Hi everyone! Alex and I (Tash) will be taking on the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge on 3rd August in 12 hours to raise funds for You Okay Doc? A mental health and wellbeing charity for doctors.

In October 2019, during my third year of medical school, I was diagnosed with depression and generalised anxiety disorder. A few months later I was experiencing thoughts of ending my life. However the truth is I was most likely unwell with mental illness for almost a year before this diagnosis. Why didn’t I seek help sooner? Because of the stigma; largely self-stigma. I felt a great deal of shame. I thought I wouldn't be able to continue my studies and become a doctor if I was formally diagnosed with a mental illness. I questioned whether taking medication made me weak and I really didn’t think I would ever get better.

A year into working as a doctor and almost 5 years later, I can honestly say that the decision to eventually see a doctor for my mental health was the best ones I have made to date. It wasn’t a linear recovery but thankfully with medication, therapy, The Listening Place charity and support from my loved ones I was able to recover. A huge shoutout to Alex, my amazing partner who was with me every step of the way and will also be with me every step of the 3 Yorkshire peaks and completing this challenge with me!

We need to continue to fight the stigma associated with mental ill health in the medical community. Stigma is dangerous and serves as a barrier to so many doctors and medical students reaching out for help. This can have fatal outcomes when we know that very tragically 1 doctor dies by suicide every 3 weeks.

This is why I am extremely proud to be a trustee of You Okay Doc?, a charity supporting doctors’ mental health. Our mission is to change the perceptions of mental health for those working in the medical sector and to develop bespoke mental health support for doctors.

Here's the brief for the challenge - we'll be travelling to Yorkshire in preparation to climb the 3 peaks (1) Pen-yGhent, (2) Whernside and (3) Ingleborough in under 12 hours. Deemed to be a tougher challenge than the national 3 peaks by some, this 38km hike, will be a true measure of stamina, little rest and mountaineering - all within 12 hours!