Rethink Mental Illness

💜 We’ve refreshed our identity so that we can better support you. Because no one severely affected by mental illness should be left behind.

This week our Director of Policy and Practice, Lucy, spoke to the Health & Social Care Select Committee about their inquiry on community mental health services 👇 Lucy and the panel were asked questions about access to mental health services, waiting times for support, funding for mental health services and lots more. Her answer below demonstrates how important it is for mental health to be a priority within emerging neighbourhood health services, enabling the government’s drive to shift care from hospital to community.

📺 TV soap EastEnders is airing a storyline where character Phil Mitchell experiences depression with psychotic symptoms. To make sure the story is portrayed sensitively and authentically, EastEnders has been working closely with our team and other mental health charities. We hope this can be a step forward in addressing long-standing stigma around mental illness. Find out more about the storyline, and information about depression with psychotic symptoms, here 👉 https://bit.ly/4hTZVJr

🚨 Over 1.5 million people care for someone experiencing mental illness in the UK. Despite this, carer's concerns continue to go unheard. This must change. That's why we're asking people to meet their MP and ensure carers' needs are not forgotten. Contact your MP today with our free template 👉 https://bit.ly/4jPgKqO

🗣️ "I am a determined person who is not defined by my mental disorder." Sach was diagnosed with bipolar type 1 after experiencing her first manic episode. ➡️ Here's her story. Read Sach's full blog on our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3Qf79vQ

🌈 To our LGBT+ community, we know things aren't always easy. On this #LGBTplusHM, we want you to know that we see you and we hear you. Here's what needs to change across society to better support LGBT+ mental health 👉 https://bit.ly/3oXjI59

📢 Jake completed the gargantuan task of running 66 marathons in 100 days to raise money for people severely affected by mental illness. That’s the equivalent of running from London to Moscow! Here’s what he had to say about the challenge: "My mental health got bad in 2023. Luckily, I opened up to someone about the thoughts I was feeling. And together we agreed I needed to talk to someone – quick! “Speaking to that person, sharing what I was thinking to a human being, changed my life. And Rethink Mental Illness has a fantastic set of peer support groups all over the country that allow people to do what I did – share what they’re going through with likeminded people. It’s a crucial service. “That’s why this fundraiser came about. I want to show people, that being prepared to be vulnerable about your mental health, to the right people, can improve your life. You don’t have to fix everything on your own." We invited Jake to Rethink HQ to show our appreciation for him taking on this amazing challenge. After catching up with our staff, he headed off for another 30km run later that afternoon. As you do! His support enables us to be there for more people severely affected by mental illness. For that, we want to say a massive THANK YOU! So, please join us by filling the comments with love and positivity for Jake. He deserves it! 👇

💜 It was amazing to see so many people talking about mental health yesterday for #TimeToTalk. But we know that conversations can't solve everything. Here's what we need to see more of 👇

There is no ‘one size fits all’ way to support someone living with a mental illness. It's not about solving our problems. It’s about listening. Share this post for #TimeToTalk Day.

For #TimeToTalk Day, we wanted to hear from you. We asked our lived experience volunteers how they would want someone to start a supportive conversation about mental health. Their answers were amazing. Take a look!