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Mental Health Focus: I’ve Been One of the 1 in 4

By HealthNo Comments

At any one time, 1 in 4 people are experiencing poor mental health, albeit to varying degrees of severity.

I have experienced poor mental health at different times in my life and to varying degrees, as have many other people I know. Depending on what I’m thinking and how I’m feeling, I’ve used a number of strategies to manage my own mental and emotional health, including:

  • Reminding myself that my mental or emotional state is temporary and will change.
  • Monitoring my mind and mood to look for improvement or deterioration.
  • Keeping my negative internal voice in check – including silencing it, being kind to myself and thinking positive thoughts to counter the negative voice.
  • Asking from help, support and understanding from family & friends.
  • ‘Off loading’ to friends.
  • Distracting Myself.
  • Sleeping – I guess you could say avoidance here.
  • Taking time out to rest and relax.
  • Meditating.
  • Imagining and Visualising a better future – giving me hope that things will get better.
  • Reading for Pleasure
  • Having an up-beat music playlist.
  • Being creative to connect with my soul.
  • Visiting my GP.

How do you manage your own mental and emotional health? Leave a comment below.

I’ve wrote a series of Mental Health Focus blog posts to help to #EndTheStigma around mental health and to encourage others to talk openly and honestly about their own mental health.

If you are experiencing an episode of poor mental health, two useful websites are: Mind and SANE. If you are feeling suicidal please visit your nearest A&E Department for crisis support.

Blog soon,

Antony

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Friday 16 January 2015

Honesty

By Thinking2 Comments

Recently I read a very honest post on Mike’s blog titled Glass half… It got me thinking about how difficult it can be to be completely honest my with myself. I’m sure you’ve all had the same difficulty at times.

Then this weekend my good friend Sye came round to visit. Sye and I have a rather unique relationship – we can tell each other anything (and I mean anything). We had a long chat about different things going on in our lives going in to the early hours of the morning. I won’t go into the detail of the conversation as it’s private and unimportant, but what is important is what I’ve realised: I’m not always being completely honest with myself. I do a fantastic job of avoiding the issues that I have and distracting myself with other things.

This avoidance of these issues has led to them seeping in to my everyday life with out me even realising. Look at my blog for example, when’s the last time I wrote a personal post? In the last few months it’s been review after review, books, TV anything to avoid writing from the heart. Well that’s going to be the first change. I’m still going to write reviews (as I quite enjoy it), but the most recent personal post will be a sticky. This means the most recent personal post will appear as the first blog post on the home page. If you like reading the reviews remember to check further down the page for the most recent review. Oh and I know I’m a few Torchwood episodes behind, but I do intend to catch up.

So first completely honest point – I am struggling to decide what are my own feelings and those of others. In paganism and indeed most spiritualities there is a belief that everyone and everything are interconnected. The theory goes that we are all connected and that if enough people feel negative it spreads making more people feel negative. Have you ever been to see a friend feeling really happy but they are down in the dumps and you leave them feeling down yourself? It’s kind of like that but on a much larger scale. We are constantly being bombarded with negativity, more so than ever before, just think: bankers, corrupt politicians, the economic climate (and all that it brings – lack of job security, etc.), the list could go on.

So that’s my first challenge to decide how I feel about everything in my life. To sort through things in my head and listen to what my heart says. From there I can decide what and how I am going to change the things in my life that need changing.

Write soon,

Antony



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Sunday 4 September 2011

Grief

By Thinking2 Comments

It’s an odd thing to loose someone in such a permanent way as death. The days and nights merge in to one; you can’t remember what you did or didn’t do and when. People call it ‘grief’ and it is an unpredictable creature, you don’t know how your going feel from one minute to the next. I am about to write about some of what I’ve experienced so far, but please bare in mind the unpredictability of this creature.

Shock – Initially to see him lying in the hospital was shocking.

Disbelief – This followed at the hospital and still continues now.

Anger – At the situation. Taken out on inanimate objects (please note that no objects were harmed or damaged).

Denial – Particularly when planning the funeral.

Waves of sadness – Triggered off by the smallest of things, such as his cup at mums.

Bargaining – At least he had 18 good years with family & friends that loved him.

Mother Hen-ing – Supporting others to deal with their feelings, putting mine to one side.

Humour – To diffuse tense atmospheres, saying things like “Alex would have loved the attention”.

Self Destruction – Limited to chain smoking and drinking too much alcohol.

Unrested Sleep – Sleeping a lot more than I normally would but waking up feeling more tired.

Self Neglect / Low Motivation – Eating crap food, only bathing when I absolutely need too, being energyless and staying in bed watching crappy TV. All in my pyjamas. Feeling like I don’t want to and can’t face seeing anyone.

Avoidance – Ignoring the event entirely. Becoming focus and involved on whatever crap TV I’m watching at the time.

It’s difficult at times, but I’ll get there. With the love, support and kindness of my dear family and friends.

Write soon,

Antony



I aim for posts on this blog to be informative, educational and entertaining. If you have found this post useful or enjoyable, please consider making a contribution by Paypal:


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Sunday 30 January 2011
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