Mental Health
Discussion around mental health is becoming increasingly de-stigmatised, open and encouraged. This is not before time. A recent report found that Ireland has one of the highest rates of mental health illness in Europe and the HSE reports that ‘men under the age of 35 are particularly at risk of dying by suicide. Suicide is the second most common cause of death in this age group, after accidental death’ - Link. The trend of these figures has perhaps lost some of its impact due to their near ubiquity. They are usually accompanied by the mostly admirable, but often not well directed, advice from prominent celebrities, friends and colleagues. This advice is usually kept to generalities like - ‘talk to someone’, ‘get exercise’, and ‘get a pastime to take your mind off it’. You of course wouldn’t look to retired rugby players, singers or your friends if you were suffering from a physical illness such as cardiovascular issue, even if they had experience of the issue at hand (unless they were a Cardiologist!), so why would you do it with your mental health? Your mental health should not be treated any differently to your physical health and there is nothing to be ashamed, afraid or embarrassed about in looking to get it treated.
The first port of call should be your GP, preferably one that is familiar to you and your medical history. Most mental health issues are extremely treatable and are dealt with through one or a combination of: talk-therapy, support groups, medication and therapeutic interventions such as CBT, ACT, DBT etc. Speaking to a professional about your symptoms will be the only way to discover what is right for you (To continue the analogy - if it was a cardiovascular illness it might take time to find the right cardiologist and treatment for your particular issue). While we are keen to discourage self-diagnosis or using the internet as a tool to treat mental health issues, a number of reputable organisations have websites that are useful to consult if you feel you may be suffering from a mental health issue:
https://www.aware.ie/support/
https://www2.hse.ie/mental-health/
http://www.mentalhealthireland.ie/mhi-a-to-z/
https://www.pieta.ie/
The first port of call should be your GP, preferably one that is familiar to you and your medical history. Most mental health issues are extremely treatable and are dealt with through one or a combination of: talk-therapy, support groups, medication and therapeutic interventions such as CBT, ACT, DBT etc. Speaking to a professional about your symptoms will be the only way to discover what is right for you (To continue the analogy - if it was a cardiovascular illness it might take time to find the right cardiologist and treatment for your particular issue). While we are keen to discourage self-diagnosis or using the internet as a tool to treat mental health issues, a number of reputable organisations have websites that are useful to consult if you feel you may be suffering from a mental health issue:
https://www.aware.ie/support/
https://www2.hse.ie/mental-health/
http://www.mentalhealthireland.ie/mhi-a-to-z/
https://www.pieta.ie/