In today’s issue, an interview with the head of the Psychiatric Nurses Association tackles the issue of the stigma which is still attached to mental illness.

Pierre Galea told this newspaper that while there are no concrete statistics, the incidence of mental health in this country is on the rise, especially anxiety and depression. Both conditions are considered as mild neurotic disorders in the grander scheme of things, where schizophrenia and other conditions are regarded to be much more serious.

But anyone who does suffer from anxiety and depression will tell you that the conditions can be debilitating. People cannot leave their houses and in some instances cannot even get out of bed.

Many will tell you that the hardest thing about depression, for example, is not the feeling which you would expect – sadness, but rather the not being able to care about anything, that feeling of being completely numb.

While things have improved greatly in Malta over the past few decades, there is still a lot to do. Prominent people have spoken up and told of their personal demons, and one of the champions of this cause is definitely former PN Whip Mario Galea.

Mr Galea, a nurse himself, went into deep depression some years ago when a young relative became ill. The situation triggered a chronic bout of depression which he battled against for months. Since then, he has gone on record many times, including this medium, to raise more awareness.

People who suffer from mental illness cannot just get over it. Just like a person who has a disease needs treatment and recovery, so do these patients. The scars may not be physically visible, but the scars are there on the inside.

One of the hardest things about mental illness is admitting that a sufferer has a problem. Many try to continue to go to work on a daily basis and continue to function as normally as they can on the surface. Inside, they are tearing apart as they try to convince themselves, and those round them that they are ok.

Treatment is, of course, essential. People with untreated mental illness can go on to become a danger to themselves and others. Sometimes partners must watch for changes in their significant others and try to convince them to see a doctor and seek treatment.

Many who suffer believe that it would be an act of shame to do so, like they have let someone down. The truth is that depression or bouts of anxiety can manifest in anyone at any time. There are genetic links, but stress, bereavement, dealing with illness, repeated trauma and myriad other triggers can bring on a form of mental illness.

The best way to improve treatment results is to continue to talk about, to raise awareness and to encourage those who suffer to seek treatment. Once they feel a bit better, they begin to realise that they needed treatment all along and that is where they continue on the path to recovery.