Over recent months and years it’s been widely publicised how we are getting better at talking about mental health. There seems to be increased profile that the subject receives - from documentaries involving celebrities or from people sharing honestly. There seems to be increased recognition of challenges like anxiety and depression and the ways these conditions can affect us. There seems to be increased awareness amongst the general public about mental health and the challenges it presents.
This is a wonderful thing ! Actress Glen Close wrote:
“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candour and more unashamed conversation.”
Here at Space to Breathe we are committed to increasing the profile and awareness of mental health. But we want this openness to spread a little further. I wonder what it would be like if:
we were able to speak about psychosis in the same we speak about anxiety and depression?
we were able to find more ways to help people who feel suicidal reach out for help?
we were able to remove the barriers of culture, shame, employment and stigma which still exist around mental health in this country?
This is the conversation and action we’d like to be involved in 2022.
The reality is that for many of us, mental health challenges are still hidden. The Mental Health Foundation found in 2018 that 75% of people with diagnosable mental health conditions receive no treatment at all. That means despite our openness and the higher profile, three quarters of us are trying to get through on our own - trying to be brave and keep going whilst our inner pain and struggle rises exponentially.
A lot of has been written about the impact of the pandemic on our mental health. Children’s Mental Health referrals have doubled. Rates of severe anxiety and depression have increased sometimes by 20%. Instances of severe mental health conditions are rising and yet waiting lists are under more pressure than ever before. Yet it’s my view that the pandemic has amplified what was already under the surface. There are barriers many of us face to receiving help and these barriers, coupled with COVID and all it’s brought have resulted in a mental health wave which we are in the midst of now.
We are currently in the midst of an Urgent Appeal to raise £4000 and to recruit new volunteers to help us in our work with mental health and wellbeing. We’ve had a great start but there is still a good way to go. I wonder if you’d consider helping us to reach out goal, so that in 2022 we can:
begin a project to work with the connection between mental health and homeless. Homeless people are twice to have suffered from a Mental Health condition and have much higher rates of psychosis (Crisis.)
continue our work to tackle inequalities in mental health care and support. 46% of people in Forensic Mental Health care in Sheffield are from black, asian and ethnic minority backgrounds compared to 19% of the cities population (SHSC.)
tackle the barriers that create shame or stigma for people facing mental health challenges.
help more people speak out and become more self-aware of their own hidden mental health challenges and signpost more people to support. We have held over 180 free Wellbeing Check-In calls with individuals since the beginning of the pandemic.
provide self-care and wellbeing support to individuals facing tricky transitions from the mental health care system into living in the local community.
We are looking to find as many people as possible to give to our appeal. £50 will enable us to work with one individual specifically - offering signposting, care and wellbeing support. Would you join us and donate to our Appeal?
We also know that we need to increase our capacity to respond so we are looking for volunteers - both in the Sheffield area and across the country.
We want to find people to be mental health buddies, we need volunteer help with our online work, we want to find people to help signpost and champion our work and we want to keep training people as mental health first aiders so they can help people where they are.
If you’d like to find out more check out the link below.
This week I had the pleasure of sitting down and talking with an individual who’s been attending our Wellbeing Hub for a while. It was lovely to see the smile on his face as he felt comfortable amongst other people and as his social confidence grows. These seem small steps, but there are invaluable in the fight to feel at home in the world and to be able to build resilience to live with a mental health condition. Over the weeks this person has felt able to share about his condition, ask for help and to build friendships. The weight and value of such an interaction is priceless. I wonder if you’d consider helping us create more of these moments in 2022?
This article is written by Andy Freeman, Director and Founder of Space to Breathe. You interact with him on Instagram @andyfreeman2016 and on Twitter @AndyFMusings.