Today, 10th October, is apparently World Mental Health Day. The World Health Organisation apparently endorse this, and I guess it's one of campaigns aiming to raise awareness of mental health and illness globally.
I always find the concept of a topic as vast as mental health being squashed together in one day a little odd, but although there are a vast number of mental health issues which are lumped together under one heading, they do have something in common and I can't criticise anything aiming to improve people's awareness of such a common and yet seldom discussed group of problems.
Any regular readers of my blog will be aware that my own mental health issues are longstanding so I can't pretend I don't have a personal stake in this. For that reason, I always feel slightly guilty pushing the mental health agenda. However, it's an important issue that will affect 1 in 4 of us (I think that's probably a conservative estimate) so I won't avoid talking about it.
My first experiences with mental health problems were back when I was a teenager. The support I received was less than ideal, my parents and school didn't really understand what was happening or how best to help me and even the professionals I encountered seemed out of their depth. A lot of my experiences were covered in this pseudo-anonymous post, which I initially wrote as a presentation to give at work. It's now nearly 15 years since that first consultation in that dreadful old building and I still remember it vividly. I can't ever change that, but I hope that when I meet young people in my professional life who are struggling, they remember their encounter with healthcare in a more positive way - someone cared, someone listened.
Unfortunately, it's not just a teenage problem. Although it's pretty common for mental health difficulties to begin in adolescence, they frequently persist into adulthood. Mine certainly have. Despite my struggles, though, I'm doing ok. I'm in a stable relationship. I'm holding down a (fairly intense at times!) job. Not everyone is so lucky. Mental illness is one of the most common reasons for claiming incapacity benefit. Plenty of people struggle and suffer, and yet stigma still persists.
Once again, my blog has become a ramble with no real direction or structure. I'm not sure it says much. But, if you're reading this and you're struggling, you aren't alone. Help is out there. And remember that just because you've been unfortunate enough to get unwell, doesn't mean you aren't awesome.
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There are a number of places you can get help should you need it. The
services I've listed are free to call and open 24/7. A more
comprehensive list is available through the NHS choices website, but not all services are free or open at all times.
If you're struggling today, or any day, the Samaritans are there to listen for free - call 08457 90 90 90.
Children and young people can contact ChildLine on 0800 1111 whilst adults who have concerns about a child can call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000.
If you feel in danger of hurting yourself and don't have a crisis plan, please call 999 or go to your local A&E department.
If alcohol is a problem, you can call Alcoholics Anonymous on 0845 769 7555.
If you need help with drugs, you can speak to Frank on 0800 77 66 00.
Men with any difficulties can use the online chat/email service here
If you're struggling with an eating disorder, Beat can be called on 0845 634 1414 (adults) or 0345 634 7650 (for under-25s)
Showing posts with label Insomnia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Insomnia. Show all posts
Monday, 10 October 2016
Monday, 26 March 2012
4:30 Psychosis
Doesn't have quite the same ring as "4:48" but I have been waking up at 4:30 most mornings recently. (If the original reference is lost on you, it's the title of a play/monologue written by the late Sarah Kane. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in mental illness. Kane suffered from depression and eventually took her own life; whilst 4:48 Psychosis is not regarded as a suicide note it certainly provides an interesting insight into the suffering she endured in her later years)
Insomnia is a pretty common complaint. I'm sure most people have had times when for various reasons they've slept badly - exams, breakups, bereavements etc. You know the drill. You're physically exhausted but mentally can't switch off. You get into bed but no matter how you toss and turn, you can't get comfortable. You feel simultaneously too warm and too cold. You may drift in and out of sleep - each time you look at the clock some time has passed yet you feel no less tired. Your head and limbs ache no matter how you lie. Finally, your alarm goes off and you drag yourself up, battling the sometimes overwhelming nausea that follows a poor night's sleep.
I am what my GP has scientifically termed a "crap sleeper". As a baby I apparently slept pretty well, but as a child I remember being the first to wake up most mornings. I used to get up and make my Mum and Dad tea and breakfast in bed just for something to do. I always had a book beside my bed and I remember I used to keep a torch under my pillow so that I could read under the covers once the lights were turned out. I suppose if I'd have been a more annoying child who got out of bed and wanted to play all the time, my parents might have taken me to a doctor about my poor sleep patterns, but as it was they didn't really affect anyone else so I was left alone.
I go through phases of sleeping relatively well and phases where my sleep pattern is atrocious. I've tried a variety of medications (some work better than others but generally the better they work, the more of a "hangover" I have the following morning). I've tried cutting out caffeine. I've tried setting myself a strict routine of going to bed and getting up at the same time every day. Generally my sleep is at its best when I have given up on trying to sleep properly. I'm not sure why, but that's the way it seems to work.
It strikes me as odd that sleep is such a primitive function and yet it seems to cause so much trouble. I've read a variety of articles on sleep patterns recently. They have suggested everything from having 2 hour naps throughout the day but never a long sleep to sleeping whenever you feel tired. Sleep is an incredibly important function. Experiments into the effects of sleep deprivation have almost universally been terminated early because of the detrimental effects on participants. Lack of sleep will kill a person more rapidly than lack of food. Despite the obvious importance of sleep, there is no consensus on how we should do it best. Oh, and noone's exactly sure what it's for either!
Almost 3:30am not - suppose I should attempt to sleep again!
xxxx
Insomnia is a pretty common complaint. I'm sure most people have had times when for various reasons they've slept badly - exams, breakups, bereavements etc. You know the drill. You're physically exhausted but mentally can't switch off. You get into bed but no matter how you toss and turn, you can't get comfortable. You feel simultaneously too warm and too cold. You may drift in and out of sleep - each time you look at the clock some time has passed yet you feel no less tired. Your head and limbs ache no matter how you lie. Finally, your alarm goes off and you drag yourself up, battling the sometimes overwhelming nausea that follows a poor night's sleep.
I am what my GP has scientifically termed a "crap sleeper". As a baby I apparently slept pretty well, but as a child I remember being the first to wake up most mornings. I used to get up and make my Mum and Dad tea and breakfast in bed just for something to do. I always had a book beside my bed and I remember I used to keep a torch under my pillow so that I could read under the covers once the lights were turned out. I suppose if I'd have been a more annoying child who got out of bed and wanted to play all the time, my parents might have taken me to a doctor about my poor sleep patterns, but as it was they didn't really affect anyone else so I was left alone.
I go through phases of sleeping relatively well and phases where my sleep pattern is atrocious. I've tried a variety of medications (some work better than others but generally the better they work, the more of a "hangover" I have the following morning). I've tried cutting out caffeine. I've tried setting myself a strict routine of going to bed and getting up at the same time every day. Generally my sleep is at its best when I have given up on trying to sleep properly. I'm not sure why, but that's the way it seems to work.
It strikes me as odd that sleep is such a primitive function and yet it seems to cause so much trouble. I've read a variety of articles on sleep patterns recently. They have suggested everything from having 2 hour naps throughout the day but never a long sleep to sleeping whenever you feel tired. Sleep is an incredibly important function. Experiments into the effects of sleep deprivation have almost universally been terminated early because of the detrimental effects on participants. Lack of sleep will kill a person more rapidly than lack of food. Despite the obvious importance of sleep, there is no consensus on how we should do it best. Oh, and noone's exactly sure what it's for either!
Almost 3:30am not - suppose I should attempt to sleep again!
xxxx
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