Young people's mental health

We're all impacted by mental health issues

Perhaps it's a parent, a sibling, a friend, your child or maybe it's you.

In 2022, 18% of children aged 7 to 16 years and 22% of young people aged 17 to 24 years had a probable mental disorder.

- NHS Digital: Mental Health of Children and Young People in England', prevalence survey (2022).

For me it was my little sister. A lifelong struggle with mental health became too much and she took the only action she felt that she had left. She took her own life. 10 years ago this September we said our final farewell to Rhianna. I can't imagine what it must feel like to be in that position and I have spent a lot of time trying to walk in her shoes.

I want to create an environment where no one ever feels that taking their own life is the best option available to them. I don't know how to do that, but the people at The Nest Farms in Suffolk have some great ideas that I believe will make a difference. So I am doing what I can to help them in their endeavours.

What I'm doing

On 30 September 2023, I will run a marathon to raise money and awareness for The Nest Farms charity in Suffolk. It's my first attempt and comes with some additional challenges.

In living with grief and specifically trying to come to terms with losing someone to suicide I've learnt that there is great value in being open and honest with yourself and those around you.

I've been managing my own anxiety for several years, with limited success as I am not a medical practitioner. This year it became too much so I have sought professional help. I am now taking antidepressants which have been a great help so far. One of the things that feeds into and triggers my anxiety is a stomach complaint that causes random stomach explosions. Ironically, for an anxiety medication, the pills actually make this worse! Super.

This is why I've chosen to run close to home . I will be doing 8+ laps of my usual 5km loop.