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It's #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek Some thoughts:
My father was a psychiatrist. I learned from him that mental illness is in many ways just like many other illnesses. It happens.
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My father was a psychiatrist. I learned from him that mental illness is in many ways just like many other illnesses. It happens.
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People get treatment from doctors & nurses & other specialists (sometimes as in patients and sometimes as out patients). Drugs are often used. And in parallel efforts spent on prevention are really important (prevention is better than cure).
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When I was a young officer I don't remember any MH stigmas. I do remember visiting soldiers in what was known as P Wing. Maybe there was a bit of ribbing when they came back to the Regt but overall I remember compassion. "Are you all right mate?" "What can I do to help?" 3/
But once I left RD and saw wider parts of the Army I started to see some different views, negative views, stigmas, & so I started doing something to try and change those views. I talked to coworkers and subordinates, and when I got the chance seniors, about what I was seeing.
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It was hard work. Peers and subordinates were polite, some absolutely engaged with the issue, others consented and evaded. Trying to get superiors on board was hard (that of course may well be down to me and how I went about it). 5/
As a result of these chats I know that at least one SNCO sought medical help (and that he probably wouldn't have done so if the environment hadn't enabled him). And I want to talk about him a little bit. He was a top grade soldier. Outwardly there was nothing wrong. 6/
But inside there were some big problems. He got help from a doctor (a psychiatrist) and a nurse (a trained counsellor) and he got some medicine/drugs (anti-depressants) to help him. And they did. And he blossomed. What I found interesting is that he never once sought a label. 7/
It didn't matter to him whether he had depression or PTSD or some other thing. He wasn't a victim (although his MH challenges were in may ways caused by his service). He is now a civillian and is well. 8/
Fast forward to 2013 and I was starting to see an increase in MH issues and an increase in the 'man up lofty' culture. In parallel there was a MH awareness push but I never felt that the CoC had invested in the issue, both in terms of resource or intellectually. 9/
yes, we had tea and cakes and a photo in the Garrison/Div newsletter of the Commander with a cheque for £100 being handed to a MH charity. But the nearest MH nurse was 50 miles away and the Med Centre was staffed by locum GPs (who were very good but there was no continuity). 10/
But it has got better and despite there still being very few Army psychiatrists & psychiatric nurses, they do an excellent job and there are chums on here who speak very highly of the support they have received. I have never heard anything negative said about DCMH.
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So we now have:
- Greater awareness and champions (which should lower stigmas....)
- Some self help tools
- DCMH
- MPs who listen/understand/campaign
Which is excellent.
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- Greater awareness and champions (which should lower stigmas....)
- Some self help tools
- DCMH
- MPs who listen/understand/campaign
Which is excellent.
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And then you leave. And it becomes a whole lot harder to get help. That support network (yes, the one that took the mick out of you for being wibbly) has gone. The access to DCMH has gone. Your records have gone missing. You are scared to tell your new employer. 13/
You don't know how to get help (despite there being lots of signposts) because you are scared. And maybe because you don't have a SSM/Tp Sgt/Tp Ldr/OC to give you a hug and suggest that you have a chat with the MO. And you haven't heard of Op COURAGE. 14/
If you need help give them a call. If you don't want to call them yourself, give me a call and I will do it for you. Or Rob or Ollie or Phil or Pete or Andrew or Steve or Graham or Kay or Sue or Kate or any one of the others on here who understand and are willing to help.
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Final thoughts:
- Prevention (incl awareness) is better than cure.
- Comds can do huge amounts in the prevent area.
- People get ill. There needs to be accessible medical support for those that do get ill.
- If people are showing signs of hurting, reach out to them.
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- Prevention (incl awareness) is better than cure.
- Comds can do huge amounts in the prevent area.
- People get ill. There needs to be accessible medical support for those that do get ill.
- If people are showing signs of hurting, reach out to them.
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