Health centre says ‘let’s talk’

Club back mental health initiative

NICOLA FINDLAY

An East Kilbride health club backed Time to Talk Day this week in a bid to encourage people to open up about their mental health.

Nuffield Health East Kilbride Fitness and Wellbeing Club also encouraged people to listen to support those suffering from mental illness.

Despite changing attitudes towards mental health, it remains a taboo subject with fear of discrimination.

Many people avoid talking about their mental health problems because they are worried about how other people may react to hearing about their experiences.

This can leave the individual feeling isolated and vulnerable.

Statistics released by Time to Change say 60 per cent of people with a mental health problem waited over a year to tell the people closest to them about it.

Nuffield Health Professional Head of Emotional Wellbeing, Brendan Street, said: “While it can seem really hard to know what to say to someone who is in distress, by taking the time to listen to them, you are showing them the care and support they may need to find further help.

“At Nuffield Health we are trying to make mental health support more accessible. We have a number of online and face-to-face services available, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which is a clinically proven therapy effective in treating problems such as depression, anxiety, self-esteem, anger management, post-traumatic stress disorder and specific phobias.

“East Kilbride is one of our sites which offers CBT to help those who are looking for support with their mental health.”

Top tips to help you listen better include:

· Keep it simple. Showing that you are ready to listen needn’t be complicated. Often a simple “Are you OK?” and “Are you really OK?” if the reply with “I’m fine” is enough.

Then follow up with open questions “What does that feel like?”

· Sometimes it is easier to talk and listen whilst doing something else, maybe a walk in the park, or whilst stuck in traffic.

Some people find it easier to talk, and listen, when side to side, not face to face.

· Solace not solutions. Don’t try and fix the situation, support the person by really listening and trying to understand their difficulties