I have been really impressed by the moving personal contributions on Lib Dem Voice today setting people’s own experience of mental health. It reminded me powerfully why I am a Liberal Democrat.  As Holly Matthies wrote, tackling mental health stigma is fundamentally about freedom – freedom from poverty, ignorance, and conformity.

Mental health isn’t something that happens to other people.  1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem at some point during their life – and everyone will know someone close to them who is affected.  And we know that there is often a considerable effect on the whole family. In terms of its impact on people’s lives, it is one of the most important issues facing our society today.

And yet people with mental health problems continue to experience stigma and discrimination.  Too many people feel that they can’t share their problems with those around them.

The fantastic campaign, Time to Change, aims to change that. I applaud them for their initiative in organising the first ever Time to Talk Day. To change social attitudes to mental health – and to ensure that those with mental health problems get the support they need – we have to be willing to talk openly about mental health problems.

And so, I urge you all – not just today, but every day, to make an effort to talk.  Small conversations can make a big difference to the lives of people who are suffering with mental health.  Everyone has a part to play, and together we can make a real difference

* Norman Lamb is MP for North Norfolk and was Liberal Democrat Minister of State at the Department of Health until May 2015. He now chairs the Science and Technology Select Committee