No matter who you are or your circumstances, fear is an emotion which affects us all.

I’ve been affected by fear my whole life – fear of being myself, being judged, being inadequate, not articulate enough (the list goes on) – and it’s SO damaging to our wellbeing and personal development.

But at least when those feelings become overwhelming, or I need help better understanding myself and my thoughts, I can access therapists, personal development books, go to meditation classes to learn how to manage negative thoughts, listen to insightful podcasts or TED talks... 

If I were deaf or hearing impaired, many of these options would disappear because they’re not accessible.

There’s a huge language barrier making it more difficult for deaf people to access and understand the same complicated health and psychological information as a hearing person. I know this because
someone very close to me is deaf, and I’ve experienced this with them. When they've needed professional mental health support, there was nowhere to really turn.

SignHealth – the deaf health charity – is the only UK organisation to provide counsellors who communicate with clients in British Sign  Language so they can tackle their mental health in complete privacy (without an interpreter), like a hearing person. 

The national charity also runs DeafHope for deaf women and young people suffering domestic violence, and supported homes for deaf people with complex and long-term mental health problems. SignHealth also campaigns for health equality for deaf and hearing impaired people whose life expectancy is reduced because of a detrimental lack of access to health information.

Knowing this is why I’m breaking my fears for SignHealth which might hopefully motivate you reading this to conquer one of yours too, so we can feel more powerful together. And so you know I’m doing these challenges, they’ll be filmed and shared to social media
one at a time. (No idea who my designated camera person is yet though!)

So what fears was I able to break?

1. Holding snakes – I couldn't even even look at photos of them.
2. Singing in public – Only my mum ever really heard me sing but I managed to break my fear of karaoke.
3. Eating alone – Being sat in a café having a fry-up isn’t the same as a three-course meal during peak time, but I managed two meals!
   
4. Standing out – Just doing this campaign tested me and my self-esteem.
5. Being on camera – I’ve been on camera, but it’s not a comfortable experience. However, I managed several including a vlog.

As a SignHealth ambassador I truly believe in the work the
charity is doing and can’t believe it’s the only one doing it. So this is not just about money but awareness, and trying to raise people’s empathy for hearing impairment. 

For more information about how your money will help, go to:
https://www.signhealth.org.uk/how-your-support-helps-2/ and to contact me with ideas or anything else, send a message to vicky@twentysomething-me.com.

Thanks for reading! x