World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day is a key day to have in your diary as 1 in 4 people will be affected by mental health conditions. 

This will vary from anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress-disorder, postnatal depression and so many more conditions.

As more people are talking about their mental health and how they are really feeling, the subject is becoming less taboo.

This doesn’t mean we should stop talking about it, with World Mental Health day being a great day to start talking about how you are feeling.

It is common to think that smoking can help calm your nerves and make you less anxious, but the truth is that nicotine can cause anxiety symptoms or make them worse. If you are a smoker and suffer from anxiety, it may be worth looking at how often you smoke and if this could be part of the cause for your anxiety. 

There are obviously many reasons as to why someone may suffer from mental health conditions, and it may not be connected to your smoking habits. But, if you could pinpoint exactly what has caused your mental health condition, wouldn't you want to?

If your doctor told you that your smoking habits were making you physically ill, you would stop right? So, what is the difference between being physically and mentally ill?

With Suicide Prevention Awareness Day falling on the 10th September, this makes us more aware of the mental health conditions someone may be suffering with. A new initiative was launched from this, called WAIT, this is how you can support another person who may be suicidal.

It stands for:
W - Watch out for signs of distress and uncharacteristic behaviour.

A - Ask “are you having suicidal thoughts?”

I - It will pass - assure your loved one that, with help, their suicidal feelings will pass with time

T - Talk to others

Not every mental health condition is easy to spot, the majority of them are invisible and you wouldn’t know about it unless the person told you about it. Even though it is becoming less taboo, some people will still feel shy and even anxious to tell you. Don’t rush someone if you think they are feeling this way, just put them at ease that you support them.

If you need any support or just need someone to talk, whatever you’re going through, a Samaritan will face it with you.
Call 116 123 for free
Write down how you are feeling and post this to them at:
Chris
Freepost RSRB-KKBY-CYJK
PO Box 9090
STIRLING FK8 2SA

Or if you want to track how you are feeling and store techniques and activities, why not launch the Samaritans app? https://selfhelp.samaritans.org/

There are many ways we can help:

Quit online - https://yorkshiresmokefree.nhs.uk/pages/quit-online
Our online quit tool will allow you to create your own personal profile and will support you on a daily basis through your quit journey.

Telephone support - our advisors are on hand to answer any questions or provide additional support as you need it. You can call 0800 612 0011 (free from landlines) or 0330 660 1166.
Visit our frequently asked questions section to find out more: https://yorkshiresmokefree.nhs.uk/frequently-asked-questions