A CULCHETH man features on a new social media campaign for mental health called #TakeOffTheTape.
The campaign is designed to make people feel more comfortable talking about stress and anxiety, as these are often the problems that can lead to more serious mental health issues.
Paul Chisnall, who lives on Wigshaw Lane and is a former pupil of Culcheth High School, came up with the idea along with colleague Alex Lever and they successfully pitched it to national charity MIND.
A number of celebrity ambassadors are now taking part in the campaign, which has been featured in the national press and glamour magazines.
Despite many strong campaigns around mental health, the subject remains highly misunderstood.
People are still reluctant to be open when they’re struggling to cope because of the reaction they fear from their friends and peers.
Ruth Richards at Mind said: “At some point, there are problems that everyone is likely to face. Whether it’s worry about work, money, our image, health, a loved one, exams – stress and anxiety are emotions we all encounter.
“If we don’t speak out and seek support, these feelings can build and start to impact on our quality of life, our relationships and our health.
“By encouraging everyone to talk more honestly about things being tough, we can help people feel more comfortable about admitting that they need some support.”
One in four of us will experience a mental health problem in any given year, but Mind’s research shows that four out of five 18-34 year olds admitting to putting on a brave face when they are anxious
A quarter of 18-34 year olds also admitted to feeling that to show their emotions is a sign of weakness, even though one in five said they had cried in the past week because of anxiety.
Ruth added: “With a better understanding of mental health, we hope more people will seek support early, before things become too much.”
To take part you:
- Write something that causes stress or anxiety on a piece of tape or paper
- Put it over your mouth & take a selfie
- Post to social media with the hash tag #takeoffthetape including “text TAPE to 70660 to donate £3”
For more information, visit: www.mind.org.uk/tape
