Leona, Jigsaw clinician, walks through a grounding tool called “ACE” to assist in stressful situations.
We developed an animation to illustrate.
‘A’ refers to accept how you are feeling
‘C’ refers to come back into your body
‘E’ refers to engage fully with what you are doing.
Friends are a big part of our everyday lives. Having good friends can greatly increase our overall sense of wellbeing.
There are different kinds of friendships. A good friend can make all the difference if you’re going through a rough time. Some friendships are supportive and others are about hanging out, banter and not so much sharing how you’re feeling. That’s OK.
Eva talks about what led her to contact Jigsaw and what the experience of getting one-on-one support from a Jigsaw Clinician was like for her.
I was going through bit of a rough time. I was thinking that I was going to have to talk to someone about all of the things that were happening for me. So I googled Jigsaw and looked at the website and read the stories as well. I did wonder, is this really going to help me? Is this genuine? I just wasn’t sure what the service is about.
One day my rough times escalated … It was the month before my exams. I was in the library and I was so down that couldn’t focus at all. I was thinking, if this is going to continue, I will mess up my exams. I was constantly thinking about my worries and it wasn’t doing me any good. That’s why I decided to make a move and talk to someone.
In Jigsaw and UCD’s My World Survey in 2012, young people were asked if there was a special adult in their lives they could turn to when they were in need.
71% of young people had at least one adult they could talk to when they needed support. Here we asked Jigsaw Youth Advisory Panel volunteers who their One Good Adult was. Who is your one good adult?
Assertive communication means expressing ourselves in a direct, open and honest way that is respectful of other people.
It is about communicating our needs to another person and working towards ‘win-win’ solutions to avoid confrontation.
Imagine a seesaw where passive communication is on one side and aggressiveness on the other. Assertiveness is the neutral, level middle ground.
James is 22 and from Kerry.
After he moved out of home, he experienced difficulties with his mental health. Eventually, fed up with staring at the wall, James went to Jigsaw for support. He talks here about his experiences.
James, aged 22, talks about his experience of seeking support for his mental health.
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.
A close friend of mine is going through a very tough time at the moment and I dont know what to do. Her parents wont help her get support because they dont understand what shes going through. I want to help her but I dont know what to do. She is willing to try a chat anonymously but I dont know where to find any number, can you help?
-Bumblebee
Hello Bumblebee,
It sounds like you and your friend have a very close relationship, and it’s great that she trusts you enough to share her problems with you. As she has not told many others, particularly her parents, it might feel like there is pressure for you to support her on your own. There are lots of things that you can do to support your friend. However, you are right to suggest that your friend gets help from others. Dealing with this on your own could lead you to feel a little stressed yourself, so do make sure you are looking after your own mental health.
