In honour of Time to Talk Day on 4th February, we have asked our community of Mental Health First Aiders for their view on those crucial conversations. Sinead is a qualified Mental Health First Aider who blogs at hermidnightwriting.tumblr.com. We asked Sinead if taking an MHFA course has encouraged her to open up about mental health and how her skills help her to combat stigma.
Whilst I was at university I studied psychology and I thoroughly enjoyed this subject, primarily due to the psychology behind mental ill health and the stigma behind it. After ten years of fearing the doctors and worsening symptoms, I plucked up the courage to go to the doctor and I was finally diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and depression in 2012.
It was a very difficult time for me as I was approaching my final year at university and had increasing amounts of work. I was very fortunate to have an amazing group of friends by my side and although I don’t think they fully understood what was happening to me, they sat by my side regardless. I never told them exactly what was going on because I was scared. I thought they would think I had turned crazy, that my fear of everything and constant dark mood was more of a hindrance than anything else. I was lucky, some people aren’t fortunate enough to have the support I did and in my eyes, that’s where stigma occurs.
I began volunteering for an organisation called Mind, and it was through them that I heard about MHFA training. I wanted to do this course, not only to help others talk about mental health but help myself too. I felt that the stigma behind it was making it even harder for me to deal with as I didn’t know who to talk to about it. With sweaty palms and a pounding heart I entered the room unsure of what would proceed that day.
The course made me realise how many people had the same thought patterns as me regarding stigma and mental ill health. We discussed how certain terminology used in everyday life such as ‘psycho’ and ‘depressed’ can increase the occurrences of stigma within society today by being used in the wrong circumstances and therefore leading to a greater misunderstanding of illnesses such as schizophrenia. The videos and talks were great in helping us understand the variety of topics and I thought it was very beneficial hearing first hand advice and thoughts from those sat around me who had their own experiences of mental ill health.
In just two days I came out of that course feeling confident in the way I spoke about mental health. I felt as though I would no longer cower if questioned about my own mental health and it is something that should be spoken about in order to eliminate stigma. Thanks to MHFA training, I now have the appropriate skills to talk openly to those feeling suicidal and help them rationalise their thoughts. I was also given the skills to help those who suffer from anxiety and panic attacks and it was great to share with everyone other remedies I thought helped me during a panic attack. This is just a handful of what we learnt that day.
One thing I particularly remember about the course is that on the first day we were asked to raise our hands if we (or anyone else we knew) had experience of mental health issues. Few raised their hands, sheepishly watching the room to see who else did. On the second day, we were asked the same question, and with a room full of hands in the air, we all looked at each other with smiles on our faces and nothing but empathy and respect for each other. It was honestly one of the best feelings, and I am very thankful to MHFA for helping me to talk and for giving me the ability to help others to talk. I think that in itself shows how the training can help educate and change perspectives on mental health and stigma.
After I finished the training, I made one promise to myself: to never be ashamed of my mental illnesses and to talk. I now have my own blog, where I write about my struggles with GAD and depression, and the remedies I used to overcome these illnesses. Thank you to MHFA training for opening my eyes to the danger of stigma surrounding mental health, and for allowing me to use those skills to help those who have been in the same position as I. There is no greater feeling, I can assure you.