Happiful December 2019

teenager, I felt very limited. It took
a lot for me to accept that, and
understand I could still have an
alright life, and that I was probably
always going to have some of these
issues.”
Personal experiences like
these, make her the perfect
curator of this book, in addition
to her vast writing experience.
Having previously curated and
contributed to Feminists Don’t Wear
Pink (and other lies), writing for a
plethora of publications including
the Sunday Times, blogging,
podcasting, and activism with a
collective she co-founded, called
The Pink Protest.
This latest book is a piece of
activism in its own right, sharing
in-depth how it feels to live with
mental illness. It also serves
to promote
understanding
about mental
illness in people
who don’t have
first-hand
experience of
living with them.
“A lot of the
feedback that
I’ve been getting
is from people
who don’t have
mental health
challenges. They
say: ‘I’ve never
been through
mental illness,
but it’s helped me
understand more.’”
And the act of
curating and compiling the essays
also deepened Scarlett’s own
knowledge.
“I’ve been in therapy and a
mental health advocate for so
many years, I almost thought that
I knew everything – but there’s so
Scarlett shares...
“If you find Christmas hard,
that’s not something to be
ashamed of. I know that there
can be so much pressure to
enjoy it – but if you’re having
a shit time, that’s OK. Get this
book, hole up in your bedroom
and wait for the week to pass –
because it will. It’s totally OK to
have a bad Christmas.
“I’ve also found that sometimes,
when you’re having a tough
time, giving back can really
help. Google opportunities to
volunteer in your local area,
there will always be something.”
much that I
didn’t know.
“I think the
main thing that really jumped out
at me and was hammered home
by putting this book together was
the male experience of mental
health – how every single man
in the book talks about toxic
masculinity and pride and feeling
I just remember thinking, ‘I might
never be able to participate in
society in the way I thought I was
going to.’ And actually, that’s OK.
My life will be a different kind of life
so ashamed to open up. I’d always
sort of theoretically understood
that, but I don’t think I ever fully
understood it until reading those
essays.”
Continuing to develop her own
knowledge around mental health,
and campaigning for better
understanding and support, is
high on Scarlett’s agenda for
Photography | Amelia Allen
36 • happiful.com • December 2019