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  • How food effects our mental health

    How food effects our mental health

    As many of us know by now, eating a balanced diet has many benefits for our physical health. But what about our mental health? As research progresses, we see the impact of what we eat has on our overall mental wellness, specifically on depression and anxiety. It’s important to know how food and our moods are related.

    Having a well-rounded eating diet can seriously help improve the mood by increasing energy levels and helping your mind think clearer. There are many elements ay play here, from the amount of carbohydrate you digest to the way deficiencies in our vitamins and minerals can affect our health.

    What is the importance of Carbohydrates?

    For the human brain to concentrate and focus, it needs energy, as 20% of all energy needed by the body is used by the brain itself. Energy comes from blood glucose; the glucose in our blood comes from the carbohydrates we eat. When we lack energy for the brain, we tend to feel weak, tired and lethargic. Eating regular meals containing some carbohydrates will help keep this under control.

    It’s important to keep it balanced as rises and falls of your blood glucose can greatly impact your daily anxieties. Foods that release energy levels slowly and good to have has small portions spaced out throughout the day.

    List of sources of carbohydrates.

    • Pasta/Rice

    • Wholegrains

    • Fruits

    • Vegetables

    • Legumes / Nuts

    • Low-fat dairy

    • Proteins and fats

    Proteins and fats

    Alongside the energy your brain receives from carbohydrates, your brain also needs amino acids, which helps regulate your thoughts and feelings. Protein is what contains amino acids, which is important to partake in your daily diet. Protein is found in meats, fish, eggs, legumes and soy products, also found in Vegetarian/Vegan substitutes.

    What to look out for

    • Skipping meals or missing a meal, especially breakfast, can quickly lead to low blood sugar. Leaving you feeling weak and tired.

    • Cutting out entire food groups. Reducing the variety of foods in your diet makes it more difficult to get your need to intake essential nutrients. Low levels of zinc, iron, B vitamins, magnesium, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids are known to worsen your mood and decrease energy.

    • Eating too many carbohydrates. Having high intakes of unhealthy, processed carbohydrates, for example, white bread and pastries, will cause blood sugars to rise and fall dramatically. This can lead to low energy and irritability.

    Though there is still much to learn about the effects of daily dietary patterns on our mental health, the evidence shows that eating healthier and more nutritious meals can have a protective effect.

     

     

    If you are worried about your mental health, reach out to your doctor or local practitioner.

     

  • Is your smartphone affecting your mental health?

    Is your smartphone affecting your mental health?

     

    Smartphones have become second nature to us now.  For some, our whole lives are in our devices.  There are many positives to having phones, like keeping in contact with friends and family. Meeting new people and staying up to date with the world. We are all addicted in some shape or form, but it’s figuring out if you may need a break from the blue screen. Studies have shown that those who are constantly connected to their phones had a significantly higher level of stress and depression than those who hardly use their device. 

    Read through the five-pointers below on how to find the right balance for you and your health.

    1: Finding balance with social media

    As social beings, connection is important to us, and not all digital connections are bad as we see many genuine and authentic posts etc. When engaging in social media, try and make it as productive as you can. It’s healthy to make those positive connections by sharing love and support. However, it is not so healthy when it is just a passive engagement, scrolling without purpose. This is a way of maintaining stress, so you don’t realise it is not good for your health. Have a purpose as to why you’re doing what you’re doing. 

    2: Deleting the comparison 

    As an influencer, the job is to influence you in whatever way they are promoting. What you have to remember is that everything you see is most likely not real. If you find yourself feeling down as you look through these images, remember you can unfollow. Follow content you want to see instead of something to compare yourself to. 

    3: Phone usage.

    One day you might spend 2 hours on your phone, the next could be all day. It’s important to see your screen time as you can see how much time you have disconnected for and set certain goals on time usage. A key thing to remember is to always put your device down at least 30 minutes before bed. That gives your brain time to settle down rather than being alerted by the blue light, keeping your brain waves more active, leading to overthinking before resting. 

