Mental Health – Understanding Some Of The Terms
It can be confusing so here is a simple guide to common terms used
Taken from https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/about-mental-health/types-problems
Anxiety & panic attacks
Anxiety is a normal emotion that we all experience but becomes a mental health problem when someone finds they are feeling this way all or most of the time.
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder is a diagnosis given to someone who experiences extreme periods of low (depressed) and high (manic) moods.
Depression
Depression is a diagnosis given to someone who is experiencing a low mood and who finds it hard or impossible to have fun or enjoy his or her lives.
Eating disorders
An eating disorder is a diagnosis given to someone who has unhealthy thoughts, feelings and behaviour about food and their body shape.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a mental health diagnosis given to someone who experiences obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours.
Personality disorders
If someone has a personality disorder, some aspects of their personality might affect them in a way, which makes it very difficult to cope with day-to-day life, especially when it comes to relation
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a diagnosis given to people who develop a certain set of symptoms following a traumatic event. What is PTSD? Symptoms include:
Psychosis
A person experiencing psychosis perceives the world in a different way to those around them, including hallucinations, delusions or both.
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a diagnosis given to people who experience symptoms of psychosis, alongside what are called ‘negative symptoms’.
Self-harm
Self-harm is when someone purposely hurts himself or herself, usually in order to cope with intense emotional distress.
Suicidal feelings
Suicide – when someone intentionally takes his or her own life – is a very complex issue. What are suicidal feelings? People feel suicidal for a variety of reasons, for example:
Help and support
If you are experiencing mental health problems or need urgent support, there are many places you can go to for help.
At Time to Change, we focus on challenging stigma and discrimination in society, so we are not able to provide individual or emergency support for people in crisis. But there are many people who can. They are listed here:
Samaritans
Telephone: 116 123 (24 hours a day, free to call)
Email: jo@samaritans.org
Website: www.samaritans.org
Provides confidential, non-judgemental emotional support for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those that could lead to suicide. You can phone, email, write a letter or in most cases talk to someone face to face.
Mind Infoline
Telephone: 0300 123 3393 (9am-6pm Monday to Friday)
Email: info@mind.org.uk
Web site: www.mind.org.uk/help/advice_lines
Mind provides confidential mental health information services.
With support and understanding, Mind enables people to make informed choices. The Infoline gives information on types of mental distress, where to get help, drug treatments, alternative therapies and advocacy. Mind has around 140 local Minds providing local mental health services.
Rethink Mental Illness Advice Line
Telephone: 0300 5000 927 (9.30am – 4pm Monday to Friday)
Email: info@rethink.org
Website: http://www.rethink.org/about-us/our-mental-health-advice
Provides expert advice and information to people with mental health problems and those who care for them, as well as giving help to health professionals, employers and staff. Rethink also runs Rethink services and groups across England and Northern Ireland.
Saneline
Telephone: 0300 304 7000 (4:30pm-10:30pm)
Website: www.sane.org.uk/what_we_do/support/helpline
Saneline is a national mental health helpline providing information and support to people with mental health problems and those who support them.
The Mix
Telephone: 0808 808 4994 (11am-11pm, free to call)
Email: Helpline email form
Website: www.themix.org.uk/get-support
The Mix provides judgement-free information and support to young people aged 13-25 on a range of issues including mental health problems. Young people can access the The Mix’s support via phone, email, peer-to-peer and counselling services.
If you want us to come along and do, a Health Promotion Event just let us know and we can put something together for you.