People on Social Media Are Using #Iwantyoutoknow to Raise Awareness for Mental Health
If you live with a mental illness, there might be a lot of things you wish others knew about your experience. It can be hard to open up and discuss living with a mental illness. However, having these conversations can foster a greater understanding of mental illness and reduce stigma.
For its most recent campaign, Time for Change, a U.K. based mental health organization, shared the hashtag #Iwantyoutoknow on Twitter, encouraging others to share what they wish people knew about living with a mental illness.
Let’s make it easier for people to understand mental illness. What do you wish people knew your mental health problem? #Iwantyoutoknow pic.twitter.com/yZSuJTFg8P
— Time to Change (@TimetoChange) June 19, 2017
Joanna Kowalski, Head of Marketing and Communications at Time to Change told The Mighty:
We wanted to show how myths and assumptions about mental health problems affect the people that experience them. We’re a social movement, so it’s important that messages come directly from real people. #Iwantyoutoknow is about giving people a way to break down stereotypes and explain what mental illness is really like. By doing that, we can help to change the way people think and act about mental health.
Thousands of people responded to the initial tweet, sharing their own experiences and reminding others that having a mental illness does not make you weak.
Deian: #iwantyoutoknow that my OCD is not a personality quirk that makes me want to clean your house. pic.twitter.com/O2D6VkQaPD
— Time to Change (@TimetoChange) June 20, 2017
#iwantyoutoknow that just because I’m a big brave boy, doesn’t mean I’m invincible. I can and will cry, get anxious, get depressed. It’s ok pic.twitter.com/Les0pEWA6T
— The Anxious Fireman (@jonnyward21) June 20, 2017
#iwantyoutoknow that NOBODY looks likes they have a mental illness pic.twitter.com/8wowmnBzDx
— Evie????✨ (@ohevieee) June 19, 2017
#Iwantyoutoknow my illness is just a small part of me and I have so much more to give @TimetoChange pic.twitter.com/Lfg7o9rH4S
— Andrea Wade ✨ (@andjjxx) June 19, 2017
“I want you to know I still suffer from depression. Sometimes with a smile and sometimes not.”#iwantyoutoknow @TimetoChange ???????? pic.twitter.com/wxbmSy1qxF
— Leon Mckenzie (@LeonMckenzie1) June 19, 2017
#IWantYouToKnow that it is OK to talk about your #mentalhealth – the people who mind don’t matter, and the people who matter don’t mind. pic.twitter.com/0e2KSwfbFi
— Rose Hedges (@MsRoseHedges) June 19, 2017
#Iwantyoutoknow that having to leave uni due to mental illness did not make me a failure, it made me brave for seeking the help I needed. pic.twitter.com/m3phdPpXKH
— Lauren ???????? (@laurenquig90) June 19, 2017
#Iwantyoutoknow that there is more to me than my mental illness. It’s a huge part of my life but it does not define who I am. @TimetoChange pic.twitter.com/MhyvFRZq8D
— Jodie???????? (@JodieVolunteers) June 19, 2017
#Iwantyoutoknow that despite being a confident trainer/public speaker I still suffer from panic attacks and anxiety pic.twitter.com/cZBhesNGly
— Breaking the Silence (@breaking_ts) June 19, 2017
#IWantYouToKnow that to talk about your mental health shows strength. To cry shows courage. And that’s for us men too!
— Harry Eccles (@Heccles94) June 19, 2017
#Iwantyoutoknow that everyone’s story is unique. As much as people would love to ‘snap out of’ bad times, it’s not that simple. Be patient.
— Tony Kainth (@DrTonyKainth) June 19, 2017
#Iwantyoutoknow that eating disorders DONT have a weight limit , people of all shapes and sizes can suffer and struggle.
— liv (@livv_1207) June 19, 2017
I want you to know the divide between mental and physical illness is false. My anxiety is physical and so is my brain. #IWantYouToKnow
— Matt Haig (@matthaig1) June 19, 2017
#Iwantyoutoknow that dealing with mental illness has made me stronger than I ever imagined I was
— Matthew Williams (@3DMathW) June 19, 2017
What do you want people to know about living with a mental illness? Share your thoughts in the comments below or on social media using the hashtag #Iwantyoutoknow.