    4: Notifications

    If your phone is constantly vibrating and lighting up in the corner of your eye, you can seriously disrupt your mindfulness. The distraction is always there waiting to be clicked on. Ask yourself, are the notifications adding to your life. Do you need to know every time you get a new like or email? Limit your notifications to only the ones you essentially need. This doesn’t need to be a permanent thing, but it’s worth trying to test how the phone is contributing to anxiety levels.

    5: Finding different activities 

    Our brains don’t perceive device usage as a downtime, adding to the overwhelming anxieties we can experience. Try finding activities that don’t involve your smartphone. It’s good to occupy your mind with things not so straining and more active. It’s so easy to feel like you’re relaxing whilst scrolling; however, that’s not what is actually happening. It’s important to do other things like reading, walking and being face to face with others. 

    Give your anxiety a break and take a step back from your device, find that balance. 

     

  • Spotting depression in young children

    Spotting depression in young children

    As a parent, your child is your main priority and making sure they are okay.  It can be hard to know if your young child is struggling. We have a worldwide concern about depression and suicide in young people, but what we need to be aware of is that it isn’t only young adults or teenagers that are suffering as young children can also experience this; the signs are just more difficult to read. Facts show that as many as 2 per cent to 3 per cent of children the ages 6 to 12 can suffer from serious depression. Having depression is equally common in girls and boys, though among adolescents, it is twice as common with girls. This leading to last for most of their adult life.

     

    What to look for 

    When becoming aware of depression with your young child, the initial thing to look for is irritableness rather than actively seeming sad. The child may not completely understand what they are feeling, so this can come across as cranky.  So the adult needs to look for signs, look into what the child says, act, or even stop doing. Recognise the significant changes in functioning. This might mean that the child is losing interest in the toys, jokes or rituals that used to be fun. Look out for tiring easily, loose of appetites and just overall seeming flattened. Ensure you get information from the school if applicable; teachers may pick up on things parents may not always recognise.

    Alongside this, we may look at our child acting up as behavioural problems if they have daily tantrums etc. However, it is really driven by how the kid is feeling on the inside.

     

    Don’t be afraid to ask your child their thoughts, even tho they may not be able to express this to you. Showing that you can see a difference may help that bit more. A scary thought for any parent is potential suicide attempts. Though this is rare in primary children, it has increased in recent years. Being the second leading cause of death in children ages 10 to 14 in 2018. Times are tougher these days, and we want to make sure our children are safe in every aspect. Be aware, consistent and focus on your children’s daily moods and be able to help make that change. Contact your doctors or local specialist, and the help is out there.

  • 5 Breathing exercises to try at home

    5 Breathing exercises to try at home

     

    Anxiety is the body’s natural response to physical or emotional stress. This can become overwhelming, causing distress. Many of our experts use breathing techniques to help keep a balanced mind and reduce stress. Being able to control your breathing and find what is good for you can help immensely in times of need. In this article, we have 5 effective exercises to try in the comfort of your own space and in your own time. 

     

    1. Deep breathing

    Deep breathing is the most common technique used to reduce anxiety. It’s practical at any time of the day while sitting, standing up, or lying down.

    Deep breathing:

    1. Relax the tummy.
    2. Place one hand just beneath the ribs.
    3. Breathe in slowly and deeply through the nose as you notice the hand rise.
    4. Breathe out through the mouth, noticing the hand fall.
    5. Continue until calm.

     

    2. Quieting response 

    The quieting response breathing method entails deep breaths with visualization, which helps reduce stress and anxiety.

    Firstly you must relax all the muscles in your face and shoulders, then imagine having holes in the soles of your feet.

    Quieting response:

    1. Take a deep breath in, then visualise the breath as hot air entering the body through the holes in the feet’ soles.
    2. Imagine feeling the hot air gradually flowing up the legs, through the lower body and then filling up the lungs.
    3. As the hot air passes, relax each muscle. 
    4. Breathe out the air slowly, imagining the air passing out from the lungs back down your body, leaving out of the soles on your feet.
    5. Continue until calm

     

    3. Mindful breathing 

    Mindful breathing uses mindfulness to help you focus on the here and now.

    Practice mindful breathing, either sitting down or lying down in a place you are comfortable with your eyes open or closed. 

