Tag Archives: Rethink Mental Illness

#TOTW from 22-03-16 ‘Would you know what to do in a mental health emergency?’

Evenin’ all!

So then…would you…know what to do?

This week’s #TOTW is a retweet from the mental health charity ‘Rethink Mental Illness:’

If someone is in crisis, it can be hard to know what to say or do. Our guide can help >

It’s a simple enough question, but is it one that you think you know the answer to? This is a really good guide from Rethink Mental Illness (@Rethink_) on how you can help when someone turns to you in a time of need. It’s made up of some scenarios (based on real life events) and ways you could help…things you might be able to say.

If you think you already know how to deal with someone experiencing a mental health emergency, then great! However, if you’re insure what you could do or say to help, then please take a quick look at this link and download the guide. It’s presented in a really easy to read format and isn’t too wordy!

It would be great if you never had to use this handbook, but you just never know when a friend or a colleague might need to turn to you in an hour of need.

I hope you find this of some help. It’s a great resource, and a handy place to start if you want to learn more about mental health emergencies and the part you could play in helping someone through them.

Ben

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#TOTW (from 08-08-14): ‘23% of the UK’s “disease burden” but only 6% of total medical research funding.’

According to analysis published in the British Medical Journal, that’s the rather stark fact about mental health funding in the UK.

So, this week’s #TOTW is:

“For far too long mental health has been a bit of a taboo subject…” via

This week, the Deputy Prime Minister and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, launched a manifesto promise to set up a mental health research fund, and to add a further £50 millions to the current level of expenditure by the year 2020. I’m not writing this blog from a political standpoint, merely the fact that the guy has stuck his head above the parapet and stated what he would like to see happen i.e. for spending on mental health research in the UK to be increased. He also stated that:

“…we should understand mental health just as well as we understand physical health. I want us to be able to talk about, analyse and treat depression just as we treat diabetes. For far too long mental health has been a bit of a taboo subject – yet it affects one in four people in this country.”

Mark Winstanley, chief executive of the mental health charity Rethink Mental Illness also stated:

“It’s a scandal that our understanding of mental illness and the best treatments, still lags so far behind our understanding of physical illnesses.”

Now you can’t really disagree with that can you?

If so, then please feel free to comment on what *YOU* think.