mental health first aid

Mental Health Eating Disorder

21 May 2021 By SMARTT Leave a Comment

Possible feelings an individual with an Mental Health Eating Disorder may experience

An individual who is experiencing an eating disorders may experience many different feelings both physical and psychological and these feeling can include;

Constant feelings of feeling over weight and fat even though they are not and other people are telling them they are not.
They may also be terrified of the thought of gaining weight and base their self-esteem on their body weight and size.
They can experience an obsessive eating routine about what they can and can’t eat, what time of the day they can eat and how many meals a day they can have
Because of the obsessive eating routine, they may experience sickness, anxiety and depression, especially when meal times come around
A person may not wish to tell anyone about their condition as it is their way of having control over something in their life.
In some cases where severe eating disorders occur, the person could experience a major decline in the mental health and well being

How an Mental Health Eating Disorder may affect the individual and their life.

An eating disorder may affect the individual both physical and or psychologically, let look at each in turn

Physical affects

There are many different physical affects an individual may suffer because of their eating disorder and if not addressed and treat these can become very serious. Some of the physical affects a person may have in their life can be;

The heart is at risk of damage to the functioning and the person may feel lethargic and tired all the time and, in some cases, they can detect low blood pressure and muscle weakening – this will affect the person’s body temperature and they will permanently feel cold
They may have thinning bones and brittle hair and nails, due to the lack of nutrition and calcium that the body requires, this can also include very dry and yellowish discoloured skin.
Other affects could be a breakdown in relationships or problems at work due to lack of interest and concentration.
In some severe cases the individual may have organ failure, including permanent brain damage

Psychological affects

As with physical affects, there are many different psychological affects an individual may suffer because of their eating disorder and if not addressed and treat these can lead to serious mental health and well-being issues. Some of the psychological affects a person may have in their life can be;

The person may have a lack of interest in things they used to take part in, this could because the lack of confidence in their own abilities.
They may have low self-esteem and feeling worthless, due to the embarrassment of their illness and this can prevent them going out of their home and become isolated from friends, family and society.
In some cases, the person may not be able to take away their own emotions from their eating habits

Mental Health Eating Disorder

Ways in which an individual’s Mental Health Eating Disorder may affect others.

With many other mental health conditions, an eating disorder can affect others such as whole family and friends as they often find it hard to understand why. There are a few emotion factors to consider that a person’s family or others may experience, this may include;

The individual’s family may be disappointed in the individual, be angry or confused and may feel powerless to help.
They may feel guilty that the fact they did not spot any signs or symptoms that the person showed earlier in the eating disorder illness.
This could lead to the family or others becoming to over protected and this can cause more anger and conflict with all involved.
This could affect others especially family life and have a knock-on effect on others work related duties. This can lead to misunderstandings the arguments and more conflict for the individual can lead to more isolated issues.

What are the different approaches to the treatment of eating disorders.

Name of treatment:

If someone is diagnosed with an eating disorder their GP will be involve in their ongoing treatment, others involved may include a specialist counsellor, psychiatrist, nurse, dietician specialist and in cases of children and teenagers a paediatrician.

A range of psychological treatment by the above can help a person with an eating disorder

What this entails:

There is a range of therapy treatments available and this can include including;

Cognitive analytic therapy – this treatment can help the individual break any unusual and unhealthy forms of behaviour

Cognitive behaviour therapy – this can help the person focus on a more positive type of behaviour and adapt a healthier way of living

Interpersonal therapy – this can help the person to identify the negative problems that has occurred in relationships with others and how they can problem solve the issues

Focal psychological therapy – this can help the person to challenge any bad experiences they may have encounter during childhood. This can help the person to focus on more positive thought and emotions going forward in life

Name of treatment:

Information, advice and guidance on eating and nutrition

What this entails:

This type of treatment is a gradual process as the body may not be used to large amounts of food, its aim is to get the person eating regular meals and at a stable body weight.

The focus will be to get the person to start eating small amounts and build up gradually. The whole aim to eventually have the person eating with a regularly pattern and at least 3 times per day

Medication is not usually effective in treating eating disorders but it can help with other conditions that come with it such as OCD and depression.

If an individual refuses treatment then they may be serious ill and could be at risk of death, in these extreme cases a doctor may admit the person to hospital for compulsory treatment under the mental health act.

A range of psychological treatment could be used to treat eating disorders such as CBT, interpersonal therapy where negative issues associated with interpersonal relationships can be resolved. Cognitive analytic therapy can break unhealthy patterns of behaviour.

A person would be offered advice about eating and nutrition.

What can others could do to help an individual recover from a specific eating disorder

As previously mentioned, there are 3 main types of eating disorders and with all 3, people like friends and family can help the individuals with eating disorders to recover in a number of ways, such things like;

Have open discussions with them to encourage the person to talk openly about their condition and what and how they feel is affecting them. They should understand it is OK to voice their feelings and to make them mindful they don’t extra pressure on themselves.
Person should try and fully understand what the person with the eating disorder is experiencing and going through. They should not get angry or frustrated with the individual and support them to take up new activities or activities they have enjoyed in the past – this can take the focus of food routines.
Building a network of support can be very useful to the individual, this can include various helplines out there and information and support that’s available via the internet.
Help set up a healthy eating plan to encourage the individual to eating sensible and following a healthy diet. A healthy food plan could be done together and this will encourage the person to understand the importance of a nutritious foods. This can include, fruit and vegetables, foods low in saturated fats, oily fish, and drinking plenty fluids during the day, such as fresh water.

Name of local resource:

a) Resources

Resources could be the persons GP, which can include the community mental health team.

b) Treatments

The individuals GP can offer advice and guidance and refer the individual to a specialist or psychiatrist if required. They may also prescribe any mediation required, although medication is not often offered. A GP can also help and support with resources to help set up a healthy balanced eating plan, along with referral to a gymnasium to regular exercise

Name of local resource:

Community psychiatric nurse, social workers and support workers can also be a good resource.