    Mindful breathing:

    1. Slowly Inhale through the nose until the stomach expands.
    2. Slowly let the breath out through the mouth.
    3. Settling in, you then focus on the breath coming in through the nose and out through the mouth.
    4. Notice the rise and fall of the stomach as the breaths come in and out.
    5. Thoughts may come into your mind; allow this to happen, then let them go as you bring your attention back to the breathing. 
    6. Continue until calm,  start to be aware of how the body and mind feel.

    Breathing techniques

     

    4. 4-7-8 breathing

    The 4-7-8 technique is a quick and simple way for you to relax wherever you are.

    Sit down with your back straight and the tip of your tongue on the back of your upper front teeth.

    4-7-8 breathing:

    1. Breathe out through the mouth, making a whooshing sound.
    2. Then close the mouth and count to 4 while breathing in through the nose.
    3. Count to 7 while holding the breath.
    4. Count to 8 while breathing out through the mouth, making a whooshing sound again.
    5. Inhale, then repeat three times.

     

    5. Diaphragmatic breathing

    This breathing technique Doctors usually recommend to people with a lung condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A study has shown that it is helpful in also reducing stress and anxiety. 

     Start by either sitting up or lying down. 

    Diaphragmatic breathing:

    1. Place one hand on the stomach and the other on the upper chest.
    2. Breathe in through the nose, focusing on the stomach rising.
    3. Breathe out through pursed lips, focusing on the stomach lowering.
    4. Continue until calm

    Breathing techniques

  • How Stress is Physical as well as Psychological

    For some, stressful situations bring about thoughts of the worst-case scenario whereas, in others, stressful situations boost motivation, improve focus, and help complete tasks.  However, stress can become chronic in some circumstances, leading to being mentally and physically exhausted and not dealing with day-to-day occurrences. The worse it gets, the closer you can feel to shutting it all out with negative thoughts. The physical impacts of stress can start as common side effects that many people are familiar with, such as; headaches, tension in the muscles, heartburn, increase in blood pressure, rapid breathing and insomnia. Though these are all issues we do not want to deal with, the chronic effects of stress can be much direr. Leading to heart attacks, type 2 diabetes, fertility issues and a weaker immune system. Chronic stress may also lead to behaviours of consumption, i.e. in alcohol, overeating or drug abuse.

     

    Physical stress

    Signs you are experiencing stress

    Stress is not something people always recognise as we can see it as just daily challenges or something we don’t want to admit to. However, you may notice things such as exhaustion, muscle tension etc, without being able to pinpoint why. Coming to grips with the new symptoms affecting you is your time to take action and become aware. This may not be easy as change is a common stressor; this is when you have to ask yourself where the changes are happening. Wherever this is a family problem, at work or relations etc. Take a step back and reflect, opening your mind to figuring out the root issues to become aware.

    During this pandemic, we have been faced with a huge change causing stress and disruptions to our daily routines. It is okay to admit defeat and to recognise you are not alone in this.

     

    Processing and addressing stress

    It can be difficult to want to address your stress, as it makes it more real. Your mind can be telling you you’re fine and to deal with it alone. However, that is never the answer. No matter how small or large your issue may be, it is always relevant and to be made aware of. A helpful starting point can be simply talking about what is bothering you and how you feel, whether this is with a close friend, family member, professional counsellor or even a complete stranger. The purpose of this will help process your own thoughts and give you an opportunity to hear others’ viewpoints. Talking helps and opens your mind rather than it all being locked up inside.

    If that isn’t the way for you, then that’s is okay. It’s important to take note of your mindfulness and be aware of the little things that can help, giving you some guidance on yourself.

    Here is a list of ideas to help the cause of stress.

    • Exercising/Walks
    • Music/Films
    • Meeting friends/Phone calls
    • Meditating
    • Setting boundaries / saying NO
    • Finding new hobbies
    • Set routines

    If you find yourself struggling, don’t be afraid to reach out, we are here to help.

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  • Self-Harm in Children Doubles in Six Years

    Self-Harm in Children Doubles in Six Years

    Self-harm in children
    credit https://unsplash.com/@jeswinthomas

    Self-harm in children doubles in six years

    This has not been helped by prolonged lockdowns and the daily struggle of home learning continue to increase the number of referrals to adult and child mental health services due to self-harm.

