laura marling @ the park stage, 26th june 2010
photo courtesy of NME

06/06/2010

My other birthday!

simplypi:

(via nikoriana, baubauhaus)

just watched a brilliant BBC documentary called Sectioned. what a fantastic insight into the lives of three wonderful men with severe conditions, told through their own words.

lauramwood:

(via funkyhamsters123)

Mind are campaigning to ensure every politician ‘understands why mental health matters’. They asked key Health Ministers about their parties’ plans.

Looks promising! However, The Times recently reported that though the main three manifestos have promised increased investment and access to talking therapies, it is likely that financial cuts will in fact threaten the future of the NHS’ mental health services. Does this mean waiting lists can only get longer?

Mariam Kemple from Mind responded passionately, highlighting the danger of mental healthcare being viewed as a ‘soft option’ for spending cuts.

I’m equally as concerned by this. Surely the mental and emotional health of the nation is fundamental, not additional?

If like me you’re passionate about the UK’s mental and emotional health, I encourage you to sign Rethink’s petition

I’ve never been able to vote in a General Election before, plus I’ve never found myself being so alive to it, as though the political mind I never knew I had has been awakened in recent weeks. So in my naivety, for me it’s been a question of simply learning, absorbing. I’m grateful for having the opportunity to hear from and meet my local candidates. Though the more I inform myself of what’s going on, who’s proposing what, I just get more confused and find myself wanting to mix and match! Does anyone else feel like this?

As I watched some of the first debate, I found myself thinking about the men (and women!) themselves, how they must be feeling, what this time must be like for their family and friends. I wonder about their past, their journeys that brought them to such high places as this, their compassion that I fear gets lost amidst cynicism, firey questioning and coloured ties.

Not everyone will vote on 6th May, but everyone has something they care about. This is my mine.

1 person calls Samaritans every 7 seconds.

1 in 4 people in Britain today will experience a mental health problem at some point in their lives.

NICE guidelines and party manifestos recommend CBT, but current waiting list time is at least 9 months.

Stigma affects 9 out of 10 people with mental illness.

I strongly feel that this all speaks powerfully of the mental and emotional health of our nation, and I’m really interested to find out how much of a priority this is for potential new governments. I hope to actively follow media reports and support the amazing work of Mind, Time to Change and Rethink as they blog, speak to politicians, and campaign for the future of mental health services ~ I guess this is my journalistic-scrapbook way of doing so :)