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Mental Health And Politics

Nadia Whittome MP has recently disclosed that she is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and has said that she is taking some time away from Parliament and politics for eight weeks to recover. This isn't just a big thing for Nadia to do it's also a big thing for an MP to do, 

In fact I think that it is the first time a sitting UK MP has come forward to talk about their mental health not only disclosing it to the public but also revealing that a GP has signed her off work. Over the past decade the discourse on mental health has improved a lot public figures such as celebrities and even royalty have spoken about their mental health. Over in the United States Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said that she has had therapy for post traumatic stress after the failed insurrection on the US Capitol at the start of the year that claimed five lives. 

However we still need to get better at understanding mental health when Nadia Whittome released her statement about having post traumatic stress disorder the comments on her Tweet were absolutely horrendous some people said she didn't have the strength to be in Parliament and to be a Member of Parliament and others were saying that she was too young and inexperienced for such a job and a political commentator was very hard on her.

It shouldn't be like this when somebody comes out and says that they have a mental health condition then we should all get behind him or her and fully support them through it, in fact a Conservative MP Dehenna Davidson who is on the other side of the aisle to Nadia Whittome came to Nadia's defense on twitter, seeing a Conservative MP supporting a Labour MP through a personal issue was really good to see and that is how politics should be. Compare that reaction to Piers Morgan's reaction to the Duchess of Sussex when she said she was suffering with her mental health Piers Morgan said that he didn't believe her that was entirely the wrong reaction.

Society has come along way in regards to mental health however we still need to do a lot more we need to take the stigma out of it completely. We need to create a society so no matter who you are when you announce that you have a mental health condition you will be met with love and understanding instead of hate and mockery.  

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