Tag Archives: Mental Health

menopause together
AMH News

Tackling the Menopause Together …

October is Menopause Awareness Month, with October 18 specifically being World Menopause Day – all of which is focused on tackling the stigma surrounding menopause and creating conversation about this important transitional stage in women’s lives. With mental health symptoms often a significant part of the perimenopause/menopause journey, we’ve been speaking to women who are raising awareness about this, as well as providing support and signposting to services across Northern Ireland.

Having already featured an interview with one of Northern Ireland’s first accredited menopause specialists, Dr Siobhan Kirk, our second blog focuses on Northern Ireland’s first menopause charity, Menopause Together. Established by Roisin Hillman from west Belfast and Fiona Brown from Magherafelt, the charity was created to provide a space where women experiencing the menopause could find the information and support they needed. Initially beginning as a private Facebook group – which is still a thriving social space of more than 10K members – Menopause Together officially launched as a charity at Stormont on October 17, 2023.

“For us as a charity, it’s about making sure women are getting the support and the knowledge that they need – and that we’re able to sit around the table with the different government departments,” said Roisin. “Women need this support and at every meeting so far, the door has been open, so it’s been very positive.

“The menopause isn’t just a health issue – it affects every single walk of life. We’ve now met with all the departments, including the health committee and have come up with four key asks:

  1. Mandatory menopause training for all GPs.
  2. The development of a fully funded Women’s Health Strategy which makes provision for services and support for menopausal women across Northern Ireland.
  3. Removing barriers to prescribing for menopausal symptoms – for example, if a woman goes private and the consultant gives her a prescription, that the GP fulfills that prescription.
  4. For research to be conducted into the broader benefits of prescribing testosterone for women.”

Roisin’s story

Having started Menopause Together in July 2021, the journey of what has become a thriving charity is tied in with Roisin’s own experience of the menopause. Following a hysterectomy in May 2021, she had to come off the HRT she’d been on to manage her perimenopausal symptoms. Told that she would have to wait some weeks post-surgery to get back onto HRT, Roisin felt she had no choice but to put up with the physical and mental symptoms that HRT had, for her, successfully managed – alongside now recovering from major surgery.

menopause together
Roisin Hillman from Menopause Together.

“By week two, the night sweats and the anxiety and mood swings were all back,” she said. “I had written a post on an app to ask if there was anything I could take while on blood-thinner and someone said ‘you could have been on transdermal HRT all along.’ To say I was angry was an understatement. I did some research and discovered that it’s a gel you rub onto the skin.”

While HRT may not work for everyone, because Roisin had previously benefitted from it, she rang her GP to request the transdermal version, which she duly received. She said that “within two days, the night sweats had stopped and everything was back to normal.”

The theme for this year’s Menopause Awareness Day is Menopause Hormone Therapy, known as HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) in the UK. For Roisin, HRT has been a great help in managing her symptoms, although it may, of course, not be the solution for everyone.

“When I was 46/47 and trying to get HRT I probably went to my GP about seven times,” she said. “I had real itchy skin and sore joints, especially my ankles. It felt like I was 90 years old – I wasn’t able to stand up. Menopause wasn’t even something on my radar. I told a friend about the itchiness and she said, ‘could you be menopausal?’”

Recovering from her operation in June 2021, Roisin spotted an online survey about the menopause which she went to fill in, only to find that it wasn’t applicable to Northern Ireland. Frustrated about this, she subsequently got chatting to another woman from Northern Ireland on social media and the idea for a menopause Facebook group arose.

“I thought about what everybody would think about me,” said Roisin. “I had all the self-doubt but I thought, ‘I’m doing it’. In July 2021, I started Menopause Together. To date, we have just over 10,000 people on the Facebook group. It just went from strength to strength.”

As the group grew, Roisin realised there was a need for a more joined-up approach regarding menopause services and related support, as “nobody really knew what everyone was doing.” This inspired her to create Northern Ireland’s very first menopause conference, bringing together menopause experts to speak to local women and share knowledge, as well as signposting to various services.

“I contacted Dr Siobhan Kirk, along with a yoga teacher I knew and a GP,” said Roisin. “Marie-Louise Connelly then asked if we needed a hand. We got a plan together and she became a number one supporter of the group. It was just absolutely fantastic. I also got in touch with Robin Swann as a keynote speaker. The room was full. That was Northern Ireland’s first menopause conference.”

