Sir, - Well done George Gilbert for bravely sharing his struggle with mental illness with us, and well done 'The Northern Scot' for giving his story front page news and such excellent coverage.

It is high time that, once and for all, we get rid of the stigmas and taboos that cause even more suffering to people whose lives are hard enough as they cope with the day-to-day symptoms of mental illness, which can be devastating for individuals and those who care about them.

One in four of us will have problems with our mental health at some point in our lives, and the pain, misery and torment that comes with this can be hard to comprehend. One thing is certain; nobody chooses to be ill, and they certainly don't choose to put their families through the nightmare of a journey in and out of mental illness.

As a society we need to give people the same respect and support as we would to someone who has a physical health problem.

So let's not just pay lip service to mental health in Moray, let's get it out in the open, stop judging people and have compassion for what could be any one of us at any time in the future. - Yours etc,

Carolle Ralph

Westwinds,

Stotfield Road,

Lossiemouth.