Founded by The World Health Organisation, World Mental Health Day is celebrated on October 10th every year in 150 countries. It aims to raise awareness of Mental Health issues and to promote access to Mental Health Education and Services. In Northern Ireland it is estimated that 1 in 4 people will encounter mental ill health […]
Mental Illness treatment must be on a level with Physical Health. The Coalition Government will seek to end the second class treatment of mental illness in the NHS by announcing new waiting time targets for those afflicted by common mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. It is proposed that three-quarters of patients needing “talking […]
In recent weeks worried householders have been bombarding social media sites with images of unusually large spiders found in homes across Northern Ireland. This has fuelled fears that the long-legged creatures (the biggest have a 6inch leg span and can run at 30k per hour!) may be dangerous and has caused alarm among those with […]
The Walk In My Shoes Campaign run by St. Patrick’s Hospital, Dublin highlights young peoples’ Mental Health issues and aims to reduce the stigma surrounding common difficulties such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, suicide and self-harm. Campaign Ambassadors include U2’s Adam Clayton, Tiger Woods, Brian O’Driscoll, Michael Flatley, Lulu Guinness and Cecelia Ahern. […]
Since 2011, in Northern Ireland, 9000 young people under 18years have been referred for Mental Health Treatment. Issues treated included depression, eating disorders, trauma and bereavement. It can be difficult for parents to accept that a child may be suffering from a mental health issue and finding appropriate help is often stressful and confusing. […]
This week Johnathon Trott who plays cricket for England and who is a highly talented sportsman had to stop playing for his country at the Ashes in Australia due to a stress related condition. Following this announcement a number of other sportsmen have spoken out about the personal difficulties they have experienced when playing a […]
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Fear and anxiety are normal emotions that all of us feel sometimes.Difficulties arise when we get stuck in a cycle of anxious thinking and avoidance behaviour (we have anxious thoughts: ‘Something awful will happen’ and ‘I wont be able to cope’;) as a result we feel frightened; when we are frightened, […]
Alexa Chung, Jemima Khan and Geri Halliwell are among countless celebs using Twitter to lament their lack of sleep. While Chronic Insomnia is relatively unusual, most of us will experience difficulty sleeping at some stage. There are many factors which contribute to poor sleep: doing too much; stress/anxiety; relationship difficulties; depression; poor diet; alcohol/substance misuse. […]
The actor Stephen Fry recently spoke publicly about his personal struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts and urged others to seek help. Stephen’s courageous admission highlighted how difficult it can be for men in particular to seek counselling . He points out that “why?” is not the important question and that at times there is no […]