    The recently released analysis shows that over the last six years, self-harm among children has doubled.

    BBC’s Radio 4’s on 4 programme found that children aged 9-12 admitted to hospital having intentionally hurt themselves rose from 221 (2013-14) to 508 (2019-20).

    Self-harm admission are averaging ten a week

    Taking population growth into consideration, the admission rate has doubled over the past six years.

    Experts say the findings come as the pandemic has had a huge impact on our young people’s mental health. Research in October (2020) found a rise in children with sleep and eating disorders with even longer waits between referral and treatment.

    Profession Keith Hawton of psychiatry at Oxford University told that self-harm was “in keeping with what we are finding from our research database. It is almost as though the problem is spreading down the age range.”

    “It is important that it is recognised that self-harm can occur in relatively young children, which surprises many. I think it indicates that mental health issues are perhaps increasing in very young age groups.”

    Self-Harm in children
    Credit https://unsplash.com/@caleb_woods

    Rosamund McNeil, assistant general secretary, the National Education Union, commented the findings are deeply troubling. She said the pandemic had increased mental health difficulties among children and young people, particularly those in poverty, ethnic minorities, and those with pre-existing health conditions. The rising rates of self-harm can now be exacerbated.

    The analysis combines File on 4 for hospital admission for self-harm over ten years by ages, cross-referenced with the Office of National Statistics (ONS) to ensure accuracy within the population.

     

    The Guardian investigation discovered that prescriptions for sleeping tablets for under-18’s have risen by 30% to some 186,000 prescriptions during the first lockdown compared to two years ago. Comparatively, they fell for adults.

    Place2Be, a charity providing in-school counselling, surveyed 61 secondary schools. They reported that self-harm reports rose 77% from 48 to 85, with suicide ideation increasing by 81% (76) over the summer of 2020.

    Young Minds, Emma Thomas; “These alarming findings suggest the virus crisis has had a profound impact on the mental health of our young people. These may include fears about Covid, isolation, loss of structure, grief and traumatic experiences.”

    The children’s commissions for England, Anne Longfield, said: “we need NHS trained counsellors in every school, and government plans for training mental health workers will only reach a quarter of schools in three years. These counsellors are really important, but given the level of disruption in our children’s lives, it needs to be prioritised.

    The Devon Clinic has qualified child and teen counsellors available for you and your child to speak with. To contact us and arrange your appointment, please telephone us on 01803 500300 or email reception@devonclinic.co.uk.

  • Coronavirus and Child Stress

    Coronavirus and Child Stress

    As adults, we understand the stress the pandemic has and continues to bring upon us, but what about our children? Coronavirus and child stress is not easy for young minds to understand, let alone put into words.

    As we enter our third lockdown, doctors warn that we shouldn’t overlook what our children are maybe dealing with even though they may not be able to express it. Dr Brockman says the prolonged isolation, separation from peers, boredom, frustration, and continued disappointment can take its toll on their mental and physical wellbeing.

    “Children are worried about Coronavirus. They see and hear what us adults hear.”

    Signs in younger children can include new habits such as hair twirling, nose and skin picking, and thumb sucking. A lot of these are self-soothing techniques secondary to induced stressors such as the pandemic.

    Some may miss important developmental milestones or become more fussy, clingy, or difficult to console when upset.

    Of course, not all signs are behavioural; some children develop physical reactions such as Stomach aches and headaches. Others have trouble completing a task or become withdrawn, choosing to spend their time alone.

     

    Coronavirus & Child StressStress Signs in Babies and Toddlers

     

    • Restless and fussiness
    • Crying more easily and for very little reason
    • Separation anxiety
    • Waking during the night
    • Increase in tantrums
    • Hitting and biting
    • Play themes or talk about illness and death

     

    Sings to Look for in Teens and Older Children

     

    Teens and older children may show stress signs similar to younger ones, but they may also show distress in other ways such as mood changes such as irritability, anger, and feelings of hopelessness.

    Loss in activities such as relationships with family and friends, not replying to messages or engaging with activities such as school or social engagement (video chatting for example).

