with it on a personal level and occasionally have to deal with relapses. I've always been known as the trustworthy one in my group at school and am often approached with private issues concerning my friends. I've never been one to judge and have been told on many occasions that I give useful advice. Therefore, I am reasonably knowledgeable on all things mental health and am confident in offering support to others in need.

However, despite the amount of information made available to people about this topic, I do feel it's something that needs to be drawn attention to more often. Many people nowadays, have been exposed to the general types of mental health such as depression and bipolar, whether it be through lectures at school, flyers posted around town or having to help support their peers through a difficult time. However, they are often completely oblivious to those issues, which aren't as advertised such as panic attacks. As an anxiety sufferer, it makes me mad at how ignorant some people are when it involves less-spoken about problems. Just because there isn't always enough information on specific aspects of mental health, doesn't mean they don't exist!

I am aware that it's difficult for an individual with no experiences of mental health to sympathise and understand their friends when going through a difficult stage. However, that's no excuse to treat others with disrespect. I've witnessed a situation where others have disregarded their friend and excluded them from events, due to their constant bouts of depression. It pained me to see this, but I couldn't interfere with the situation, so instead tried to support the victim where possible. This also made me realise that there clearly isn't enough information about. With more people becoming aware of mental health and their side effects, situations like this can be avoided!

If you ever feel threatened yourself or feel that one of your friends is in danger, I would definitely recommend visiting Childline. Counsellors are extremely supportive and are always available and willing to offer any support to those in need, at any hour of the day.  

http://www.childline.org.uk/Pages/Home.aspx

The moral of this post is to just remember that what you say to others can have harmful effects, so think before you speak and learn how to respect your friend's feelings. If you know anyone who is suffering, don't make it obvious to surrounding others. Perhaps offer a smile or a gentle hug to brighten their day - small things can make a huge difference!

Bye for now! Xxx

We're All In This Together!

Hey there!

I bet you were thinking, judging by the title of this post, that you were going to be reading a cheesy HSM related post, but your eyes were deceived! Recently, the Internet has blew up a storm and gone crazy over 'YouTube Culture,' and this is something that just cannot be ignored. A grand number of videos and blog posts have been uploaded to the Wide Web in the past few months. Some of these by my favourites including SprinkleOfGlitter a.k.a Louise and Zoella a.k.a Zoe, (link here,) who contributed by expressing their views on this controversial topic.

Most, if not all, of these vloggers created their channels from a cheap webcam/camera and tripod set up in the corner of their bedrooms, with no intentions of ever becoming so successful on the Internet. Therefore, it must have come as a massive surprise to them, when the number of their subscriptions and followers rose significantly. Obviously they're extremely grateful and appreciate every single one of them whom they have acquired over the years. Without them they wouldn't be as successful as they are now and all the crazy opportunities and adventures they're offered would not have been possible! 

However, what isn't cool is how their fan base have grown and reacted to them! They've become extremely out of hand and are idolising them for all the wrong reasons. It's such a shame because most of the chaos seems to be caused by the younger followers, who spoil it for the rest of us! In previous meetups, YouTubers have unfortunately had to cut the queue short and send innocent people away who may have been queuing for hours to catch a glimpse of their favourite Internet sensations, as a result of inappropriate behaviour from a small group of uncontrollable subscribers! Rarely this happens, but it;s becoming more apparent as the fanbase continues to grow! What 'fans' don't seem to understand is that they don't actually know their favourite YouTubers personally. They may paint their lives on the Internet, vlogging to their subscribers and updating them on their travels, but what they don't display are their most vulnerable moments - perhaps when things don't go to plan or when they're having a down day! No-one really sees how this affects YouTubers directly and Louise was brave to post her feelings on this topic in a video. This sparked off many opinions and comments from various YouTubers, bloggers and viewers from all over!

I am strongly opinionated on this topic, but what I feel hasn't been talked about is how it affects us bloggers too! It's often hard to blog when you're feeling down or suffering from personal problems. It's extremely difficult to reflect upon tough times and most of us do not like sharing this with the Internet. I know whenever I feel rough my instant reaction isn't to post online. I like to embrace the sunshine, grab a cool drink and a good book or snuggle inside with a good film. Most, if not all of my blog is extremely positive and uplifting! Often, I read through some of my older posts, to inspire my mood and for motivation to be productive, but I wouldn't lie to you and say that's an accurate picture for how I live my life! A large percentage of the time, I spend battling with negative thoughts and struggling to get through an average day. I've never been diagnosed with any mental illness before, but many have suggested that I may suffer from depression! It was a shock to hear this from some of my closest friends and family and took a while for me to accept this - I started hating myself for this, but soon had to realise that this wasn't my fault. I don't feel it's necessary to explain what triggered it and I think this post is long enough already. However, if you feel this needs to be elaborated on and made into a separate post, then feel free to let me know!

I guess the moral for this post really is that we're all human, no matter what we're going through and we all have feelings! Before you start judging someone by the content they post online, you should really try and get to know that person, whether it be through an email or comment on their blog/video. They may not get back to you instantly, but it's worth a try! It isn't fair for those who try so hard with their lives, to be knocked down for their hard efforts, just because of some ignorant 'fans'. I know how hard it is to cope sometimes and to struggle through with a fair amount of negativity constantly shouted at you, but you're never alone! There are so many people you can go to if you need some reassurance or simply someone to talk to. If you don't fancy talking to a friend or family member, there are plenty of hotlines available to young people. No-one should have to suffer in silence!

Bye for now! Xxx