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Movember and Men’s Mental Health

Life isn’t always easy, and it can often feel hard to open up about how you’re feeling and reach out for support – particularly as a man. But even when things seem tough, there’s a lot you can do to look after yourself and others.

 

This month is Movember, an annual event run by the Movember Foundation which  involves the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men’s health issues, and much more.

 

Who are the Movember Foundation?

As the leading charity in men’s health, the Movember Foundation have funded more than 1,250 projects across 23 countries, working towards a world where men take action to be mentally well and feel supported by those around them.

Their mental health and suicide prevention projects have been challenging the status quo, strengthening social connections and encouraging men to have conversations that matter.

 

What is Movember?

Movember is a global annual movement which encourages men to engage in their fundraisers during the month of November to raise awareness of men’s mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

 

What can I do to get involved?

This November, you can help raise funds and awareness of men’s health by signing up to their Movember Fundraisers:

 

What if I’m a woman?

While growing a moustache is left to the guys, women can also raise funds and awareness by signing up to all the other fundraiser campaigns or make donation to a ‘Mo Bro’ or fellow ‘Mo Sister’. As champions of the movement women can play a key role by rallying the men in their lives to join the movement, have important conversations and be proactive about their health.

 

Find out more

For reliable, expert information to help men cope and live happier, healthier, longer lives and to accelerate change by supporting the Movember campaign visit: https://uk.movember.com/

 

This month we will be helping to raise awareness about men’s mental health, and how important it is to talk about.

If you are struggling, or simply need someone to turn to, please get in touch by emailing york@theretreatclinics.org.uk or manchester@theretreatclinics.org.uk.

Our Top Tips for managing Bonfire Night

For lots of families with children, Bonfire Night can bring anxiety and distress. Firework displays are noisy, unpredictable and, depending on where you live, can be relentless. This can be particularly tricky if you have a child who has a fear of fireworks, is neurodiverse, and/or has sensory differences.

Our team of child and young people therapists, in collaboration with families we work with, have put together some top tips for managing the Bonfire Celebrations.

If going to fireworks displays isn’t right for your family, trust your instincts. You can create your own traditions for Bonfire night. Perhaps you could watch a movie or do another favourite activity that will help distract from the noise outside. Maybe there is a playlist of music that is particularly calming for your child.

Explain to your child about the origin of Bonfire night, and safety around fireworks and bonfires. For some children, their anxiety is due to being worried about getting hurt or not understanding what is happening. There are lots of story books or information leaflets available that can support you to explain this in a child friendly way. For example; your local fire and rescue service website. Some people like to watch YouTube videos of firework displays to help prepare their child for what is going to happen. If you have a pet, consider including your child in helping the animal for Bonfire night. This could provide a great good opportunity to open conversations about anxiety or fear in a non-direct way and validate their experience.

Staying in or going out, involve your child/ren in creating a plan for the evening, encourage them to think about what they might be worried about, and what might help support them. If you are going to an event, try to find out as much information beforehand as possible to help inform your plan and consider in advance what your exit plan might be if things get too overwhelming.

Writing your plan out or use of a visual schedule is really helpful to help manage expectations and hopefully reduce anxiety.

Regardless of your plans, considering bringing objects that your child finds soothing, familiar or reduces anxiety. For example, certain items of clothing, weighted blankets, fidget toys or a comfort blanket can be helpful. Sometimes certain foods or drinks might bring a bit of extra comfort. For some families, just sticking to familiar routine as much as possible is the best way to reduce anxiety.

For children who find loud noises difficult, you might want to consider giving your child ear defenders. Ear defenders help to reduce noise, but you can still hear some noise, which can be helpful and reassuring. You could also consider noise cancelling headphones to play a soothing song or favourite audio book. Whatever headphones might work best for your child, it would be worth allowing your child to wear them ahead of Bonfire night so that they can get used to wearing them.

