Hi everyone,
Have you seen the brilliant campaign to raise awareness about mental health, run by the NHS yet?
It uses the iconic Beatles song ‘Help’ and is backed by some of the UK’s biggest artists. The campaign will encourage people struggling with their mental health to seek support.
‘Help!’, written by John Lennon in 1964, was credited by the superstar songwriter as one of his most honest and genuine songs, and with lyrics like ‘Help me if you can I’m feeling down’, the song is the ideal soundtrack to get others thinking about their mental wellbeing.
Since the start of the pandemic, some 2.3 million people have come forward for NHS talking therapies, but new figures out today show that over 50% of people were concerned about their mental health last year – and around half were also experiencing stress, anxiety, low mood or depression. The majority were not seeking professional help – and many more could benefit from it.
The NHS is encouraging anybody experiencing anxiety, depression, or other common mental health concerns, to come forward and see how talking therapies can help them.
NHS mental health talking therapies are a confidential service run by fully trained experts, and can be accessed by self-referral or through your GP practice.
If you want to see the video, and find out what the artists have shared, or how to access this help and support, click here for the link.
I just love it, not only because it is one of my favourite Beatles songs, but anything that encourages people to seek help and access support has to be beneficial – check it out!
Also Thursday February 3rd is ‘Time to Talk’ day – originally run and organised by the ‘Time to Change Campaign’ to raise awareness, and get people talking about mental health. It is now run every year by ‘Mind’ and ‘Rethink’ (both are mental health charities).
The theme for ‘Time to Talk’ day this year is “Talk, Listen, Change Lives”. However you do it – have a conversation about mental health and be prepared to listen. Start by using the hashtag #TimeToTalk.
The day is all about creating supportive communities by having conversations with family, friends, or colleagues about mental health. We all have mental health, and by talking about it – we can support ourselves and others.
If you want to get involved, you can download some resources and a starter pack by clicking on this link.
If you want to share your stories of your own particular experience of mental health, and what has helped you, or if you’d like to contribute to the blog – you can e-mail me at shirley.allmark@achievetogether.co.uk
It would be great to hear from you.
Shirl
About me:
I have been a mental health nurse for 28 years. I work in the Health and Wellbeing Team, and my main role is to facilitate mental health and related subjects. I also facilitate epilepsy and emergency rescue medication training. I provide support and consultations to managers and teams supporting individuals with complex needs and mental health difficulties. This blog is written to encourage people to start talking about mental health, in order to raise awareness and reduce stigma.
