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Month: October 2021

Dealing with self-criticism

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Too many of us are quietly, privately, hard on ourselves. We walk around with an inner critic, telling us we’re not ‘good enough’ and never amount to anything.

Sometimes we feel so much pressure to achieve, self-criticism seems like a necessity. Lockdown has kept us cooped up and in many cases with more free time. We may feel especially guilty if we’ve not been ‘productive’.

We’ve all seen people who ‘achieved’ despite the difficulties of the pandemic. Marathons run in backyards, new languages learned, what seems like hundreds of books read. It’s difficult not to compare ourselves and put pressure on ourselves too.

There’s a myth we can hang on to that a harsh inner critic is useful to get where we want in life.

In this article, you will find:

World Mental Health Day 2021

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World Mental Health Day 2021 is this Sunday, 10 October.

The last 18 months have been tough for everyone. Though as restrictions continue to lift, we can do with a reminder to look after our wellbeing from here on. This is especially true as winter closes in.

This year’s theme is ‘Mental Health in an Unequal World’. The goal is to support and raise awareness for mental health issues around the world.

Autumn 2021 newsletter

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We are delighted to share our first ever supporter newsletter. It shows some of the great work you are making possible for our young people.

Dr. Cian Aherne works as the Clinical Manager at our Jigsaw service in Limerick. For our first newsletter, we caught up with him to talk through some issues young people currently experience, and Jigsaw’s role in dealing with them.

You can download the newslettter here.

Mental health apps

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The App Store or Google Play host thousands of apps claiming to help people with their mental health.

With so many to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start, or which to trust.

What are the best mental health apps?

At Jigsaw, we are often asked which are the best apps for anxiety, or what ones we would recommend. Research and evidence are important parts of our work so we can really stand behind what we say.

To ensure we recommend safe apps to use, we embarked on a review project with funding from ESB Energy for Generations,. The aim was to identify apps that might be helpful to young people in managing their mental health.

Online mental health support

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Many face-to-face mental health services are now offering support through text, telephone or video-based platforms.

Technology provides great opportunities. But, it can feel daunting connecting with a clinician or counsellor in a new format. There are a few things to bear in mind if you access online therapeutic support or online counselling.

In this article, you will find information on:

Domestic violence and mental health

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Over the lockdown restrictions, we were asked to stay at home where possible. This was really challenging if home was not somewhere safe.

Domestic violence can happen in any type of relationship, no matter what your age, gender or sexuality. It can also happen in any family, regardless of culture, status or financial situation.

If you have experienced domestic violence you are not alone. One study by the National Crime Council has shown 15% of women and 6% of men in Ireland have been subjected to domestic abuse.

Domestic violence is not your fault, and help is available. Both local and national services are still open and offering support, despite the pandemic.

In this article you will find:

Mental health services for over 18s

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If you’re feeling down or anxious, or just generally not in a good place, there are many mental health services and supports that can help you.

What mental health services are there if I’m over 18?

Once you’re 18, you don’t need the consent of a parent or guardian to contact any services. But you can ask for support from them if you think it would help.

Below we’ve made a list of the mental health services for young people who are 18 or older. Whichever service you go to can depend on factors like what’s available in your area and what difficulties you’re having. If you talk to a health professional they should guide you on that.

Using technology to support your mental health

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We hear a lot about the downside of technology, and how we should try to spend less time on it. But the pros of technology have also become obvious.

Our need for connection and fun is still clear. Though at present, our usual routines have been disrupted and everything is a little bit out of sorts.

But we have to adapt to the way the world is now and reach out in ways that we can. We need to restructure how we do the things that help our mental health, and technology can help.

Jigsaw clinicians Vicky, Sarah, Valerija and Aoife discuss how they use technology to support their mental health during this time.

Mental health services for under 18s

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It can be an overwhelming experience for a parent when your child is experiencing difficulties with their mental health.

There are many supports available to you and your son or daughter, but knowing what mental health services there are how and how to access them isn’t always easy.

Below we’ve listed some of the mental health services for under 18s in Ireland, how to access them, and costs. The service or organisation you go to depends on what your child is going through is considered mild, or more severe in nature. The first step to knowing this is going to your GP.