Time to Talk Day in York
Groups in the city are calling for conversations around mental health.
Last updated 4th Feb 2021
We're being urged to end stigmas around mental health on Time to Talk Day (4th February).
Time to Change York is a group of York residents, employers, and employees. They come together to share, as much or as little of, their mental health experiences to help end discrimination in the city.
Emma Williams is their project coordinator, and says every day should be a 'Time to Talk' day: "We want to encourage everyone to have more open conversations about mental health, and to bust some myths about it.
"At the group we used our own lived experiences to help have those conversations and stop some stigmas. It can be done in a variety of ways; we don't have to go into major detail. People think 'oh I'm not an expert', but we're human so we're all experts.
"I've always found that if I open up about my own mental health experiences, others join in and share too. It makes me realise how many people are quite similar, and it makes me feel less alone.
"It's about having that initial conversation with someone who has listened, is supportive and doesn't dismiss how they're feeling. We encourage people to seek professional help as well, but it's also about having those chats".
Hazel volunteers with the group and says more emotion-based responses are needed to these conversations: "One of the things that you notice is that when you look online and in books, you see an awful lot of information out there. However, a lot of that information is coming from a professional point of view, such as psychologists.
"It can be very data driven and not so much about how it actually feels to be in a difficult situation. It's hard to explain what's going on in you're head to someone who's not experienced it before, and quite scary.
"Mental health is actually more common than breaking bones, and yet we have no qualms with talking about a broken leg, do we?
"Anyone can make an impact just by talking".
Time to Change York are hosting virtual events this evening to help boost wellbeing.