Ok I have 20 minutes to write this post AND finish a lovely bottle of Sancerre before I give up alcohol for January. Yes you read it right. All 31 days of it. I've decided to just get on with it.
I realise that January is a long month and I did consider postponing to February to be honest. But that wouldn't be so much of a challenge would it? I've always found them rather hard to resist.
So. My reasons.
Quite simple really. I'm raising awareness for mental health issues. You must have read the statistics - 1 in 4 people will be affected by mental illness in their lifetime. It's the 'elephant in the room', the topic you either make fun of or don't talk about at all. Yet we all know someone who is suffering daily or has suffered in the past. They might be a friend or part of the family. But they exist. The stigma that is (still) attached to mental illness is huge - just think of the headlines in the media or the ridicule that people are subjected to when they 'lose it' or don't appear 'normal'. Volunteering at Crisis UK this year just hammered home how many more people, young and old, are having difficulty holding on to their sanity. Stress, bereavement, divorce, losing a job or not being able to find one are just some examples of events that can affect people adversely. In the current climate, mental illness isn't something that happens to 'other people. Christmas and the New Year are the hardest times of the year for too many.
Here's an animated short about depression. It's a mere 4 minutes and 19 seconds long...you can watch it in an ad break!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCrniLQGYc]
That's it really. Oh here's the bit where you come in. January, for me, is all about the charity SANE. And resisting adding that bottle of wine to my weekly shop. You can help support me through the LONG DARK GLOOMY DAYS OF SOBRIETY (have I made my point?) by making me feel it's all worth it!
Please share this post. Read and learn about mental illness and donate on my Just Giving page . You can even visit my Etsy shop (there's a sale on too!) and as I'm donating 5% of my total sales in January to the cause.
Talk about it. Learn, donate, even volunteer. Just don't brush it under the carpet.
Thank you.
Happy New Year! *drains glass*
x