Let's Talk Lancaster: Mental Health, The Silent Pandemic

Posted on by Siobhan Weare

silhouette of two people talking in front of sunset

For many of us, the issue of mental health hits close to home. Whether it’s something that we personally deal with or something that we’ve witnessed a child, colleague, friend, or loved one struggle through. We all have the opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of fostering open discussions around mental health, so we can fight stigma and help make sure everyone has access to the support that they need. I want to use my position to set an example and encourage those who are struggling to speak up; to spark that important, sometimes life-saving and life-changing, conversation. Without further ado, allow me to share my own experience and personal struggle.

At the age of 16, after the fall of my home city of Aleppo in Syria, I was diagnosed with PTSD and major depression. This diagnosis was very hard hitting and I was left in denial. I refused to accept the diagnosis. Overwhelmed with feelings of shame and embarrassment, it took me four years to come to terms with my condition, four very long and lonely years of suffering alone in silence. I have no physical injuries, yet my mental scars are evidently visible through my constant tremors and a stammer I have developed (but I do well to suppress the latter out of shame and embarrassment.) As an optimist, I have now embraced my condition and accept it as a part of my identity. However, I remain determined not to let my condition define the person I have become.

I am sure I am not alone in saying that the past year during the Covid-19 pandemic has been particularly difficult. As lockdowns went global, I was reliving painful memories and feelings I thought were condemned to the past. Sometimes, the worst place you can be is inside your own head. In my four-year battle, I knew that it was time to speak up. I hesitated at first. I feared upsetting those I loved. I didn't want them to know I was struggling, particularly when I am known as the funny friend who brings happiness to others. I did not want anyone's view of me to change, I did not want any sympathy. All I really wanted was some understanding.

The response I received when I finally opened up was the opposite of everything I feared. Most surprising was the realisation that one conversation is all it takes. One conversation is all it takes to make a monumental difference, to lift that burden off my chest. To free the negative thoughts that were imprisoned in my head. My circumstances did not become easier, but I became stronger. The sad reality is my story is not unique. There are people out there struggling with their mental health, struggling to reach out. All the while, a clock is ticking that people are unaware of and time is of the essence.

If there is a message to be taken away from all I have written, let it be this. Do not give up! Hold tight to the golden, sunlit times. To the hearts that are kind. To the passions and the dreams that spark your inner fire and to the moments filled with laughter and light. Hold tight to the infinite, to the hope and the faith that even if it isn't today, it is all going to end up alright. To the little things that make you smile inside, and the songs that keep you warm at night. Hold tight to the people and the places which set your love alight. To the courage to dance through your pain and fight, and to all that makes you want to stay alive. To those who are struggling, hold tight!

It's time to start having those conversations about our mental health. Let's talk Lancaster!

Blog written by: Aladdin Alijan, final year LLB Law student

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