Campaigning for the mind

I'd like to bring to people’s attention the lack of awareness for mental health. It does bother me that so little is being done about such an important part of many people's lives. Many mental health issues such as: depression, eating disorders and suicide are overlooked or simply not discussed at all. I would like to change this hopefully through this petition and contacting my local MP and would be very grateful for any help towards that given.

Alzheimer's is a very serious disease, but so is depression; one in six women over the age of 80 suffer from Alzheimer's but one in four will suffer from other disorders such as depression throughout their lives. Although the statistics are higher for other disorders, Alzheimer's gets 75% more funding from the government. I do not mean to say Alzheimer's isn't important because it is, I would just like to bring awareness to the fact that other mental disorders are too. Another point on Alzheimer's is that it is the sixth leading cause of death which will and has affected many people. Suicide is the first leading cause of death to men under 35, yet awareness about the issue is still kept to a minimum.

I hope that someday, awareness on these issues will be taught perhaps in secondary schools, so pupils can understand where to get help, how to act when someone else is in danger, why mental health is important and how to protect themselves from disorders.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death amongst teens, this issue won't just disappear if it's ignored.

Thank you very much for your time and I hope I have gained some support through this.

Thank you.