Do not under-estimate the importance of how reassuring it is to young people when you remain calm. The relationship you have with your child, and your presence will help them feel safe by just being close, relaxed, and present. You know your child best, and what will help provide them with additional reassurance.

If this is a tricky time for you family, it can be really tiring supporting and containing your child’s distress. If possible, get some additional support and integrate something into the day that will help recharge your batteries.

 

If you would like to find out more about the support we can offer please get in touch by emailing york@theretreatclinics.org.uk or manchester@theretreatclinics.org.uk.

Supporting your mental health through our creative Art Therapy service in Manchester

Are you struggling to understand your thoughts, feelings, or behaviours?  Maybe a difficult life experience has been affecting your wellbeing, but it feels hard to put into words?

We understand how tough it can be to move forward when you feel a bit stuck in life, but we are here to help you find a new perspective by using creativity and artmaking to enable communication and self-understanding in a way that will words alone cannot always do.

What is Art Therapy?

Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that allows an exploration of often complex thoughts, feelings, and emotions through the creative process of artistic materials. It can be successful in resolving emotional conflict, aid in changing your behaviour and help you to develop effective coping skills that feel right to you.

Unlike an art class, the focus of art therapy is not to teach artistic techniques, grade or improve your artistic skill. Instead, an art therapist will encourage you to explore and express your inner emotions, making sense of how you might feel, through the process of creating art.

Who can Art Therapy help?

Art therapy is designed to help people of all ages, abilities and stages of life.

Art therapy can help those who may by diagnosed or struggle with (including but not limited too):

What does Art Therapy at The Retreat Clinics involve?

Art therapy offers a non-judgemental, confidential, and supportive environment where difficulties can be expressed openly and unravelled together.

Available at our welcoming Manchester clinic, our highly qualified and registered Art Psychotherapist Chloe Sykes can provide art therapy on a one-to-one basis or in a group. Taking a person-centred approach, Chloe will be on hand to guide and support you throughout the creative process, supporting you to reflect and find the words to articulate how adverse experiences may have affected your wellbeing. Towards the end of the session, Chloe will encourage you to discuss the art you have created and any feelings that have arisen, this will allow you to analyse and search for themes and conflicts that may have been affecting your thoughts, emotions and behaviours.

Part of our art therapist’s role also includes working closely in partnership with person’s support network – this could include parents, carers and other health or social care professionals.

What happens to my artwork?

We will ensure that strict confidentiality is adhered too, this includes both clinical notes, artwork made and what you discuss during the therapy sessions. Our art therapist will safely store your artwork during the course of your therapy and discuss with you in your final session what you would like to do with your artwork.

How do I start Art Therapy?

For more information on our art therapy services please get in touch by using the form below, emailing manchester@theretreatclinics.org.uk or calling 0161 445 2099.

We can also provide art therapy at our York clinic.

Seasonal Affective Disorder: World Mental Health Day 2022

As the clocks go back, the days and nights get darker, and weather gets colder, it’s not unusual to feel a change in your energy levels and mood. Sometimes called ‘winter blues’, our bodies naturally respond to the weaker and briefer sunlight we experience, which affects our ‘body clock’ and prompts a slowing down.

Although the ‘winter blues’ can be felt by many, the term ‘Seasonal Affective Disorder’ (SAD) is often used to describe the experience of a smaller number of people for whom the seasonal change in mood causes more serious distress and disruption to their ability to function.

The signs and symptoms of SAD varies for different people and season, but if you have SAD, you might experience:

If you are struggling with these symptoms and think you may have SAD, then we can help with a range of different treatments and therapy approaches available, that we can tailor to suit your mental health needs.

We offer all new clients an initial consultation to explore your concerns and consider the approach to therapy that is likely to be most helpful for you.

An approach based on Cognitive Behavioural principles would be likely to consider the thoughts you have associated with seasonal changes to your mood and explore how these relate to your emotions, considering ways to re-evaluate these thoughts and to develop alternative, usually practically-grounded, ways of responding to the mood difficulties you are experiencing.