    Coronavirus & Child Stress

    Other signs can include:

    • Disturbed, little or too much sleep
    • Changes in eating habits
    • Difficulty in concentration
    • Reckless and dangerous behaviour
    • Lack of effort in activities
    • Thoughts or discussion about harm or ending their life

     

    How to Support a Child with Anxiety during Coronavirus

     

    Encourage good sleep and eating routines to boost serotonin levels. Make time, even five to ten minutes, each day to engage with them. The activity or lack thereof, does not matter for they might need to talk or be in the same room as yourself. If you know, they are worried about something, try not to force the topic. Where possible, gently bring it up, allowing them to do the talking if they wish. Sometimes children will feel better just spending time with you doing a fun activity or helping you complete a task.

    Be on their level and play with them. Allow them to talk about their day. Expressing interest in what they have to say is important and shows genuine interest in them.

    You can help your child cope and understand what is happening around them by talking about Coronavirus and Child Stress and the lockdown. Tell them how you feel and explain that although you are stressed, worried or anxious, too, that you will work through the pandemic together until it is over. Expressing your concerns shows that you are willing to tackle tough topics and are available to talk to when they are ready.

     

    If you need further support or would like someone to talk to, The Devon Clinic has professional talking therapists for both adults and children. Call our office today on 01803 500300 to book your face-to-face, Zoom or telephone appointment.

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  • How to stay engaged when exhausted working from home?

    Remember when work meant leaving home, and when being at home meant the end of work? Now, thousands of us have taken up working from home, where is the separation between the two?

     

    For many of us, the boundaries between work and home life are somewhat blurred. A little email here and a phone call there outside of work hours didn’t seem such a big deal in the beginning, and I am talking back in March, but how are those minor inconveniences now?

     

    The blurring of the lines between work and family time decreases both productivities and authentic engagement. It is for our mental health that we are intentional about our activities and motivation as we continue to work from home.

     

    Breaking the Mould

    The daily commute now absent, it can be all too easy to fall into exhausting routines of starting the moment make your morning coffee. Video calls followed by PDFs, phone calls, and paperwork, and don’t forget the endless emails, all without much thought about regular breaks. Pause for a moment and think about how little mental rest you are getting during each day.

     

    Schedule regular breaks between appointments and tasks. Think back to those little breaks you had without realising. The trips to the kitchen for coffee, the walks between meetings, lunch breaks, the five-minute chats with colleagues and the stroll to your car at the start and end of each day.

     

    You can mimic these without the workplace by setting yourself regular screen time-outs, having a regular lunch break, going for a walk, or doing a short non-work related activity. Beyond breaks, we need time to think, to rest our minds and absorb the constant influx of information. When we feel overwhelmed, we tend to put off those trickier tasks on our to-do list because our minds are overloaded, and there simply isn’t any room left to process any more.

    Take regular breaks and don’t neglect your thirst, hunger or movement.

     

    Flip the Formula

     

    It safe to say that things will not be the same as they were before the virus, yet we continue to force our new way of being into our old way of being. You may feel continuously exhausted from the amount of energy you are spending trying to do your job the same way you used to. Forcing the old framework into your home setting is not going to work so its time to adapt.

     

    Working 9-5 with your old regular breaks was once the general mode, and it made sense. Children were at school/nursery and everything fitted nicely. Now we are amid national unrest and a worldwide pandemic; work schedules need to fit around your needs and your family.

     

    Flip the formula. You may only have the capacity to work effectively for fifteen minutes before taking a break-the exact opposite of the old formula. The time you spend working may decrease, but the output in that concentrated time can be three times higher than if you were to sit and stare at the screen for two hours.

     

    Time of day plays a key role here as the 9-5 might mean that everyone is up and around leaving you with very little distraction-free time to produce accurate work. Find the right time or times of the day that suits you best. Unless there are strict deadlines, the most important thing is that the job gets completed in a timely manner.

     

    Up the Empathy

     

    At the onset of this pandemic, we were all advised to be kind and to allow ourselves time to adjust. The notion still applies, but more so now we need understanding and empathy when we find ourselves at capacity or see others struggling. With all that 2020 has thrown at us, we should all be proud that for the most part, we are still getting up each morning and capable of functioning both personally and professionally.

