Tag Archives: Mental Health

stress

Overcoming stress and isolation through therapy: Kapeela’s story

The beginning of November marks International Stress Awareness Week (with Stress Awareness Day on November 6), which aims to raise awareness about stress, as well as highlighting ways in which we can combat it. With the theme for World Mental Health Day this year also centred around burnout and improving mental health in the workplace, if you’re experiencing any of these issues then it’s important to know that help is out there.

When Kapeela – a young professional working far from home in Northern Ireland during the pandemic – found her mental health deteriorating due to stress and related issues, she realised that she needed support.

Having moved to Northern Ireland seven years ago to study, Kapeela, now aged 28, had been in employment for the past four years, with things going well for her during that time. However, a series of stressful experiences, including working during the pandemic, along with a relationship breakup, new job and moving into a new home, ultimately took its toll on her mental health.

Initially, it was the pandemic which impacted upon her mental health, prompting Kapeela to seek private counselling.

“It was difficult being away from family,” she said. “That was my first instance with ill mental health. I got private therapy and managed to go home for a while and then when I came back, life was back to normal.”

In 2023, however, Kapeela bought a new home while simultaneously taking on a new job. She was also newly single, all of which negatively affected her mental health and prompted her to contact her GP for help.

“It was a very stressful time in my life but also, financially, it was quite difficult for me to access private therapy,” she said. “It was quite an isolating time and I didn’t feel I had the right support in place to keep me going. So, that’s why I got in touch with my GP and they referred me to Action Mental Health and I then had therapy for six weeks through Action Mental Health.

“I was able to have talking therapy consistently every week with my counsellor. We went through lots of helpful tools – working on guilt, shame, self-esteem. I had that nine months ago and am still able to apply most of those tools to my day-to-day life. It made a huge impact and I really needed it, so I was grateful that the service was there and accessible and free. I definitely benefitted from it.”

Finding a safe space

Having reached out for help when she was “at breaking point,” Kapeela said that attending therapy at Action Mental Health had been a “very cathartic” experience.

“I was nervous,” she said. “But it was a very safe space. It was online and I definitely felt that I was in good hands. My therapist was very experienced and knew how to work with me. I think during those six weeks it was a very helpful experience.”

Due to her experience with therapy previously, Kapeela added that she was keen to ask her counsellor this time around for more information about mental health – and to really delve into the tools and techniques that could help her. Her sessions subsequently looked at, amongst other things, addressing Kapeela’s core beliefs, as well as discussing areas such as guilt, shame and self-esteem.

stress

“My counsellor was able to provide me with tried and tested methods of training to cope with my core beliefs,” she said. “She was able to answer my questions and was available through email as well. She told me to contact her any time during those six weeks. She also encouraged me to journal and to bring (what I wrote) along to the therapy sessions so we could discuss them. It felt like a very involved experience – like we were in it together trying to cope with the issues. I was then able to lean on others a lot more, too.

“After the therapy sessions ended I realised what my coping mechanisms might be. They highlighted my strengths – that were really inside of me the whole time – and I was able to rely on myself a bit more and have more confidence in myself to use those tools and get back to my day-to-day life.”

Ultimately, Kapeela said that her therapy experience with Action Mental Health had helped her to share her problems and to feel less alone when at the time, she’d felt the opposite. She added that being able to lean on other people had also removed that feeling of having the “entire weight of the world on your shoulders.”

“It can feel very isolating when you think that your problems are not relatable to somebody else, but speaking to a talking therapist… they’re able to get to the crux of the situation and to draw things out of you and work through it with you,” she said. “That’s something my therapist at Action Mental Health was able to do.”

Supporting the “I AM SOMEONE” campaign

As someone who has benefitted from the support offered by Action Mental Health, Kapeela said she was delighted to have been able to give back by assisting with the “I AM SOMEONE” campaign. With private therapy too expensive for her previously, she added that removing the financial barrier and accessing the free services at Action Mental Health had enabled her to seek professional help when she needed it.

“Donating to the service would mean someone else doesn’t need to think about that either,” she said. “I would just like to say thank you to Action Mental Health and I’m just very grateful that there’s opportunities for us to volunteer as well – to be able to give back. We [often] think we only have to give money but you can give your time and you can be compassionate to somebody else. It’s so rewarding.”

She added that the “I AM SOMEONE” campaign was “going to be so helpful for people to realise that the service is out there” for those willing to take that first step and ask for help.

“It’s accessible, it’s free, it’s easy to get in touch with Action Mental Health, so I would really just recommend anyone who’s struggling at the minute to ask for help,” she said. “It gets easier.”

Looking to the future

Now in a much better place with her mental health, Kapeela said that she was ultimately reassured by the fact that the support from Action Mental Health was still out there, if she needed it again.

“That in itself provides a bit of security to me,” she said. “Knowing that I’ve benefitted from the service and can still access it if needed and that there’s still somebody out there who can listen to me and provide that support.

“But in the past nine months I’ve been able to go back to work and engage in tasks and activities I wasn’t really able to engage in when I was feeling quite low. So, I’ve managed to regain that aspect of my life through therapy and have the confidence to go back to my day-to-day life.”

While she still does miss her family and home, Kapeela has various mementos, which she said had helped her alongside the therapeutic support. These include photographs of her family, given to her as part of care package that also contained messages, along with art from her nieces and nephews and letters.