What it offers:

These types of resource can offer a great range of other treatments
This can range from, talking therapy where the individual can share their concerns with others who suffer from the condition and gain support and ideas.
Psychological therapies such as cognitive therapies;
Cognitive analytic therapy – this treatment can help the individual break any unusual and unhealthy forms of behaviour
Cognitive behaviour therapy – this can help the person focus on a more positive type of behaviour and adapt a healthier way of living
Interpersonal therapy – this can help the person to identify the negative problems that has occurred in relationships with others and how they can problem solve the issues
Focal psychological therapy – this can help the person to challenge any bad experiences they may have encounter during childhood. This can help the person to focus on more positive thought and emotions going forward in life
An admission to hospital maybe required in extreme cases

For further information on any mental health please contact us here or if you would like to book an in-house mental health awareness first aid course

Please see our range of free resources here

Mental Health First Aid Eating Disorder

14 May 2021 By SMARTT Leave a Comment

What is the definition of the term ‘eating disorder’?

Mental Health First Aid Eating Disorder – Eating disorders are a group of related conditions are characterised by an abnormal attitude towards food that causes someone to change their eating habits and behaviour, this can include anorexia, bulimia and binge eating.

What are the possible types of eating disorders?

Eating disorders include a range of conditions that can affect someone in a physically or psychologically way. The possible types of eating disorders can include:

Anorexia nervosa:

Anorexia come in two different types of anorexia – The restricting type of anorexia and the purging type of anorexia

They both occur when an individual is desperate to lose or keep their weight down as low as possible; for example, by starving themselves from food or exercising excessively.

Bulimia:

Bulimia is when an individual goes through times of binge eating and then deliberately make themselves vomit the food back up or uses laxatives, which is medication to help empty the bowels.

Binge eating disorder (BED):

When a person feels the need to indulge in eating large amounts of food in a very short period of time.

Some people, particularly teenagers, may be diagnosed with an eating disorder not otherwise specified. This could tell you that they may have some but not necessarily all of the signs of any eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia.

What are the causes of eating disorders?

There are no definitive known causes of eating disorders, however, it can be broken down into 3 risk factor category types, before we break them down in more detail, its important to understand that these risk factors in eating disorders are;

Genetical inheritance
Peer or social pressure
Feeling unhappy
Low self-esteem or moral
Teenage menopause
Celebrity watch

Now, let’s break the 3 categories down in turn,

Psychological

Psychological traits maybe linked to the development of eating disorders, these traits can be caused by hormone changes or during puberty and can also include;
Possibly feeling towards depression and anxiety,
Poor reaction to stress and excessive worrying.
Obsessive thoughts and compulsion to do certain things maybe a factor.
Inhibition in where the individual detains their own behaviour

Mental Health First Aid Eating Disorder

Environmental

The environment a person is living in could be a possible cause any eating disorders, these can include thigs such as;
Having a stressful time in life such as events as a relationship breakdown or loss of employment
Bereavement and other factors such as family difficulties.
Peer pressure or stress at school, such as being bullied or stress of school exams
Family pressure or difficult relationships
Another factor to consider any possible caused can be in that children who have been abused may develop an eating disorder as a way of control, this could be eating too little or excessive eating for the feeling of comfort.

Biological

In certain cases, such as extreme dieting, can disrupt the normal functions of the brain making symptoms worse, these could be;
malnutrition can change the balance of hormones in the body which can affect how the brain functions. These type of changes in hormone changes can cause the brain to become very sensitive and this type of sensitive can cause problems such as feeling anxious when eating – this can then lead to over exercising or staving themselves.
Another biological factor can also be cause by the brain. Parts of the brain controls the persons sense of appetite and if this lets the body needs food, the brain will react by releasing chemical to stimulate your appetite. It’s been said that this will all become disrupted if the person suddenly has an eating disorder

In summary, eating disorders are symptoms of a lot deeper cause and can include the individual to be depressed, unhappy or insecurity. They could also feel pressured from peers or even been bullied

What are common signs and symptoms associated with eating disorders?

As discussed in an earlier unit, we talked about the 3 main eating disorders and their possible causes – now let’s explore the different signs and symptoms associated with 3 types of eating disorders, these would be:

Anorexia nervosa:

This occurs mainly in teenage girls as they are conscious about the way they look, but it is rapidly affecting boys too.

Signs and symptoms would be;

The person will be very thin, for the reasons of an unyielding pursuit of thinness to have a normal healthy weight for their size and a fear of gaining weight.
They would be extremely restricting their diet and their self-esteem would be influenced by perceptions of body weight and shape, they may also be in denial of having a low or unhealthy BMI

Bulimia nervosa:

This is when a person eats a large amount in a meal and feeling a lack of control over these episodes. This type of eating forces the individual to have un-normal behaviours and may act in the following ways;

Forced themselves to vomiting after eating the food.
Excessive use of laxatives.
Extreme or over exercising.
In some cases, all of these traits maybe visible.

Binge-eating disorder:

Individuals with this condition are usually overweight or obese.
This then makes them at risk of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure for those obese
A sense of guilt, shame or distress about their weight or obsessive binge eating can lead to more eating, and this can become a vicious circle

For further information on any mental health please contact us here or if you would like to book an in-house mental health awareness first aid course

Please see our range of free resources here

Mental Health First Aid Eating Disorder

Mental Health Awareness Week

10 May 2021 By SMARTT Leave a Comment

Mental Health Awareness Week- The mind аnd the body are іnѕераrаblе. And you do wаnt tо еngаgе thе whole еmрlоуее іn уоur wоrkѕіtе wеllnеѕѕ рrоgrаm, right?

