Let’s Spark Conversation this World Mental Health Day

As part of our WMHD campaign, this year we spoke to our colleagues across the Trust, to learn what mental health means to them and why they think it’s important we get involved in awareness days such as these.

One thing we noticed when speaking to our colleagues was that they all had one thing in common – they all noted that they felt it was important to break down the stigma surrounding mental health, because we all have it.

To help us join the global effort to do this, we decided to ask health and social care professionals to start the conversation with us.

Get to know some of their experiences below. Together, we can remind everyone that its ok not to be ok, and its ok to talk. #WorldMentalHealthDay

Tony, Early Intervention SMASH Practitioner, said:

“Good mental health to me is a feeling of feeling safe, settled, secure and happy. A feeling of being comfortable with the relationship I have with myself and the relationship I have with those I love and spend time with.

World Mental Health Day is important to generate and have conversations about our emotional well-being and raise awareness of the struggles people face.

I face and challenge anxieties every day, I try to use these experiences to grow, challenge and learn more about myself."

Kimberley, Activity Coordinator, said:

“I understand mental health as a condition where it can affect your emotional and psychological wellbeing. Mental health is different for everyone, and everyone’s experience is complex and unique.  

World Mental Health Days are important as it makes people aware and informs people about mental health – it helps make it more accepted.

I was in and out of psychiatric hospital all my adolescent years due to suicidal behaviour and now diagnosed EUPD. I was failed at times, but now I feel mental health is more known and understood, and I was given the right help and have been able to achieve and grow. Having support workers (nurses, healthcare assistants, doctors, etc.) and mental health teams who do not judge, do not assume and treat everyone with respect and dignity, can make a huge positive difference to someone fighting their own mental health challenges.”

Gav, Peer Support Worker, said:

“Mental health defines me because, if I didn’t have mental health, I wouldn’t be doing my job as a Peer Support Worker with the Trust.

Mental health days like this one help to raise the profile of people who suffer from mental health, encourage research and promote advancement.

I suffer from a long history of Depression, Paranoia and Affective Psychosis. I am a survivor.”

Dan, Clinical Supervisor, said:

“Mental health is all encompassing to me. It is weaved into who we are as people, which means it links into work, home, friendships, relationships, all the thoughts, feelings and, ultimately, all of the actions and behaviours we make. Mental health to me is like water, it is constantly flowing and changing, without it we wouldn’t be human and alive, but with it; we need to look after it, we need to understand that it will dip, but more importantly that it can rise, and if we take the time and care to look after it like our physical health, we can learn to manage it and care for it as much as is required.

Even hearing the words mental health can instantly make people think it is a bad thing. Awareness days can hopefully encourage everyone to have open communication about mental health, and to understand that it is a part of us at all times, not just when we are struggling. If days like mental health day can help remove the negative stigma around mental health and push us towards people being as comfortable to talk about mental health as they are physical health, then that can only be a positive thing.

I think every moment of every day is a lived experience with mental health, I truly feel that focusing on the positive experiences of mental health is as just as important as highlighting any negatives, and therefore my experience is constant.”

Emma, Early Intervention Lead and Prevention Service Manager, said:

“Mental health to me means taking care of your mind, body and soul. It means feeling integrated and healthy. I feel that we often go to a place of only thinking about mental health when we are struggling, but I like to think about it as part of my daily routine; connecting with myself on all levels – emotional, physical, and mental – as part of my self-care.

Metal health days are important to raise awareness and to normalise mental health in a way that promotes that we all have it, and the idea that taking care of our mental health is as important as taking care of our physical health.

As a teenager, I found I experienced lots of confidence and self-esteem issues, often feeling that I wasn’t good enough. This sometimes comes back into play now as an adult, but through self-care and connecting with myself, I am able to ground myself and integrate my thoughts feelings and behaviours to support my mental health and stay feeling ok.”

Kat, Mental Health and Deputy Charge Nurse, said:

“Mental health is all about how we feel, think, and behave. It includes our cognitive, behavioural, and emotional wellbeing. It’s how we cope with the stressors of life and realize our potential. It is vital to health and wellbeing and underpins everything in our lives. It affects everyone and is not just the absence of a ‘mental disorder’.

Mental health is experienced differently by each individual and with varying degrees of difficulty and distress. Life experiences, physical health and biological predisposition all play a part in shaping a person’s mental health and coping mechanisms. It is experienced by everyone – sometimes it’s good and sometimes it’s not.

Spreading awareness is vitally important. Things have improved and the stigma is not what it was, however, some people still believe that it is a weakness or that others will judge them. People still don’t want to admit they are struggling. Mental health is experienced by everyone, and it needs to be completely normal to be able to say ‘my mental health is not good right now’.

Recently, I have started menopause and at times my mental health has been bad. I have found that things which normally would not phase me have become a big stressor. I have had palpitations and low mood and struggled with anxiety and sleep. It makes day to day life much more difficult.

I have found talking to peers and getting the right medication really helps. Finding the thing that works for you is so important.”