A more exploratory approach to therapy would be likely to explore the meanings and associations these seasonal changes to your mood have for you, understanding the difficulty they represent in a personal way, and exploring the possibility of developing ways of being through the darker period of the year that feel more helpful and healthy for you.

We know that this autumn and winter in particular, many people are facing significant financial pressure and we understand that the cost of ongoing, weekly therapy may not be a commitment that feels possible at this time.

Here at The Retreat Clinics our therapists are highly experienced and skilled in short-term therapy and brief treatment programmes, as well as in longer-term work. Our initial consultations ensure we understand your budget and can carefully consider with you what we can offer that is be a good fit for your financial budget, as well as your mental health needs.

All of our therapies are available at our clinics in York, Manchester and online.

If you would like to find out more please get in touch by using the form below, or emailing york@theretreatclinics.org.uk or manchester@theretreatclinics.org.uk.

Starting high school worries and anxiety

Starting high school can be very daunting for many children; they are entering their teenage years, which is quite a significant change. Their friends may be enrolling in a different high school, so they lose part of their social support for this big transition.

For most, the new school year anxiety will fade, but there are a few things to remember as a parent to be mindful and supportive of your child as they make this shift.

1) Try to plan ahead.

You will probably start to feel the pressure of having to re-introduce the school routine after the summer break. The best way to avoid this is to prepare and communicate with your child about your expectations and listen to them.

2) Listen seriously if your child expresses any worries.

Try not to dismiss your child’s fear of starting or going back to school. By listening and acknowledging your child’s anxieties for the new school year, you are helping them feel more secure. You can also help your child manage these worries, which will help nurture the confidence to face them.

3) Avoid putting pressure on your child to talk about the new school year.

Most children will be more vocal in a casual conversation, for example, in the car. It may take time for your child to process the changes before they speak to you about them. Sometimes, curiously wondering with them about how things are can be helpful, rather than asking direct questions – for example, “I’m interested how your day went?” or “I wonder what your favourite part of today was?”.

4) Monitor your child’s stress.

High volumes of stress over a long period can lead to mental health difficulties such as anxiety and depression. If your child isn’t showing a reduction in their worries and stress levels, this may be a sign they need some further help.

Here at The Retreat Clinics, we can offer a flexible approach to support children and young people starting high school who may be experiencing worry, stress, anxiety, or low mood.

We understand it can be scary, and can provide bespoke support for children and young people who may have experienced a range of difficulties, including:

We also offer parent consultations, where you can talk to a trained professional about your child or your experiences of parenting your child.

All of our therapies are available at our clinics in York, Manchester and online.

If you would like to find out more please get in touch by using the form below, or emailing york@theretreatclinics.org.uk or manchester@theretreatclinics.org.uk.

What is stress and how can you reduce it?

We all have to deal with stress within our lives, whether this be daily issues or a significant event that causes undue pressure. When consistently dealing with stress on a daily basis in high volumes and failing to deal with this, we are at risk of ‘burnout‘. A new study commissioned by Asana, revealed that three-quarters of UK workers (75 per cent) were reported to have suffered with burnout in 2020.

What is stress and what causes it?

Stress is the body’s reaction to mental or emotional pressure. Hans Selye defined stress as “a response of the body to any, whether it is caused by, or results in, pleasant or unpleasant conditions”.

Symptoms of stress are considered as the physical changes our body makes as it goes into fight or flight mode. These include fatigue, muscle pains, chest pains and high blood pressure, sweating and many more. When we face a particularly stressful event and our body reacts accordingly, it is considered to be acute stress. When we face this over a long period of time through stressful and traumatic events, or daily life pressures that become overwhelming, we then consider this as chronic stress.

What things can you do to help reduce stress?

1. Consider what demands you can reduce, or what you can ask others to help with.

2. Make time for yourself each day.

3. Journaling.

4. Take everything one step at a time.

5. Learn and practice positive self-talk.

6. Use relaxation techniques.

7. Stay connected with others.

8. Exercise and eat a balanced diet.

9. Be kind to yourself.

10. Talk to someone.

How we can help

If you would prefer to speak to someone with professional experience, we have qualified therapists who can help you to understand and manage symptoms of stress.

