1. No Health without Mental Health www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice

2. www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Mental Health will affect everyone at some point in their lives. Support someone now be rewarded in your future.

3. Can you take five minutes to ask someone how they feel today? Mental Health can be one of those topics its hard to talk about, and sometimes its difficult to find spare minutes in the day between work and home life. www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice

4. When you understand how important just a short, everyday conversation could be, you might be inspired to find that time after today. When you know someone with mental health problems, you’re often fearful of asking how they are. www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice

5. The objective of today is to just normalise mental health and to say that those five minutes, of just asking how someone is and being concerned about them, can make the world of difference. www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice This is our ‘Time to Talk Day ’

6. www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice

7. Today is about challenging mental health stigma’s and discrimination and giving us a better understanding of the issues. Currently nine out of every ten people will experience some form of mental health problems in their lifetime and we need to bring it out of the dark. www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice

8. The isolation and negative effect of admitting to having a mental health problem or just the fear of people finding out can make dealing with mental health problems much harder than it needs to be. www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice

9. The main weapon against isolation and misunderstanding is talking – that’s why today, we are taking the stigma out of mental health and encouraging people to talk about it. You could talk to family, a friend, or a colleague over a cup of tea – the important thing is to talk. www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice

10. The thing I was most afraid about was saying ‘look I’ve got these problems’, but now I’ve said it, work has been nothing but supportive and it’s not been detrimental to my career - ever. Wayne www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice

11. My incident happened at work. I found I was arranging a cupboard and I couldn’t keep my work face on. And that’s when I broke. Once you start talking it’s just the tip of the iceberg but it’s the openness that’s important, just to be able to raise the issues. Eleanor www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice

12. Sometimes your work face becomes your home face and you lose yourself, you forget how you’re supposed to act normally. Any job has it’s stresses and pressures and these can build up to the point where you break and it’s an awful spiral down. Neil www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice

13. It’s not just about holding your hand up, it’s recognising that there is a problem. You can go years without knowing there’s a problem there and once you do recognise it, it’s about getting the right diagnosis and treatment. Joan www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice

14. People witness things that you think is normal when it isn’t and that can eventually build up to a point where it can become too much. It is important to get help earlier so you don’t have a complete collapse as often happens at the moment. Beverly www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice

15. How do you start a conversation with someone? It’s not rocket science, it’s just a case of “how are you and how many sugars do you want?” There is no specific formula, but it just starts with that low level of interaction. John www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice

16. Actually the way people reacted was a lot better than I thought it would be. I think it’s about not being defeated at the first hurdle. If the first person you speak to doesn’t do anything about it, find someone else. It can make the difference. Joy www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice

17. People are often scared of making things worse. But talk is an important vehicle because it promotes and normalises mental health problems. If there is an environment where people can say that they’re depressed, then you may be able to avoid reaching a crisis point. Tom www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice

18. I’ve heard before people saying they’ve never had mental health problems themselves but know someone who has – a friend, family member, work colleague, anybody - so it’s sending the message that everybody has a responsibility to each other to ask questions and support people. Jack www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice

19. Today some people will get up and leave with knowledge, others will say ‘I’ve had those feelings’. We know that stress and mental health problems are second only to muscular skeletal injuries (Osteoarthritis). Carol www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice

20. If you saw someone with a bandaged arm you might say ‘that looks sore’ but when you know someone with mental health problems you’re fearful of asking them how they are. Get over it, normalise it and people will start to feel better because of your effort. Christine www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice

21. I’ve been to the darkest places and I didn’t think there would be any help for me, but I made it through and I want people to look at me and know that help is available. People believe you can’t come back from mental illness but you can. James www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice

22. If you have been affected by these real life stories and think you need help Contact Your GP or for more information, pick up the leaflets about mental health as you leave www.thepatientsvoice.org.uk Hear Our Voice