Bressie launches new mental health hotline
VOICE of Ireland coach Bressie is today set to launch a helpline for young adults with mental health difficulties.
The Walk In My Shoes helpline is to be staffed by mental health nurses who can provide information to 18- to 25-year-olds.
Bressie said: ‘Young men especially are notoriously bad at talking about their feelings, but a service like this helpline makes taking that first step a lot easier.
‘I know if I hadn’t have reached out to a helpline when I was at college, things could have been very different.’
The singer, real name Niall Breslin, has just released his first book, Me And My Mate Jeffrey, which documents his own mental health difficulties.
Tom Maher, director of services at St Patrick’s Mental Health Services, said: ‘By funding a phoneline that specifically targets 18- to 25-year-olds, we can offer this vulnerable age group the opportunity to seek help early, which is a critical factor in the recovery process for anyone with a mental health difficulty.’ The Walk In My Shoes helpline – on 01 249 3555 or help@walkinmyshoes.ie – runs from Monday to Friday. It is open late on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays until 9pm. An answering and call-back facility is available outside hours. Aoife Ní Shúilleabháin of the Union of Students in Ireland said: ‘USI welcomes the launch of the Walk in My Shoes Helpline. College can be a stressful time and we all hit speed bumps along the way. Call if you ever feel like things are getting a bit too heavy for you. There is always help available – all you have to do is ask.’
The helpline’s website is walkinmyshoes.ie. The service is also on Facebook and on Twitter.