All of our therapies are available at our clinics in York, Manchester and online.

If you would like to find out more please get in touch by using the form below, or emailing york@theretreatclinics.org.uk or manchester@theretreatclinics.org.uk.

What is burnout and how can you deal with it?

The World Health Organization (WHO) describes burnout as an occupational phenomenon, meaning a situation that exists and is related to a job or profession, and emerges as a response to workplace stress over a long period of time.

Symptoms for burnout are characterised by the WHO by three factors; feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from your job/ feeling negative and cynical towards your job and a reduction in your efficacy in work.

The difference between stress and burnout is that when we are feeling stressed, we feel like we have too much of a demand on our body and mental wellbeing. When we are burnt-out, we are feeling mentally and physically exhausted and simply do not care or have any motivation. Stress can feel like ‘drowning’ whereas burnout can feel like we are all dried up.

How can you deal with burnout?

To deal with burnout we must consider the three R approach:

Recognise: Being able to see the warning signs of burnout

Reverse-: We need to reverse the damage by seeking support and managing our stress

Resilience: By taking care of our physical and emotional health we are able to build up a resilience to burnout.

It is important to reframe your approach to work and your priorities, as well as increasing the communication you have with other people and managing who you communicate with. For example turning to co-workers, friends or family members. It may also be beneficial to limit contact with stressors.

If you would prefer to speak to someone with professional experience, we have a team of highly-qualified therapists who can help you to understand and manage symptoms of stress and burnout.

All of our therapies are available at our clinics in York, Manchester and online.

If you would like to find out more please get in touch by using the form below, or emailing york@theretreatclinics.org.uk or manchester@theretreatclinics.org.uk.

Men’s Mental Health Week

Have you ever heard the expression of ‘man up’? A YouGov (2018) report found 61% of British men aged 18-24 have felt the pressure of having to “man up” due to gender stereotypes. In recent times there has been an increasing growth in the decline of men’s mental health. For many men there is a large stigma around mental health and some can find it hard to talk about their mental health struggles due to this stereotype.

Men’s health week falls between 14th– 20th June 2022, whilst many physical health conditions are highlighted, one of the main topics of discussion for Men’s health week is mental health. The biggest question is, why are men more likely to reach crisis point before they are able to access help?

It is thought that this could be due to the stereotypes mentioned above, as well as many other factors. Men who are unable to speak about their emotions may be less likely to recognise mental health symptoms and therefore could be less likely to reach out for support.

So, what can you do if you are a man or know someone experiencing mental health problems? You have taken the first step by looking for information as you are reading this blog. The next step would be to reach out for help, sometimes this can be to friends or family, people you are able to have an open conversation with about the things that are bothering you. You can try other things to help improve your mental health such as exercise, being outside or taking part in activities that you enjoy. There may be times where you need a little bit more support or are unable to talk to the people you know and would like to speak with an impartial professional.

Here at The Retreat Clinics, we have a team of qualified therapists at our clinics in York, Manchester and online, who can help you to understand and manage your mental health. We will always aim to have you in the driving seat throughout your therapeutic journey. If you would like to find out more, please get in touch by using the form below, or emailing york@theretreatclinics.org.uk or manchester@theretreatclinics.org.uk.

Mental Health and being LGBTQIA+

This month marks Pride month, where people from around the world come together to celebrate LGBTQIA+ people. Pride is also a way of raising awareness of inequalities around gender identity and sexuality. Every person’s experience of being LGBTQIA+ is unique to them. However, the experience of discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, and difficulties around coming out are very common amongst the LGBTQIA+ community. For this reason and others, more people amongst the LGBTQIA+ community experience mental health difficulties. Common among those are anxiety and depression.

