A personal story of battling back from depression will be used to inspire delegates at an event in Folkestone next month.
Britt Whyatt from Lower Halstow, near Sittingbourne, is one of a series of speakers looking at different aspects of courage at TEDxFolkestone, being held at The Quarterhouse on Saturday, June 23.
A mental health ambassador and renowned blogger, she will be speaking about the Courage to Continue and drawing on her experiences of her own determination to overcome depression.
“I’ll be telling my own story that I have found can inspire people going through bad times,” said Britt.
“It’s about giving hope that when you don’t feel like you can get out of bed, when you believe the world would be better off without you, that everyone has the power to determine how they feel. It’s down to you.”
Britt’s depression was triggered by grief following the death of her mother.
“I went to see my GP as a 16 year old having lost my mother and they told me I was depressed. The depression along with extreme anxiety had been caused by my grief,” she said. “It is so hard for GPs who only get 10 minutes with you, and then it’s too easy for people to buy-in to the label they’ve been given.
“Now I’m feeling so much better thanks to the decisions I made at the time which helped me through those bad times.
“It’s all about self-care which doesn’t feel particularly brave or courageous when you are hiding in your bed in a dark room, when you don’t want to come out from under the duvet and you are laying there thinking of people out there doing amazing things.
“At that point in your life getting up and brushing your hair is more courageous than bungee jumping off a building.
“It’s how to find the courage to take those small steps that lead on to bigger things that I will be exploring at TEDxFolkestone.”
Britt is one of 11 thought-provoking speakers for the 2018 event, entitled Courage to Step Beyond.
Others include Steph Slack who will be looking at the role women play in preventing male suicide; author and successful businessman Ben Chai who will be speaking about the Courage to Step Beyond Rejection; and musician and businessman Roger Evernden on the Courage to Be Yourself.
The event is designed to champion inspiration, innovation, collaboration and leadership.
Themes for the talks include how individuals deal with situations requiring personal and collective courage, whether it’s saving a life or surviving infidelity, and broader issues such as globalisation, education, and the next big idea.
Tickets for TEDxFolkestone 2018 are available from the Folkestone Quarterhouse booking office or via www.quarterhouse.co.uk
Further information on the event can be found at www.TEDxFolkestone.com.
ENDS
Contact:
- Andrew Metcalf, Maxim
- Tel: 01892 513033 Email: Andrew@Maxim-pr.co.uk
Notes to Editors
About TEDX, x = independently organised event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDX is a programme of local, self-organised events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDX event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organised events are branded TEDX, where x = independently organised TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDX programme, but individual TEDX events are self-organised. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)
About TED
TED is a nonprofit organisation devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or fewer) delivered by today’s leading thinkers and doers. Many of these talks are given at TED’s annual conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, and made available, free, on TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Monica Lewinsky, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sal Khan and Daniel Kahneman.
TED’s open and free initiatives for spreading ideas include TED.com, where new TED Talk videos are posted daily; the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as translations from thousands of volunteers worldwide; the educational initiative TED-Ed; the annual million-dollar TED Prize, which funds exceptional individuals with a “wish,” or idea, to create change in the world; TEDx, which provides licenses to thousands of individuals and groups who host local, self-organized TED-style events around the world; and the TED Fellows program, which selects innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.