PEOPLE across Dumfries and Galloway came together on 6 February to spark vital conversations about mental health as the region took part in Time to Talk Day.
See Me, the national programme to end mental health stigma and discrimination, hosted the event to create a space to tackle the topic. The main goal was to focus around the stigma mental health creates.
During the day, hundreds across Dumfries and Galloway joined in, from coffee mornings and walk-and-talk sessions to workplace wellbeing fairs and school discussions.
“The best thing someone can do is actually listen to what the person’s saying and think about what they’re telling you, and how they’re saying it – there is so much trust in that conversation,” said Lisa Gourley, See Me volunteer.
A Censuswide poll of 1000 Scots for Time to Talk Day highlighted ongoing stigma. The results showed 28 per cent admitted to pushing loved ones away when they didn’t want to discuss mental health, while 27 per cent avoided socialising to avoid conversations. Nearly three in ten believed not talking was preferable to an ‘awkward’ discussion.
See Me director Wendy Halliday thanked the region for their support, urging continued conversations: “Talking about mental health and sharing how we’re feeling is one of the first important steps to breaking down stigma, and helping people who are struggling to see it’s okay to talk and to be more comfortable in asking for help when they need it.”
Resources to support mental health discussions are available on the See Me website.
