SANE's Black Dog Campaign

Black Dog Campaign

Nowhere to turn? Are you having a Black Dog time?

SANE launched its Black Dog campaign to mark its 25th anniversary with a concert by rock legend Ray Davies and a show by comedian Rory Bremner, to raise awareness of depression and mental ill-health. The purpose of the campaign is to give people a language in which to express their inner feelings of anxiety, depression and loneliness, to talk more openly and seek help.

The Black Dog has been a metaphor for depression from classical mythology through to medieval folklore and contemporary times. Black Dog sculptures, each wearing a ‘SANE Collar of Hope’ and a ‘coat’ designed by a celebrity, artist or someone who has experienced mental illness, will be placed in cities across the UK.

“The shadow of the Black Dog touches us all, but it is possible to master and live with your mental illness so that it no longer dominates your life. It’s easier to say that you have had a Black Dog time than that you’ve been away suffering from depression.”

Marjorie Wallace CBE, Chief Executive of SANE.

SANE is working with Black Dog Tribe to realise the shared vision of telling people that they do not need to suffer alone but can find others who know how they feel, and obtain information and ongoing help.

SANE is a leading UK mental health charity founded by Marjorie Wallace following the overwhelming public response to her series of articles The Forgotten Illness in The Times. It aims to: 

• Raise awareness and combat prejudice and stigma about mental illness
• Understand the causes of mental illness, leading to better treatments and therapies, at the Prince of Wales International Centre for SANE Research  
• Provide immediate help

At SANE we can offer people who feel lonely, vulnerable or distressed emotional support and practical, up-to-date information from our force of fully trained volunteers and professionals 365 days a year, through our helpline open every evening, our email service and our web-based Support Forum.