Over the years I have had people say to me you don't look mentally ill, you don't look like you have bipolar, you don't look depressed etc.

I am wondering if you have had a similar experience to me? It begs the question, what does depression look like? What does someone with mental illness look like? Also, how are people with mental health issues represented in the media?

Many years ago, maybe over 30 years, a community group aimed to raise awareness of mental illness. Mental illness was depicted as a woman, probably in her 30s, with her head in her hands in a grubby dressing gown and unkempt hair. There were 3 noisy children children in the background and the house was mess. That is how one organisation decided to depict mental illness. To be fair that could have been me over 30 years ago but it is just part of the story.

So what does depression look like?

If you were doing an awareness campaign, how would mental illness look?

If someone said You don’t look depressed, how would you respond?

I am hoping we can discuss how we are viewed by others and what the reality is for people living with a mental illness diagnosed or undiagnosed.

Leah

A Moodscope member.