Cosmopolitan UK – September 2019

COSMOPOLITAN · 97

air supply to this town and its people.
But it’s not just Corby; the issues faced
here could easily grip any community
in the same way, because we are a
nation in psychological crisis. One
in four young women has a mental
health problem,* one in 15 people has
made a suicide attempt in their life,†
and in the past decade, antidepressant
prescriptions have doubled.‡ People
recount their experiences with mental
ill-health online so frequently that
you would be forgiven for thinking
the taboo surrounding it had long
been smashed. And yet, in the UK,
there are still 300,000 people with
long-term mental health problems
who allege discrimination.** Since
2010, funding to mental health
services has been cut by almost £600
million†† and the treatment gap has
increased to the point that 75% of
those suffering with a mental health
problem don’t receive help.‡‡ Despite

Instagramandstartscrolling.A slew

oflong,unprovokedmonologuesin

somanyofthecaptionsfloodsmy

feed;peoplearetalkingconstantly

abouttheirmentalhealth,airingtheir

“demons”andurgingusalltodothe

same.Butif thepastweekhastaught

meanything,it’sthatjustbecause

weseetheconversationhappening

online,onourfavouriteTVshows

andininfluencervlogs,thatdoes

notmeanit’shappeningeverywhere.

Orthatthosewhoneedhelphave

somewheretogo,evenif theydo

openup.Ourcollectivementalhealth

is worsening,andtownslikeCorby

areonthefrontline;barometersfor

ourfuture,if wedon’tactsoon.Tia

saysit best:“Oneofthemainreasons

I gotocounsellingis formydaughter.

I don’twanthistorytorepeatitself.”◆

If you’restruggling,callSamaritansfor

freeon 116123

BEHINDTHESCENES

DaniellaScott

“Afewdaysintomyvisit,

I gotchattingtoa henparty.AssoonasI

mentionedthementalhealthcrisisin Corby,

theyallhadsomethingtosay– muchlike

everyoneelseI met.Onegirl,sippinga

cocktailthecolourofa radioactivelipstick,

suddenlyspokeup:‘I wasreferredfor

bereavementcounsellingbymyGP.

I’vebeenwaitingfourmonths...sofar.’”

READ

taking up 23% of NHS activity, only

11% of NHS budget is assigned to

mental health-related issues.

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

On a sleepy street 30 minutes from the

town centre, Teamwork Trust’s weekly

support group, Men’s Shed, is in full

swing. It’s been three weeks since these

local men last met to do woodwork

and discuss their mental health, so

today’s session is like a reunion.

A tall man with a baritone voice and

neatly ironed shirt clears his throat to

speak. He begins cautiously: “We all

have different issues, but we support

each other. If Teamwork didn’t exist,

we’d all be lost.” The four men around

him nod and one with long hair chips

in: “As soon as these guys turn up, my

life turns around. It’s like a family.”

There is more nodding. More chatter.

Suddenly the man on my right speaks

up: “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for

Teamwork Trust.” A Mexican wave of

agreement cascades through the room,

and I am struck that in this walled-off

corner of an old warehouse, in the

company of this supportive network,

I can see the glimmer of a future for

“suicide town”. If only everyone could

get a bit more help to access it.

As my train leaves Corby station, I

am both relieved and saddened to be

going home. Absent-mindedly, I open *BBC.CO.UK.

†MENTALHEALTH.ORG.UK.

‡THEGUARDIAN.COM.

**THEGUARDIAN.COM.

††BBC.CO.UK. ‡‡

MENTALHEALTH.ORG.UK

.

HAIR AND MAKE-UP CHARLOTTE GASKELL AT LHA REPRESENTS, USING MAC AND AVEDA