Mental health awareness Instagram exposes Irish women’s secrets
Irish people have a bit of a reputation for our 'ah, it'll be grand attitude'.
However, this attitude may not be the best when it comes to expressing ourselves and our issues.
A project has been set up in London, encouraging women to anonymously share their secrets and know that they are not alone.
Cailíní Secret is an initiative inspired by the work of Frank Warren, who devised the concept of anonymous people revealing a secret they had previously never revealed on a postcard, in 2005.
The project encourages Irish women to create a postcard revealing their deepest secret – which can be absolutely anything – and sending it off the Cailíní Secret offices in London.
The revelation of the secrets is beneficial to those women who feel like they have no one to talk to.
It also benefits the women reading the cards, who may relate to the issues expressed.
2,000 blank postcards were sent to Irish women across London to encourage participation, and the cards will be featured in a book and an exhibition.
"We understand that one of our strengths – our endurance and ability to get on with things without making a fuss – can also be a weakness. In times of unhappiness, distress or life difficulty, many of us conceal our struggles instead of seeking support," Cailíní Secret volunteer Aoife Clements told the Journal.
Cailíní Secret hopes to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness, and increase awareness and understanding.
