Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page...

As you can see, I am raising money for the mental health charity MQ through a charity sky dive! 

This page is to raise money for the factors around the jump such as insurance and other costs.

My biggest fear as many will know, is heights - I’m petrified! However mental health is a topic very close to my heart, as I have lost several friends to a variety of mental health issues.

For me - positive health both mental and physical, is something those who have it should treat with the upmost respect and gratitude. Unlike mental health, physical health if poor, can often be clearly seen from a distance (e.g a wheel chair, a cast for a broken bone, crutches for various reasons), but people can often suffer mental health issues in silence and solitude.

Various Mental Health charities support those with the difficulties they face which is wonderful.

However, when I stumbled across MQ on the tube, on my journey home from work (sorry Mum - the swearing caught my eye!!) I spent hours researching this newly found charity, and read story after story of the scientists looking into PREVENTIONS for various mental health issues (eating disorders, schizophrenia, depression and more). The key difference I can see is that this charity is actually looking to identify triggers that can lead to mental health issues, rather than just developing more effective treatments.

If we can find out what triggers those issues... WE CAN STOP IT!! 

Some shocking statistics available on the internet are:

“One in four adults will experience a mental illness at some point each year in the UK. This ranges from anxiety and depression to alcohol dependence, substance misuse and psychosis.”

“75% of mental illnesses start before a child reaches their 18th birthday, while 50% of mental health problems in adult life (excluding dementia) take root before the age of 15.”

“Suicide is a leading cause of death in young men and women aged 20-34 in the UK. The latest figures from the Office of National Statistics reveal that the number of young suicides each year is greater than it has been for the past 10 years. In 2015 1,660 young people under 35 years took their own lives; 103 more than in 2014 and 58 more than the previous highest recorded figure (1,631 in 2011).”

To me, these statistics speak for themselves...

If you would like to help change other’s views on mental health or feel like you can help change the stigma, please speak out and talk about it... This month is mental health awareness month! Let’s break that stigma together...

Thank you in advance for your donations, every little helps no matter how small or big! 

Love,

Lorraine