Who gets mental health problems?

girl outdoors looking down South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

A mental health problem can happen to anyone. Experts estimate that around one in four of us will have some sort of mental health problem at some time in our lives.

Mental illness doesn’t choose particular groups of people. It can strike regardless of your age, race, colour, religion or IQ – in fact, many people who experience mental illness can be incredibly intelligent and gifted (think of planet-for-a-brain Steven Hawking).

There are many famous people who have been reported as having experienced mental health problems, including Johnny Depp, Drew Barrymore, Charlotte Bronte, Halle Berry, Alanis Morissette, Winston Churchill and Eric Clapton. And the list goes on – even David Beckham admits he has problems with obsessive behaviour.

But that’s not to say that mental health problems are cool or trivial or something that you would want.

Mental health problems can be extremely frightening and can really affect the quality of your life if you don’t get proper help. This is why it’s important to know what’s normal and what’s not, and when it’s time to seek help.

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