West Berkshire mental health charities offer lockdown 2 advice
’Look for positives’ in mental health challenge during second lockdown residents urged
“You are not alone; there is help out there.”
That was the message from one charity that offers free counselling to young people in West Berkshire as the country enters a second national lockdown on Thursday.
But Tammy Willsher, from Time To Talk West Berkshire, also warned that the fallout from the pandemic would “last years, not months”.
The charity has seen a surge in the number of youngsters needing its support recently, with referrals up by around 40 per cent in September and October, compared to the same time last year.
Mrs Willsher, the charity service manager, said: “Every report you read says it is hitting young people particularly hard and we know there is more to come; people are going to find it tough.
“Even if we got a vaccine tomorrow, what this has done to children we will feel for many years to come.”
She said she was working closely with schools across the district to ensure that youngsters know where to go for help if they start to struggle.
“We know there is still a stigma around mental health and we want to break that down,” she added.
“We know fresh air, getting out of the house and movement have a positive impact on mental health, so closing off those avenues to young people is a major concern.
“Normally you feel better when you are connected to people and, while Zoom is fantastic, it’s a poor substitute for human contact.”
Lockdown and social distancing rules have also meant that the charity has not been able to carry out its usual group work with parents and young people, but it has put a number of measures in place to ensure access to its services can continue throughout lockdown, with online, phone and some face-to-face consultations available to anyone who needs them.
A new online referral form, where young people, their parents or their school can go to find them help is also available.
Angela Ryan, the founder of Recovery in Mind – an organisation that helps people gain the tools and skills to improve their mental health through a range of free courses – has also urged people to find positives in the coming weeks and take time to look after their mental health.
Angela, who has experience of significant mental health problems, said: “I am not denying it is going to be a challenge but we all have to do it, so please look for the positives.
“You can still appreciate the outdoors, you will just need to wear a woolly hat, not shorts this time.
“You can take a flask and meet a friend in the park, socially distanced.
“Build connections; you may have more time to eat well; clear out clutter; catch up on sleep; or get creative.”
Recovery in Mind has also had to suspend its courses until January, when it hopes to be able to offer a range of online courses.
Go to www.t2twb.org or call (01635) 760331 if you, or someone you know, needs support.
You can also find help and advice on the charity’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (all @t2twb) or by emailing hello@t2twb.org
You can visit recoveryinmind.org and find a number of resources to help you look after your mental health.
Click on the resources tab and look at all the arts, crafts and tips in the newsletters.
If you, or someone you know, is struggling further support is available from a number of places, including:
Eight Bells for Mental Health: www.eightbellsnewbury.co.uk – call 07387 962220 – email coordinator@eightbellsnewbury.co.uk
Talking Therapies – https://www.berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/contact-us/i-need-help-now/ – call 0300 365 2000
Mental Health Crisis Team – call if you need urgent help, but it’s not an emergency 0300 365 2000 (Press option 4) or 0300 365 9999
Sane Line – www.sane.org.uk – call 0300 304 7000
The Samaritans: www.samaritans.org – call 116 123 – email jo@samaritans.org