“It was a surprise, as I didn’t know any of it was coming,” she said. “They gave it to me when I left at the airport, so that was really special.”

Meanwhile, her new home in Northern Ireland is one that also provides its own support, as Kapeela loves getting out in nature and enjoying the many green and coastal spaces here.

“I work in a very busy environment and being out in nature, it’s so tranquil, so serene,” she said. “I love being by the beach. Being able to connect with nature is very important to me and I think that’s something Northern Ireland has an abundance of – nature, seaside, scenery – it’s one of the reasons I’ve stayed on and haven’t gone back to another busy city. I really enjoy being in Northern Ireland.”

Reflecting on her progress to date, Kapeela added that her life was a lot more settled now and that she was no longer the lonely person she had been when she was struggling with her mental health.

“I definitely feel that that part of my life is something I’ve gone through but that it’s not a part that I’m going through at the minute,” she said. “Therapy definitely helped me to move on from feeling that low – and whenever those feelings come up again, I know I’m able to navigate through them with the support of my family and the tools I’ve gained from therapy.

“I feel I’m in a much better place now, which is great.”

To find out more about “I AM SOMEONE” and/or donate, visit www.amh.org.uk/iamsomeone

menopause yoga mental health

How yoga can help during the menopause

With October marking Menopause Awareness Month, we’ve been speaking to various women who are all raising awareness of the menopause and helping other women navigate this significant stage of their lives. Having previously featured Dr Siobhan Kirk, along with Roisin Hillman from the Menopause Together charity and Siobhan Kearney from Menopause NI, our final blog as part of Menopause Month is with local yoga instructor, Lisa Copeland. 

menopause mental health

Specifically trained in menopause-specific yoga – and with 20 years general yoga teaching experience – Lisa explained how yoga can help to alleviate perimenopause and menopausal symptoms, both physical and mental.

“I think yoga always helps women – it helps everybody,” she said. “It has certainly been the anchor I needed. What the menopause yoga course does is it gives women the tools that they need to manage each stage of the menopause.”

According to research carried out by Abiç and Yilmaz Vefikuluçay (2024), the psychological, somatic and urogenital symptoms of menopause may be reduced by yoga. Their findings came from a randomised control study which focused on menopausal women aged between 40-60 years old who completed 60 minutes of yoga twice a week for 10 weeks.

Meanwhile, Petra Coveney, whom Lisa trained under and who created the world’s first accredited yoga and wellbeing programme for women experiencing menopause in 2013 – Menopause Yoga™️ – says the following on her website:

“Yoga is scientifically proven to reduce stress and inflammation, which exacerbates many menopause symptoms such as anxiety, hot flushes, joint and muscle pain. Yoga may also help with sleep, digestion, fatigue, general mental health and may help prevent falls and fractures by developing posture, balance (proprioception), inner sensory awareness (interception) and muscle tone.”

With yoga for menopause increasingly popular amongst women, Lisa pointed out that it wasn’t something which would magically solve all menopause-related issues, but was best used alongside various lifestyle changes. These include things such as diet, weight training to increase bone density and potential HRT use – with regular reviews of what you’re doing the key to ensuring a holistic and more effective approach to managing symptoms.

“It’s important to consider the effect that low oestrogen has on the body during menopause,” she said. “According to the Royal Osteoporosis Society, one in two women over the age of 50 will break a bone due to poor bone health and replacing oestrogen, as well as making lifestyle changes, can help reduce this statistic. Cardiovascular health can also be affected during the menopause, as well as mental health.”

While the feedback has been incredibly positive from women who have attended Lisa’s yoga sessions, she said her initial motivation to become a menopause yoga teacher was very personal.

“I’m 55 years old now and I was going through the perimenopause in my late 40s but didn’t realise I was,” she said. “I hadn’t even heard of the word ‘perimenopause’. My own experience of this journey called menopause has been challenging and difficult. Yoga for menopause is a very specific course and Petra Coveney approaches this from a scientific and clinical basis, so when I saw the opportunity to do the course I just went for it.

“I came to it when I was post-hysterectomy, so I had been going through a very rough time, both physically and mentally. It was another aspect of my menopause journey. I did the course for myself first and then I thought I could decide if I wanted to share it. It was so beneficial to me.”

What to expect during menopause yoga classes

With the course for menopause yoga comprising four weeks, each session takes women through the key stages of the menopause journey, incorporating discussion, breathing techniques and modified yoga poses. There is also mindful meditation, while Lisa always signposts women to useful sources of information at the end of sessions, as well as providing healthy snacks and nutrition information.

She said that one of the first things women said about yoga for menopause was that it offered an inclusive and welcoming space where they felt safe and able to share aspects of their own journeys. Indeed, classes typically comprise 10-12 women and always begin with a shared conversation session, where attendees can discuss as much as they wish about their own peri/menopause experiences.

“It’s very helpful, that protection aspect of it, which helps with feelings of overwhelm and exhaustion,” said Lisa. “I’ve found that many of the women who come to me are absolute beginners and have never come to yoga before. They’re attracted to it because it’s specific to menopause.

“They’ve maybe felt in the past that yoga wasn’t for them and that you had to be really fit and flexible. So, when it’s specially tailored to their needs, it’s more appealing. They get the information they need – with take-home techniques and tips that are easy to put into their day – and leave feeling empowered and enlightened.

