It is hard sometimes with mental illness to know. One minute you are flying and the next you are hurtling downwards, able to make out the individual windows in the buildings and the colours of jackets and the patterns of chewing gum on the streets. There can be triggers and there can be signs, and sometimes the triggers come first and sometimes the signs, and in some instances the descent or ascent can be difficult to comprehend. As we know, even the richest of people, the most successful, the most popular can become depressed and experience mental illness (and poor mental health, which is not the same, although they intertwine. We all experience bouts of poor mental health). More and more people are aware that these illnesses do not discriminate. People can be predisposed, genetically, to mental illness or have a vulnerability to mental ill health, but environment also factors. Of course the outside can affect the inside. That is why torture is a thing. … [Read more...] about The world is falling apart. And so is my mental health
Mental health
Blues in Euro link-up to help mental health
Everton in the Community has become a European project partner for SPHERE, a new project co-funded by the European Union through the “Erasmus+ Sport - Collaborative Partnerships” programme, that explores the use of sport as a means of recovery for psychiatric patients. SPHERE will see EitC join import- ant European organisations such as: Technical University of Munich (Germany); European Culture and Sport Organization (Italy); Rijeka Sports Association for Persons with Disabilities (Croatia); Finnish Sport Federation Tampere Region (Finland); European Platform for Sport Innovation (Belgium); Cardiff Metropolitan University (UK). All these organisations will unite to share best practice and collate research to help identify the most suitable sport for patients with different diagnoses and backgrounds in order to improve their well-being. The project is targeted at all people with mental health problems (such as depression, anxiety, bi-polar disorder, … [Read more...] about Blues in Euro link-up to help mental health
Scotland’s baby guide updated to include mental health support
0 Have your say A popular resource for pregnant women and their families has been updated to include the latest information on perinatal mental health support. A refreshed edition of Scotland’s ‘Ready Steady Baby’ publication was launched today by Minister for Public Health Joe FitzPatrick.It will be available in hard copies to all pregnant women at their initial booking appointment and will contain guidance on mental health support during or after pregnancy. For the first time all midwives will have their own copies of ‘Ready, Steady, Baby’ and the publication will also be available in Polish, Mandarin and Arabic.The material contained in ‘Ready Steady Baby’ is also available online and, in addition to mental health, it covers issues such as antenatal care and planning for birth.READ MORE: Pregnant Scottish women get funds boost for mental health issuesSpeaking at Forth Valley Royal Hospital’s Women and … [Read more...] about Scotland’s baby guide updated to include mental health support
Blackpool youngsters more worried about their mental health and self-harm than drugs, new survey reveals
A new survey has revealed that young people in Blackpool are more concerned about their mental health or self-harm than the risks posed by drugs. Healthwatch Blackpool has published a report that captures the views of over 3,600 young people around their health and wellbeing. The report comes as part of a six-month-long project undertaken by Healthwatch Blackpool working alongside Healthwatch Lancashire, to ensure young people had the opportunity to voice their views of health and wellbeing services in their community. Results show the biggest worries for young people are: • Experiencing a mental health condition; • Self-harming; • Concerns about their self-image; • Taking drugs. Young people told Healthwatch Blackpool that spending time with their family helped them to stay happy and healthy. Recommendations from young people included the availability of additional, higher standard of mental health services; to be taken seriously by health services at … [Read more...] about Blackpool youngsters more worried about their mental health and self-harm than drugs, new survey reveals
Unmasked app provides mental health support
The UK’s first free peer to peer support App, the brainchild of two local men, is being launched this month in a bid to help people with mental health issues find friendship and support, whatever their state of mind. The ‘Unmasked’ App is designed to enable users to create bonds with people they wouldn’t ordinarily meet.Unmasked is a free app, built around research and consultation with a number of mental health charities and agencies in the UK. Users can choose to appear masked (using an emoji to convey their state of mind) or unmasked as themselves. The system helps people form friendships with other users with mental health issues – users can search by age, location and illness to chat with peers to give and receive support in times of need.Doug Dennison, 35, and Logan Smith, 26, have been friends for over a decade. The men each had their own individual reasons for seeking help in the mental health arena, which led to the idea of the app.Doug is from … [Read more...] about Unmasked app provides mental health support