Don't hide your unhappy
The challenges the coronavirus pandemic has brought to millions cannot be overstated, as rates of anxiety, stress, and grief have skyrocketed.
Long periods of lockdown have left many people desperately isolated, cut off from friends and family, and feeling as though they have nowhere to turn. During this time, Shout has been a critical support service and a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of people in the UK.
Shout’s new campaign, Let it Out, is targeted at reaching more young Black men and boys to let them know that help is available to them 24/7.
Antonio Ferreira, Mental Health Campaigner and trainee Shout Volunteer, said "As a Shout Volunteer I want to help young and Black people feel heard and understood. I didn’t know anyone like me with mental health issues and didn’t know where to turn, but Shout is there for you 24/7, with people who can listen and help."
The Shout team are working to let young people know that masking feelings can be damaging – and that people don’t need to hide behind a smile. That whatever’s going on, letting it out can help, and that they can always talk to Shout, confidentiality, over text, for free.
Since launching in May 2019, Shout have trained over 2,300 volunteers, had over 750,000 conversations with people in need of immediate support and average over 1,000 conversations every day. Their 24/7 service means texters can contact them round the clock, which they do, with the most common issues being suicide, depression, anxiety, relationship, loneliness and self-harm.
Text ‘Let It Out’ to 85258 and whatever it is that’s bothering you, the Shout team will be there to talk about it.