Creating NI’s first menopause charity

Following the conference, Roisin was subsequently contacted by Fiona Brown, who asked if she could offer any help with what was fast becoming a dedicated menopause mission. The pair subsequently met in November and began having conversations around starting an official menopause charity. Many other women had also been in touch with Roisin after the conference, requesting something similar for their local communities, so it was clear there was huge demand for events providing information about the menopause.

Indeed, Roisin began delivering awareness sessions in January 2023 alongside her full and part-time job commitments – the first one being in the Foyle area. A key element for her was in keeping costs low, so that anyone could access the sessions without financial barriers.

“I know that £30 could be meals for a week for someone,” she said. “So, I’m very aware that it’s very important to keep costs as low as possible. That was one of the factors for starting a charity – so any awareness events could be free. I didn’t want women not being able to go. We needed women from every walk of life to feel they could come along and to get access to the information they needed.”

Having spoken with many women since launching the charity and delivering awarenss sessions, Roisin has heard lots of first-hand accounts about how menopause has affected women’s lives. This information, combined with both her own and Fiona’s experience with menopause, has ultimately led them to their current position of having four key ‘asks’ for government.

menopause together
Fiona Brown (L) and Roisin Hillman (R) of Menopause Together.

“When a woman is 45 it doesn’t matter who you are, you’re perimenopausal,” she said. “So, if you’re 45 and you’re saying to your GP, ‘my mood is low and I don’t feel I can go on anymore,’ the GP should have training to know that it’s more than likely that you’re perimenopausal.

“At work, women often reduce their hours because of menopause symptoms. I had a hysterectomy in May and in November I started a new job, so I was learning a whole new system. Even though I was on HRT, however, my cognitive thinking was shot. It was absolutely terrible and I thought I might have to leave my job.

“We have to talk to the ministers about that – about the drain on work and the economy. If a woman is having menopausal symptoms, then it affects everybody. Every male has a mother or a sister or a partner… They will have someone in their lives who is potentially perimenopausal or menopausal.

“We’re holding another conference on October 13 – with amazing speakers and goody bags – so we hope that as many people as possible come along to that. We have to bring everyone along on this journey. Talking about the menopause needs to become the norm.”

Resources:

AMH News

Random Acts of Kindness in Lisburn

Action Mental Health is taking to the streets of Lisburn during September to raise awareness of the mental health services available at our Railway Street location and across the city – as well as helping to spread some positivity.

Our ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ initiative will see a variety of Action Mental Health pop-up stalls appear in the city centre over the next few weeks, where Lisburn residents can collect special tokens. These can then be redeemed for a free hot or cold drink at participating coffee shops throughout September.

“At Action Mental Health we believe that small acts of kindness can help make a big difference in people’s lives,” says Lisburn Service Manager, Ruth Green.

“Our goal with this campaign is to not only raise awareness about our services in Lisburn, but also to encourage people to take a moment to care for their personal wellbeing – whether that’s enjoying a quiet cup of coffee or connecting with loved ones. We invite anyone who’s passing by to stop at the stalls, pick up a token and say hello.”

Where to find our pop-up stalls

Look out for Action Mental Health’s Fundraising and Engagement Officer, Iain, at the following Lisburn locations in September to find out more about Action Mental Health’s services and to collect your free Random Acts of Kindness token:

  • PureGym Lisburn: September 16
  • Bow Street Mall: September 21
  • EUROSPAR, Laganvalley: September 27

You can trade in the tokens at the following Lisburn coffee shops:

  • Glasshouse Coffee
  • Percival Coffee
  • Sonas Lisburn

Action Mental Health provides a range of services throughout Lisburn, including training programmes which help to boost self-esteem and confidence, as well as building new skills and supporting people to gain qualifications which improve their career options.

Find the Lisburn service at:

21C Railway Street, Lisburn. BT28 1XG

Tel: 07813 838 265

Girl in early twenties sits at home with a cup of tea.
AMH News

Little movements, big difference

Girl in early twenties sits at home with a cup of tea. Text reads: Little movements, big difference

Chloe* shares with us how her understanding of ‘moving’ more for her mental health has changed after experiencing a period of isolation feeling low.

For a long time, when I heard that ‘movement’ was good for our mental health, my mind would always immediately jump to running, cycling, swimming, even walking. For me, ‘movement’ = exercise; I probably felt like it didn’t count unless I was breaking a sweat.

But last year I found myself in a situation that taught me that sometimes, it’s the smallest and simplest movements that matter.

I had been working in a job I loved for over four years. My colleagues were scattered all over the UK and we didn’t have any kind of central ‘office’ where we met, so I was working remotely at home pretty much 100% of the time.

