Today, Jackie Davis of Mental Health Connecticut joined with our friends at Work_Space of Manchester for their monthly TED Talk Tuesday. At these events, Work_Space invites the public to share their lunch break together by watching a TED Talk or similar video and sharing their thoughts. MHC co-hosted this months event and chose mental health as the theme of the videos. Below, is a summary from Jackie on her experience attending this event.

While many attendees have been to TED Talk Tuesday before, many didn’t know what to expect when they learned of the topic at hand. Some approached me before the video with questions about statistics of mental health while others speculated to how “heavy” or “intense” the subject matter may be as we all took our seats and began eating our packed lunches.

Stacey of Work_Space welcomed the group and shared a little about what they do and how they work to support artists, entrepreneurs, and the community of Manchester. She invited me to share a few words and I took most of the time, not bragging about all the great things MHC does, but how this event is a reflection of our mission – to improve mental health for all Connecticut residents. “The act of everyone of you taking a break from your day, sharing this time together, and learning about mental health is a means of improving your overall health.”

Jackie and the staff at Work_Space selected 3 short videos, all with the purpose of approaching the conversation of mental health from a different angle. Two short animations started off the lunch hour and had attendees giggling at the small jokes. By the end of the second video, the group paused for discussion. “There is no normal” was a common theme of the discussion, as guests shared the common threads of stress, especially in the workplace, that can easily escalate into a larger problem. By noticing the subtle similarities, it made the concept of caring for ones mental health much easier to take in and to talk about.

With humor and brutal honesty, the final video was a TED Talk featuring a presenter who openly shares her experiences with depression, being hospitalized, and her opinion on the human brain. The room filled with laughter and following the video, many attendees chose to share their thoughts. Many agreed that using humor as a method of discussing mental health helps to break the stigma and start the needed conversations.

“What else can be done to break the stigma?” asked one participant. “We are doing it right now aren’t we?” was the reply “In this room, this group is openly discussing mental health just like it were any other topic. Carrying on this conversation outside of this room is one thing we can all do to.”

Two individuals shared their own mental health diagnoses without shame or hesitation. They were not judged or seen differently by the group. The discussion continued with as much interest and thoughtfulness as before and everyone left with the challenge to share their experience with someone else today – a co-worker, friend, or family member.

I took on this challenge by sharing my TED Talk experience with you, the reader. I hope you will watch the below TED Talk that our group discussed today and share your thoughts with your individual circle and to our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) @mentalhealthCT. Keep the conversation going ;