Birmingham Bullring to host new artwork to raise mental health awareness
The ‘Note to Self’ installation will be in the Bullring for four weeks from today.
Birmingham Bullring is the host of a new NHS campaign to get people talking about mental health this January, as shocking new figures show more than half of people in England admit to being concerned about their mental health last year.
The ‘Note to Self’ installation will be in the Bullring for four weeks from today, with installations based on real people’s experience with anxiety and depression.
These include Paul, whose struggles with mental health began in 2009 during his time as a police officer, where he was diagnosed with PTSD.
Paul is now an advocate for NHS Talking Therapies and has said his experience of these services has given him all the tools to help him cope on a daily basis.
He told us, "I just hope people feel there is some hope rather than, if they're feeling low and they've got some depression, some anxiety, OCD, excessive low moods, that there is a way forward.
"Just do reach out, it's scary to reach out, it's scary to admit it to yourself, it's hard to admit it to other people.
"But the professionals at Talking Therapies are very well trained. They have heard our stories time and time again and you're not the first person who's told them this."
More than half of people in England admit to being concerned about their mental health in 2023, with new research revealing of those, who had experienced feelings of depression, excessive worry, social anxiety, panic attacks, post traumatic stress or obsession and compulsions, a quarter did not seek professional help.