BLGC tackles Mental Health everyday

It's mental health awareness week, and this week we are shining a spotlight on young people's mental health and wellbeing. This year’s theme is Anxiety. At BLGC young people's mental health and wellbeing is incredibly important to us, we work so hard every day to encourage young people to reach their potential and thrive.

Young person shares their story

At BLGC we see children and young people battling with mental health challenges every day. In the past year we have received 494 referrals for our Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing services. That is at least one referral a day.?We have spoken to our young people and one person in particular, wanted to share their story to raise awareness of Mental Health battles people face daily.

Please note the following content may contain information you may find upsetting or triggering!

"On November 11th, 2022, I overdosed. I felt like I didn’t belong on the planet, and I didn’t want to be here. The things I used to care about such as school, friends and family didn’t matter to me anymore. I cut off all contact with everything and everyone. I lived in a world of my own and I loved it, but I didn’t. I was lonely and my depression told me I was better off alone. After my overdose it became clear to me that my relationship with the world wasn’t healthy at all. I had previously struggled with self-harm, It used to be a daily routine for me wake up, self-harm and go to sleep. Sleeping was my escape. Sleeping felt like dying. My mum noticed I had been sleeping a lot and asked why, I immediately broke down in her arms… a few days later I overdosed. I was rushed into the car and brought in by nurses to the hospital, my stomach was pumped and it was the worst pain I have ever felt, the thought of me actually dying was frightening. When I was discharged from the hospital I felt like a different person. I’ve learnt that life is precious, and you must cherish every moment. Life could go by at the blink of an eye, which is almost did for me. Thankfully I got the help I needed, and I am so much better.” -?Anonymous?14 year old

This young person is just one out of four hundred and ninety-four young people this year?who we know who have battled with their own mind at BLGC.

Anxiety

Research has found one in six children aged five to sixteen were identified as having a probable mental health problem in July 2021. This is a significant increase from 1 in 9 in 2017- that’s 5 children in every classroom.?With the classroom environment in mind, let's talk anxiety. Anxiety is a feeling which every young person is likely to experience, however when this feeling starts to affect our everyday lives it could be a sign to reach out and seek support. Anxiety can present itself in many ways. Key aspects of anxiety are feeling uncomfortable with uncertainty, the “what if's”, overthinking and in many ways lack of control. Since the pandemic there has been a surge in young people voicing struggles with school related anxiety and we see many young people who’s anxiety takes control of their day to day life, in and out of school.

We would like to share our advice, provided by professionals to help anyone you believe is struggling with their mental health, anxiety in particular, or to help yourself:

If you are feeling anxious, a starting point could be identifying triggers. Ask yourself “Why do I feel anxious?”, “Do I notice a pattern emerging?”, “Do I appear to experience any physical changes in my body when feeling this way?”

Strategies to manage feelings of Anxiety?

- Mindfulness and breathing exercises can be helpful to regulate breathing, distraction and press pause to slow down our busy brains!?

- What do you find soothing and relaxing, key examples could include essential oils, face masks, colouring, journaling, go for a walk-in nature, listen to music and take a break, it's whatever works for you.

- Explore your support network, is there someone at home, a friend, a member of staff at school or hobby you can talk to? If speaking out to someone you know feels too much right now there are platforms such as Kooth and the Mix.

- Remember that comparing ourselves to others is natural, however young people often may not seek support because their feelings may not be 'as bad as someone else's'. Remember your feelings are valid, you do not need to wait until you feel at breaking point, prevention and early help is vital to help reduce chances of your feelings escalating.

Useful Links

- For more information on young people's anxiety please see?https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/mental-health-conditions/anxiety/

- For more information on the Mental Health services we offer at BLGC please visit?Targeted Youth Services - Bolton Lads & Girls Club (blgc.co.uk)

-?https://www.youngminds.org.uk/ ??Provides great advice and top tips for young people battling with their mind

-?https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/youth-mental-health/

If you would like to know more about BLGC and what we do to support the young people of Bolton & Greater Manchester please visit www.blgc.co.uk or email [email protected] , [email protected]