The impact of poor mental health

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week. Since all the work I do comes under the umbrella of mental health, it seemed natural to make that the topic of this month’s Managing Your Mind.

I’m encouraged by how much the conversation around mental health has moved on over the years. We still have a way to go (especially when it comes to being comfortable around anyone with a mental illness), but at least people are now talking about mental health.

“Mental health problems don’t define who you are. They are something you experience. You walk in the rain and you feel the rain, but, importantly, YOU ARE NOT THE RAIN.” — Matt Haig

The impact of poor mental health

My personal experience with mental health issues comes from my daughter who was diagnosed with anxiety and depression when she was only 12 years old. If you know my story, you’ll be aware that over the coming years we watched her spiral until we had real concerns about her safety.

The impact on the whole family was immense and I felt so lost and lonely, desperately trying to find the help we needed. Finally I came across RTT, a form of hypnotherapy, and it was the only thing that worked. Then, at age 18, Nellie was diagnosed with ADHD which provided the final piece of the puzzle.

How widespread is it?

In the UK, 18 million work days are lost to mental health conditions (Office for National Statistics’ sickness absence data 2018-2022).

Last year the Mental Health Foundation published the results of a survey which showed that 60% of adults in the UK had experienced anxiety that interfered with their daily lives in the previous two weeks.

Plus NHS research has found that one in five children and young people in England have a probable mental disorder. This is highest among 17 to 19 year olds.

How’s your mental health?

Do you ever stop and ask yourself that question? Maybe you could instantly sum up your physical health, listing any illness or ailments or your level of fitness. But maybe it’s more difficult to assess your mental health, largely because you were never taught how to do that.

Most people know what they should be doing to keep themselves physically fit, but fewer consider what’s needed to maintain good mental health.

What does good mental health look like?

It doesn’t mean you go around smiling all day, every day (let’s face it, that would be a bit weird). The importance of good mental health for me is that it makes you resilient, so I really like this description from patient.info

"Having good mental health is about feeling positive about ourselves and others, being able to form good relationships, and having the resilience to overcome challenges. Someone who has good mental health will likely be able to: Feel, express and manage a range of positive and negative emotions.”

Should I be worried about my child?

In young people, it can sometimes be hard for parents to tell what's normal teenage behaviour (especially moodiness and shutting themselves away) and what's a mental health problem. However, half of all mental health problems are established by age 14 and three-quarters by age 24, so it's crucial to intervene early if you suspect something’s wrong.

As a general rule, if your child seems to be struggling most days - for example there are changes to their sleeping or eating patterns, or they constantly seem upset - you should take it seriously.

If you think your child is anxious, answering a few questions on Reducing Teenage Anxiety will help to work out whether it’s something to be worried about, or not.

How you can help your teenager

Having a teenager in the home can significantly impact any parent’s mental health! It’s a tricky time for both parent and child. But there are ways to make this transition period easier. From all my work with teenagers and their families, I’ve created a simple 5 step process which will lead to you Connecting With Your Teen. It’s launching soon, so if you have a teen, or pre-teen, send me a message and I’ll make sure you get notified of the special discounted rate.

Whether you have children or not, it’s always important to look after your own mental wellbeing. This can be reading a book, going for a run or taking a walk. Whatever works for you, make sure it’s a priority every day.?

Be kind to yourself.

Kate

How to work with me:

Bespoke hypnotic audios ￡99

Parenting Teens 1:1 Coaching Call ￡150

RTT 2 hour hypnotherapy session plus bespoke audio ￡497

Transformation Programme, including weekly coaching and daily messaging ￡2,500

As a first step,?click here to book in a no-obligation chat