Mоѕt wоrkѕіtе wеllnеѕѕ рrоgrаmѕ tоdау аrе nоt rеаllу wеllnеѕѕ programs at аll – they аrе employee hеаlth status management рrоgrаmѕ. Whу do I say thіѕ? Mоѕt wоrkѕіtе wеllnеѕѕ programs fосuѕ ѕоlеlу оn employee рhуѕісаl hеаlth, tо thе еxсluѕіоn оf аll thе оthеr dіmеnѕіоnѕ оf wellness.

As conceived bу the mоdеrn wеllnеѕѕ fіеld’ѕ fоundеrѕ, (Rоbеrt Allеn, Dоnаld Ardеll, Hаlbеrt Dunn, Bіll Hеttlеr аnd John Travis), wеllnеѕѕ is a multi-dimensional соnсерt. The рublіѕhеd wеllnеѕѕ model оf thе Nаtіоnаl Wеllnеѕѕ Institute іnсludеѕ thе fоllоwіng dіmеnѕіоnѕ: рhуѕісаl, ѕосіаl, еmоtіоnаl, іntеllесtuаl, occupational аnd spiritual. Mental Health Awareness Week

Mental Health Awareness Week and Emotional wеll-bеіng іѕ аѕѕосіаtеd with numеrоuѕ bеnеfіtѕ tо health, fаmіlу, wоrk, and есоnоmіс ѕtаtuѕ. Pоѕіtіvе emotions and vіеw оf life аrе associated with dесrеаѕеd risk fоr dіѕеаѕе, іllnеѕѕ, and injury; bеttеr immune funсtіоnіng; bеttеr coping and quicker recovery; and increased longevity. In аddіtіоn, mеntаl health аnd mental іllnеѕѕ mау іnfluеnсе рhуѕісаl health аnd biologic funсtіоnіng. Pоѕіtіvе mеntаl hеаlth is аѕѕосіаtеd wіth bеttеr endocrine funсtіоn (і.е., lоwеr lеvеlѕ of соrtіѕоl, еріnерhrіnе, аnd nоrеріnерhrіnе) аnd bеttеr іmmunе response (і.е., hіghеr antibody рrоduсtіоn and grеаtеr rеѕіѕtаnсе tо illness). It has аlѕо bееn ѕhоwn tо be associated wіth lоngеvіtу.

For Free Mental Health Awareness Week Videos and positive thinking qutoes please click here

Researchers аrе соntіnuіng to learn mоrе and mоrе about thе mind – bоdу соnnесtіоn. It hаѕ bееn clearly shown that еmоtіоnѕ play a hugе rоlе іn оur рhуѕісаl health. There іѕ also a reciprocal relationship bеtwееn mаnу сhrоnіс dіѕеаѕеѕ аnd mеntаl health. Sеlf-еffісасу, goal-setting, and рrоblеm-ѕоlvіng еnаblе ѕеlf-mаnаgеmеnt behaviors, аnd these соmроnеntѕ are dependent оn еmоtіоnаl hеаlth. On thе оthеr hаnd, ѕеlf-mаnаgеmеnt bеhаvіоrѕ that enhance health, ѕuсh аѕ physical асtіvіtу аnd ѕtrеѕѕ rеduсtіоn, саn іmрrоvе mental hеаlth status аnd quality оf life. In many wауѕ, it mаkеѕ nо ѕеnѕе tо address рhуѕісаl hеаlth without аddrеѕѕіng еmоtіоnаl hеаlth аt the ѕаmе tіmе.

Thе аbѕеnсе оf mеntаl illness does nоt mean the рrеѕеnсе of mеntаl hеаlth. Grоwіng rеѕеаrсh ѕuрроrtѕ thе vіеw that these are іndереndеnt, but rеlаtеd dіmеnѕіоnѕ. Mеntаl wеllbеіng аrе сhаrасtеrіzеd by thе рrеѕеnсе of роѕіtіvе аffесt (e.g., optimism, сhееrfulnеѕѕ аnd interest), absence оf nеgаtіvе affect, аnd ѕаtіѕfасtіоn wіth life. On thе оthеr hand, mental illness іѕ characterized bу аltеrаtіоnѕ in thіnkіng, mood, or bеhаvіоr аѕѕосіаtеd with distress or impaired functioning.

Mental Health Awareness Week – Whу Addrеѕѕ Mental Wеllbеіng іn thе Wоrkрlасе?

The health оf thе mіnd and bоdу саnnоt bе ѕераrаtеd. Whаt еffесtѕ one influences the other. Thеrеfоrе, a hеаlthу mіnd ѕuрроrtѕ and соntrіbutеѕ to a hеаlthу body аnd vісе vеrѕа.

Mental іllnеѕѕ соѕtѕ еmрlоуеrѕ mоnеу аnd mеntаl hеаlth саn impact рrоduсtіvіtу аnd еmрlоуее реrfоrmаnсе. Juѕt like рhуѕісаl health, mеntаl hеаlth саn be vіеwеd аѕ bеіng a соntіnuum. At one end thеrе іѕ mеntаl hеаlth аnd mеntаl illness is lосаtеd at thе opposite еnd.

Mental health generally rеfеrѕ to the ѕuссеѕѕful performance оf mеntаl function, rеѕultіng in рrоduсtіvе activities, fulfilling rеlаtіоnѕhірѕ, аnd thе ability to аdарt tо change аnd аdvеrѕіtу. These dоmаіnѕ аrе соmmоnlу rеfеrrеd tо аѕ wellbeing.