For the first three years, this didn’t bother me at all. A proud introvert, I knew that I worked best on my own, without the distraction of other people around me. I love my own space, and working from home meant I was always surrounded by my favourite plants and books and art, as well as my slippers and blankets. I could eat whatever I fancied for lunch, and could even work through the laundry or pop to the supermarket during my lunch break. In lots of ways, it was brilliant.

But during those first three years, I took for granted the fact that there was usually someone else at home who could lure me out of my office for a break every now and then. When I lived with my parents, my mum who only works part time would often call me downstairs for a cup of coffee. When I lived with a friend, we’d hard-stop work at 5pm and head out for a walk while it was still light.

Things changed a little when I moved again, and was suddenly alone for a lot longer than I had been before. And while I still enjoyed my own company, the absence of coffee breaks and after-work walks left a big gap. I don’t think I was conscious of it at the time, so I’m not really sure how or when it happened, but I quite quickly began to lose motivation to get outside or move at all.

I would wake up in the morning and choose sweats and a hoody over the nicer workwear I normally would have picked. Sure, the comfy clothes had been nice on the odd day when I didn’t have a lot of calls or was feeling a little under the weather, but this was every day. I started snoozing my alarm, first allowing myself an extra 15 minutes or half an hour under the duvet, but eventually resetting it all together so it rang just 10 minutes before my daily 9am meeting, for which I’d roll out of bed and straight down the stairs. I’d grab something quick and comforting for lunch and bring it to the sofa, or on some days even sneak back to bed for a 20 minute nap during my break. And when the day was done, I’d close the laptop and walk five steps to the living room where I’d flop back down again and watch TV for the rest of the evening.

As I write those words, I have to battle the little part of my brain that thinks I was just being lazy. Because sure, it kind of sounds that way. But I wasn’t being lazy. Long periods of isolation and, I guess, a degree of loneliness, had just kind of drawn the energy out of me, and I wasn’t practicing any kind of self care that might have helped. I wasn’t sad or anxious during that time, but I was just achey and tired. My husband and I now joke about it being my ‘slump’ era, but that is how it felt.

I realised eventually that the way I was living wasn’t conducive to a healthy or happy lifestyle, and that something really needed to change. For me, that change looked like a new job – although that won’t be the right move for everyone in my position, it was the right time for me. I know that the ability to work from home is a real lifeline for some, and flexibility is really important. But just because of my own circumstances, I looked specifically for jobs that were in the office rather than working-from-home, and was lucky to quite quickly find a new role that required that short but all-important commute AND that aligned with my values and skills.

From the first day in that new role, my routine had to look different. I woke up earlier, and ate a real breakfast. I chose an outfit that made me feel good and put together. I sat and had a cup of coffee with my husband before we both left the house around the same time. I left the house and allowed the sun to hit my face and my legs to move a little for the few seconds it took to get from the front door to the car. I listened to music on the drive. I took more steps across the car park. And then I spent my day working, yes, but in a room with other people who occasionally would offer a cup of tea or a walk to the local café for lunch. They weren’t big movements. But they made such a big difference.

If you’re reading this, and ‘exercise’ feels too hard, can I encourage you to think about taking a smaller step? Even just to open a window, or put the kettle on. Poke your head outside, even just for a moment, and breathe in some fresh air and let the sun warm your face. Or if you have a friend who you know is at risk of feeling a little bit isolated, please invite them out for a coffee or a walk – you don’t know how important those moments could be for them!

Now, when I hear that movement helps our mental health, I don’t think of marathons or hikes – although of course these things are brilliant, too. I think of the little steps – out of bed, out of the house, across the carpark. And I really believe that they matter. They’ve improved my mental health significantly, and I’m grateful that they’re part of my daily rhythms and routines.

*Names have been changed for anonymity.

AMH News

Action Mental Health Festive Splash 2023

Gallery

Our amazing fundraisers dared to dip for mental health on Sunday 3 December!

We were delighted to return to to Crawfordsburn Country Park for Action Mental Health’s Festive Splash, uniting with friends from all over Northern Ireland to raise vital funds for our mental health services.

Together, our brave splashers have already raised over £9,000 with more still coming in. This money will have a direct impact on local people experiencing mental health challenges this Christmas and beyond.

So, we want to say an enormous THANK YOU to you – fundraisers, volunteers, supporters. You truly have made an incredible difference.

Enjoy some of these moments captured by our team on the day!

