Blurt's #WhatYouDontSee campaign goes viral
'But you don’t look depressed…’
Blurt know what it’s like to live with the stigma of depression. All too often, shame and fear force us to ‘mask’ our illness; and although public attitudes are improving, unhelpful associations still abound.
This Depression Awareness Week (18-23 April), The Blurt Foundation will be harnessing the power of social media to reveal what depression REALLY looks like.
Instead of a traditional ‘selfie’, we’ll be asking people to share ‘mhelfies’ – pictures of themselves, as someone affected by a mental health issue – with a caption explaining what we can’t see: how they feel, their symptoms and experiences, and how their condition impacts on their lives.
Sharing this information so boldly and visibly, directly challenges the stigma around poor mental health.
You can participate in the #whatyoudontsee campaign by submitting pictures and text directly to us, or by sharing a post on social media using the hashtags #mhelfie and #whatyoudontsee.
Jayne Hardy, 34, founder of The Blurt Foundation, says “By running this campaign we hope to improve awareness and understanding of depression, and show the world an insight into what life is like for those with depression. The stigma of depression often prevents people from reaching out for the help they need and deserve.”But you don’t look depressed…’
At Blurt, we know what it’s like to live with the stigma of depression. All too often, shame and fear force us to ‘mask’ our illness; and although public attitudes are improving, unhelpful associations still abound.
This Depression Awareness Week (18-23 April), The Blurt Foundation will be harnessing the power of social media to reveal what depression REALLY looks like.
Instead of a traditional ‘selfie’, we’ll be asking people to share ‘mhelfies’ – pictures of themselves, as someone affected by a mental health issue – with a caption explaining what we can’t see: how they feel, their symptoms and experiences, and how their condition impacts on their lives.
Sharing this information so boldly and visibly, directly challenges the stigma around poor mental health.
You can participate in the #whatyoudontsee campaign by submitting pictures and text directly to The Blurt Foundation, or by sharing a post on social media using the hashtags #mhelfie and #whatyoudontsee.
Jayne Hardy, 34, founder of The Blurt Foundation, says “By running this campaign we hope to improve awareness and understanding of depression, and show the world an insight into what life is like for those with depression. The stigma of depression often prevents people from reaching out for the help they need and deserve.”
