Hi there,
Just to introduce myself, I’m a 20 yr old girl living in London, studying Media at Bournemouth University. I love soft, fluffy cushions, blankets and candles, like everyone else. I moan about the weather, politics and never having enough money, like everyone else. I dream about my perfect future job, my ideal future house and the surreal thought of world peace, like everyone else. I suffer with worry, low moods and restlessness, like one in six adults in the UK, I suffer with a mild form of mental illness.
The web is only a recent introduction into the world, and yet it has made significant changes to the lives of those with mental health issues. Helping to spread the word about it and providing support for friends, family and the sufferers themselves.
The world wide web is seen as the largest platform for sharing information. Thus supplying charities, campaigners and sufferers with a voice that they did not yet have. This new found voice has been and continues to be used to educate the world on a massive issue which is continuously forgotten about, ignored and degraded. Mental illnesses are just as difficult to deal with, hard to understand and demanding to treat as physical illnesses. Unfortunately only a handful of people actually care to learn bout them and so a large stigma (strong feeling of disapproval) is attached to them and this is why the voice of the web from the campaigners, charities and sufferers can be seen as such a positive influence.
Unfortunately the web has also created more ways for the stigma around mental health to be broadened and for those with mental illnesses, the web, especially social media sites can be seen as further damage.
Stay tuned as I explore both the virtues and shortcomings of web and mobile impacts on mental health.
Please consider the following resources if you are, or if you have a friend who is suffering:
That was really interesting – waiting for the next blog now!