AMH News

Dealing with exam results stress

The stress levels of school children and students start to rise as they approach exam results days, often with fear and trepidation. Action Mental Health is offering young people and families support and tips on getting prepared and learning to recognise and deal with exam results stress.

It is normal to feel a bit worried about exam results, especially if you’re under pressure from school or family. It can cause you to feel anxious or depressed, and this might affect your sleeping or eating habits. 

If you recognise any of these feelings or are worried that exam results pressure is taking over your life, you are not alone, and there are things you and those around you can do to help.

In this article, we highlight some useful tips to help you overcome the feelings you may have about your exam results.

Symptoms of excessive stress include:

  • Physical effects such as headaches, dizziness and stomach upset.
  • Being preoccupied with thoughts of exams and feeling unable to relax.
  • Becoming withdrawn from friends, family and hobbies.
  • Constant tiredness due to problems sleeping.
  • Loss of appetite or over-eating.
  • Seeing only the negative side of things.
  • Becoming more aggressive and short-tempered with those around you.
  • Feeling so low and desperate that you are considering stopping school, running away or harming yourself.

If you can relate to any of these feelings, it is important to seek support.  There are a number of services which AMH MensSana can sign-post you to that offer help and advice or you may find support from friends, family or someone at school – it doesn’t matter who, but it is important to speak to someone.

For young people

Check out our list of tips and techniques to help you deal with results day stress. Different things work for everyone so try some out and choose the ones that work best for you.

1. Talk to people around you

Try not to bottle up your feelings. Mental health issues aren’t uncommon among students, so you’ll likely know others who are struggling. Your parents or older relatives may have also felt the same sort of emotions waiting for their results. Sometimes just talking about your anxieties out loud can help ease the burden. 

2. Plan for the best and worst outcomes

Exams don’t always go to plan, and you might not get the grades you need. Make sure you’ve researched what to do on results day but don’t dwell on the worst-case scenario. Think of a way to celebrate with friends and family if you do get the results you need. Even if your grades aren’t great, you still deserve to do something nice.

3. Maintain a normal routine

Try not to let waiting for your exams take over your summer. Keep yourself as busy as possible to distract yourself from results day stress. If you have hobbies, keep up with them and try to stick with any plans you’ve made, such as holidays and spending time with friends.

4. Have someone with you when you get your results

Have someone with you on the day to offer reassurance, talk through options if your results aren’t what you wanted, and hopefully celebrate your success. This could be a parent, guardian, sibling, friend, or even a teacher.

5. Don’t feel like you have to open your results with friends or share what you got

There can be a lot of peer pressure to open results at the same time and share what you got with everyone, but you don’t have to. You can collect your results and open them at home to avoid this scenario. Many schools and colleges will also publish results online or offer a text results service.

6. Don’t compete or compare your results with others

A common feature of results day is students sharing their results on social media and this can lead to comparing your results unfavourably. It may help to avoid social media completely for a few days.

Remember to judge your success by your own standards. If you know you worked hard for your grades, but your friend got higher ones, that doesn’t make your achievement any less impressive.

Supporting someone experiencing exam results stress

Young people will find stress much easier to deal with if they receive support from those around them.  As a parent/guardian you can help and support a young person by:

  • Taking an interest in their study by offering encouragement and support – try not to criticise or place added pressure on them.
  • Praising and encouraging their efforts and achievements can be motivating and demonstrates your support for them.
  • Try to keep things in perspective and encourage them to do the same – remember that exam results are not the only indicator of a young person’s capabilities.

Taking exams and getting your exam results can be a worrying time.  It can seem like your future depends on what you get.  Receiving disappointing results can feel like the end of the world, but it is important to remember that people’s strengths and weaknesses lie in different areas and not everyone performs at their best under exam conditions.

The results you receive do not have to define what you do or who you are in the future. 

AMH News

Learning Disability Week 2022 is here! Join us this week (20 – 26 June) in raising awareness of what life is like if you have a learning disability.

This year’s theme of ‘Living Life with a Learning Disability’ will show how people with a learning disability are reconnecting with friends and their communities. We are also highlighting the issues many people still face after the end of COVID restrictions such as dealing with poor mental health and anxiety.

Each year, the aim of Learning Disability Week is to:

– Smash stigmas and end discrimination

– Fight and campaign for a fair society

– Educate and raise awareness about learning disabilities

We will be celebrating Learning Disability Week by highlighting – AMH Promote, based in Bangor, Co. Down, and the many positive stories and incredible talent witnessed on a daily basis at our fantastic training facility. The service offers a wealth of educational opportunities for local adults with learning disabilities.

