Basics of Mental Health First Aid

MENTAL HEALTH: OVERTHINKING -By Raveena Hargun

What is Overthinking?

Overthinking is where you are thinking too much, however overthinking can be an early indicator of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other Mental Health conditions. Over Thinking can also be where you are overly worried about things that are entirely out of control. Therapy can be a great way to understand why you are overthinking so frequently. Here some overthinking symptoms you may experience constant worry and may feel sick:  Difficulty in relaxing  Negative thoughts and underlying negative thoughts  Difficulty in decision making  Feeling anxious These are the most common overthinking but can get help. Did you know that meditation and mindfulness moments decoding any thoughts or emotions, you may have are intrusive. Mindfulness can train your brain; this helps to calm you down and makes it easier to sleep. Spend time reading a book, journal or listening to music instead of being on social media. Decision Making can be another reason why people overthink because they may worry over big or small decisions. Think about your time and use it wisely, get a family member or a friend to help you with the decision, maybe use the time as a guide, for example, get this done by 8am to 9am then move on to the next thing. CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapist) will be great help if you need someone to help especially when you are overthinking and cannot get help, in addition to this you can go into depression and anxiety with this. Here are some links if you need help: http://www.berkshirepsychologyservice.com/ https://thinkcbt.com/location/cbt-in-Reading

BASICS OF MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID -By Chloe Jones

There are 5 basic steps for an action plan in terms of any mental health first aid. It is important to remember you are listening to understand rather than to be understood.

1. Approach the person, assess and assist with any crisis 2. Listen and communicate nonjudgmentally 3. Give support and information 4. Encourage the young person to get appropriate professional help 5. Encourage other supports You can remember this information using the ALGEE acronym. The aims of any first aid are to preserve life, prevent deterioration of any injury, promote healing and recovery, and provide comfort to the ill and injured. Youth Mental Health First Aid is the help given to a young person experiencing a mental health issue before professional help is obtained. The aims of MHFA (Mental Health First Aid) are to:

• Preserve life where a young person may be a danger to themselves or others • Provide help to prevent the emotional or mental health issue from developing into a more serious state • Promote the recovery of good mental health • Provide comfort to a young person experiencing a mental health issue • Raise awareness of mental health issues in the community • Reduce stigma and discrimination

It will not teach you to be a therapist however, it does teach people to: • recognise symptoms of mental health issues • provide initial help • enable a young person to access appropriate professional help Through training to become a mental health first aider, you are able to respond, using suitable language and a calm, collected attitude, and making it a comfortable and safe environment for someone to confide in. Hopefully inspiring plenty more people to open up and trust that telling someone will make a positive difference.