Posted on 10th May
Local writer Alan Dawson says Mental Health Awareness Week, 10th-16th May, is a time to reflect on our own mental health and that of others.
He writes:
The Ask Twice Campaign was launched by Time to Change, 19th November 2020 to encourage everyone to work together to contend with mental health problems and mental health stigma.
The premise of the campaign is to urge people, as the campaign title suggests, to ask twice when you feel that someone you know, needs support/ help in this area – the campaign proposes that they may not respond honestly after just one time of asking, so be persistent if you feel someone is struggling.
Mental health problems are generally complex and are a medical condition – most people have experienced poor mental health to different degrees or know someone who has.
As a caring society, we generally look after each other. If we realise that someone has a problem/ difficulty we will patiently stand holding a door open or remove obstructions when we encounter an individual who is experiencing obvious physical disability, such as a wheelchair user. So how can we be more aware of mental health problems, which may be well hidden under a facade of subterfuge or a painted smile?
C S Lewis writes poetically:
‘Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say ‘my tooth is aching’ than to say ‘my heart is broken’.’
CS Lewis (The Problem of Pain, 1940)
How can we support others?
We can start by cultivating our friendships and get to know colleagues better: listen to them, what is their history and what may have negatively impacted on their mental health lately? Are they working too many hours, have lost a loved one, or are they going through a relationship break up?
This list is not exhaustive for there are many more issues that can negatively impact on our mental health. We must remember that everyone can have down days when they feel sad, however robust their mental health. Sadness is a healthy emotion to feel, and we can soon recover compared to mental health illnesses, such as depression and anxiety, which can be debilitating and generally needs medical intervention.
Last year I suffered debilitating anxiety and after my hard-fought recovery, I wrote candidly about my experiences in an article published by the Mansfield Chad. I chronicled how by beating mental illness I was able to have more ‘Tigger Days’ and less ‘Eeyore days’ – I used AA Milne’s contrasting characters as a metaphor to illustrate the status of my mental health.
I am a writer, and, like most writers, I use metaphor in my writing. However, we must be careful not to overuse metaphor when describing our mental health to colleagues, friends, and family. The overuse of metaphor can dilute and minimise the impact of one’s mental health problems on the listener.
To say, ‘I feel like I am running on a hamster wheel’ or ‘I have no more fuel left in the tank’, has less of an impact than saying, ‘However hard I work I can’t get all of my work done and I am exhausted.’
The latter is more likely to evoke concern/ support. Nevertheless, it must be recognised that metaphor can be powerful in overcoming mental health problems by evoking images in relation to our emotions and can be used effectively in therapy.
Is there anything else we can do to help?
Mirror neurons impact on the well-being of others – therefore it is supposed that if we are calm then those around us are more likely to be calm. Therefore, try to be positive with your social/ professional interactions – that is not to say walk around with an inane smile stuck on your face all day in the office, which will bring about concerns from colleagues for your own mental health!
Although most people nowadays are working to a deadline, give time to listen to others and be kind and helpful whenever you can. Life can be difficult, and the recent pandemic has hit hard on our mental health and wellbeing.
For individuals experiencing mental health issues:
‘I ask you to remember two things: you are going to get better and to do so, you must reach out.’
Alan Dawson (Tigger & Eeyore Days, 2020)
