On the 2nd of October I'll be running the Cardiff Half Marathon on behalf of Mind, the mental health charity. I'm sure most people are aware of Mind and some of the work they do/ support they can provide, but I have decided to share the personal reasons why I have decided to fundraise for them.

I had struggled with my mental health on and off for a few years, but as with many people it became much worse during the onset of the pandemic, ultimately becoming very, very unwell, suicidal and losing touch with reality in summer/autumn 2021. Eventually, after a number of attempts to take my own life and increasingly out of character and delusional behaviour/beliefs, I ended up being detained under the mental health act and spending a number of weeks in hospital. Although I wouldn't have agreed with you at the time, being sectioned ultimately saved my life and helped me onto the path of actual, genuine recovery.

While I am lucky enough to say that being detained under section had a positive impact on my life and recovery, it is not the same for everyone. I was lucky to be in a hospital with a real recovery-focused approach, but many facilities are underfunded, understaffed and patient care will ultimately suffer. Even though my overall experience was beneficial, bed shortages meant I was placed in a hospital over 170 miles from where I lived, which meant being visited by family or friends pretty much impossible. Mind campaign to increase government spending on mental health, as well as update the Mental Health Act so that everyone can receive the best possible care that is right for them.

In Wales, Mind Cymru and the #standbyme campaign sets out that the Welsh Government must:

•    Make mental health a cross-cutting priority by publishing a new Mental Health Strategy and reviewing mental health legislation.
•    Address inequalities in access to mental health support, in particular people living in poverty and people who are from racialised communities.
•    Address the growing crisis in young people’s mental health by meeting the wide and varied demand for support.
•    Commit to ensuring everybody has safe and speedy access to quality care when they need it, including crisis care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
•    Provide greater focus, planning and investment into mental health in primary care and talking therapies to ensure timely access to a range of support.
•    Tackle stigma in communities and drive improved employment practices to make workplaces more accessible and inclusive for those experiencing mental health problems.

Mind also provides local, face-to-face or telephone services across England and Wales, which I have personally found helpful and help plug the gap in often long NHS waiting times. Long waiting times can often lead individuals who seek help having their mental health deteriorate and reach crisis point. Mental health services need to move towards early intervention and aim for a preventative rather than reactive approach to care. There are also resources for the families and loved ones of those struggling with their mental health, as caring for someone with a mental health problem can undoubtedly cause some strain and distress.

I hope that by sharing my story I can help tackle the stigma that still exists surrounding mental health, especially around being suicidal or sectioned. Mental illness is not a choice and people who experience a change in their behaviour when unwell often will feel very embarrassed or ashamed, often becoming isolated. I hope we can move towards a world where it is understood that it the illness and not the person that causes people to act in certain ways and mentally ill people are not "weird", "dangerous" or "lazy".

The half marathon will be taking place a year after I was in hospital and I hope I can show that even people who have struggled with "serious" mental health problems can recover and live happy, normal and fulfilling lives. Ultimately, although I firmly believe that you should be no more ashamed of spending time in hospital for a mental health problem than a physical one, I am apprehensive about sharing this, but I hope by doing so I can raise money for a great charity and encourage others to speak out. 1 in 4 of us will struggle with our mental health at some point in our lives and even when recovery feels impossible, there is always hope.