mostly david ephgrave

Tonight’s Mostly Comedy was a great way to kick off the New Year for the club, particularly thanks to the amount we raised on the door for the charity Mind , to mark Time to Change’s Time To Talk Day , which takes place on 1 st February.   I think a comedy club’s the perfect place to spread word of the importance of not shying away from the topic of mental health, nor dismissing clinical conditions such as depression as some kind of active choice, or weakness. It doesn’t seem to matter how much publicity there is for the subject - it’s certainly in vogue for political parties to promise to devote more money to tackle the lack of parity between mental and physical health - the misconceptions (and lack of actual funding) are rife. The statistic that’s often bandied around is how 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year, yet despite everyone knowing this, so much still has to happen for the stigma attached to be lifted; one of the bigg...

It’s a common misconception that suffering a mental health problem is a sign of weakness, when combating it takes real strength. One of the cruelest aspects to depression or anxiety is you’re often made to feel you’re to blame, by tactless others, or by you; that isn’t true. I find it endlessly frustrating that despite it being fashionable for MPs and health professionals to express the need for things to change and for the stigma to end, in reality, we’re still at square one. The lack of resources available to people with mental health conditions is shocking; you often have to fight for help, and if you don’t, you fall by the wayside. Anyone who doesn’t think the situation is this serious should take a look at the statistics. ·       1 in 4 people experience a mental health problem each year. ·       3 out of 4 people fear the reactions of friends and family on discussing their mental he...