Mental іllnеѕѕ includes diseases wіth сlаѕѕіс рѕусhіаtrіс diagnoses, ѕuсh аѕ depression, bіроlаr disorder, аnd ѕсhіzорhrеnіа. Mеntаl hеаlth аnd mеntаl illness can bе influenced bу multірlе dеtеrmіnаntѕ, іnсludіng genetics аnd bіоlоgу аnd their іntеrасtіоnѕ wіth social and еnvіrоnmеntаl fасtоrѕ.

Employers аррrоасh еmрlоуее hеаlth thrоugh a multі-ѕtrаtеgу framework. A multі-ѕtrаtеgу framework саn be applied to an еmрlоуеr аррrоасh to mеntаl hеаlth аѕ wеll. A comprehensive аррrоасh includes: рrоmоtіоn, рrеvеntіоn, intervention, аnd fоllоw-uр. It іѕ іmроrtаnt tо rесоgnіzе thаt mental hеаlth рrоmоtіоn nееdѕ tо bе еԛuаl in importance to the prevention and trеаtmеnt оf mеntаl іllnеѕѕ.

To find out more about Mental Health Awareness Week or would like to book a Mental Health First Aid Course please contact us or see more our range of resourses here

Free Health and Safety Courses

13 April 2021 By SMARTT Leave a Comment

Free Health and Safety Courses – Are you age between 16 and 24, unemployed due to the effects of COVID-19 or would like a change in career? then why not join our free courses in Durham. SMARTT North East will deliver a 12 day course held at Consett AFC football stadium

What qualifications can I get for free?

Successful learners will gain a range of different free qualifications in the following;

Level 3 Emergency First Aid at Work
Level 2 Certificate in Lean Organisation Management Techniques
Level 1 Health and Safety Awareness
Level 2 First Aid for Mental Health
Level 2 Food Safety for Catering
Level 2 Personal Licence Holders
Level 2 Conflict Management
Level 2 Principles of Fire Safety
Level 2 Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
Level 2 Personal Development for Employability
Level 2 Customer Service
Level 2 Health and Safety within the Workplace
Level 2 Prevention and Control of Infection in Health and Care Settings
Level 2 Control of Substances Hazardous to Health

Free Health and Safety Courses

Thе aim and оbjесtіvе оf the course is to get individuals ready fоr the working environment, in the industry where the involvement оf Fооd handling, serving alcohol, health and safety and first aid is required.

This could include but not subject to doing bar work, waitering ѕtаff, kіtсhеn роrtеrѕ and stock/store rооm staff. It will give individuals a core depth of knowledge and a range of specialist and general skills.

Learners will take part in many different activities in both classroom environment and outdoor, such activities will include; Problem activities, Communication, Working in teams and Improve own learning. We use a variety of teaching methods to ensure learning styles are accommodated including kinaesthetic, auditory and visual methods, and appropriate and sensitive assessment procedures to support learners and encourage confidence and trust.

If you know anyone who would like to do the course and gain 6 full qualifications in 12 days or would like further information please email info@smartt.me.uk for more details or click here

For further free resources please visit our resource library here

Mental Health First Aid Schizophrenia

28 October 2020 By SMARTT Leave a Comment

Mental Health First Aid Schizophrenia Part 1

What is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a severe psychotic mental health disorder that affects how a person may be thinking, feeling, and behaving. Individuals suffering with schizophrenia may seem like they have lost touch with reality and will not know what is real and what is unreal

Schizophrenia is a long-term condition that will also affect a number of psychological symptoms such as delusions or hallucinations

Even though schizophrenia may not be as common as other mental health disorders, the symptoms can be very disabling.

How does media coverage cause fear and misunderstanding to schizophrenia?

The media tends to blow schizophrenia out of proportion and it is widely misinformed in the media, due to this a lot of the general public have a fear of this condition. For example, the media often use the term “schizophrenia” to portray someone as being totally out of control or having a split personality – but it’s not and this leads to high volumes of the general public to believe it is without understanding the disorder.

Media coverage can also portray an individual with this condition as violent and that the individual is only safe to society if they are locked away in an institute. Well this is not the case as most people who suffer schizophrenia do not tend to commit any violent crime – but studies have shown that individuals with drug or alcohol problems are twice more likely to commit violent crime

Stigmatisation of the media cover of is schizophrenia can be excessive. For example, the individual can be seen as being so disruptive that people with those conditions must be isolated from society. This can also cause fear for the person suffering and also their family

What are possible causes of schizophrenia?

With schizophrenia, there is no evidence or answers as to why some people will suffer with schizophrenia and some people won’t – but at the same time, its not easy to identify what caused it. Individuals who will be diagnosed with schizophrenia will have a few ongoing factors in their life which could possible trigger the causes,

The possible causes of schizophrenia could be:

A genetic inheritance can be a cause of this, as some families are more prone than others. By developing a certain gene can make someone more vulnerable but not necessarily develop schizophrenia however, someone is more likely to develop this condition if their parent has schizophrenia.
Drug abuse can be a possible cause of schizophrenia – for example, using excessive amounts of cannabis, an individual is six times more likely to develop this condition if they use cannabis or any other recreational drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines, LSD or ketamine on a regular basis.
Brain damage can be a possible cause of schizophrenia – for example, either an infection during pregnancy or the possible lack of oxygen to the brain is reduced during birth.
A stressful life event may trigger schizophrenia, this could be things such as, being homeless or living in deprived areas where poverty is high, a job loss or loss of a family member.
Physical or verbal abuse may also be factors of the causes of schizophrenia.

What are the feelings an individual with schizophrenia may experience?

