Restore your mental health on a budget

SYLVIA THOMPSONhas tips for people who need psychological support but might not be in a position to afford it

This article was amended on January 5th, 2012. The Aware helpline number and Mental Health Ireland website address were incorrect in the original article. MANY PEOPLE struggle with depression and anxiety, not knowing who to turn to for help. And while we have become much more open about talking about mental health problems – usually someone else’s – it still takes great courage to acknowledge that all is not right and life can be better than this.

Lack of cash can mean that making an appointment with a counsellor or psychotherapist is financially prohibitive, but there are lots of other types of psychological support that are less costly – and sometimes just as beneficial if approached with an attitude of openness and self-care.

The old adage that a problem shared is a problem halved may be true, but if you don’t have a trusted friend or family member to talk to, there are lots of other places you can seek help.

Here are a few suggestions of ways you can brighten up your life – even in these dark days of December.

1. Join a support group: Identify the main area of support you need and then check websites to see where local support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (alcoholicsanonymous.ie) or depression support group Aware meet. For instance, the Aware website has details of times and venues of support group meetings and also offers online and telephone support. See aware.ie or tel: 1890-303 302 (Mon to Wed, 10am-10pm, Thursday to Sunday 10am-1am) or 00-353-1-6766166 (from outside Ireland).

There are also several other organisations that offer support to those with mental health problems. These include Samaritans, tel: 1850-609090 (24 hours), samaritans.org; TeenLine tel: 1800-833634 (Wed 3pm-6pm; Thurs, Fri, Sat 9pm-12midnight), teenline.ie; Childline tel: 1800-666666, childline.ie; The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, tel: 1800-778888, drcc.ie; Shine (Schizophrenia Ireland) tel: 1890-621631, shineon line.ie; Grow tel: 021-277520, grow.ie; Bodywhys, the eating disorders support group, tel: 1890-200444, bodywhys.ie; and Console, the support group for those bereaved by suicide, tel: 1800-201890, console.ie

2. Promote positive mental health:Organisations such as Mental Health Ireland run regular courses on building resilience, which is defined as the ability to bounce back from stressful or challenging experiences. Its 10 tips are:

Have the courage to be imperfect.

Take time to yourself.

Get involved in community activities.

Be physically active every day.

Spend time with people who make you feel good.

Laugh out loud every day.

Invite your neighbour in for a cup of tea.

Do one thing now that you’ve been putting off.

Remember, this too shall pass.

Focus more on things you can control.

Mental Health Ireland and Suicide or Survive (SOS) is currently seeking people over 18 who have attempted suicide or had suicidal thoughts to partake in the Eden Project, a six-month programme of weekly, confidential meetings to foster resilience. Contact Leo or Louise at SOS on tel: 1890-577577 or e-mail: info@suicide orsurvive.ie

Mental Health Ireland also provides building resilience training for communities and training in Mental Health Matters, a mental health resource pack for 14-18 year olds, tel: 01-2841166 or see mentalhealthireland.ie for details of regional events.

3. Get physically fit and eat healthily: Everyone knows that if you keep physically fit and eat well, you are able to cope better with unexpected demands or stressful life events. However, for many of us, exercise is the first thing to go when work or family stress reaches a high pitch. Making time to partake in an organised sport, join a walking group or simply going for a walk, run or swim for half an hour a few times a week will help keep things in perspective. Similarly, eating and drinking healthily helps keep the mind clearer and calmer.

4. Join a meditation class or go to church: Meditation – whether it's transcendental or mindfulness meditation has become a very popular way to nourish the spiritual dimension of our lives. For more information on transcendental meditation classes throughout Ireland, see tm-ireland.org. For details of mindfulness meditation classes, contact holistic health centres such as The Sanctuary, Stanhope St, Dublin 7 (sanctuary.ie tel: 01-6705419) or Oscailt, 8 Pembroke Road, Dublin 4 (oscailt.ie, tel: 01-6603872) or the Dzogchen Beara Meditation Retreat Centre, Garranes, Allihies, Co Cork (dzogchenbeara.org, tel: 027-73032).

Finding a church in which you feel comfortable to participate in worship and community involvement can be refreshing and nourishing for many people brought up in the Christian tradition. Ignoring the spiritual dimension of our lives can, in itself, contribute to poor mental health.

5. Start a new hobby or join an adult education class:When you are feeling down in the dumps, it is not always a good time to start something new, but sometimes the very act of signing up for a new class can be uplifting. Don't rush into something too challenging and make sure it's something you will enjoy before you commit to a series of classes.

Many adult education centres run personal development or life skills courses. One innovative course at an adult education centre is the Awareness to Combat Depression at the Kilbarrack Local Education for Adult Renewal (KLEAR) in Kilbarrack, Dublin.

“Running this course in an adult education centre helps to break the silence on depression and makes it very acceptable for others to join in,” says Ber Danaher (berdanaher@gmail.com), course co-ordinator and counsellor who is willing to talk to other trainers about the course. Meanwhile, anyone keen to join in the next term can contact KLEAR on tel: 01-8671845.

6. One-to-one help:If you really feel that you need one-to-one professional support, you can make contact with a psychologist, counsellor or psychotherapist via one of the following organisations. Some mental health professionals offer a sliding scale of fees or fees based on ability to pay in these recessionary times.

Services include: The Psychological Society of Ireland (tel: 01-4720105, psihq.ie), The Irish Council for Psychotherapy (tel: 01-9023819, psychotherapy-ireland.ie), the National Association of Pastoral Counselling and Psychotherapy, (napcp.ie), and Accord, the marriage and relationship counseling service (tel: 01-5053112,accord.ie).

See also HSE websites: yourmental health.ie and letsomeoneknow.ie

* This article was amended on January 5 ^th, 2012. The Aware helpline number and Mental Health Ireland website address were incorrect in the original article.