I work with mental health…..
I have a mental health…..
You have a mental health…..
We all have mental health…..but what actually is it?!
I believe this question is not asked enough! General perception of anything around mental health is usually because someone is struggling or is acting out of character or doing things that that are not good for them like drinking too much, stealing or bullying etc – I could go on! The words ‘mental health’ are far more used nowadays and awareness is spreading however… we have always had a mental health, the same as we have always had physical health too! Let’s look at a definition….
‘Mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act. It also helps to determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life from childhood to adolescence through to adulthood.’ (www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health 5/8/19 online defintion)
So from this definition, the way I see it, our mental health can be positive or negative. We can all have good days or bad days and it’s about how we deal with it. Since we are all different we would all deal with it differently. The way we are bought up and things we have experienced would have a massive affect on this too.
We all have it SO WHY IS THERE SUCH A STIGMA AROUND THE WORDS MENTAL HEALTH????!!!!
I googled the words ‘mental health’ – up popped the words mental illness, clinics, disorders, suicide, diagnosis and treatment – all very clinical and somewhat negative… no wonder there is such a stigma attached the words! Having a mental health is normal, we all have it and most of all, we all NEED it!
It’s true, some of us struggle with our mental health, and if we are struggling what do we do about it? Some of us have a supportive network around us and can call on family and friends to help. But what if you don’t have that and really need help? I spent some time looking online for support networks. There is certainly a lot of information online about mental health. There is also a lot of online help by way of online counselling and phone numbers of organisations such as the Samaritans, all of which are very helpful but also, some can be costly to you. I would certainly recommend going to talk face to face with a counsellor but that too can be costly, but please do contact counsellors as they may be able to help you with a reduced cost or put you in touch with another service that could help you.
Please take a look at my website for further help and contacts that could help you. If you cannot find what you are looking for, please use my contact sheet and I will do my best to help.
It’s ok not to be ok. Be kind to yourself and do what you need to do to keep going. You ARE worth it!
If you are struggling with your mental health, please don’t suffer in silence. Go to your GP, talk to someone. There are hundreds of thousands of people out there that probably feel very similar to you, you are not alone! There are support groups out there and lots of useful information to help such as mindfulness techniques and Self care tips.
Believe's 