Tis the season to feel the pressure

Tis the season to feel the pressure

 Christmas has always been hyped as being a magical, special time filled with sparkles, joy and light. With Christmas 2020 effectively cancelled due to the second Coronavirus lockdown there seems to be even more expectation this year to make it a great one. There are more parties and social gatherings, more people to catch up with, more presents to buy, more food and drink to consume. Are you feeling the pressure? Maybe just listening to other people’s plans is making you feel left out?  Have you noticed your mental wellbeing take a dip?

New Year may also feel like a hard time. Looking back on the past year might be difficult, you may have experienced various losses or hardships. You may be worried about the year ahead, with huge uncertainty about the pandemic and how it will impact your life.

Difficult and stressful experiences over the festive period could impact your mental health which has a knock on effect on your physical health.  Alcohol and drug use impacts mood, austerity and not having enough money, loneliness, uncertainty all play a role in making us feel stressed. It’s ok not to be ok  - even at Christmas.

You know what to do if your physical health took a turn for the worse but are you as clear about what to do if your mental health deteriorated?  It’s important to remember that mental health emergencies should be taken as seriously as a medical emergency. If you think you are at risk of taking your own life, seriously harming yourself and need immediate medical attention, or if you are worried about someone else, trust your instincts and seek help.  

If you don't feel you can keep yourself safe right now, seek immediate help:

If you need urgent support but don't want to go to A&E, you could:

  • Contact NHS 111.

  • Contact your local crisis team if you're under their care.

  • Contact your GP surgery and ask for an emergency appointment. Note: GP surgeries are closed on Bank Holidays but, if you phone your nearest surgery, the answering machines will usually give you advice on how to get hold of an out-of-hours doctor.

  • Call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or email them on jo@samaritans.org – they're always open and are there to listen.

If you need advice or someone impartial to talk to, the services below are offering support throughout the festive period.

  • For mental health crisis support, you can ring the SANEline on 0300 304 7000 between 4:30pm-10:30pm, each evening.

  • For general mental health help, you can access help via text from Shout. Simply text SHOUT to 85258 for 24/7 crisis support. This service is available for free on major mobile networks, for anyone in crisis anytime, anywhere.

  • Childline is a confidential line offering support for young people under 19 (and their relatives), offering advice about any topic. You can speak to a counsellor by calling 0800 1111 or via one to one chat between 7:30am and 3:30am every day.

  • The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is a helpline for men and is open from 5pm-midnight on 0800 58 58 58. The CALM webchat is also open during these hours.

  • Switchboard is a line for LGBT+ support: 0300 330 0630. The helpline is open 10am-10pm 365 days a year. Or you can email: chris@switchboard.lgbt

  • The Silver Line is a line, open 24/7, for those over the age of 55 offering information, advice and friendship: 0800 4708 090.

  • For eating disorder support, contact the Beat Helpline on 0808 801 0677. The phone line will be open 4-8pm from 24 December to 1 January. Sometimes their lines are busy so, if you can't get through immediately, please try again or try their one-to-one webchat.

Take a look at the Resources page of my website for some more ideas around support (https://www.braintrain.me/resources)

 Don’t suffer in silence this Christmas.

Nicola Strudley