Mental Health Awareness Week 2025: You’re Not Alone

Mental Health Awareness Week runs from 12th to 18th May in the UK. In the US, May is recognised as Mental Health Awareness Month, while Canada observed it earlier this month (5th–11th May), and in Australia, it takes place throughout October.

Each country has its own timeframe and focus, but what matters most is this: we’re talking about mental health. And that is something truly worth celebrating.

For too long, too many people have felt ashamed to speak openly about their mental health. They’ve suffered in silence—isolated not just by how they feel, but by a fear of being judged.

Thankfully, times are changing.

A recent AXA Health survey of thousands of adults across the globe found that almost a third of people currently live with a mental health condition. Just 25% were classified as ‘flourishing’, while the remaining 75% were either ‘getting by’, ‘languishing’, or ‘struggling’. The picture was even more concerning among younger people.

More than half—57% of those aged 18–24—were languishing or struggling. Fifty-seven percent. Just saying it out loud is heartbreaking. That’s far too many.

My Personal Mental Health Story

Before I became an author and speaker, I worked in pharmaceutical R&D. I was 27 at the time, and on many nights after work, I would lie on the floor or sofa and cry—sometimes just for a little while, and other times until I fell asleep.

The only thing that helped lift the cloud was watching nature documentaries—especially deep-sea programmes or anything narrated by Sir David Attenborough. There was something about his voice that helped me settle.

I’ve since learned that this wasn’t just a coincidence. Science shows that nature has a calming effect on the nervous system. In fact, hospital patients recover faster when their room has a view of trees or greenery, rather than another building or a car park.

Back then, I withdrew from my friends. I felt so low and anxious that conversations became hard work. Socialising only made me more anxious, so I started making excuses to stay home.

And I was embarrassed. I had always been the “positive guy.” During my PhD, I was the one people came to if they needed a lift. And my friend George and I would do slow-motion fights in the lab to make people laugh. Some people called me Mr Positive. How could I possibly admit I was struggling?

So I didn’t. I kept it all inside. And I stopped going out.

My mum used to phone me most nights. She said she could tell something was wrong, but I brushed her off. I’d try to sound upbeat and tell her I was just busy with work. But she kept asking. Again and again.

Because mums just know, don’t they?

Eventually, I broke down on the phone and told her the truth. Mum had lived with depression herself—postnatal depression after my youngest sister was born, at a time when the condition wasn’t well understood. She knew exactly how I felt.

“Come home,” she said.

So I did. I phoned in sick the next morning, got in the car, and drove 400 kilometres (about 250 miles) home. I ended up staying for a week.

It was the best thing I ever did.

Talking to Mum was a relief. A weight off my chest. And having dad there helped me feel safe, even though it was mostly mum I spoke with about things.

That was the beginning of my mental health recovery journey. It didn’t happen overnight. It took five or six months before I felt “normal” again—though I’d honestly forgotten what normal felt like. But the turning point was telling someone how I felt. Opening up. Reaching out.

You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

If you’re struggling with your mental health, please tell someone you trust—a friend, a family member, a colleague, even a neighbour. Or phone a helpline. Speak to someone. People really do want to help.

As the old saying goes, a problem shared is a problem halved. And sometimes, when you share, you find that the person you’re speaking to has been through something similar. It’s in these moments that we remember we’re not alone.

Talking to someone also gives us a new perspective. When we’re caught up in our own pain, it can be hard to see anything beyond it—but another person might offer a different way of seeing or thinking that helps shift how we feel.

Even just putting your feelings into words can be healing. There’s something about saying it out loud—or writing it down—that brings clarity and relief.

And perhaps most importantly: you are not alone. Mental health struggles can make you feel isolated, but when you reach out, the world begins to feel a little less lonely. You begin to feel reconnected.

It’s also important to say that while friends and family can be wonderful support, trained professionals can offer tailored tools and therapies that can truly make a difference. You deserve that support too.

Let’s Make This a Week of Connection

The theme for Mental Health Awareness Week 2025 is community.

So if you’re struggling, let someone into your world. Let your community help. You don’t have to go through it alone.

And if you’re the person someone turns to, remind them that they’ve come to a safe place. Be the shoulder. Be the listener. Just being there can make all the difference.

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