Do I ‘qualify’ to take part?

I’ve had quite an unexpected response to my call out video. Lots of people said that they felt like they wouldn’t really ‘qualify’ to take part in my project Unseen, as they didn’t feel their issue was ‘valid’ enough or they weren’t ‘mad’ enough to take part.

It seems to me that this response is symptomatic of the bigger problem, that we feel our mental struggles are not ‘worthy’ of attention and that we strive to suppress them and perpetually appear ‘fine’. Why is it that stoicism is so highly praised whilst frankness surrounding our mental health makes us feel so uncomfortable?

People don’t need to be diagnosed with a condition in order to have a ‘valid’ struggle with their mental wellbeing. Be it stress at work or relationship difficulties; it all has the power to effect us profoundly. I feel that mental health is ‘elastic’ and everyone has the potential to have theirs stretched at times.