"Every physical illness I have had for the last 20 years has first been dismissed as anxiety, depression or stress."

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1 in 6 people will currently be experiencing problems with their mental health. That means that even if you haven't experienced a mental health problem yourself, you almost certainly know many people who have.

News: Shift's national survey into attitudes towards mental illness has been published. The full report can be downloaded from the Department of Health website. Shift has published Mind Over Matter 2, our second report analysing media reporting of mental illness. Download Mind Over Matter 2 from the Shift Media Network Shift has launched a new handbook for journalists and editors that looks at reporting mental health and suicide. [More]

People sometimes feel that they need to keep their problems a secret because of the way that others treat them. The stigma that surrounds mental health can mean that people find it more difficult to get the job that they want or education that they need, even though some of our greatest politicians, academics, business brains and artists have proved that mental ill health need not be a barrier to success.

Mental illness can have devastating results not just at the time someone experiences it but for a long time afterwards. For all of our sakes, it's time that we removed the stigma and discrimination that surrounds mental ill health.

About Shift

Shift is an initiative that works in areas where people say they experience discrimination the most. With young people, in public services, with employers and the media.

Shift and the National Social Inclusion Programme work together to make sure people with a history of mental health problems have the same chances and opportunities as everyone else. Visit NSIP's website

At Shift, we believe that we all have a mental health problem: the negative effects of the stigma and discrimination that surrounds mental health issues.

We want to build a society where people with mental health problems have the same rights and chances as anybody else. We think that we can all benefit from the skills, knowledge and experience of people with mental health problems.

If you want to know more about how we work, see the About Us section.

How you can get involved

Look around our website to see the different ways that people with an experience of mental illness are treated, find out what we and our partners are doing to challenge stigma and discrimination and what you can do to help.

If you want to know the latest news from Shift, you can subscribe to our free email update.

• To subscribe, send a blank email to: shift-update-subscribe@googlegroups.com.
• To unsubscribe, send a blank email to: shift-update-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

 

If you would like to see what practical things you can do to help our work, please visit the Get Involved page.

If you would like to get in touch, please see the Contact Shift page for all our contact information.

Disclaimer

The information and other content on the site are for general information only and are not intended to replace or substitute for the services of trained professionals. You should always promptly consult a doctor in all matters relating to physical or mental health, particularly concerning any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.

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