     

    So, when you finish your next meeting and don’t accomplish what you aimed to, ask for a little grace. You will not be the only one asking, and others might even be relieved that you did. Empathy and grace go both ways, give others patience as we all try to figure a pathway to sustain productivity while working from home.

     

    It is time to remove the protective shield over your vulnerability, and like many others, ask for the help that is there, join the navigational path and invite those around you too.

     

    Working from home can be really tough, especially if, like most of us, you don’t have the luxury of a home office. By now many of us have ditched the make-shift home office creations of March and have now moved on to at least a table/desk and a chair.

     

    But furniture is only the start. We need to remould our way of working so that we can focus on the task at hand instead of shouting for quiet while staring into the abyss of the glaring screen, hoping divine inspiration to greet us.

     

    It isn’t easy for any of us at the moment, but if you find yourself struggling with your mental health, there is something we can do to help. With lived experience in many areas, including stress, anxiety and depression, working from home, balancing the work-life relationship, and battling those daily struggles, our talking therapists can help you through.

    Find out more about our talking therapists HERE and see how we can help you HERE.

     

  • Stress Awareness Week 2020

     

    Managing your stress levels and mental health has never been so important as we battle our way through and out the other side of Covid-19. These new and often scary challenges are of major concern to organisations as well as individuals.

    International Stress Awareness week 2020 or #StressAwarenessWeek

     

    Is a week filled with articles, hashtags, personal stories, developments, reports and statistics highlighting the impact our mental health has upon our everyday living. It will provide new tools, diagnostic pathways for support and hopefully make you feel that you are not alone.

    Almost one in five adults, that’s almost 20%, are thought to have experienced some form of depression during the lockdown in June of this year. Compared to the period before (July 2019 to March 2020) when numbers were about one in ten.
    Stress and anxiety are described as the top two most common areas in which adults experience some form of depression.

    International Stress Awareness Week

    The development of the week came as an expansion of Stress Awareness Day founded in 1998. Ten years later, in 2018, the awareness week was created to approach stress from a preventative angle rather than a curative one.

    This year the event will address the following subjects;

    o People’s experiences with mental health challenges and what can be done to support them
    o How employers are responding to mental health issues and what can we learn from them
    o Campaign against mental health stigma
    o The importance of stress management professionals in alleviating stress with practical and proven reliance techniques
    o Further actions in light of the pandemic
    o Ensuring those suffering know where to seek support

    Talking Therapy ServiceDoing Our Bit

    Here at the clinic, we have been helping our community since we became a community interest company or CIC back in 2014. What this means is that instead of pocketing profits, we give them to the community. Over the years, we have done this through providing affordable, low-cost and free services.

    When the lockdown came, it put most of our practitioners at a loose end because they couldn’t see many of their clients. Instead of resting on our laurels, we decided to set up a free talking therapy service.

    In the beginning, people were hesitant to call but as soon as word got around the calls came in thick and fast. Our practitioners stepped up to the mark, never turning anyone away. For three months, we answered over 70 calls accumulating over 150 hours of FREE mental health support.
    Social prescribers have personally thanked us for reducing mental health waiting times. Our therapists have been commended for their telephone and video therapy sessions to such an extent that some clients have asked to be removed from waiting lists for mental health support.

    We didn’t Stop There

    Once we were able to return to The Devon Clinic in Hyde Road, we set about gaining funding to enable our practitioners to return to work and continue their vital community support work. After several rejected applications, we applied to the National Lottery. We were granted funding bt the Lottery Awards for All program to provide mental health support to the residents of Torbay adversely affected by Covid.
    We are proud to be in the position of being able to provide Six Funded Talking Therapy Sessions funded by the National Lottery Awards For All.

     

    You can find out more about our funded talking therapy sessions and how to apply HERE.

     

    To this day and in light of the recent nationwide restrictions, we will continue to provide where possible access to a reduced rate, part and fully funded talking therapy sessions for those adversely affected by Covid. Please contact us either by telephone 01803 500300, email reception@devonclinic.co.uk or by completing the form below.

