
World Mental Health Day 2020 Twitter Takeover Q&A
WWTW Head Start Therapist, Emma McDonald, answers all your mental health questions
Last week, WWTW hosted Twitter Takeover in relation to World Mental Health Day. WWTW mental health therapist, Emma McDonald answered questions on a range of topics including, how to keep mentally fit, what type of support is available for veterans, and what techniques you can use to relax your mind and promote self-compassion.
Q. How do you
support someone with complex PTSD?
A. The first thing is to listen, to be
non-judgemental and initially try not to jump in to solve the problem. If the
person opens up reinforce this to encourage it again, using statement such as
‘thank you for sharing that’, ‘I’m pleased you spoke to me today’.
If the person is struggling
with flashbacks you can help them to learn skills to come out of the flashbacks
into the present to reduce stress. You can find resources for that here and
information about Grounding Exercises here.
If the person is struggling
with low mood, encourage them to engage with activities that will give them a
sense of achievement, enjoyment and connectedness ex: participation in low
energy/easy activities together, inviting them to activities.
Q. How do you
keep mentally fit?
A. To stay mentally fit we need to have regular self-check ins e.g.
weekly. Check-ins help to identify symptoms of distress early and to prevent
them from worsening.
During these check ins, which could be done
independently or with a friend ask yourself ‘How has my mood/anxiety been?’, or
‘How would I rate my distress this week?’. Here is a resource to
rate your distress.
Develop a range of coping skills, here’s some self-help guides
to help; in you check-ins also ask, ‘Have I been
using my skills or do I need to practice the use of these skills more?’.
Q. Can
you recommend any coping mechanisms to look after mental health during
Covid-19?
A. Yes certainly! Firstly try to stay connected to
people even if it is via telephone/text or video calls. Maybe arrange a quiz
night via video with friends. Being connected to others helps improve our mood.
Keep fit and active, for
many physical activity may have reduced, get the happiness chemicals of
Dopamine, Oxytocin and Endorphins going again by increasing exercise, even if
it’s only a few more steps pacing around the house or walking up/down the
street!
For anxious
thoughts/catastrophising thoughts ask yourself; what is the worst, best and
then most realistic scenario, then rate each scenario with a % of how likely
the scenario is to actually occur. You can also ask a friend to rate the %
estimates as well if you like.
Q. What mental
health support is available for Veterans?
A. There are helplines for veterans to call such
as Combat Stress 0800 138 1619 (24hrs).
TILS (NHS Veterans
assessment/signposting). This can be done by contacting the service directly,
or by asking a GP or a military charity to refer you. To contact TILS directly
visit this website
WWTW Head Start programme offers timely access to therapies in your locality including
Counselling, CBT and EMDR, access is via TILS.
Q. Have you seen
an increase in demand for mental health support over the past few months?
A. We have seen an increase, in particular I’ve
noticed increases in people presenting with PTSD, depression, alcohol/drug
abuse. I encourage people due to service demands/wait times, recognise symptoms
early as you can and reach out to us, you do matter.
Q. Is there more
employers should consider when it comes to the emotional wellbeing and mental
health of employees during this time?
A. This is important, mental
health conversations and support be provided in workplace settings. Employers
should consider Mental Health First Aid training to raise awareness of mental
health and assist early identification of employee mental health difficulties.
It would be helpful if
employers could talk openly with their employees about their mental health and
discuss factors that may help them manage their work e.g. flexible working,
regular short breaks if concentration is affected, work aids e.g. A to-do list
if memory is affected.