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Category: Information and resources

The impact of alcohol on mental health

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Ireland has a reputation as being a country of drinkers. It can be difficult to socialise without feeling pressured to having a drink, or three. Some people use alcohol as a crutch to help get to sleep or deal with stress, especially during the pandemic where those experiences are more common.

We know from our recently published My World Survey, young people who do drink are consuming amounts that are damaging to their health.

There are many reasons to choose to drink alcohol. We may feel more relaxed or sociable, enjoy the taste, or other people are drinking. Whatever your reason for drinking, be aware of the amount of alcohol you consume. Make sure you know how it can impact negatively on your mental and physical health.

In this article, you will find:

When do I need to get help for my mental health?

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There are lots of ways to think about and describe mental health. We all have mental health and when we face various challenges it can be impacted.

We can start to find things difficult and may wonder what to do next. There are many different types of support out there to help us look after mental health. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach.

Getting support

Not everyone who experiences challenges with their mental health will need to access a service for support. If something is causing you to feel stressed, talk to a good friend, family member or a trusted adult. This can be enough to get you through.

Being anxious in social situations

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Sometimes, being around people can be nerve-racking. Many of us experience anxiety in social situations.

Having to speak in public, or walking into a room of people you don’t know, or performing in front of a class can make the most confident person feel anxious.

Feeling very self-conscious in social situations is more common than you think. Many young people who come to Jigsaw tell us they can find being around classmates, strangers or even friends quite difficult. If this sounds familiar to you, know that it doesn’t have to be that way.

Here we’ll explore why you might feel that way and what you can do about it. In this article you will find:

 

Dealing with a breakup

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Whether you broke up with someone, they broke up with you, or the decision was mutual, feelings can be tough. We can feel sadness, loss, guilt, or anger.

Sometimes we can be upset because we’re confused and not sure what happened. Other times it can even be a relief.

It doesn’t matter how long it lasted or how serious it was, it matters what the relationship meant to you. How you felt about that person and how it ended will impact how you react to dealing with breaking up.

Consent and sex

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‘Consent’ is another word for ‘agreeing to’. We use ‘consent’ a lot when we talk about sex. In that context, consent means both people fully understand and agree to what they’re about to do.

It is really about communication, respect and awareness of the other person.

In this article, we’ll cover what you need to know about consent and sex.

How to talk about porn with young people

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With advances in technology, pornography has become more and more accessible to young people. It is no longer confined to the top shelf of the newspaper shop, but can be accessed anywhere, anytime.

Although it might be awkward, we need to be having conversations with young people about porn and the impact it can have.

Section 1: Exploring attitudes and feelings towards change

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This section of the toolkit will help young people to explore their attitude towards change and the variety of feelings they can experience when transitioning from primary to post-primary school.  

During times of uncertainty or change, young people can experience a range of feelings. For those who find this change difficult, it can have an effect on their mental health and wellbeing. Exploring some of these topics can help prepare young people for the change ahead.

How do I access Jigsaw?

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Are you aged 12 to 25 and looking to get one-to-one support with your mental health? If so, your local Jigsaw service can help.

Getting in touch

Start the process by calling or emailing your local Jigsaw service yourself. Your parent or guardian, or teacher, doctor, or youth worker can also take that first step, contacting the service for you with your permission.

If you are under 18, Jigsaw requires that an adult consent for you to attend. That means we need to check with your parent or guardian and let them know you want to attend our service.

However, it does not mean we have to tell them why you want to come to Jigsaw. We will discuss what we can keep confidential with you when you come in.

Once you get in touch, a member of staff will ask you for some basic details. If you both decide Jigsaw is the right service for you, they will organise an appointment for you with a Jigsaw Clinician.

If your situation is more complicated, they might arrange for a Jigsaw Clinician to call you back. This will be to discuss things in a bit more detail before deciding on the next steps.

What is a Jigsaw service?

Jigsaw is a mental health service. But more specifically, it is an early intervention service for young people at primary care level.