AMH Promote provides opportunities for adults with a learning disability to be socially active and develop new skills in a supportive and engaging environment.

AMH Promote’s training is delivered through a day opportunities service, which focuses on the personal development of clients. Courses such as those with ASDAN and OCN NI certificates, cover a diversity of topics such as Self Advocacy, Meal Preparation, Independent Living skills, Sports Studies, Personal & Social Development (PSD), computer skills, digital photography, baking skills, horticulture, communication skills, and crafts.

Above all, AMH Promote’s caring environment nurtures confidence and independence, with many clients not only enjoying new hobbies, creative activities and careers but importantly, making lasting lifelong friendships as they learn. The clients here are enjoying getting to reconnect face-to-face with their friends since the easing of COVID restrictions.

For more information about AMH Promote download their information leaflet, follow them on facebook and tune into our social media challenges all this week!

AMH Promote FlyerDownload
AMH News

Big lunch 2022 – SES Better Together

Supported Employment Solutions (SES) consortium hosted their very own Big Lunch on Wednesday 1st June 2022, at Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park, Belfast. Luckily, the rain stayed off and the beautiful scenes and fresh air was enjoyed by everyone.

There were people from each of the partner organisations, treats (Loaf catering), drinks, plenty of smiles and lawn games!!! The Eden project provided flower seeds with their Big Lunch Pack, the SES consortium planted these as a group, reflecting the strength of an overall approach to Specialist Employment Support.

The SES Big Lunch event provided an opportunity for participants of the Workable NI Programme to come together and share experiences, as well as the chance for employers to meet and learn more about how supported employment has worked for them.

The consortium, comprised of: Action Mental Health; RNID; RNIB; Mencap; NOW Group; Orchardville and Cedar Foundation, offer a supported employment approach in the delivery of programmes to assist people with disabilities and health conditions to enter and stay in employment. RNID will be replaced by AdaptNI from 1st July 2022. The consortium delivers the Workable NI Programme, funded by Department for Communities. In delivering Workable NI, each of the partner organisations offers specialist, tailored support to both disabled individuals and their employers, better together!

The SES Big Lunch event provided an opportunity for participants of the Workable NI Programme to come together and share experiences, as well as the chance for employers to meet and learn more about how supported employment has worked for them.

If you’re a disabled person who is keen to explore the support available, or an employer who would like to understand more information on the Workable NI Programme or how to recruit and retain disabled staff, please email [email protected]

Thanks to the Eden Project and Loaf Catering

SES – Better Together

About Us | Supported Employment Solutions (sesni.org.uk)

The Workable Programme is delivered by seven disability organisations working together through the Supported Employment Solutions (SES) partnership. SES delivers programmes to assist people with disabilities and health conditions to enter and stay in employment. The Workable Programme is funded by the Department for Communities

AMH News

AMH New Horizons client and OCN awards finalist, Joanna, is bursting with passion and creativity!

Joanna is taking part in the Working it Out project at AMH New Horizons Ards & North Down The OCN Level 1 Mixed Media art student, Joanna, was recently shortlisted in two categories at the OCN awards. She was Highly Commended in Health and Wellbeing Learner of the Year and also Highly Commended in Third Sector Learner of the Year.

Joanna started at AMH New Horizons shy, easily overwhelmed, and lacking in self-confidence and self-belief. But now, she can lose herself in creativity. She has had to overcome tough and demanding physical, mental and emotional impacts of anxiety. She is a wonderful example of what can be achieved by facing your fears, riding out uncomfortable sensations/feelings, to commit to something important to you. Joanna’s strength throughout the OCN course has been her determination to overcome her anxiety and build a future where she is achieving her dreams.

Pauline Matthew, Skills Coach at AMH New Horizons, described the joy she has gained from helping Joanna throughout the course:

“Joanna’s journey was magical to watch. Seeing her light up, speak passionately and positively to other students about her work – lit the touchpaper to Joanna’s increased self-belief in her ability to not only create great art but to take pride in it, own it and believe in herself.

She has pushed through, forced herself to sit with the uncomfortable, overcoming fears, anxiety and emotions to contribute to the classes and to create meaningful, personal and beautiful art.”

Joanna is continuing to push herself beyond her comfort boundaries, sharing her thoughts, promoting ideas and proposals for better or more creative ways of working.

The “Working it Out” project is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, the Department for the Economy and the five NI Health & Social Care Trusts.