A person suffering from a chronic disease or some form of disability, needs intimacy with their spouse or partner as much as anyone else. Being intimate brings a closeness to a couple and is a necessary part of a healthy relationship. Many patients, too embarrassed to talk about these matters, can end up suffering from a lack of affection and tenderness which is essential to us all.

There is often an intrinsic misunderstanding in Black and South Asian communities regarding the cause of mental illnesses with assumptions that illnesses are the 'will of god,' karmic retribution, evil eye or genetic for example.

In all the coverage following Margaret Thatcher's death, very few headlines have been made by the fact that she had dementia. Many refer to her 'failing health' and 'deterioration', and report the stroke that caused her passing, but it seems that mentioning the word dementia when you are talking about a former prime minister is rather taboo.

There is no close connection between mental health and crime, in fact, statistics show that we are actually more likely to be the victim of the crime.

Worldwide there are 35 million people with dementia - these numbers are set to double in the next 20 years. A shocking statistic, but it is a reality.

Russell Brand has been calling for empathy for addicts, and he is right. Whether you adore or despise Brand's Marmite-like character doesn't really matter; you should still listen to him. He understands addiction. He understands addicts.

The charities hope that the awareness campaign will get people talking and help to reduce the stigma attached to self-harming which prevents many young people from seeking help. You can follow the campaign on Twitter via #selfharm and find out more about the campaign on each of the charities websites.

All chronic diseases have various elements, but one thing they all share in common is the emotional and mental health aspect which often gets overlooked, especially when physical symptoms of chronic disease can be so disturbing and distinctly visual.

hose who cringe at the S-word I suspect would eventually discover its successor (probably from reading the Daily Mail), and react similarly to the new name. I doubt changing in the terminology would improve their attitudes. Bigots are bigots.

So, how can sexual liberation be measured? The concept of liberation is centred around the notion of freedom. In this case, it means the freedom to control who you have sex with. It refers to consciousness, knowing the decisions you wish to make about your body and having the freedom to act upon it.

When we are at a park or soft play area, and my little boy hits other children or pushes them over, it breaks my heart. Yet, I am still too embarrassed to tell them that he is autistic.

“Pull Yourself Together” tops the cliche chart when it comes to talking about mental health problems, according to new research commissioned by Ti...

The BBC reported earlier this week how former Hull City and Bradford striker Dean Windass was ashamed of his depression following his suicide admission in January this year.

I've been around many people with mental illnesses in my career. Some can be challenging and difficult, but the majority are friendly, pleasant and thoughtful. I've also been around many more people without mental illnesses in my life. It is the same.