Serena Malcolm

I was diagnosed with Clinical Depression when I was 11 years old. I was then diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder aged 35 years, but really I had been living with it for many, many years.

Looking back, all the signs were all there, but my friends and family just put them down to moodiness, quirkiness, pedantry, awkwardness etc…. everything to them could just be explained away and I felt for a long time that there was something wrong with me and nobody truly understood. I felt on edge all the time, I wasn’t sleeping, my mind could never just be quiet, and I just wasn’t myself. I knew something wasn’t right but I didn’t know how to ask for help. Especially coming from predominantly African family who don’t talk about, acknowledge, or “believe in” mental health conditions (did you know black people in the UK are 4 times as likely as white people to be detained under the Mental Health Act?!?)

Eventually, my hand was forced; I had a breakdown at work and found myself in front of my GP empty and just about ready to give up… it was only then that I started getting some real help.

Fast forward 4 years ‐ I changed jobs, got qualified as a mental health first aider, embraced regular self care and good sleep hygiene, and became a true advocate for mental wellness.

We all need to look after our mental health with the same gusto as our physical health.

FYI “Mike Hotel” is the police warning marker for someone with a Mental Health condition.

This #poem is was written for both #worldmentalhealthday and #blackhistorymonth.