Woman once suicidal urges others to speak out about their mental health

Frank Kirby features in advert for charity CALM As part of a new national campaign tackling the rising rates of suicide in young women under 25, Milla has spoken out about her mental health struggles. The 35-year-old London-based writer said: ‘I had been suffering from depression and intrusive thoughts, feeling unworthy of love and a ‘successful life’. ‘I constantly questioned my ability to be successful (or ‘good at’) personal relationships and professional progression, and I had extremely low self esteem. This was rooted in my childhood and my sense of identity. ‘My subsequent breakdown at 29 was rooted in a lot of the same feelings, but I was also under a lot of pressure in my job at the time. But most notably I was just incredibly depressed.’ Milla was only 18 at the time and didn’t have access to support materials or know where to turn. READ MORE Most stressful countries in Europe to live in – where UK ranks Milla was 18 at the time when she attempted to take her own life She said: ‘No-one that I knew at the time knew how to address it, and I felt ashamed to tell anyone else that might know how to support me.’ Milla had another breakdown at the age of 29, but with a lot more knowledge of mental health issues she was more confident in expressing her feelings of depression and suicidal ideation. Medication and a change in career was a catalyst for change in her view of her worth. These days, Milla is fully open about her mental health and is very encouraging of others to be the same. She said: ‘I’ve written about my diagnoses, spoken about it on social platforms and even edited a zine about women’s mental health issues with stories from various contributors. ‘I’m a mental health first aider and I never shy away from asking a person how they’re doing twice, asking more probing questions to try and ensure they don’t feel they have to give me the ‘courteous’ response.’ England Lioness and CALM ambassador, Fran Kirby is backing the campaign SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Milla thinks it’s particularly important to raise awareness in the black community because of a ‘stigma deeply rooted in the community’. She said: ‘The queer community is also battling prejudice and erasure in society every day. And with the constant barrage of attacks through systems and policies, it’s so important to give queer people the space to share their mental health struggles. ‘Since being so open about my personal story, I’ve found so many more people open up to me about their own struggles with mental health. ‘If you’re able to seek professional support, do it. If you’re not met with empathy and support, find someone else and never feel that your struggles are not legitimate.’ Almost a fifth (19 percent) of young women aged between 18-34 who have spoken up about a mental health crisis over the past five years felt either dismissed or invisible, according to suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) who is running the new campaign. The campaign aims to challenge the stigma and stereotypes that prevent women from being supported, and help equip people with practical tools to take action and help save a life. To help highlight the issue, England Lioness and CALM ambassador, Fran Kirby, has teamed up with CALM. Trending