“It’s been a real eye-opener for me, for the need for women to get into a space like that. And then, of course, it’s great fun as well.”

In week one, women receive an overview of the menopause journey and what they might expect throughout this, although of course, it’s very much a unique experience for each person. Lisa added that the cooling breathing techniques incorporated into the sessions helped with feelings of overwhelm and anxiety, which can often cause the heat to rise.

“The mental health issues can also really rear their head during menopause,” she said. “For example, a fear of driving. There are grounding and relaxing techniques I teach on the course to help with this, which again are easy to use and access in the moment.”

Adapting sessions to suit the needs of the room at any given time, Lisa rounds off the four-week programme with “a lovely class in the final week where women are encouraged to find their ‘second spring’ and find that they’ve come full circle.”

She added: “A lot of women come back for another four weeks. There’s such a need for this. I remember one woman, who had never done yoga before, said at the end of the course that it had been an eye-opener and that every woman should do it, as it looked after both your body and your mind.

“I think the compassion element is really interesting. Women can be very hard on themselves. From a mental health perspective, that’s the worst thing you can say to someone – to pick yourself up and get on with it. But we often do it with the menopause. For me, it’s always about meeting women where they are and teaching from my personal experience.”

Also a qualified reflexologist, Lisa provides bespoke treatments for menopausal clients. Again, she teaches techniques that women can then take home, as part of her mission for educating and empowering women.

For anyone considering coming along to a yoga for menopause class, she said there were multiple benefits, not least in the fact the sessions created that safe space where women could share their thoughts and emotions – something which supports their mental health.

“These emotions they’re feeling – particularly that really low mood – is all part of the menopause journey, but the classes show that there’s help there and they can also help themselves,” she said. “Anhedonia – that feeling of nothing being of interest to you anymore – becomes really prevalent in menopause. It can become a vicious cycle.

“For some women, the yoga for menopause classes are the very first time they’ve shared anything about their personal journey. Quite a lot of relief comes with that. It’s a very bespoke programme that has been tried and tested and I just love it.

Why women love menopause yoga

“Menopause yoga with Lisa was the most fantastic and relaxing shared experience with women at different stage of their menopause journey. It really helped me sleep and my sanity and set me up for the week.”

“I attended Yoga for Menopause and it has been a lifeline for me.”

“Every session was enlightening. I left each class with a sense of calm and inner strength.”

“It’s a beautiful four-week journey which takes you through the four seasons of the change. I never thought positively about menopause before this programme and now I’m embracing my ‘second spring’ with much more understanding and compassion.”

Resources:

book week

How trees can teach us to thrive 

With October 21-27 marking Book Week NI 2024, a joint initiative from BBC NI and Action Mental Health partner, Libraries NI, it’s a great time to get re/acquainted with your local library and curl up with a good book.

Dr Ross White, Professor of Clinical Psychology at Queen’s University, Belfast (QUB), recently published his debut book, The Tree That Bends: How a flexible mind can help you thrive. He spoke to us about why he decided to write the book and why trees are at the heart of it all…

book week
Dr Ross White.

With the rather intriguing title of The Tree That Bends, Professor White’s book is one which, at first glance, requires a second glance – something which the author said was done purposefully. Described on the cover as being ‘both a manifesto and a research-based programme for developing psychological flexibility to thrive,’ the book ultimately grew out of a desire to communicate helpful information to the public in an accessible way, said Ross. He added that people often asked him for book recommendations and that, while he had some to give, he’d realised it might be useful to write a book which allowed him to contribute his own individual perspective. As for the tree metaphor which gives the book its title, that all stemmed from a Tanzanian proverb – ‘The wind does not break the tree that bends.’

“I was in Sub-Saharan Africa and Uganda, doing work on the idioms of wellbeing and this Tanzanian proverb was mentioned to me,” he said. “I think it really inspired me in putting the book together. I was curious as to how we might map psychological flexibility onto the anatomy of the tree. I was basically coming at it from the angle of us being like trees and how we can learn a lot from trees about what it takes to thrive.

“Interestingly, the publisher wasn’t that keen on The Tree That Bends as a title. I just felt quite passionate about having the centrality of the tree there, though. And there was something about adding a little bit of intrigue as well.”

With more than 15 years’ experience as a clinical psychologist, Ross specialises in providing mental health and wellbeing support to people working in high-performance environments, alongside his lecturing responsibilities at QUB. Currently halfway through a one-year career break from QUB, however, he has spent some of that time focusing on his passion for communicating psychological information to the public in an easily digestible way, hence the publication of his book.

Indeed, with social media rife with mental health quotes and tips, he said it was important that people be discerning about where they access their information.

“I think that’s really important – to be a discerning consumer of information and to question the sources that people are basing their claims on,” he said. “I think we as a profession (psychologists) have a responsibility for helping to educate the public around that. To help people understand what’s credible.”

Split into three sections, The Tree That Bends was written, said Ross, to empower the “smarter, more flexible versions” of who we are. “It’s about breaking through without breaking you – taking care of yourself so you can continue to take care of business,” he added.

Indeed, the book explores how to find that balance between doing what matters to you while also stepping back when needed to allow yourself time to reset and rest. Using the terms ‘Get,’ ‘Threat’ and ‘Reset’ to describe three distinct motivational modes or systems in our lives, Ross writes about how having a flexible mind can help us navigate these better and therefore look after ourselves.