A person with schizophrenia may experience positive and negative feelings

Positive feelings with schizophrenia do not mean good, it actually refers to symptoms not present in an individual without schizophrenia – the positive symptoms help identify abnormal mental functions such as;

Delusions such as a false belief a person has even though there is over whelming evidence to suggest otherwise, such as believing they are being followed or spied on constantly. There is limited examples of delusions as it can be about anything.
Hallucinations are when a person is hearing, seeing, feeling or smelling things that are not real, most people with schizophrenia say they hear voices, these voices may give orders that they feel should be followed and can be often aggressive voices or of a sexual nature
Thought process, this can be things such as, thought insertion where a person belief their thoughts in their mind are not their own.
Another one could be thought broadcasting where the individual believes their thoughts are being read by others.
Thought withdrawal, this is where the individual thinks someone is removing their own thoughts from their own mind
Thought blocking, this is where the individual had a mind block where they cannot remember what they were actually talking about in a certain conversation

Mental Health First Aid Schizophrenia – Negative symptoms

Some negative feelings with schizophrenia are the absence of the mental function that should be present and these could be:
Lack of motivation where everything seems as an effort, tasks may not be complete and concentration levels are poor. This can include facial expressions and voice tone
Emotions may be flat and sometimes these emotions maybe odd, for example they mag giggle at something that is actually not funny or sad
A person experiencing negative feelings would also be more likely to self-neglect and show signs of poor personal hygiene, and may appear to be in their own zone of thoughts. Education can be difficult and this could have memory problems for the individual and also difficulty in planning and organising.

How can schizophrenia affect the individual and their life?

Schizophrenia can carry a vast negative impact with major affects to an individual’s life and normal day to day life and routine can become near impossible. Delusions and hallucinations will stop the individual focusing and they are more likely to neglect themselves such as personal care, dressing, eating and drinking and going shopping.

individuals suffering with schizophrenia often turn to alcohol and or drugs to take away any thoughts. This would have a huge effect as it will make the condition worse, especially if the individual is on medication as it would not work as effective.

An individual with schizophrenia may withdraw themselves and this would make it harder for them to have a healthy relationship with their friends and family, they may even become suspicious or hostile of them.

Individuals with schizophrenia often have suicidal thoughts. Any talk of suicide from someone suffering schizophrenia should be taken extremely serious and help should be sorted immediately

Mental Health First Aid Schizophrenia

For further information on our Mental Health First Aid schizophrenia courses please contact us here or for our mental health done for you training package please see here

First Aid Mental Health Course

20 October 2020 By SMARTT Leave a Comment

First Aid Mental Health Course – Bipolar is associated and influenced by daily demands, stress can trigger bipolar to peak.

This manic side of bipolar is triggered by pressure and the reaction to stressful daily demands or events. The depressive episodes can be brought on by relationship problems and financial pressures of problems. It is thought to believe that the manic episodes are an escape from the feelings of depression. Bipolar is associated and influenced by daily demands, stress can trigger bipolar to peak.

Examples of symptoms that may occur in a manic and depressive episode.

Manic

As previously discussed, manic will show signs that the individual is very active and feeling very high and creativity, and euphoria are common.

People suffering a manic episode will often talk more than usual with an increased speak in their speech. Symptoms of sleep deprivation are often experienced due to high energy and hyperactive. Manic episodes may also make the individual feel like they’re invincible or untouchable. This could be a dangerous episode as the individual also can be easily distracted from their daily routes or work activities.

Although this episode of mania makes the individual feel on a high it often tends to spiral out of control. This can make the person behave recklessly during a manic episode. First Aid Mental Health

And can lead to excessive gambling, engaging in inappropriate sexual activity, or making foolish business investments or decisions – for example, they may become angry, irritable, and aggressive- often leading to confrontation when others don’t agree with their plans and retaliating to anyone who challenges their behaviour.

Some people even become delusional, hallucinate or start hearing voices.

Depressive symptoms

Depressive symptoms will affect individuals in a variety of ways and a mixture of different symptoms and range from mild to severe

The more common symptoms of a person with depressive could be:

Feeling unhappy, worthless and empty. This can cause many physical affects for the person such as sleep problems, eating disorders low or no sex drive and show signs of anxiet.

Concentration levels and memory problems are very common with the individual not motivated in day to day life. This can make feelings of worthlessness or guilt. With more severe symptoms the person can also have thoughts of self-harm or even suicide

What are medical intervention for Bipolar Disorder?

Medical intervention for an individual who is suffering from bipolar disorder could include:

Medication can be prescribed by the individuals GP who’s suffering from the condition. Common drugs that are be subscribed can include, Anti-anxiety drugs, Antidepressants, Antipsychotics and Anticonvulsants

Drugs cannot cure Bipolar Disorder but it can help to control it.

An individual could be admitted to hospital if they are very distressed, this will allow for an assessment and provide relief for anyone supporting the individual with depression. The individual can volunteer to go or can be sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Electroconvulsive Therapy is given under general anaesthetic and involved passing current through the brain in order to cause a fit. It is given for cases of severe depression, it is not commonly used as much now but can be an effective treatment.

What are the different ways in which an individual with Bipolar Disorder can help to manage their illness when entering a manic and depressive episode?

An individual with Bipolar Disorder can man manage their own illness in a number of different ways

They can seek and ask for support from other people suffering with bipolar, it can reassure them they are not alone and talk about their feeling in compassion with others. Monitoring episodes and detecting worrying signs as early as possible can mean the individual is prepared.

They can avoid triggers which have set off the illness in the past and avoid stress where possible. Also having a daily / regular routine will keep the person in high moral and keep the mind relaxed and focused.

It would be wise to avoid stimulant drinks, alcohol and recreational drugs such as smoking cannabis or taking cocaine as this can trigger manic episodes.

A change in general life styles can also help manage the disorder such as, taking regular exercise to keep a positive mind. This can also be combined with a healthy diet and a good sleep pattern

Also, they should try and keep depression at bay by challenging negative thoughts and adopting a positive attitude where possible.

