Editor's column: Saying we need help is not something to be ashamed of

Editor Hayley is grateful to have access to nature, as many of us do in the Aylesbury Vale

I know we are still bound by restrictions, restrictions which we should all take very seriously, but there is a certain sense of doom and depression reserved for lockdown weeks in my view, and now they are lifted I definitely feel a lot better.

I think that this experience, one that we have all shared together yet apart, has really been quite the mental health journey for all of us.

There has not been a single person in the world that hasn't been given some sort of problem by the pandemic, and some of those problems have been tragic, profound and life-changing.

Speaking for myself, I have definitely had mountains to climb some days, at a time when a hug from a friend or family member could not be less accessible.

Of course it is natural to remind ourselves at these down times that there are plenty of people out there that have it worse.

Perhaps some of them are even reading this column.

I am tremendously grateful to have a job, a happy home to live in and access to nature on a daily basis.

But, looking after ourselves has never been more important, and just because you are ‘ok’ on paper, it doesn’t mean you are ‘ok’ all the time, if at all.

I once read a very interesting article about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and was surprised to hear the range of people who can fall foul.

Far from being the preserve of action heroes or people who have overcome some devastating event, some people through no fault of their own can succumb, after something as simple as a scary film, book, or near miss in the car.

It’s similar in this situation - for some people the pandemic will feel like the worst thing that ever happened to them, even if outwardly they seem luckier than most, and all of our thresholds for this are different.

That is not a sign of weakness, and we should all remember this in our interactions with others.

Hayley O’Keeffe - Editor

You can access support and advice by contacting Buckinghamshire's Healthy Minds service on 01865 901 600

You and speak to someone straight away by calling The Samaritans on 116123