mental health spelt out in squares with a leaf next to it

Care First – Mental Health Awareness Week

Mental Health Awareness week is 18 until 24 May 2020 and the theme for this is KINDNESS.  

Care first is a leading provider of confidential, professional counselling, information, and advice services. All employees are eligible to use Care first, our services include: telephone counselling, information services and online support.

Approximately one in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. Mental Health Awareness Week aims to get people talking about their mental health and reduce the stigma that can stop people from asking for help.

With mental health issues being so widespread, it’s important to raise awareness, support those suffering from a mental health problem, and seek help if you’re suffering from any form of mental illness or mental health problem.

A mental illness can range from common problems, such as depression and anxiety, to rarer problems i.e. schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Mental Health Awareness Weeks helps to give those living with Mental Illnesses the opportunity to speak out if appropriate and feel able to do so.

Good mental health, according to the World Health Organisation, is defined as a state of wellbeing where individuals are able to:

  • Realise their own potential.
  • Work productively.
  • Cope with the normal stresses of life.
  • Make a positive contribution to the community

Good mental health is also characterised by a person’s ability to fulfil several key functions and activities, including:

  • The ability to learn.
  • The ability to feel, express and manage a range of positive and negative emotions.
  • The ability to form and maintain good relationships with others.

 Five Warning Signs of Mental Illness:

  • Long-lasting sadness or irritability.
  • Extremely high and low moods.
  • Excessive fear, worry, or anxiety.
  • Social withdrawal.
  • Dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits.

By raising awareness, we begin to have an understanding and insight into what it may be like to live with a mental illness. Kindness is the theme, so let’s see how many acts of kindness we can witness and deliver ourselves not just for awareness week but on-going.

If you feel you may need some support, call Care first on the Freephone number provided by your organisation and you can speak to a professional in confidence.