How can others help an individual with Bipolar Disorder to manage their illness?

Bipolar Disorder can be either mild or severe and there are many different ways in which friends, family and others can help a person manage their illness. Some common ways are;

By family and friends can educating themselves on the condition and its triggers, also how it affects the individual to be able to notice the warning signs. This can be a great way to communicate with the person and help them set daily routine tasks. This can also include helping them find appropriate support groups and the expert help that is available to them.

People can be supportive and try and understand the individual’s illness so that the person with bipolar can open up about their feelings without the worry of being judged.

They can encourage the individual to seek help and intervention to control illness. They can help individual with certain jobs and roles to reduce the pressure at times.

Give the person some practical and motivational support – this could be things like encouraging them or even take part with them in regular exercise, help set daily goals with them including a healthy diet and sleep pattern

Try to be patient with the person suffering with bipolar and try to understand and respect their decision making, but also monitor the persons behaviour and contact support lines if the person is feeling very low and thinking self-harm thoughts or suicide thoughts.

What local resources and treatments are available to an individual experiencing Bipolar Disorder?

Care programme

This resource is where the person can have their needs assessed and their care planned, a thorough assessment will be completed and action plan put in place. As with all mental health conditions the community mental health team (CMHT) maybe involved in this process, they can work with the individual to sort out any issues such as housing, benefits and day centres.

Local day centres

There are many different day centres which included, local community centres, day hospitals and drop in centres to support people with bipolar disorder illness. These types of centres can provide some excellent help and support such as therapy, counselling and further information advice and guidance on other support available. First Aid Mental Health This type of service is provided by professional mental health experts.

Other types of drop in services may offer a different range of support, for example mindfulness activities such as arts and crafts, music lessons or even just to pop in for a chat with other people in the centre

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Treatments

Local treatments could include supported accommodation. This would entail the individual suffering with bipolar lives in a supported environment until they have the confidence to live on their own, The community care service can also make an assessment of the individuals needs which will cover everything from housing to day centres.

Day centres themselves may offer therapy groups, counselling and information. They can be a place for the individual to gain new skills and increase their confidence, they may also use it for a social activity.

mood stabilisers

Psychological Treatment

First Aid Mental Health Course – Psychological Treatment can help with depression, such as cognitive behavioural therapy. It’s a form of talking treatment which makes a speciality focus of how your thoughts, ideals and attitudes have an effect on your feelings and behaviour, and teaches you coping abilities for managing unique troubles.

It combines cognitive remedy inspecting the things you believe in and behaviour therapy, examining the stuff you do

is a type of which focuses on how your thoughts, beliefs and attitudes affect your feelings and behaviour, and teaches you coping skills for dealing with different problems.

For further information on our Mental Health First Aid courses please contact us here or for our mental health done for you training package please see here

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Mental Health First Aid Bipolar

13 October 2020 By SMARTT Leave a Comment

Mental Health First Aid Bipolar – What is meant by the term Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is when an individual behaves in two opposite ways, it is an extreme mental illness, it provokes sudden mood swings and the individual will have times of feeling very high and then times of feeling very depressed and may experience strange hallucinations or delusions

What are the possible causes of bipolar disorder?

Science has shown that bipolar disorder is not fully understood, however, like many mental health illnesses there is different range of causes for bipolar disorder, such as the following

Genetic

It can be inherited and more likely it may run in the family, however no gene within the family maybe responsible for bipolar disorder

Everyday events

Bipolar disorder can be triggered by everyday life and stress, these may include
Stress at work or home
Relationships problems or breakdown in marriage
A tragic event such as a loss of life to family or friends
Emotional, violent or sexual abuse
Any type of physical illness

Chemical imbalance

A traumatic event of situation can cause bipolar due to the disturbance of chemicals in the brain. Example could be norepinephrine or dopamine – an imbalance of these levels can cause bipolar disorder

What is a person with Bipolar like?

The feelings of bipolar disorder will vary depending on the individual, for example when an individual suffering with bipolar disorder is feeling high, or known as mania, it can seem like the best feeling and they will have a lot of energy and feel positive. It can make the person feel more productive whilst others may feel angry and restless.

When an individual suffering with Mental Health First Aid Bipolar feels low with depression they may have very low self-esteem and self-worth. It can restrict a person’s life as it can occur for a long duration. Some may suffer from hallucinations or believe they are untouchable. Some describe the manic bipolar as a buzz and exciting.

With both cases of individuals suffering with extreme bipolar disorder, these can last for weeks or in some cases even longer

How does Bipolar Disorder affects the individual and their life?

It can contribute to the individual having a negative outlook on life and thinking negatively, for example, the person cannot function or communicate well. It can affect judgement which can result in serious repercussions or regret.

People with bipolar may experience their life as a roller coaster of high and low emotions and this affects their daily route and life in general. Examples could be relationship breakdowns and affect work, the individual may have to take a lot of time of work due to depression, it may also make it harder for the individual to hold employment and this could lead and financial problems.

Mental Health First Aid Bipolar

The manic phase can challenge the individual to become aggressive and could lead to further problems like the unnecessary use of alcohol and or recreational drugs and in some cases leading to inappropriate sexual behaviour

With some severe cases of depression, some individuals with bipolar disorder maybe affected with their ability to deal with everyday life. This can be either physical, emotional, or social functioning, which can lead the individual to experience psychotic symptoms for example, hallucinations, paranoia, or even hearing of voices in their head.

The individual may also be much unaware of the help and support they need to help combat the illness.

How can an individual’s Bipolar Disorder may affect others?

