Many of us don’t want to talk about our physical and mental health. But new research suggests that doing so can actually have a positive impact on our wellbeing.

Bupa, the international healthcare company, is encouraging all of us to talk about our health through a new global campaign, Health Stories, which launches today.

The company has created a suite of films featuring people sharing their experiences of a wide range of health conditions. By capturing these incredible voices, Bupa is breaking down the barriers of stigma and embarrassment, while also tackling the sense of isolation that individuals too often feel as they cope with a cancer diagnosis or begin therapy for a mental health condition. It’s all about removing the taboos that still affect us as a society when it comes to our health.

One story within the new film series sees a brave woman sharing her response when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. Her immediate reaction was: this cannot be happening to me. Imagine how many have felt that same emotion but kept it to themselves? Another person shares their experience of being a deaf person with ADHD, which is a condition he believes has never been discussed in public before. And an amputee explains how she was able to start enjoying life again after she expressed her feelings to her prosthetist who listened and understood.

Dr Mohamed Maan, Head of Clinical Operations, Bupa Global explains why this campaign can have a positive impact:

“Hearing how another person has managed a health condition can make you feel so many things—connected, empowered, supported, hopeful, a sense of relief.”