‘Get mode’ refers to our more industrious go-getter approach to life (striving), while ‘Threat mode’ (surviving) relates to the various threats we may face along the way. If our ‘Get’ and ‘Threat’ modes are left to operate unchecked, the risk of experiencing burnout increases. ‘Reset mode,’ meanwhile, refers to how we go about reviving ourselves – taking short-term ‘momentary moves’ to help with this, such as practicing gratitude, mindfulness and self-compassion or initiating ‘bold moves’ which require more conscious planning and help us in the longer-term e.g. embarking on a period of travel or considering a change of career.

“The way that modern society operates, it’s almost drawing us away from Reset Mode,” said Ross. “It’s all about ‘do more to be more.’ I think it’s important for us to have all those opportunities for reset, however, even if at times they feel counterproductive.

“A key point for me is the need to be passionate and clear about what matters to you in life. By all means, invest time and energy into realising that. But just like trees, we need periods of dormancy to rest and reset.

“Particularly in the third section of the book, the tree is described across the seasons. Trees have their own ‘Get’ mode, when they are full of industry and growth in spring and summer. They need to endure throughout the year, bracing themselves against storms and protecting themselves from potential infestations from bugs that could kill them – that’s their ‘Threat mode.’ And, finally, trees have their ‘Reset mode’ in autumn/winter – they need that period of dormancy so they can revive again.

“Just like trees, ‘Get,’ ‘Threat’ and ‘Reset’ modes are key points in all our lives.”

Handling burnout at work

With this year’s theme for World Mental Health Day centred on prioritising mental health in the workplace to avoid burnout, The Tree That Bends also addresses this particular topic.

Although not defined as a mental illness, burnout is a very real threat to employees and reflects, said Ross, “the very significant effect that working environments and cultures can have in creating it.” With the classic signs of burnout being reduced energy and increased cynicism regarding the organisation, along with a reduction in the level of effectiveness in the workplace, he added that to effect positive change in this area, it had to be addressed from both sides.

“I highlight in the book that the research evidence suggests that psychological interventions aimed at individuals aren’t sufficient to bring about a shift in the dial in burnout levels ordinarily, because you need to be also working with the culture,” he said. “You need organisational change. When you think about burnout, that’s when our ‘Get’ and ‘Threat’ modes can be very highly active. The ‘Reset mode’ isn’t getting sufficient opportunity to be accessed.”

Working with people in the sports world, Ross said that he also provided psychological support to the staff responsible for various athletes, such as medical professionals and coaches. “Often, in the cut and thrust of sport, they don’t feature enough in the conversations,” he said.

Within the book, meanwhile, Ross also shares parts of his own story – including the fact that he’s presently living out his own ‘Reset’ period, being partway through his career break. Indeed, another point that he said was important to highlight was the idea of adopting a “strong intention, light attachment” approach to life, something he was conscious of doing himself.

“We can be strong in our attitude to realising our sense of purpose but I think we also have to be lighter regarding the notion that there’s a single way of doing that,” he said. “I think we need to take this broader frame of reference, to know that there are other ways and opportunities to realise our sense of purpose. Have your aspirations and carry yourself lightly and kindly in pursuit of them. “No defeat is ever final. When you think about failures – perhaps failures are feedback. There’s a quote from Nelson Mandela that I like as well – ‘I never lose. I either win or I learn.’

To receive monthly insights and tips from Professor Ross White, check out 5 to Thrive, which is a five-minute read with five tips to help you thrive.

Book week

Celebrating the power of reading with Book Week NI 2024

Adam Smyth, Director at BBC NI.

This week marks the ninth year of Book Week NI – a joint initiative between Libraries NI (a charity partner for Action Mental Health throughout 2024-2027) and BBC Northern Ireland.

Running from October 21-27, Book Week NI is all about encouraging people to enjoy a good book and to highlight the importance of reading. Action Mental Health was delighted to attend the official launch of Book Week NI 2024 at BBC Blackstaff House in Belfast recently.

Speaking at the launch, Adam Smyth, Director at BBC NI, said: “Book Week is a celebration of books, reading and the role that libraries play in community life. It’s something everybody can be involved in.”

He added that it gave people a “reason to reconnect with libraries” and highlighted the huge benefit to society that reading brings – something which “was needed more than ever.”

Chairperson of Libraries NI, Bonnie Anley, said that Book Week was a great opportunity to encourage people to get reading and to enjoy all the benefits and fun which came with that.

Book Week 2024 runs from October 21-27, with various events taking place, including ‘Love Your Library Day’ on October 23. We’ll also be posting a blog on our website with some of our own book recommendations this week, along with an interview with a local clinical psychologist who has just published his first book, so keep an eye out for those!

To find out more about the mental health benefits of reading, check out our blog here: https://www.amh.org.uk/how-reading-and-writing-can-improve-wellbeing/

Find out more about Book Week at: bbc.co.uk/bookweekni

Jonny Smyth from Action Mental Health with author and creative writing tutor, Anthony Quinn.
Claire Savage from Action Mental Health with Sian Cairns (centre), Senior Services Manager at Libraries NI and Eileen McVerry, Heritage Senior Services Manager at Libraries NI.
mental health

Conference highlights mental health issues in animal welfare sector

Working collaboratively across sectors is the key to creating safer, more compassionate communities for everyone, with benefits including improved mental and physical health in both humans and animals, according to experts in animal welfare, psychology, veterinary science and law.