     

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  • How We CUT Mental Health Waiting Times

    You may have seen, heard about, or even used our Free Talking Therapy Service during the lockdown-we sure did get about! We had no idea that our little company would play such a huge roll in answering so many calls for mental health support from all walks of life from across the bay. From late March to July, we supported over 70 individuals not only struggling with the lockdown but gaining any access to any mental health support shy of a 6-month wait. During this time, we quickly became the first point of call for many professionals, including social prescribers, health visitors, carers and GPs. Below is the story of what we achieved from a pulling together and a budget of ZERO to what we are doing now.

     

    mental healthWhat We Did

    At the end of March, and before Zoom fatigue set in, we had an online meeting to discuss how despite the clinic being closed we could continue to support our community especially those who will be even more cut off from society because of the lockdown. We concluded that we would try to set up a free talking therapy service with practitioners volunteering their time to take calls.

    In just under two weeks we had everything in place; volunteer talking therapy practitioners, we had digital posters, social media posts, a website page, an online referral system and a manned telephone to receive the calls 12 hours a day 7 days a week.

     

    Little did we know that with a few shares on social media and a few emails here and there that GP’s, social prescribers, social workers, carers, and helpline workers would be calling us daily to help them support the mental health of  Torbay.

    For each call that we received, we made it our mission to contact the person in need within 24 hours, something nearly all of those we spoke to had never even heard of let alone experienced.

    The free telephone service ran until the end of July. During that time, the support provided enabled those struggling with their mental health during the lockdown not only immediate access to a professional but regular talking therapy for up to four weeks.

    We supported over 70 individuals in Torbay accumulating over 280 free hours of mental health support.

    Closing the service was a sad decision, but as the calls dwindled and our practitioners, like us, returned to the clinic, we knew the service had run its course.

     

    Positive Feedback

    mental health

    Trish Thomas is one of several counsellors at The Devon Clinic. Her specialities include; depression, stress, anxiety, domestic & psychological abuse, gender diversity, family relationships, low self-esteem, recovery from eating disorders, addiction and substance abuse, postnatal depression and fertility issues. Trish particularly enjoys working creatively where appropriate as this can be a way to express difficult emotions.

    Trish has written a short case study about an individual she supported during the lockdown on our talking therapy service. Please note some details, including the client’s name have been changed to protect their identity.

    “Alison was referred to me during May 2020, midway through the lockdown period. Initially, Alison had severe anxiety;  a mixture of social anxiety and fear about catching the coronavirus. She had been signed off from her job by her GP, as she was unable to work due to her extreme anxiety about both catching COVID-19 and transmitting it to the elderly residents of the care home in which she worked. Her employers were not sympathetic, despite her previous good record, and had decided to give Alison a formal warning. This caused her huge distress and guilt about letting down her patients. She began to fear that everyone she met was judging her. When we first spoke, Alison was unable to leave the house.

    After three phone calls, in which we explored Alison’s fears and looked at what might be behind them, Alison felt confident enough to go for walks in her neighbourhood while maintaining social distancing. She also learned some techniques such as mindfulness and staying in the present moment to manage some of the symptoms of her anxiety.

    Together, we slowly re-expanded Alison’s horizons, so that by our sixth and final call, she was able to meet with a close friend at a distance and to drive to see her elderly father in the garden of his home. Reluctantly, she decided to resign from her job, as she no longer felt that the work environment in the care home was right for her. She had become much less worried about how others saw her, recognising those fears as signs of her social anxiety. She felt strong enough to continue without my support.”

     

    What The Professionals Said

    We had heard all along how our telephone service was really helping those in need, but we wanted to know from those services utilising us what impact it was having on them, and this is what we received;

    mental health

     

    mental healthMoving Forward

    We knew the free service had come to an end, but we still wanted to support our community’s mental health because waiting times will continue to climb regardless of a pandemic and even more so because of one.

    This is when we turned to The National Lottery Awards For All. We have been successful with applications in the past, and they are currently funding our Single Parent Stress Management Programme. 

    It is with thanks in part to Jane and Beth’s feedback that we were successful in our application. We are now able to continue providing mental health support to those adversely affected by COVID-19 at our clinic in Hyde road.

    For more information about our COVID talking therapy service, eligibility and how to access please click HERE 

    Alternatively, complete the form below for a callback

     

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