World Mental Health Day, a time to empower ourselves and support others

I will be discussing one of the most common mental health conditions and how we can support ourselves and others. Recipe wise I’m making a recipe that ticks all your boxes for simplicity and taste, my one pot chicken stew is a perfect family dinner.

This year’s world mental health day is tomorrow October 10th. It is now over 18 months since the start of the global pandemic of covid 19. Globally countries and people are impacted in different ways, with some people returning to some semblance of normality whilst others are far away from any sense of normal life. What all countries do have in common is that the pandemic has had a major impact on mental health, it has been a very difficult period for us all. But there is a positive in all this, last May 2021 at the world health assembly governments from around the world acknowledged the need to scale up quality mental health services at all levels. 

World mental health day is about advocacy but it also provides us with the opportunity to empower ourselves and support others. This week I’ll chat about depression (I’ve used documentation from the world health organisation, additional information can be found at www.who.int)

Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions and for this reason, I feel it is a good idea to write about it.

What exactly is depression?

• Depression can happen to anyone and is not a sign
  of weakness.
• It’s an illness characterized by persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that you normally enjoy, accompanied by difficulty carrying out daily activities.
• People with depression also normally experience several of the following: loss of energy; change in appetite; sleeping more or less; anxiety; reduced concentration; indecisiveness; restlessness; feelings of worthlessness, guilt, or hopelessness; thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
• But don’t worry. Depression can be treated – with talking therapies, medication or both

What you can do:

• Talk to someone you trust about your feelings – most people find that talking to someone who cares about them helps.
• Seek professional help – your local healthcare worker or doctor is a good place to start.
• Try to keep doing at least some of the activities that you usually enjoy.
• Stay connected with friends and family.
• Exercise regularly – even if it’s just a short walk.
• Stick to regular eating and sleeping habits as much as possible.
• Avoid or restrict alcohol intake and don’t use illicit drugs – they can make depression worse.
• If you feel suicidal, contact someone you trust for help, or ring the emergency services.

REMEMBER: With the right support, you can get better – so if you think you might be depressed, seek help.

Wellness tip:

Well-being is more than simply how happy you are. Mental health Ireland is the longest established mental health charity in Ireland. Their website is hugely helpful and packed with resources. One that caught my attention is their ‘5 ways to well-being’ these include ‘keep learning, be active, take notice, connect and give’