Representatives from organisations including Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, Dogs Trust and animal welfare charity Naturewatch Foundation, joined vets, researchers and a leading psychologist at Stormont on October 2 for Northern Ireland’s second annual animal welfare conference. Organised by Causeway Coast Dog Rescue (CCDR), the conference took collaboration as its theme and was entitled ‘What does collaboration look like to improve companion animal welfare?’ The event audience, meanwhile, included attendees from the PSNI, along with MLAs, various animal welfare organisations, Action Mental Health and the media.

Claire Sugden MLA addressing the conference.

Welcoming everyone to the event, host Claire Sugden MLA, highlighted the links between animal abuse and human violence and said, “The system can’t function if there’s no collaboration.” She added that it was important that anyone who reported an animal welfare issue was then updated about that, as a lack of communication with the public after reporting a welfare concern was a key issue in Northern Ireland.

“This erodes trust in the system and creates a hesitancy to report in the future,” she said, adding that there was also a need “to support both animals and their owners during tough times – for example, with mental health providers and social workers.”

“The emotional toll of working in this sector is huge,” she said. “People working on the frontline of animal welfare are at risk of burnout, trauma and fatigue from witnessing animal abuse. We must also care for the mental health of those dedicating their lives to animal care.”

Recognising trauma in animal welfare workers

Dr Tara Quinn-Cirillo from the Human Animal Welfare Alliance.

Protecting the mental health of those working within the animal welfare sector was something echoed by psychologist and author, Dr Tara Quinn-Cirillo, who has set up the Human Animal Welfare Alliance (HAWA) to help address this issue. Currently working on developing the UK’s first Emotional Health Toolkit for animal welfare workers, this digital tool will include resources “to help staff manage their emotional health.” The initiative also includes monthly emotional health check-in sessions where staff can speak in a safe space, along with targeted mental health training on vicarious trauma, stress, anxiety, overwhelm and burnout. Meanwhile, staff who need to discuss a particularly traumatic event can also arrange a one-to-one debrief session on the phone.

Discussing her ongoing research into the mental health issues experienced by animal welfare workers, Dr Quinn-Cirillo said that, while trauma was often present, employees didn’t always identify it as such.

“Quite often, there are different factors, where people don’t recognise that they’re going through trauma,” she said. “Trauma shows up so differently and can mimic things like anxiety and depression. Stress, overwhelm and burnout are trending words… but people aren’t being supported to recognise trauma, or they don’t realise you can get trauma from this sort of situation. It’s important to identify trauma because the way I work with that, as a psychologist, is very different from how I work with stress.”

She added that complex trauma was also an issue within the animal welfare sector, where events in people’s personal lives overlapped with those of their working lives to create a more multifaceted type of trauma. Meanwhile, vicarious trauma was another type of trauma experienced by some employees.

“Vicarious trauma is where you’re absorbing other people’s trauma,” said Dr Quinn-Cirillo. “That’s a really massive issue in animal welfare too – as is grief. People often don’t realise that grief isn’t just about loss through death. It’s about the grief that accompanies dealing with animals being handed in to shelters in distressing circumstances and the animals who are then later rehomed – there can be grief around that loss as well, which quite often isn’t acknowledged.”

Psychologist, Dr Tara Quinn-Cirillo, pictured with Claire Savage from Action Mental Health and Christine Alexandra from Mid Antrim Animal Sanctuary.

Dr Quinn-Cirillo is now beginning to work with animal charities across the UK, providing free online Monthly Emotional Health Sessions as part of the HAWA. Speaking to Action Mental Health after the conference, she said that anyone in Northern Ireland working in animal shelters could access this support and that she was in the process of recruiting more psychologist volunteers onto the project to help deliver it. Her long-term goal, she added, was to create bespoke toolkits for individual rescue organisations, to help address the specific issues they faced, alongside the more general mental issues experienced within the sector as a whole.

“What I really want to do in the long-term is to come up with a model of mental health support they can implement themselves, as each rescue might have slightly different needs,” she said. “The Human Animal Welfare Alliance isn’t a tick box project. We have a survey on the website that animal shelter workers can fill in and let me know what they’re feeling. The Monthly Emotional Support Sessions then give them a space to be heard – as do the telephone debriefs for key incidents. It’s not therapy or counselling, just straightforward debriefing, which is so important.”

Links between animal and human abuse

Also speaking at the conference was Animal and Human Nurse, Helen Ballantyne, who discussed One Health and what that means in terms of collaborative working. “The human-animal bond needs reframing,” she said. “There’s a lack of understanding about how animal welfare links to human welfare.”

Referencing the Independent Investigation of the National Health Service in England (September 2024), she said the evidence showed the nation’s health was deteriorating and that “our companion animals are a barometer for our own public health.” Dr Paula Boyland, BVetMed MRCVS Chair of The Links Group and Veterinary Director of Dogs Trust, also discussed the crisis link between animals and people and gave an example of a domestic abuse incident involving first a pet dog and later, a baby. On both occasions the reason given for injuries sustained was that they fell down the stairs – first the dog and, on the next occasion, the child. Dr Boyland said this was a case where the animal abuse had clearly preceded the human abuse, adding that, “this link between abuse of animals and abuse of humans is being more recognised.”

Mark Randell, Naturewatch; Dr Paula Boyden The Links Group and Dogs Trust; Helen Ballantyne, One Health.

