Nicer Thoughts's fundraising page

[p]I’m not that strong, I’m not very big, and I’m not a particularly good runner. Adam hates small spaces, and also listening to me moan. But on July 7th, we'll be putting these hangups aside, and tackling Tough Mudder for Mind Charity—and we need your sponsorship![/p][p]Adam and I will be running (or stumbling) 10 miles, interspersed with 20 gruelling obstacles from the ‘Arctic Enema’ to ‘Electroshock therapy’. Yep, they’re exactly what they sound like: an ice bath and getting electrocuted. We'll be squeezing through barbed wire in the mud and scaling walls. I'll probably be getting incredibly jealous of Adam being much stronger and taller. Adam will probably get really annoyed at me asking to be carried. It’s going to be tough. But I know first hand that some things are far tougher, like having to rebuild your life after a period of terrible mental health. And some things are tougher still—like recovering from mental illness without financial support. [/p][p]When I had a breakdown, I was far luckier than many people: I had the resources and the support to take time off work, see a good counsellor and recover at my own pace. I was an adult, but I had a loving Mum who was able to take me home and look after me. I didn’t have to worry about accessing services - I just focused on getting better.[/p][p]Very few people are so lucky. NHS resources simply can't cope with the growing mental health crisis: a report last year showed that 80% of NHS bosses fear they can’t support the levels of people now requiring mental health services. Waiting lists are long, the therapies available are often short-lived (4 sessions with a counsellor certainly wouldn't have dug me out of the hole I was in), and services are woefully overstretched. [/p][p]And this is a growing problem. I run a blog about mental health, [url=http://www.NicerThoughts.com]www.NicerThoughts.com[/url], and I’ve been shocked and humbled time and time again by the people in my life who have approached me—quietly, overtly or ever-so-drunkenly—to share their mental health story. If it's not you, it's somebody you know. [/p][p]And that's a worrying thought. But supporting a fantastic charity like Mind can help to ease the burden. Mind provide advice and support to anyone experiencing mental health problems, campaign to improve services, and promote understanding. So any donations are greatly appreciated, and will help spur our sorry arses through to the finish line. Every £ helps, so even if it's just small change, your help is [/p][p][b]What can the money do? [/b][/p][p][b]£10 [/b]could help Mind campaign for better support services, talking therapy and crisis care for people whose mental health is in crisis.[b] [/b][/p][p][b]£21 [/b]could help Mind’s supportive online community Elefriends run for one hour, giving people the chance to get hugely valuable 'peer support'.[/p][p][b]£39 [/b]could allow Mind’s Infoline call handlers to answer 5 calls from people, often in desperate need of support, helping them to find support and a way forward.[/p]