Welcome to my Blog! Here you will find information on mental health, more specifically, personal accounts, general info on the various types of mental health conditions and ways in which you can take care of your mental wellbeing.
Basically, I want to get everyone talking about mental health in the same way we talk about our physical health, because remember guys, they’re just as important as one another! So, over the weeks I will be posting about specific areas in mental health, by no means am I an expert in all things mental health, so if there is anything you’d like to know about or share your personal experience, feel free to send feedback!
This page is literally for anyone! (so share, subscribe and follow!) Everyone’s mental health is unique and we all have our ways of managing it. This is why it’s so important to get talking! Take this image for example
I am sure plenty of you have seen this image used in many different metaphors, but the general idea is, look at how huge the actual iceberg is but we only see the tip or 10% of it unless we go beneath the surface.
This works for our mental health too, so think back at a time where you noticed (in yourself or others), a change in how you responded to something, it may have been in anger, or feeling upset, maybe you just wanted to completely shut off. Then maybe you thought, ‘what on earth was that all about? That’s not what I’m or they’re usually like..’. But upon reflection (a great skill btw), looking under the surface you realised that you had an awful morning that day, or your friend has been struggling with something for a while and suddenly that ‘out of character’ reaction makes sense. We have so much going on beneath the surface that not everyone in your life will know about, what’s going on at our work/home life, personal fears, interpretations of things but that tip or 10% i.e. what we often choose to display to others, is only a small fraction.
Taking some time to think about how we’re feeling and sharing this with others can help us all understand what’s going on beneath the surface for us all.
There are a lot of amazing organisations tailored for our mental health needs (tag MIND, mental health foundation, time to change, CAHMS- for under 16/18). I will be introducing more over the coming weeks that are more specialised to specific areas on mental health. If there are others you are aware of which haven’t been listed, please tag below!
Getting the right kind of support to help with your mental health is incredibly important. In the same way you would go to your GP on a physical issue, you can go to your GP regarding a change in your mental health. From my previous experience of working as a therapist, GPs would often prescribe anti-anxiety/anti-depressants like there was no tomorrow. Whilst medication for mental health issues can be incredibly helpful, it doesn’t suit us all. However, from my understanding now, things have changed a lot where GPs are offering alternative options i.e. therapy. Of course, there are other private options available where you can choose to see someone face to face, over the telephone and even online!
. In a nutshell, accessing support for your mental health can be incredibly powerful as not only is a trained professional helping you with your journey in an area of your life but you are learning so much about yourself which you didn’t realise. This can really help with self appreciation and self awareness.