Indeed, research conducted by the Links Group in 2021 found that nine out of ten domestic abusers also targeted pets. Dr Boyland further outlined how domestic abusers also sometimes gave pets to their partners as presents, letting them bond before exhibiting coercive control over the other person. She added that, not only did any emotional and physical abuse inflicted impact upon the person targeted, but it also adversely affected the pet. Indeed, a real-life video clip played at the conference clearly showed how distressed a dog became when witnessing its owner being physically hurt.

“Domestic abuse has a massive impact on the dogs as well,” she said. “Specific pet foster services can help. There’s a huge need for pet fostering services in Northern Ireland, so we’re hoping we can get a service here.”

She added that pets could also be a barrier to someone leaving a domestic abuse situation, as they wouldn’t leave their animals at the mercy of the abuser, something also highlighted in a Belfast Women’s Aid article in 2017. The article stated: Many women will simply not want to leave their pets in a volatile and dangerous home and at the hands of an abuser who will utilise every means possible to establish and maintain power and control over his victim. He is not afraid to harm. Unfortunately in Northern Ireland, Women’s refuges do not have the means or facilities to temporarily home these pets.”

Reiterating the overall theme of the conference, Dr Boyland said that collaboration with animal and human welfare groups was therefore key, along with vet training for the entire protection team involved in such incidents. Meanwhile, providing mental health support for those involved in such work was also a crucial element of this.

Former senior police detective and current campaign manager for Naturewatch Foundation, Mark Randall, addressed the conference in a similar vein. He said that taking crimes against animals seriously would ultimately protect people too – both physically and mentally. Indeed a key part of his work now revolves around training police and others on recognising the importance of animal welfare and abuse within relationships, family units and communities.

“When you see that red flag, you need to do something about it,” he said. “Protecting animals isn’t ‘extra work.’ It helps keep relationships and communities safer, reduces abuse and violence towards people… issues that are always public protection priorities.”

mental health
Tara Cunningham from Causeway Coast Dog Rescue.

Tara Cunningham, manager and lobbyist at Causeway Coast Dog Rescue (CCDR) said the charity’s objective with the conference had been to be “positive and productive.”

“CCDR is like many charities in Northern Ireland, we rescue and rehome unwanted dogs, to ensure they have a second chance with a caring and loving family, free from abuse and neglect,” she said

“We look at animal welfare from a different perspective than any other charity, which is through legislation and governance, identifying the gaps and implications on the services being delivered. We look to ensure that there is accountability and transparency included by the three government service providers responsible.”

She added that they were “calling for the ministers of DAERA to support the movement and oversight of legislation and enforcement” in Northern Ireland and for councils to “fulfil their legislative remit.” Only in this way could the ongoing animal welfare crisis – which impacted upon both animal and human physical and mental health – be addressed. Ultimately, collaboration between organisations was key.

mental health

Lurgan skills coach wins Action Mental Health’s ICE Award

A skills coach from Action Mental Health’s Southern Region Service in Tannaghmore, Lurgan, has been presented with our bi-annual Chairman’s ICE Award in recognition of his dedication and the work he does in creating extra opportunities for clients.

mental health
Action Mental Health CEO, David Babington, presenting skills coach, Marc McCann, with his ICE Award.

Marc McCann, who joined Action Mental Health 12 years ago, delivers personal development training for clients. He said he was very surprised, but delighted, to win the award.

“I accept it on behalf of all of my colleagues in Portadown and Tannaghmore, who work tirelessly every day to provide a vital service for our clients,” he said. “It is a real team effort. Colin has inspired me and the whole team to be creative and passionate about our work, with the focus always on the support and recovery of each individual.”

Launched back in 2016, the Chairman’s ICE Award is presented twice a year in recognition of individuals’ contributions to innovation, creativity and excellence within Action Mental Health. Along with a commemorative trophy, the winner also receives an extra day of annual leave.

CEO of Action Mental Health, David Babington, said: “Many congratulations to Marc! His nomination highlighted that he ‘has worked in a very focused and dedicated manner for the betterment of our clients, broadening the reach and quality of service provision.’ 

“As part of the nomination submission, the comments also described Marc as ‘a great champion of attending clients’ and said he is someone who ‘relishes the challenge of empowering people to ‘reach for the stars’ and unlock their potential that is conducive to individual recovery.’ We think Marc is a very deserving winner of the ICE Award and I hope he enjoys that extra day off work!” 

In addition to the Open College Network NI (OCC NI) accredited training that Marc delivers to clients, he also seeks out numerous other opportunities for them to engage in. These include everything from reflective writing and mindfulness sessions to physical exercise opportunities.

“One example of this would be the links established with Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Council (ABC Council) in South Lake Leisure Centre, where I support up to eight clients in using the gym each Tuesday morning,” he said. “This has been running for 12 months now. Also, I recently mentored and nominated a learner for the OCC NI Learning Endeavour Awards. Christine went on to win both her own category and the overall Hilary Sloan Award. This was a fantastic achievement for her and I was delighted to play a small part in that.

“My accredited sessions are very conversational in nature and I pride myself on creating a ‘safe space’ for people to share their feelings and emotions in a friendly and supportive environment.”

To find out more about our “I AM SOMEONE” campaign and/or donate, visit www.amh.org.uk/iamsomeone

menopause

Menopause, mental health and the workplace

With October marking Menopause Awareness Month, there’s no better time to get talking about the perimenopause and menopause.

