My New View on Mental Health

Hey guys, just thought I would take a bit of time out to talk about something that inspired me. A chance meeting on the train that has changed my view on mental health completely.

The other day I was on the train to university and the train was pretty full. So I found the nearest seat, at a table with a family of three.

I took out my shorthand notebook, plugged in my iPod and began working, whittling away the time until the train arrived at Queen Street.

It wasn't very long before I realised that the young girl (probably about 12/13) of the family was talking about me to her parents, asking what those squiggly symbols were.

I quickly realised that she obviously has some kind of mental illness, just by the way she was acting and speaking like a child of much younger than 12, more like 5 or 6.

So, being the confident journalist-to-be, I pulled out my headphones and started talking to her. I showed her how to write her name in shorthand, and she told me that she was going shopping with her mum and dad. What a pleasant girl she was, so friendly and bright, even though she was speaking in a childlike voice.

I soon began to realise that her illness was actually schizophrenia, due to her mood swings and the way she kept asking what my name was again and again.

Her parents seemed friendly and chatted away, all the while anxiously glancing at their daughter like she was about to explode, but all I could think was how easy it was to talk to her.

*I should point out at this stage that I do know her full name as she told me plenty times I just don't want to disclose it to the general public, as you can understand.

As I left the train, and said goodbye to the girl, it started to hit home who I was speaking to, and the seriousness of mental health.

Those parents are true heroes, it really does make you wonder what's wrong with this country, when football players are on X-hundred thousand pounds a week and families like the one I met are struggling to cope, perhaps because they do not get the help, or cannot afford it.

Closer to home, as I walked up Buchanan Street, I realised that I am the guy who calls the disabled retards and spastics, when really I'm the one who is retarded when it comes to knowledge about mental health.

I will always remember that girl that I met on the train, and I will try to live a better life because of her.

Cannot believe Scotrail actually did something useful for once!!