30 Day Challenge -- Day 6

Tuesday 2nd September 2014

09:35am

Day 6

Do you have a family history of mental illness or mental health issues?

From what we know there is know known family history of mental health issues, but after watching "Secrets from the Asylum" on ITV over the past couple of weeks I do wonder.  It seems odd that it can only start with me.

What worries me is when I have children do they have a higher chance of having a mental health issues?  Not that there is anything to be ashamed of it would just break my heart to see them go through what I have. 

I think you have family members which you worry about, recently my Grandad was in a bad way after my Nan died and was admitted to hospital, but there had been nothing before.  Speaking to doctors it came across that this was a common occurrence (more than I think is openly admitted) to the older generation as they have lived with their partner for all there life and have never really experienced living alone and it's the fear of the unknown.  The generation who struggled to accepted mental health and still used Asylums are now feeling pressure about how they have to cope.

Maybe in a few years I would look into the history of my family, we look at our family tree and talk about that but looking into the past around mental health would be really interesting.  I suppose what does scare me though is how I reacted when I saw an old record of the people in Winwick, what is now Hollins Park in Warrington.  There was a lady who was in due to lack of appetite, when you look now you have to wonder could this have possibly been an eating disorder?  How she was described I remember it just been heartbreaking, she had a photo of when she went in and then nothing when she left - this was normally a sign that she had died while in there.

Yes, the mental health system has changed but I still believe there is a long way to go with understanding .

Rach x