For the third of our menopause-related blogs this month, we’ve subsequently spoken to Siobhan Kearney, founder and CEO of Menopause NI, an organisation which raises awareness of the menopause and delivers training to workplaces, communities and the statutory sector. Established in 2020, Menopause NI draws on evidence-based research for all of its workshops – currently delivered by Siobhan – with clinical insight and support provided by Dr Gwyneth Hinds.

Siobhan Kearney of Menopause NI.

Having spent more than 25 years working in senior leadership roles across the community and voluntary sector in Northern Ireland, Siobhan was a CEO within the mental health sector when her own experience with the menopause began. As is the case with many, however, when she began feeling low, anxious and overwhelmed in a job she had hitherto been managing just fine, the menopause didn’t even cross her mind.

While there are a variety of both physical and mental health symptoms associated with the perimenopause (which occurs in the lead-up to menopause itself), Siobhan said that the mental health symptoms could be particularly hard to identify and understand. Indeed, along with other menopause symptoms, they can often cause people to reduce their working hours and even leave their jobs altogether. 

“When I’m doing presentations to workplaces it seems that the common physical health symptoms of menopause are easier to talk about,” she said. “When it comes to the mental health impact, however, I don’t think people fully understand this. The menopause is also still really stigmatised. It can still be very difficult for people to talk about it, let alone talk about the mental health side of things alongside that.”

Although Menopause NI is now helping to increase awareness and understanding of the perimenopause and menopause, when Siobhan started her own menopause journey, she didn’t understand what was happening to her. “That’s why I do what I do now, at Menopause NI,” she said. “I thought to myself, ‘Here I am, a chief executive and I’m feeling anxious with hot flushes and palpitations’. I didn’t know it was the perimenopause. When I began to understand, however, I then thought – why did I not know this? It actually contributed to me leaving that job.”

Impact of menopausal mental health on careers  

Research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD, 2023) found that, in a survey of 2,000 employed women aged 40-60, more than half said they had been “unable to go into work at some point due to menopause symptoms.”

They further found that two-thirds of the women (67%) reported their most common menopause symptoms as being “psychological, such as mood disturbances, anxiety, depression, memory loss, panic attacks, loss of confidence and reduced concentration.” Meanwhile, approximately one in six people (17%) had considered leaving their job “due to a lack of support in relation to their menopause symptoms,” with a further 6% having actually left work.

“It’s important to get the recognition that perimenopause can have a real impact on your mental health and wellbeing,” said Siobhan. “Things like anxiety, loss of confidence, low mood, depression, feeling overwhelmed, having difficulty making decisions… For myself, I remember thinking – where did the real Siobhan go?”

She added that depression associated with menopause was hormone-related but that many were still being prescribed anti-depressants by their GPs, instead of being offered HRT. Indeed, the NICE Guidelines state that there is no clear evidence that anti-depressants such as SSRIs or SNRIs ease low mood in menopausal people who have not been diagnosed with depression.

Meanwhile, for those who may have pre-existing mental health issues, Siobhan added that it was important to discuss this with GPs, so extra steps could be taken. Having GPs who were attentive to the perimenopause was key, she said, in supporting those navigating this transitional period of their lives.

“Menopause happens at a very very busy stage in our lives,” she said. “So, maybe you’re not thinking about the menopause at all. Perimenopause can last anywhere for up to ten years, however. So, when you think about experiencing these mental health symptoms for up to ten years, perimenopause can be the most challenging time for women.”

Reflecting on her own menopause experience, Siobhan said that, once she began to understand what was happening to her, she was able to take back control and better manage her symptoms. She did this through a combination of lifestyle changes and HRT, working on herself in terms of reassessing her diet and exercise. She added that, while HRT was “very helpful” for her own symptoms, the menopause was a “very individual journey for every woman” and that each person should find what worked for them.

“The good news is that symptoms tend to diminish over time,” she said. “A lot of people who are post-menopausal say things have got back to a new normal. For me, I’m a different version of myself now. I’m a stronger person – and more confident. I no longer care what people think about me.”

Realising that there was an obvious deficit when it came to awareness about the menopause and how to handle it, Siobhan decided that someone needed to do something about that.

“That’s why I started to develop menopause awareness programmes and workshops and looking at clinical governance,” she said. “My main programme was 12 hours, so then it was all about tweaking that for workplaces. I knew it needed an identity of its own.”

Tackling menopause in the workplace

Keen to create a culture in workplaces shaped around understanding menopause and supporting staff who are menopausal, Siobhan said that being able to have conversations at work about these issues was key – and “so empowering.”

To have an understanding manager on the other side of those conversations is so important,” she said. “It’s all about having that balance. The statistics support the fact that the mental health symptoms of menopause are some of the most common symptoms reported by women and yet, they’re the most difficult to talk about. 

“When I speak to companies, a lot of them want me to speak to their management team first and also, to consider what legislation is in place to protect staff experiencing menopausal symptoms. When speaking with the staff, however, that requires a more proactive approach, looking at how to build up the confidence to have that conversation and to look after yourself.”

With the feedback from women who have attended Siobhan’s workshops overwhelmingly positive, there is now an increasing demand for these. She added that many men attended them as well, talking about their wives or partners and how they had changed due to a loss of confidence or anxiousness resulting from menopause.

