Anna Akana Quotes

I gave myself the nickname 'Bipolar Rock N' Roller' way back in the 1990s, when - as much as we don't talk about mental health now - back then it was almost nonexistent. And if it was broached, it was done in a very pejorative way.

Time to Talk is all about tackling taboos and getting the nation talking about mental health.

It's so important that we all speak up on mental health.

I believe the biggest stigma right now, with mental health, is that a lot of men are not talking about it.

There are lots of people with mental health disabilities, and that's just the way their life is; it's not like you see it in the movies.

The problem with the stigma around mental health is really about the stories that we tell ourselves as a society. What is normal? That's just a story that we tell ourselves.

Mental health needs a great deal of attention. It's the final taboo and it needs to be faced and dealt with.

Mental health is seen as a massive drag to have to write about - worthy, dull. Something you should 'have' to read / write about.

The only reason I've shared my story is to take that tiny baby step of breaking down the stigma attached to depression.

We recognize incidents of metal illness, and at the same time we stigmatize people who suffer from it or seek help to deal with it.

Mental health is an area where people are embarrassed. They don't want to talk about it because somehow they feel they're a failure as a parent or, you know, they're embarrassed for their child or they want to protect their child, lots of very good reasons, but mental health, I feel, is something that you have to talk about.

There's such a stigma around mental illness, and this idea that you're going to come off as disturbed or weak somehow by being open about these things. I've never felt embarrassed or shy talking about it; it's such an integral part of my life.

There are people with much bigger profiles than mine who are talking about mental illness. I am going to try to use whatever platform I have, whatever voice I have to help eliminate the stigma.

It's not something I'm embarrassed about. Depression is an issue that tends to be brushed under the carpet. My hope is that if people with a public profile are prepared to talk about it, then it might prompt other people to talk about it too.

I am privileged to have people around me who understand mental illnesses and mental health. However, the stigma around it is huge.

It can be difficult for people to talk about it, because there still is that stigma around mental illness. But I would encourage people to do that, because they'll be surprised once they do 'come out' how many other people have had similar experiences.

Not talking about mental illness is killing people. We need that to stop.

It's so important that we figure out a way of moving beyond the stigma that still exists around treatment for mental health.

We honestly shouldn't be paying attention to nothing Kanye West says until he actually goes out there and gets the help we all think he needs. That's what keeps these stigmas about mental health and everything going - we act like it's a joke.

We need to start identifying the triggers that aggravate mental health issues in our society - bullying, social media negativity and anxiety, gender based violence, substance abuse, stigma around issues such as maternal issues, etc., and we need to speak up about these more and get to the source of the problems.

Mental illness is the last frontier. The gay thing is part of everyday life now on a show like 'Modern Family,' but mental illness is still full of stigma. Maybe it is time for that to change.

We need to change the culture of this topic and make it OK to speak about mental health and suicide.

The mental health conversation is very important to me. I have friends that struggle with various mental illnesses. I've struggled with depression and anxiety. I'm very interested in how we deal with that.

Playing someone who has a mental illness, the responsibility to not stuff it up is really strong. You have to get it right. Not just for the people who are sufferers, but for the people who care about them - their loved ones.

People take the mickey out of mental health, but it is very delicate.