World Mental Health Day is coming up on the 10th of October to raise awareness of mental health issues, encourage efforts to support those experiencing mental health issues and try to remove the stigma about receiving help not being a sign of weakness but of strength. I wanted to write a PSA. I am not a trained professional in this area by any means; I will link all resources I found my information from and comment about my experience, but everyone is different, so take it with a pinch of salt.
Everyone has mental health just on different scales. Some can be more debilitating and impact someone's daily life more. This does not just cover depression and anxiety but also eating disorders, phobias, addiction, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
Therapy and reaching out for help do not just give you options but also give you a diagnosis, which sometimes helps people accept it more. Also, you can receive medicines and resources that are specific to your mental health struggle.
Therapies are not just for those mental health conditions but can be there to talk through life moments and create coping mechanisms.
Therapy does not have to be with a professional, though recommended; it could be talking to friends and family and opening up; it will be relieving. A problem shared is a problem halved.
You can bring anything to therapy; I have spoken to a therapist about relationships and friendly and grief. You can also get specifics that specify your condition of life events like infertility or job loss.
It's okay not to stay with the same therapist. Find someone to open up to and feel safe around if you are uncomfortable.
Especially when, for example, talking about physical or sexual abuse, there will be therapists who have done extra training and have a better idea of how to help. It is all a trial and error, so do not feel disheartened.
There are different types of therapies; there's counselling, which is the most common type of cognitive behavioural therapy and Analogical therapy plus exposure therapy for phobias. All work differently and have different practices. I have tried the first three, so the first one you do might not work.
The most important thing is that therapy is not going to work if you don't want to 100% get better and do the work. Doctors, in my experience, do not want to consume drugs straight away. Therapy is the preferred solution in hopes of creating a sustainable outcome.
If you can afford it and you want instant help, I would get private therapy. It's more flexible and more likely to be face-to-face. I found it easier to open up to someone in person. With the NHS, the mental health sector is underfunded and overstretched. There will be a longer waiting time for this resource, and it will likely be over the phone or Zoom, which will likely have less flexibility, but it’s free.
However, you can go to your GP practice, which is a good starting point. Your doctor can give you advice, a diagnosis and resources that suit your needs if that therapy or medication. They will offer treatments and refer you to mental health specialists.
Trained therapists and counsellors can provide a range of different therapies. To find out more, see our page on finding a therapist. There are helplines and listening services. There are also third-party charities and organisations, as well as national and local charities, that provide services.
Peer support is vital to talking to people with similar experiences who can empathise and understand your experience, especially around family therapy, which can be the whole family. It can be beneficial for children and young people with depression or a behavioural problem or whose parents are splitting up.
Higher education institutions will have a well-being centre for students, though there is likely to be a limit on how many sessions you can have at university.Student mental health is crucial and can be seen in secondary schools, which might have their in-house councillor or external people come into the school.
Social media has both a positive and negative impact on mental health, removing the stigma but piling it on people through bullying.
Dr Alex George, an ER doctor, has an initiative called #PostYourPill, which started in November 2021. It is a campaign to urge people to share snaps of their prescribed mental health medication on social media on the first day of the month. To break the stigma attached to seeking help when you’re in need. In hopes of creating conversations to normalise medication to reform the barrier of shame. This is a positive example of social media being worked for good to open a positive conversation.
Burnout if you're constantly under lots of pressure from work or lifestyle. These are your common feelings
- Exhausted, like you’re drained of energy
- Like you enjoy your job less or don’t feel motivated to do it anymore
- Like you’re not doing your job as well as you used to
- Irritable
- Anxious
- Physical symptoms, like headaches, stomach aches
- Like you have trouble sleeping
I have learnt that ignoring these systems will worsen in the long term. Do not bring your work home, schedule your time, remember to have a packed lunch out, get enough sleep, turn your work phone off or log out when you leave work or finish. Talk to your boss or others for help, eat nutritious food, and clean, which can take a day or so.
Another way to maintain a good balance is exercise. It does not have to be running; it could be dancing around you, leaving singing into your hairbrush. Being active releases chemicals in your brain that boost your self-esteem and help you concentrate and sleep well. Setting goals or challenges to maintain and achieve your commitment is a way to maintain sustainability.
Another area of research shows that learning new skills can improve your mental well-being by boosting self-confidence, building a sense of purpose, and helping create meaningful connections with similar interests.
Giving and kindness create positive feelings and a sense of reward and purpose. The simple act of “thank you” and compliments can bring joy to others and will likely put a smile on your face when you make someone laugh or happy.
Mindfulness can help you understand yourself better. It can positively change how you feel about life and approach challenges.
Finally, we will discuss the new labour government initiative around mental health. They said they wanted better mental health support within the UK. They aim to recruit 8,500 additional mental health staff in their first term of service, deliver an extra million NHS appointments a year, and reduce waiting times for people waiting for health care. Let's see if these words come into the action.
links
Five steps to mental wellbeing
Add comment
Comments