Siobhan also shares her own menopause experience at the events, using humour to help ease people into the conversation.

“I’m doing all this for the generation coming behind me,” she said. “We need to talk about the menopause with confidence and competence and understanding. That’s a legacy I would like to leave – that women are confident about the menopause. It’s not embarrassing. There’s no shame attached. We need to educate about it and provide access to good information.”

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mental health

Action Mental Health’s relocated Foyle service officially opened by Mayor

Action Mental Health’s Foyle service enjoyed its official opening on World Mental Health Day (October 10), when iconic buildings across the city of Derry~Londonderry also lit up in purple in support of mental health awareness.  

Having provided mental health services in the Foyle region for more than 30 years, Action Mental Health recently relocated from Springtown Industrial Estate to its new Pump Street location in the city centre. The Mayor of Derry City & Strabane District Council, Cllr Lilian Seenoi Barr SDLP, subsequently cut the ribbon to mark the official opening of the new premises.

The launch event was attended by a range of guests from across the voluntary and statutory sectors, along with Action Mental Health clients, the charity’s CEO, David Babington and Action Mental Health chair, Damian McAuley. Western Trust Assistant Director, Colleen Harkin, was also in attendance.

Action Mental Health’s Foyle Service Manager, Pauline Flanagan, said the day was a great success and incredibly well supported by the local community.

“It went very very well,” she said. “We’re now in the heart of the city, beside the Garden of Reflection. We’re surrounded by local businesses and lots of voluntary sector organisations as well, which is wonderful as it creates lots of opportunities for our clients and also allows us to build better networks.

“The new Pump Street premises are so accessible as well. We’re very close to the bus depot and the train, so are within walking distance now for a lot of our clients.”

Mayor of Derry City & Strabane District Council, Cllr Lilian Seenoi Barr SDLP said: “I was honoured to attend the official opening of Action Mental Health’s state-of-the art new premises at Pump Street.

“Action Mental Health plays a key role in community life by actively promoting mental health and wellbeing in our city and district. This new facility will help them to deliver their wide range of key services from the heart of the city and ensure they can make a positive impact on the lives of anyone in our council area who needs their support.”

(L-R) Western Trust Assistant Director Colleen Harkin, Action Mental Health Foyle Service Manager Pauline Flanagan, Mayor of Derry & Strabane District Council, Cllr Lilian Seenoi Barr and Action Mental Health CEO, David Babington.

Action Mental Health CEO, David Babington, added: “The opening of the Foyle service in its new premises in the city is the start of a new chapter for client support in the area, which Action Mental Health has been doing for over 30 years. We’re very aware that communities really need help with their mental health and wellbeing and this move will ensure that support continues and is even more accessible.”

Foyle art trail raising awareness of mental health support

Already making the most of their new and improved city centre location, the Foyle service team also organised an interactive Art Trail in collaboration with almost 30 local businesses.

The trail ran from Monday, October 7 until Sunday, October 13 and was located in the city’s Cathedral Quarter area, displaying various artwork from clients which depicted their lived experiences of mental ill-health.

The trail linked in with this year’s World Mental Health Day theme of prioritising mental health in the workplace, with Action Mental Health also using the initiative to raise awareness of the range of mental health support available in the local area. The artwork was subsequently displayed in the windows of the participating businesses and organisations and featured QR codes which, when scanned, signposted people to local mental health service providers.

“As we’re now based in the Cathedral Quarter we decided to use this area for the Art Trail, to highlight what it’s like to have a diagnosis of mental ill-health,” said Pauline.

“Some of the designs also had information on the additional mental health supports available to people. It’s not just about Action Mental Health, but showing other support services as well, for example, the Western Trust and private voluntary sector organisations. We wanted to raise awareness of all the local support services and would like to extend our thanks to everyone who took part in the trail.”

Businesses and organisations which participated in Action Mental Health’s Art Trail included:

Newgate Arts Centre, Hidden City Café, Northwest Volunteer Centre, Ferry Clever, Foyle Women’s Centre, the office of Sinn Fein MLA Padraig Delargy, Barnardos, The Sandwich Co., Oxfam, Salmueria Café, Forsight, Joe Jacksons, Yum Cakes, Cancer Research, Java, Claude’s, Vine Living, Number 19 Craft & Design, The Sacred Tree, Walled City Crafters, Foyle Books, Derry City Tourist Office, The Void Gallery.

Iconic buildings go purple for World Mental Health Day

Ulster University’s Magee Campus lit up in purple for World Mental Health Day on October 10.

As well as the official opening of the Foyle service and the interactive Art Trail, Action Mental Health also celebrated the launch of our new “I AM SOMEONE” campaign on World Mental Health Day. Backed by Action Mental Health ambassador and Olympic Gold Medallist Rhys McClenaghan, as well as actor James Nesbitt, “I AM SOMEONE” aims to raise awareness of mental health and to fundraise for the services we provide.

Iconic buildings in both Belfast and Foyle were subsequently lit up in purple to highlight the campaign, with Stormont, Derry Playhouse, Ulster University’s Magee Campus and the City of Derry Airport all going purple for mental health.

Derry Playhouse lit up in purple for World Mental Health Day.
City of Derry Airport marking World Mental Health Day by lighting up in purple.

To find out more about our “I AM SOMEONE” campaign and/or donate, visit www.amh.org.uk/iamsomeone