Self Injury Awareness Day - The Stigma Of Self-Injury

     Self Injury Awareness Day (or SIAD for short) is a global event that occurs each year on the 1st March. The purpose of SIAD is ultimately to raise awareness, but, more importantly, to stamp out the stigma behind it. 

If you would like to help raise awareness about
self-injury you can wear an orange ribbon.

     Sometimes (unfortunately more often than not) when people first hear about self-injury, they usually fire questions like 'Why would someone do that to themselves?', or say that people who self-injure are 'attention seeking'. Let's get some of these things straight.

     A definition of self-injury is any deliberate, non suicidal behaviour that inflicts physical harm to your body; this can include cutting, burning, hair-pulling, scalding, scratching, biting, and many others.  Self-injury can be a coping mechanism - aimed at relieving emotional distress or pain, or to arouse sensation from feelings of numbness. Sometimes physical pain is often easier to deal with than emotional pain – it can cause 'real' feelings, and sometimes the injuries enable the individual to feel that their emotional pain is real and valid. Self-injury can become part of a natural response to the daily stresses of life, but in can escalate in frequency and severity.

     Self-injury, however, only provides temporary relief; it does not deal with the underlying issues. Additionally, after an individual self-injures sometimes they experiences feelings of guilt or disappointment, something of which is not helped by the stigma and prejudice 
that surrounds it. These feelings can also be a trigger to self-injury and so it can become a viscous circle.

A vicious cycle

     When some people assume that individuals who self-injure are ‘attention-seekers’ they perhaps do not realize that individuals who self-injure often do so in secret, and try their best to hide their injuries. They might feel frightened of talking about their self-injury for fear of being judged, misunderstood or stigmatized  Unfortunately, all too often they are proved right to feel this way. It is stigma like this that prevents someone from seeking help when they urgently need it.

The stigma that surrounds self-injury can prevent someone from seeking help when they urgently need it.

     To change people’s perceptions on self-injury, raising awareness is very important. By talking about it, not only will it help break down the wall of stigma (by educating them about the truths and challenging the myths) but perhaps show people that there is hope and help. Even if some people are unable to fully understand self-injury, at least by raising awareness more and more people with be able to empathize with people who hurt themselves.

     So make the most of Self-Injury Awareness Day. Wear a ribbon. Start of conversation. Anything that raises awareness and breaks down the wall of stigma.

     For further help and advice, whenever you may want or need it, click on 'Help, Support and Advice' on the menu on the right.

BMNM.

Mental Health Bill Victory!

     Remember a previous blog-post of mine? I asked you to 'back the bill, the Mental Health Bill'. If this is your first time here then probably not (ah well). Anyway...
     The Mental Health Bill, proposed by Gavin Barwell MP, was to repeal and amend pieces of legislation that discriminated against those with mental health problems. These pieces of legislation included: 

• the Mental Health Act 1983, Section 141 (an MP automatically loses their seat if they're sectioned under the Mental Health Act for more than 6 months),
• the Juries Act 1974 (a 'mentally disordered person' cannot undertake jury service), 
• and the Companies [Model Articles] Regulations 2008 (a person can cease to be a director of a public/private company by reason of their mental health).

     Recently, the Bill successfully passed in the Commons and gained approval in the Lords. All it needs now to become is law is the Royal Assent.

     This Bill becoming law is a milestone, a fantastic moment for people affected by mental health problems - its also a great step into breaking the wall of stigma that surrounds mental health and to improving the quality of life by removing barriers and helping enable people to live a fulfilling life. 
     Although this is a tremendous day for mental health, there is still long way to go; from improving mental health services to standing up to and fighting against stigma and prejudice. But still, let us share this victory. 
     A huge thanks to all who supported the Bill - to those who contacted their MPs to raise awareness, to those campaigned and urged others for support, to those who 'backed the bill'. 
Thank you!    

BMNM.

Mental Health - Let's Get Talking

     January is over and February is here. How are those new years resolutions coming along?  Congrats if you're still going - you rock! But if you've fallen off the metaphorical wagon or horse don't give up - brush yourself down and get back on that metaphorical wagon/horse that we talked about earlier.
     Even though the year is still young, I feel that this year will be a great year for mental health. Even though there are more and more people are talking, there is still a wall of stigma; but I believe that the more we walk about mental health the more the wall gets broken down.

     At this time 9 out of 10 people with mental health problems experience stigma and discrimination. I believe that it is the myths surrounding mental health that are perhaps the biggest contributor this stigma. Here are a few of these myths...

1. Mental health problems are very rare.
2. People with mental health problems are very different from other people.
3. Only celebrities get mental illnesses.
4. People with mental illnesses are violent and unpredictable.
5. It's best to leave people alone if they develop a mental health problem.

When in reality...

1. Mental health problems affect 1 in 4 people.
2. We all have mental health, just like we all have physical health.
3. Anyone can be affected by a mental illness, regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity or background.
4. People with a mental illness are more likely to be a victim of violence.
5. Most people with mental health problems will want to keep in touch with their friends, family and colleagues. Keeping in touch can be a great help in their recovery.

These experiences of stigma and discrimination against mental illness can have very harmful effects. It can:

• prevent an individual from applying or gaining a job,
• leave an individual feeling isolated from friends and family,
• most importantly, prevent someone from seeking help when they may need it most  due to feelings of embarrassment or fear of discrimination.

You might be thinking now 'What can I do about this?'. Well, I have a few suggestions. 

You don't have be a mental health expert to be supportive (but some knowledge can help). But doing nothing, or avoiding the issue, can making things worse. If someone close to you (a friend, family member or colleague) is experiencing mental health problems or a mental illness there are a lot of small things you can do that make a BIG difference. 

• Be there to talk and listen.
• It can be very hard for somebody to tell someone about a mental health problem out of fear of reactions. If someone talks to you, acknowledge their problem and let them know you're there for them.
• Make time to stay in touch, carry on with whatever you'd normally do.
• Ask them how you can help; people will need support at different times and in different ways.
• Also bear in mind that having a mental health problem is just one part of the person; don't define them by this alone. Speak about other things - TV, movies, music etc.
• Furthermore, think about the words you use. Using words like 'crazy', 'nutter', 'loony' or 'psycho' can hurt and only reinforce the stigma of mental health.

     For further help and advice, whenever you may want or need it, you can turn to mental health organisations like Mind, YoungMinds, Time to Change, Rethink, and many more.

     So, with these tips in your arsenal why not start a conversation about mental health?

Let's get talking!!

BMNM.