Join Mental Health 100 Campaign to help with Covid’s hidden impact
DWI ddim yn meddwl y bydd yna lawer a fydd yn drist gweld diwedd 2020. ‘Roedd hi’n flwyddyn hynod o anodd I bawb ac wrth i ni rolio i mewn i 2021 rydyn ni’n gwneud hynny o dan gyfyngiadau llawn.
I don’t think there will be many who will be sad to see the back of 2020. It was an overwhelmingly difficult year for everyone and as we roll into 2021 we do so in deep lockdown.
We have learned a lot of new phrases over the past year: self-isolation, shielding, mask hygiene, mass vaccination centres, furlough, R-rate, social distancing and many more. These are all commonplace now, but the implications that go with them have been immense socially and economically.
One of the biggest, but maybe least publicised, impacts of the pandemic combines those social and economic pressures. That is the impact which COVID has had on our mental health.
Over the past few months COVID has made us increasingly aware of the mental health and wellbeing of ourselves and others.
Shielding and lockdown pushed thousands of people into severe isolation. We may not have seen our loved ones or had a hug for months. We have been kept away from work, schools, recreation, friends and other support structures, and it has been exceptionally challenging for all of us kept at home by fear or necessity.
Some of us are, or will have, friends or family who are key workers…. people who have been on the front line in our shops, schools, hospitals and care homes, working on public transport or carrying out other essential roles. The fear of going to work or, indeed, knowing a loved one is putting themselves at risk for the sake of others day after day can lead to severe anxiety.
Those of us who have had COVID or know someone who has, will understand the very real fear that this virus brings. Whilst there are patterns to its behaviour, and clear risk groups, it has not stopped COVID from taking young and apparently healthy people from us. Each person lost is a family in grief. And for those who recover, the long term physical and emotional effects can be huge.
For the many who have been furloughed, lost work or struggled to keep businesses afloat, the stress of uncertainty and financial loss may be a daily worry.
These are just some of the ways in which COVID has impacted on the mental health of our nation in just a few months.
We are now in January, a month traditionally known for the “January Blues” - when short days and grey skies take their toll on our mood. And so, this January, it is even more important that we keep a check on our own – and others’ - mental health.
Next week, I will be distributing a mental health leaflet to homes across the island.
Mental health problems transcend all boundaries. It doesn’t matter what colour you are, what language you speak, what age you are, what gender you identify as, or how much money you have – everyone is susceptible.
My leaflet introduces local and national support services that can help you and others tackle mental health and wellbeing issues.
It also marks the launch of my Mental Health 100 Campaign.
This Campaign aims to get one hundred people on Anglesey trained in mental health awareness.
Mental health conditions are invisible. Unlike a broken leg, they can be easily hidden, and a person can be outwardly healthy and happy whilst hiding real suffering on the inside.
Mental Health Awareness training will teach you about common mental health conditions and help reduce the stigma of
mental health issues.
It won’t make you a psychiatrist or a nurse, but it will give you the tools to:
● spot warning signs for mental health issues in yourself and others
● handle crises and intervene before a problem becomes an emergency, and
● provide “first aid” for someone in a challenging situation.
I have teamed up with the Local Conversations Team at Môn CF who will deliver accredited distance learning courses in Mental Health Awareness. I have also secured sponsorship to pay for training for those who could not otherwise afford it.
The next available training and assessment dates will be:
● Tuesday 23 February and Wednesday 24 February
● Tuesday 9 March and Wednesday 10 March
● Thursday 18 March and Friday 19 March
● Tuesday 23 March and Wednesday 24 March
Anyone, in any walk of life, can benefit from Mental Health Awareness training, so I encourage you to get in touch with me, become one of my 100 and help save lives. Diolch yn fawr. 01407644645
19 Stanley Street, Holyhead, LL65 1HG
virginia.crosbie.mp@ parliament.uk
www.virginiacrosbie. co.uk