68- Special edition 2 : Mental health awareness month (15)

May is internationally dedicated to the awareness of mental health, various psychological disorders, trauma etc which each person can suffer one point of life ...

France is far behind in this respect, and not a new problem: the overall mentality is to let people suffer in silence, because it is too difficult to talk about health issues - physical, and even more so for mental, psychological.



In my research, I routinely come across English sites that helped spreading information and educate people on how to deal with these issues. 

I also saw that this awareness had generated a great success with youtube vloggers. 

The number of testimonials there is huge, especially in English: in USA, Australia, UK or Canada, people have given their time and shared moments of their lives and I exchanged with some of them ; the majority of testimonies were from women.

it's only now, after 3 weeks of intense research that I learn of the existence of Cap sur la Santé mentale, an awareness event which took place in Paris la Défense area... last week!!! 
During three weekend days, and I had absolutely no suggestion by facebook event, no mail or online ads, nothing ... NOTHING. 

It's great that a foundation promotes and raises awareness, but it was not until after the facts that I found the event on Facebook ads, much like other geek events that interested me.

This should have been offered by social media and an advertising partner - worth much more than the temporary promotions you get in the mail for the local stores that you visit all the time! 

I bitterly laugh as program  for the first day announced at 15:30 the French delay in raising awareness !! What a joke!! 

Had I known in advance about this, I would've planed to attend this event because I am concerned at the highest point, just like 20% of French sufferers, 20% of the population, it is not negligible, we are not exactly a minority and ... shit, no adds about... and yes, France is behind in the approach to therapy (go to Quebec, they are ahead, apparently) delayed in promoting awareness and that's it ....

It is not surprising that in speaking with a person about ''social phobia'' and that I couldn't eat because I was so stressed that I had a knot in my stomach, the person shrugged and left me without saying anything else... 

So yes, we must raise awareness, it is time to spread the information and have more local boards of mental health, as in Nord-Pas de Callais-Picardie  ... and let spread about those centers as well.