Whether we are feeling run down, experiencing low mood, or are in crisis we all need to reach out for support sometimes. You are not alone.
Recent research conducted by Orgyen and the World Economic Forum highlighted that 87% of the global population is affected by mental health difficulties. This can either be through individuals’ own experience or that of someone close to them.
When we’re part of a minority group, we can sometimes experience discrimination from others.
Discrimination can impact on our mental health and how we feel about ourselves.
i’ve been feeling not myself and thinking a lot about the meaning of life. i just don’t see a point if we all die in the end. i don’t want to die but i can’t stop constantly thinking about what is the point of anything.
i also keep thinking about what happens after death, is that it for everyone- that we just cease to exist. i haven’t thought about life this way before and i don’t like thinking about it this way but is it all that it is.
-9999
Hi there,
Thank you for reaching out, those are some big questions that many of us grapple with.
Emily, 18, a Jigsaw volunteer from Donegal gives us her story: As the daughter of an essential worker, I’ve come to recognise that quitting time is non-existent these days for some workers.
Dinner time is rarely a shared occasion. As I write this, she’s on phone call number two of the day, on her day off. This is the new normal for myself, and a lot of other young people living with an essential worker during this pandemic.
For many young adults in Ireland over the past few months, there has been additional stress added to the fact that they are living through a global pandemic. For some, almost overnight, they have gained a new responsibility, not only for themselves but for siblings and other family members too, because their parents have been occupied with helping to fight the ongoing crisis. For myself, as well as trying to keep on top of college work, I have been looking after my five younger siblings. This includes doing washing, tidying up the house and making sure they are all fed and watered, as well as checking in to make sure they are ok with their schoolwork. This has been stressful and frustrating at times, but overall very rewarding to know that the pressure is taken off my mammy somewhat when she gets home from work in the evenings.
I have found a few different ways of working in order to help myself and the others in my house as much as possible. My hope is that by sharing them, I can help other young people that find themselves in the same situation as myself. They include:
Even if it is just a basic list of things I need to do the next day, writing a list always helps me to stay motivated and keep going throughout the day to get as much done as I can.
Based on the ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing‘ report 2008 by the New Economics Foundation (NEF), here are five things you can do daily for your mental health.
The UK Government commissioned the NEF to develop a simple set of evidence-based actions for people to improve their wellbeing. NEF drew on a very broad base of research for their recommendations, from psychological to economic literature.
Although Jess, Jigsaw Volunteer, never experienced social anxiety, she felt her confidence took a knock when she started college.
Watch as she asks Conor for advice on feeling lonely in college. They also deal with the thought that no one wants to talk to you.
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.
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.
I’m not able to eat enough food during the day. I have seen things saying that a young person should eat about 2000 calories a day but if I do that, I gain weight and that makes me feel terrible but I want to grow. What should I do?
– Hello
Hello,
There are lots of opinions about how many calories someone should eat. With so much information available, it can be very confusing to figure out how much food is a healthy amount to consume.
Alacoque, Jigsaw clinician, talks about how you can support a younger brother or sister during this difficult time.
Social distancing measures we need to take to prevent the spread of Coronavirus will no doubt have an impact on our mental health.
Our clinical team in Limerick are staying in touch through Zoom for team meetings. Here they discuss what in particular they are finding difficult, but also how they are looking after their own mental health and what you can do too.
