Mental Health AwarenessFebruary 2019

What’s Going on this February

7th February - The time to change campaign is a growing movement of people changing how we all think and act about mental health problems. Check out the website for more information on how you can help. time-to-change.org.uk/

Blustery DaysThis month is often a difficult one, one of the coldest of the year and it still feels too dark. At the same time, news from home and abroad continues to be unsettling and may not be contributing to a feeling of wellbeing. It therefore seems a good time to talk about how we can be inspired to help each other if we are struggling with mental health. Alternatively, if you would like to be distracted with soothing music and some new winter vocabulary, see our recommendations overleaf.

Josephine Bey Clinical Director – Wellbeing Solutions Management

Time to talkThis year’s Time to Talk Day is about bringing together the right ingredients, to have a conversation about mental health. Whether that’s tea, biscuits and close friends or a room full of people challenging mental health stigma. The aim is to get everyone talking.

The campaign aims to raise awareness that one in four of us suffer from poor mental health. Sometimes this struggle may be invisible because of no apparent physical signs of illness. However, someone you know may be as profoundly debilitated as someone with else who has a serious physical illness.

Having conversations about mental health helps break down stereotypes, improve relationships, aid recovery and take the stigma out of something that affects us all. There are lots of different ways to have a conversation about mental health. And you don’t have to be an expert to talk.

Ideas for reaching outThere is no right way to reach out; which ever way you choose will be a step in the right direction. Calls, texts, email, visits and even letters will all be welcome at different times with different people.

Reach out and put time aside, make a plan. Be upfront and tell them you are worried and why. Listen, don’t judge and show your acceptance.

Some people may want to present as ‘normal’ which may mean continuing to laugh and have fun together because they don’t want to be identified by their problem.

If it’s too painful to talk about, don’t bring it up again, but keep reaching out to stay in touch.

Remember that “actions speak louder than words” so act now.

14th February - Valentine’s Day is a day of romance and happiness for many couples, but for individuals alone or fresh from a break-up, it can be difficult time of year. Try and reach out to friends,colleagues and family that maybe a little gloomy on February14th and show them you care.

February 25 to March 3 - Sock It to Eating Disorders takes place every year during Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Team up with your workplace, and wear your brightest, boldest socks. Join hundreds of Beat supporters across the country get involved in fundraising activities to take a stand against eating disorders. www.beateatingdisorders.org. uk

Wellbeing Solutions Management (WSM), is Medigold’s psychological services partner. WSM provides: Employee assistance programmes, critical incident support, mediation, and HR-led counselling referrals. wsm-wellbeing.co.uk

Mental Health Awareness

Medigold Health is a leading supplier of corporate wellness and occupational health solutions, offering a comprehensive services portfolio, keeping people in work, safe and well. medigold-health.com

Mental Health and Wellbeing ServicesMedigold Health delivers a comprehensive range of mental health and wellbeing services to support both individuals and their employers.

Our wellbeing services include:

24/7 Counselling & advice helplines (EAPs)

Managed counselling for return-to-work Critical

incident and post-trauma support Psychological

assessment and clinical reports Stress

management and resilliance training

Medigold combines mental health services with a full package of occupational health, absence management and wellbeing solutions for employers. We keep people in work, safe and well.

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Money

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Older People

Music to help boost your moodThe New York Times reported that scientists have studied the effect of music on our brains and it turns out that music really can have a noticeable effect on our moods.

In the modern age we spend time and money listening to the radio, attend concerts, download music, play instruments and listen to our favorite artists. But even in Paleolithic times, people invested significant time and effort to create music, as the discovery of flutes carved from animal bones would suggest.

So why does music hold such enormous intrinsic value? The easy explanation is that music brings a unique pleasure to humans.

Studies have shown that music, particularly ‘highly emotional’ music, activates subcortical nuclei known to be important in reward, motivation and emotion. This, in turn, causes the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the striatum. This triggers physical reactions such as a change in heart rate, breathing and, in very special cases, temperature and sometimes even physical goosebumps. The study concluded that the following pieces of music ellicited the most dramatic physical responses in the study cohort. So give them a try!

Clair de Lune – Debussy, Adagio for Strings – Barber, Piano Sonata No. 17 in D Minor – Beethoven, First Breath after Coma – Explosions in the Sky and Adagio for Strings – Tiesto.

Whereas these songs produced the greatest state of relaxation:

Airstream’s Electra, DJ Shah’s Mellomaniac (Chill Out Mix), Enya’s Watermark and Coldplay’s Strawberry Swing.

Winter wordsWonderful winter words, unused today, were featured recently in Merriam Webster dictionary.

Apricity, an old English word used to describe the warmth of the sun in the winter. Easy to see the optimistic intent behind choosing this word!

By contrast, Piblokto is used by the Inuit to describe attacks of disturbed behaviour (screaming and crying) which occurs chiefly in winter.