Mind Mental Health Week

I called my blog the "Happy Salmon" for a few reasons:

• My last name is Salmon
• I really like the song The Happy Salmon by Geordie folk band the Tarras
• I am generally a happy person and seen by others as being happy
• Ironically I have had mental health "problems" for the last 12 years making me far from happy sometimes

At the moment I have been signed off work for 2 weeks by my Dr due to a "stress and anxiety related illness." It is the first time in about 10 years that I have had to have a significant amount of time off work. That's because work generally keeps me going and makes me feel useful and focused. But sometimes I over do things - not just in work but generally and I am glad my GP made me take some time to get "stable" because last week I was not in a good place at all and I am still not feeling great.

So I was very pleased and inspired to see the work Mind are doing around Mind Mental Health Week

Mind are focusing on men's mental health this year with Stephen Fry and Alistair Campbell being some of the famous men supporting this campaign. 75% of suicides are men - I think I need say no more. If I find it difficult to write, or talk about my mental health and I am a rather garrulous woman who has been encouraged all my life to talk about how I feel and to not be afraid to show emotion - I can not imagine how difficult it must be for men to talk about this kind of stuff, when our society enforces the belief that men should be strong and silent.

I am particularly impressed with Alistair Campbell's work in relation to mental health. What ever you think of him in regards to politics he has made an honest, confident and prominent stand on mental health issues. He will be showing his BBC documentary Cracking Up in four parts on his blog this week starting this afternoon. I missed the documentary when it was on BBC so I look forward to watching it on his blog.