WARRINGTON Borough Council is urging people to help make a difference together on World Mental Health Day, tomorrow, Sunday, October 10.
The coronavirus pandemic has reminded us that we all need to take care of our mental wellbeing, as well as our physical health, while also highlighting inequalities around the world and the importance of reaching out and supporting others.
To reflect these struggles, the theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day is mental health in an unequal world’.
Cllr Maureen McLaughlin, cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, said: “Inequalities impact negatively on people’s mental health and the pandemic has widened health, economic and social inequalities.
“World Mental Health Day is an opportunity for us to come together to look at how we can address these inequalities to ensure everyone is able to get the help and support they need to be able to enjoy good mental health.
“The stigma and discrimination experienced by someone with mental health problems, can affect not only their physical and mental health but also their educational opportunities, job prospects and their family and loved ones.”
Everyone has a role to play in challenging mental health stigma and tackling inequalities. You help you could:
· Reach out to family, friends and colleagues who may be struggling
· Make Time to look after your own mental wellbeing
· Ask for support, if pressures relate to COVID-19 or there are other issues affecting your mental wellbeing
· Challenge stigma and discrimination relating to mental health
On happyoksad.org.uk you’ll find information about local and national resources and support to help your mental wellbeing. For people who need immediate help, visit the urgent help webpage.
If you want resources to challenge mental health stigma and discrimination, you can find free downloads on the Time to Change website. You could also support the work of Get Warrington Talking, which tackles stigma and discrimination locally and champions the voice of people with lived experience of mental health problems.
Health partners across Cheshire and Merseyside are urging people to be ‘kind to your mind’ – visit the kind to your mind website which contains Every Mind Matters resources, links to local partner websites and the ALMA wellbeing portal.
If you need urgent support for your mental health, and you live in Warrington, Halton, Knowlsey, or St Helens, you can call the local Mental Health Crisis Line on 0800 051 1508. Another option for mental health support is to text “REACH” to 85258 any time of the day or night.
