Do you have a mental health problem? You’re not alone.

About one in five people, in any one year, have a mental health problem. It may be anxiety, or it may be depression, or it may be a problem with alcohol, or it may be a psychosis, but you can be certain that you are not the only person to feel this way.

Mental health problems can be confronting. Many people feel embarrassed about having a mental illness. That comes from the old-fashioned view that people bring such problems on themselves. But as knowledge of mental health grows, it is becoming clear that the causes of mental health problems are complex, with many different factors contributing.

For some people, changes to chemicals in the brain are important. For others, genetics play a part. For others, the environment – maybe at home, maybe at work – plays a role. For some, it’s all three.

But it is clear that mental illness is not a character weakness. It is not simply your fault.

On the other hand, if you have a mental health problem, there is a lot you can do to help yourself. This website aims to help. 

Browse video stories of real people with mental health problems. This website also has chatrooms, factsheets, phone numbers, websites and more. Read on, and let us know if you think of more we can do to help.