Knowledge has vastly improved over recent years towards mental health illnesses. In the past, people who suffered from mental health illness faced great prejudice and incarceration, even to the extent of being lobotomised or undergoing electric shock therapy. Now there is sufficient access to support, advice and highly effective treatment. A huge amount of people who have experienced a mental health problem can recover fully and can manage the side effects, particularly if help, support and treatment are available and accessible early on.

Believe it or not but mental health problems may in fact be more regular than you think. Statistics show that in actual fact a huge one in four of us will be affected by mental illness each year. The attributes of a mental health disorder are as painful and genuine as a broken limb, despite that there isn’t a plaster cast or bandage to illustrate for the less visible or comprehendible scars.

 Despite that countless people suffer from a mental illness, there is still somewhat of a social disgrace affixed to ill mental health and people with mental health problems can endure prejudice in all aspects of their lives, as well as towards employment.

However, Bromley's Mind Mental Health charity is offering further support to over 18 year olds and upwards, providing advice to anyone experiencing a mental health problem in the Bromley area. Mind drives to advance services, raise awareness and encourage a better understanding.

Mind supports over an enormous 250,000 people across England and Wales, including local Bromley's base. Supported housing, crisis help lines, drop-in centres, employment training, counselling and befriending are only some of the many helpful aspects that the mental health charity offers.

On Wednesday 25th February, local Bromley and Lewisham's Mind at Stepping Stones from 1pm to 4pm held an information event about budgeting, saving money on mobile phone bills, gas and electricity bills, wiser shopping and bank accounts. Mindful Money Mentors helped attendees manage money and offered advice to make it go further in everyday living. Bromley Mind also offered one to one support drop-in session with a Money Mentor.

On a doctor's referral, Bromley Mind has a feature called Open Access. A volunteer will offer attendees a range of refreshments and friendly advice. At Open Access there is a chance for mental ill health sufferers to talk with other individuals facing similar problems. Open Access is a place of education with availability to computers and the internet as well as welcoming discussions with regular faces.

Bromley Mind offers a couple of unique workshops to do with coping with life that takes places over a two day period. The workshops tackle Managing Depression, Self-Esteem and Assertiveness and Stress and Anxiety.

The Managing Depression workshop covers the understanding of thought, feelings and behaviour that create depression and develops skills that will help to change this cycle.

The Self-Esteem and Assertiveness explores the understanding of how thoughts and beliefs can maintain low self-esteem and teaches skills to increase self-confidence and practise strategies to maintain self-esteem. The workshop looks at why there are difficulties being assertive and teaches how to develop skills to handle criticism, how to say no and avoid being taken advantage of.

The Stress and Anxiety workshop helps to identify the cause and effects of stress. Practical skills to help manage stress more effectively are taught to attendees such as helpful breathing techniques. The workshop helps understand what anxiety is and how it is maintained. A number of skills to help reduce anxiety and how it is maintained is also explored and discussed.

Next month Bromley Mind will be holding an evening of quiz entertainment, a fish and chip supper and fundraising for the local mental health and dementia work. Teams will be made of up to 6 members. This event is always a fun evening out with several prizes up for winning.

One of Bromley Mind’s service users quotes, “Bromley Mind has helped me a lot. I have friends that understand the problems I face. Bromley Mind is a safe place where I feel comfortable and I feel like I can be myself around people. I defiantly have opened up more around them and other people. I even had the confidence to go to my first concert which would have never happened before I attended.  I now have more confidence to do things that I would have never done before.”

Bromley Mind is most defiantly a beneficial aspect of the Bromley area. This charity has helped many people in the Bromley borough to manage their illness, especially the young at mind, in a safe and welcoming environment.   

 

Phoebe Bellfield, Charles Darwin School