Bipolar disorder is a serious illness that not only affects the individual but those around them, such as family and friends – they could be affected in the following ways;

Emotional distress – This can be things such as grief, guilt or worry and will cause disruption in the regular daily routines.
Relationship breakdowns – this will cause tension if the individual is irritable as friends and family may become an easy target for their mood swing outbursts.
The family and friends may feel on edge and worried on what mood they are in and whether they are approachable to have discussions or even accept any help that can be offered. It can also cause finance problems which affect the family and home, resulting in a breakdown.
It can lead to disagreements where the individual suffering with bipolar disorder makes bad choices during their episodes and they are impossible to reason with.

Another factor in the way bipolar disorder may affect others is the lack of understanding of the illness. If family and friends have minimum understanding of the illness then they are going to become frustrated with the person and this could cause risky behaviour

What are the demands of daily life that may influence symptoms of Bipolar Disorder?

Individual suffering with bipolar disorder will experience different demands of normal daily life due to the different mood swings they may encounter.

Some demands of daily life that can influence symptoms could be:

Health problems;

This could influence bipolar and could also affect sleeping problems.

Stress or work problems;

Work demands and financial worries could influence this condition. Such as unemployment leading to debt problems and security such as housing poverty etc.

Problems in relationships;

This can be things such as, break down in marriage, bereavement or conflict and abuse

Domestic issues;

This can be community and social groups could encourage symptoms. Also, been in overcrowded groups or in poor environments. The daily life influence symptoms may also be having to care for elderly family members or even the stress of given birth

Mental Health First Aid Bipolar

For further information on our Mental Health First Aid Bipolar courses please contact us here or for our mental health done for you training package please see here

Mental Health First Aid Course | Phobia

15 August 2020 By SMARTT Leave a Comment

What is meant by the term Phobia?

A phobia is a sort of anxiety which an individual has a fear of a person, object or situations that many people take for granted. A person with a phobia maybe comes paranoid and will sidestep the topic of the fear whenever possible.

What are the main groups of phobias?

Individuals with various forms of phobias often realise their worry is irrational and that no actual threat of danger is immanent, however most people require help in order to conquer their personal phobia.

There are two main group types of phobias:

Complex phobia
Specific or commonly known as simple phobia

Every type of phobia can range in severity – from moderate to an extreme debilitating disorder. The sooner a phobia develops and the longer you wait to treat the phobia, the extra hard it becomes to get over it. Without help, an individual is often left to avoid their phobia for the rest of their life

Complex phobia

Complex phobia are general feelings of shyness in front of other people. Complex phobias contain self-recognition to the point of paralysation. Social phobias trigger from the fear that other people will judge the person in a negative way and with scrutiny. It’s also known as social phobia

Some examples of complex phobias can be:

Fear of talking with many people or groups – IE meetings
Fear to enter public rooms – IE, cafes, restaurants with the fear of eating in front of others
Fear of meeting new people – in the high street or anywhere in public
Fear of social contact with others in general – IE waiting a shop queue

Complex or social phobia can be so extreme as to restrict a person’s interpersonal contact in its absolute. Social phobia is often a precursor to agoraphobia, (which is another group type and I will talk about later in this unit) which can be visible as a worsening of the social phobia. If this occurs then the phobia could prevent any personal or social skills and also could prevent social contact with friends or family.

Specific phobia

A specific, or simple, phobia is the fear of one specific thing such as a object or situation.

The majority or people are more acquainted with this kind of phobia. For instance, many human beings fear spiders; if someone’s fear is irrationally exaggerated enough, this might classify as a particular phobia. Individuals with particular phobias actively keep away from their fear – Mental Health First Aid Course

Some of the common types of specific phobias can be;

fear of animal – such as fear of dogs, snakes, rats or spiders etc
Natural environment – this could be the fear of heights or water
Injections – examples are the fear of pain or needles
Situational – such as the fear of flying, elevators or close space

Certain phobias mainly develop at a younger age. For example, animal phobias can start at an age of as early as seven years old. Other phobias such blood phobia could develop at the age nine and dental phobia at age twelve.

A further phobia group is agoraphobia but is generally looked at differently to the two main groups of specific and complex

People who suffer with agoraphobia live in fear of being in certain situations where help would not be at hand if things went wrong. Many people assume agoraphobia is simply a fear of large open spaces such as shopping centres, but it’s a more compound condition. An individual who suffers with agoraphobia may have fear of travelling on public transport or worse case not leave their own home

Examples of specific and social phobias.

As mentioned in the last question, there are two main groups of phobias, which are specific and complex or social phobia, here are examples of each in turn

Specific phobias

Examples of specific phobias could be:
fear of animal – such as the fear of dogs, snakes, rats or spiders et
fear of birds and insects
Natural environment – this could be the fear of heights or water
Injections – examples are the fear of pain or needles
Situational – such as the fear of flying, elevators or close space

Social phobias

Examples of social phobias could be:

Meeting people
Walking down the street -Attending meetings
Public speaking

Possible causes of phobia.

Certain developments of phobias can occur during childhood and these phobias can stay with the individual for life. An example could be if you have experienced been stuck in small space areas you may suffer from claustrophobia. Another cause could be if you have been thrown in cold water or your head help under water as a child, this could lead to having a phobia and fear of water

A common cause as a child could be what’s known as a learned response from a family member, this could be a family member who suffers from certain mental health problems such as anxiety, this can be picked up easily as a child and they can develop this later in life – Mental Health First Aid Course

Another factor could be a life experience caused by a traumatic of stressful experience such as a bad social experience.

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Feelings an individual may have when experiencing a phobia

If a person has a phobia they may feel deep fear of something, such as a person, thing or situation. A phobia can cause an exaggerated and persistent fear which may cause an aggressive response or panic in the situation encountered.

Phobias produce two feeling, physical and psychological

The physical fears a person may feel could be things such as, hot flushes, confusion, sweating, needing the toilet or feeling faint, chest pains and nausea. The psychological feelings maybe the fear of fainting, fearing losing control and the fear of possibly dying.

