A Pembrokeshire woman who hid her diagnosis for more than a decade after experiencing mental health issues in her teens, is fronting a new national campaign.

Izzy Stevenson, 35, from Haverfordwest is the face of a new campaign by the UK Anti Stigma Alliance launched as new research shows that more than half (58%) of people in Wales believe there is still a great deal shame associated with mental conditions.

Izzy Stevenson was diagnosed with mental health issues when she was 14 years old. She went on to hide her diagnosis for more than a decade because of fear and shame.

The mum-of-two is now determined to break the stigma attached to mental health problems.

“When I was diagnosed 21 years ago, all I knew about mental health was what I saw in the media, in films and in newspapers,” said Izzy. “Words like ‘crazy’ or ‘psycho’ would embarrass me, and I was afraid those words would become a label for me, too.

“Apart from mental health services that I didn't really engage with or benefit from while so young - it wasn’t something I ever talked about, not at home or with friends. It became a dirty secret I had to keep.”

Izzy finally opened up quite publicly about her struggles in 2016, which she says has completely changed the direction of her life.

“Since then, I have fulfilled many roles such as being a listener, advocate, mentor, and support system for so many friends and strangers yet I still, almost weekly, find myself struggling with shame,” she said.

“When will we start to show ourselves the understanding we always grant to others?

Izzy’s story is one of many that will appear on billboards at more over 150 sites in Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland and on social media over the coming months as part of the new If it’s Okay campaign.

“I’m so pleased to be featured in this campaign and I hope my experiences can go some way to tackling the stigma associated with mental health challenges,” she said.

‘It’s okay not to be okay’ is one of the most well-used lines in mental health campaigning. But the UK Anti Stigma Alliance says that this does not always ring true for many experiencing mental illness.

A partnership between mental health charities across the UK, the campaign is calling on the public to mean what they say when they say, ‘It’s okay not to be okay’. It also calls on people to challenge shame and discrimination for those living with a mental health diagnosis.

The campaign launch comes as new research shows that, of people who have received treatment and/or support for a mental illness, 57 per cent say they have felt shame for living with a mental illness.

The research showed that nearly three-quarters of people (72 per cent) also said the public should be more considerate in the way we talk about mental health to avoid making people feel upset or ashamed.

Campaigners say these findings cement the view that everyone in Wales has a role to play in ending shame around mental illness, as the language we use in day-to-day life can affect how somebody perceives themselves.

For information about the If It’s Okay campaign, including advice and information for anyone living with mental ill health, visit: www.timetochangewales.org.uk/en/campaigns/if-its-okay. You can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #IfItsOkay.