Liana Hall tells of her mental health challenges via BBC

Local writer and actress Liana Hall made an appearance on BBC Breakfast in the UK and BBC News 24 (international) show to talk about her mental health challenges.  

Ms Hall was contacted last night at 8pm by a friend who works at the BBC and who is familiar with her blog www.theyearofcelebration.com

She was asked to speak on a section about the failures of GPs in the UK dealing with depression in young people. They needed a perspective from a patient with experience from a young age with the mental health system in the UK which is where Ms Hall came in.

She told the Bermuda Sun: “I've never been interviewed nationally before, which was terrifying enough but about 15 minutes after I finished filming for BBC breakfast I received a call from BBC news 24 which is aired internationally, including in Bermuda, asking if they could also do a five minute interview with me on my own straight to camera via link to London.

“I was shaking for the first one but by the time I was shooting the second I was less nervous.”

Ms Hall was asked specific questions about her own personal story but her message was to highlight the issues in obtaining diagnoses and treatment in the UK for mental health issues.  

“I had to go to the USA before being diagnosed and medicated properly.” She said.

“Also apart from the time when I was 20 I had attempted suicide on a previous occasion when I was 16 and that was after two years of being put on anti depressants by a GP who did no follow up nor sent me to a psychologist and I was 14 when I first went to him for help. So it was also to show how difficult it can be for a young person to reach out for help.”