Mental Health Awareness Week 2022
Runs from 9th-15th May 2022
Help Me Stop is joining the national conversation around loneliness leading up to and during Mental Health Awareness Week 2022. We will explore how loneliness affects our mental health, and how everyone can help to reduce loneliness in their community.
Whether it’s calling a friend who has dropped off the radar, or taking a few minutes to talk to a distressed stranger, and of course noticing when we are feeling isolated and unwell ourselves, it’s vital that we listen, notice and connect.
At Help Me Stop, we recognise the role of loneliness in many mental health conditions that we treat, including depression, anxiety disorders, stress, all forms of addiction, PTSD, and more. Loneliness can contribute to all these conditions developing, and be a significant factor in how they progress. Coming out of isolation and loneliness is something that we have always supported our clients with, and will continue to do so, because recovery centres in connection and belonging. In the case of addiction, many do not realise addiction is a mental illness in itself, and it needs to be treated with care and compassion, not judgement.
We all have mental health. Every child and adult on the planet has understanding and insight to contribute. Being aware of how we are feeling ourselves, as well as noticing people around us,are the key things here. Mental health Awareness Week is a timely reminder to take stock and reflect on our own mental health, as well as looking out for those around us. The small things do make a difference, and we all have something to add.
Often, it is hard to identify or see those struggling with their mental health, and it is the same within ourselves too. Sometimes it takes someone to ask the question, or a prompt to check in with ourselves, to identify the things that aren’t feeling right in our minds. If we’re lonely and isolated, those vital mental health checkpoints can be reduced or non-existent. This is where peer support and counselling can really help, as well as consistent care from your GP or mental health professional.
When discussing addiction, there is often this picture of people being completely broken, having lost everything – That is the stereotyped view of addiction. While that can, of course, end up being the case, it isn’t the norm. We help many clients who are trying to hide their addiction, masking their behaviours and appearing to function inside their family and their work units. A lot of the time, it is difficult for an outsider to know that there is anything wrong. Believe it or not, this can be equally as lonely and isolating as an addiction where everything has fallen apart. As addiction takes its toll, it can have a huge impact on mental health and how people see and interact with the world. Isolation and loneliness can set in, as people withdraw from day-to-day activities and support structures, becoming more consumed with the addiction and less able to maintain supportive relationships.
We are here to offer help and support with addiction recovery and improving mental health as well. We will work with you to help you have a better understanding of yourself, including how to care for your mental health and wellbeing.
Recovery isn’t always an easy road, but it is one worth journeying down. It can be hard to see the end of that road, when making those first steps in recovery. Our team is on hand to help and support, and many have been through the recovery process too, so we know just how you feel.
Our rehab Dayhab model is built on evidence and experience, and due to it being non-residential, it means you can integrate recovery with the rest of your life. You won’t be cut off from the outside world during the time you spend with us. We offer online and face-to-face intensive treatment for addiction, which are more affordable and more easily accessible for working people, parents and carers. Help Me Stop also provides one-to-one counselling for a wide range of mental health and wellbeing needs, including common mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD and stress.
The goal we work towards is always recovery of your mental health and wellbeing., We believe that restoring peace of mind is the gateway to many more freedoms in life, including the ability to explore our relationships, life goals, and more.
Change starts with speaking more openly about mental health, so check in before, during and after Mental Health Awareness Week, and speak up about how you are really feeling. And notice your friends, colleagues, relatives and neighbours: sometimes all it takes is a simple question or kind gesture, to help somebody else to open up.
If you are looking to speak in confidence, and for support with your mental health and/or addiction recovery, get in touch with the Help Me Stop team on +44(0)208 191 9191 or email us at enquiries@helpmestop.org.uk and we will be able to help.