How a specific phobia could prevent someone from leading a normal life

A specific phobia such as the fear of birds may prevent someone from leading a normal life, this would affect their ability to walk in the street and go further afield, it could also have an impact on their work-related duties.

World famous actress Scarlett Johansson has a phobia of birds

The actress opening up about her lifelong fear claiming “Something about wings and beaks and the flapping,” “I’m terrified of them. That still hasn’t gone away … I was terrified of the peacocks on set [of her movie We Bought a Zoo]. Like, ‘Ahh, don’t get too close.’ They’re like, mean.”

This could also have a knock-on effect on her friends and family who may want to watch certain screen plays but the person with the phobia will not attend if their phobia is present.

How agoraphobia could prevent someone from leading a normal life.

Many people assume that agoraphobia is simply a fear of large open spaces such as shopping centres, but it’s a more complex phobia condition. It’s a fear of being in places from which they cannot easily escape or where help may not be available, especially if your suffering from a panic attack – Mental Health First Aid Course

If an individual suffers a panic attack in a certain place they may not want to go there ever again or even in similar places. Agoraphobia is often associate with the environment. An example could be, it may prevent the individual from leading their normal daily life because they will not feel save in places or surroundings such as work or public environments. This may lead to;

Financial problems

People who suffer with agoraphobia illness may not be able to work and not generate an income and then it becomes harder to find employment and employers seem to be less reluctant to consider anyone with mental health problems for employment. This in turn can lead to relationship problems and or further mental health problems.

Communications with friends, family and the general public,

An individual suffering with agoraphobia may also have fears of travelling on public transport or worse case not leave their own home and in some cases for a very long time.

The impact of been isolated and not leaving their home can have a major effect for the individual trying to lead a normal daily life, for example, it can lead to many different things such as

physical issues, not exercising, eating or sleeping properly – this could lead to then lead to taking to recreational drugs or alcohol

phycological issues, such as panic attacks, depression or anxiety – this can trigger further mental health illnesses for the individual and been isolated could have devastating effects as no one can help them or offer support.

How a person’s phobia may affect others.

Any type of phobia can have a major effects and complications to family, friends and even the general public as it can cause interpersonal and communication issues. At times, this could cause arguments and disagreements meaning frustration and anxiety going into auto pilot and as a result having limit activities that friends and families can all do together.

Families with children suffering with phobias may find it more difficult to deal with Mental Health First Aid Course

This can cause more anxiousness as the family will need to put in special measures to deal with the situations the child may experience due to their phobia.

If the individual suffering with a phobia does not express or talk about their fears to either friend, family or even help groups then they may feel even more isolated, frustrated or rejected and this could also have the same effect on family as they won’t understand the situation

What can you do to self-help for phobias?

Although there is excellent treatment and help for people who suffer from phobias, there are a range of such importance in which people with a phobia can self-help.

Having researched and talked to individuals suffering with phobias one of the best and most positive way is to open up and talk to others about their fears, this will allow the person to think positively and control their thoughts. It may also assist the individual to find other options or further help which they are not aware of.

Relaxation is an effective method of self-help to different people suffering from phobias, this can be done by the individual on their own but is usually more effective in a group. It helps with many things such as breathing techniques, relaxing of body muscles and is great way to clear the mind set and have positive thinking

Graded Exposure is a way of treating a range of specific phobias. It’s when the individual suffering from fear can be gradually exposed to the phobia which allows them to face their fear and control the situation in bite size steps.

What are possible treatments for phobias?

The treatment of complex phobias is often a longer process and involves talking to others; Examples of this possible treatment maybe:

Counselling:

A trained counsellor is a great form of treatment as they listen to the Individuals issues and problems and this in turn can help them combat their fears. This could also include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) This treatment helps links between the individual’s thoughts and feelings. CBT treatment often includes a different range of techniques, including exposure therapy or desensitisation

Change in life style

With social phobia, the individual’s personal lifestyle may affect the mindset therefore trigging levels of anxiety.

There are so many different areas where an individual can change their lifestyle to get in the right mind set, there’s are;

Controlling your diet and eat health – helps control weight issues that can cause depression
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day – health body, health mind
Cut down on caffeine, sugary drinks and alcohol – these sorts of drink can aggravate anxiety
Have a regular sleep pattern – help control the metabolism

Exposure therapy:

Exposure therapy involves gradually exposing you to the object or situation you fear, in a safe and controlled way. For example, if you have a phobia of going to the dentist, you might read about the dentist, then look at a picture of a dentist’s chair, sit in the waiting room and talk to the dentist, before finally sitting in the dentist’s chair.

Through repeated experiences of facing your fear, you may feel an increasing sense of control over your phobia. This technique needs to be carefully managed to avoid causing distress and anxiety, so

Hypnotherapy:

Many people who have phobias find hypnotherapy helpful for relieving their symptoms. The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) has a register of hypnotherapists who have trained to national standard level.

Medication:

If a phobia causes significant anxiety, the person may be offered medication. Currently, there are three classes of drugs considered useful in managing anxiety. These are:

Antidepressants:

The most commonly prescribed drugs to treat anxiety are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants. These drugs can be helpful but may cause side effects such as sleep problems and increased anxiety. If SSRIs don’t work or aren’t suitable, you may be offered a tricyclic antidepressant.

Beta-blockers:

Beta-blockers such as propranolol are sometimes used to treat the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as a rapid heartbeat, palpitations and tremors (shaking). However, beta-blockers are not psychiatric drugs so they don’t reduce any of the psychological symptoms. They may be helpful in certain situations if you have to face a phobia, such as going on an aeroplane.

For more information on our mental health first aid course please contact us here or for our mental health done for you training package please see here