Let’s do this together

Today marks the start of Mental Health Awareness week, and I have a confession to make. I used to think these sort of dates as nothing more than tiny violin awareness days, but living through the last year has changed all that.

I’ve seen first hand how fragile mental health really is – my own daughter is not the same child who went into lockdown all those long months ago.

I know I like to joke about my daughter’s dark moods and monosyllabic grunts, and under any normal circumstances they would have been just regular teenagery stuff, but it’s become clear that sustained isolation from normal life – choir practice, sports matches or just hanging around outside kebab shops after school – has left her generation damaged.

I come from a “pull yourself together and get on with it” kind of background and I admit I was slow to see how affected my daughter was by a year of lonely lockdown and too much time in gaming chat rooms and on social media. A virtual world is no replacement for fun and friends and fresh air.

So I decided that I needed to up my parenting game if we’re both going to get through these teenage years, and went to my local family services to ask for help. It took a lot to get me through those doors because I’ve always had a healthy distrust of social services professionals who seem to spend all their time in meetings. But having asked for help, I’ve uncovered a rich seam of expertise, education and services available to support us in our hour of need.

As of this morning I’m back in the classroom myself as I start a series of council-run parenting workshops every Monday for the next 10 weeks. Yes I know – a prison sentence would probably be shorter, but if it helps my unhappy teenager, then I’m willing to try anything.

So I speak from experience when I say, if you or someone in your family are not coping, then don’t ignore it – ask for help. You’ll be amazed at how many people care.

■ Email me at siobhan.mcnally@mirror.co.uk or write to Community Corner, PO Box 791,

Winchester SO23 3RP.