The topic of LBTQIA+ and mental health is one that’s very personal to me. I was diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa at the age of 17. Anorexia was, for me, a way to numb the strong emotions of sadness and anxiety that I otherwise hadn’t been able to control or manage. But years of battling an eating disorder meant that I didn’t get to experience the things that my peers did. Anorexia also stopped me from exploring my sexuality and gender identity, because for many years, I was simply trying to survive. There wasn’t really much space for really living.

As I did begin to recover and was able to feel and experience emotions again, I found myself battling feelings and emotions around my sexuality. I felt quite panicked and uncertain, and I didn’t know who or where to turn to. When I did realise that I was part of the LGBTQIA+ community, I started to feel that I was somehow less worthy of love than others. I often though that if people knew the real me, the queer me, they would no longer love me. This led to a deep-rooted feeling of unworthiness and low self-esteem.

But slowly, after confiding in some people who I trusted and who treated me with respect and dignity, I began to start accepting who and how I was. I no longer tried to fight away my feelings, but accepted them. And this has led to a much more permanent feeling of peace and contentment. Not everyone agrees with the way I am, but hiding who I am to please others just didn’t work. I have found that for me, labels aren’t particularly helpful, and I’d rather use a more generic term such as ‘queer’ to describe my sexuality and gender identity. This is a word that has been reclaimed by the LGBTQIA+ community, as it was previously used as a slur.

It has now been three years since I realised I was part of the LGBTQIA+ community, and I feel I am now able to celebrate all of me, inclusive of my sexuality and gender identity, and have become much more comfortable in my own skin. Sometimes, celebrations around pride can, for me, be interwoven with feelings of sadness and grief thinking about the years of being closeted and the years of self-hatred. I personally believe it is important to allow ourselves to feel the sadness and grief that can come with being part of the LGBTQIA+ community, because that then allows us to move forward to a place of celebration and acceptance. As well as this, loved ones around me have helped me to know that I am unconditionally loved, and that has allowed me to be a bit kinder and more compassionate towards myself.

For anyone who is currently exploring their sexuality or gender identity, my advice would be to allow yourself to explore the questions that you have and to ride with the feelings and emotions that pop up, rather than trying to supress them. I’ve found that it helps not to have to go on this journey alone, and seeking support from others can be really helpful. If you do find that, for whatever reason, your mental health isn’t where you would like it to be, I also recommend speaking to your GP or someone you trust. Asking for help is daunting, but please know that you don’t have to do it alone.

For anyone who is supporting someone in the LGBTQIA+, the first thing to say is thank you. Thank you for being willing to learn and for being supportive. My advice here would be that it’s really important, in both actions and in words, that your loved one knows they are loved unconditionally, inclusive of their sexuality and gender identity. The best way to support your loved one is by asking them how you can be an ally. Everyone’s experience and needs are different.

Though being LGBTQIA+ and experiencing mental health problems is at times challenging and frustrating, it is possible to lead a life where your mental health struggles no longer dictate or manage your life. It is also possible to come to a place of celebration and acceptance of being LGBTQIA+, and flourishing as the person you truly are.

If you would like to more information please get in touch by using the form below, or emailing york@theretreatclinics.org.uk or manchester@theretreatclinics.org.uk.

What to do when your child won’t access therapy

“I am really worried about my child’s mental health, but I don’t think they will agree to accessing therapy at this point, what can I do?”

This is a dilemma we hear from parents and carers quite often, and it’s a really difficult situation to be in. If a child or young person is clearly struggling with something but doesn’t want to access support, parents and carers can end up feeling very stuck.

However, there are ways you can help, both yourself and your child, to support and encourage them to reframe their thinking and consider accessing therapy.

1) Seek a session for yourself with a therapist

Parents/carers are usually the experts about their children, and sometimes just need a little help to work out the best way forward. Having a session with a therapist yourself can provide an opportunity to think collaboratively with a qualified therapist around how best to support your child’s mental health. It provides the extra thinking space for you and may even be enough to shift things to a place which seems much more manageable.

It can also help to remove the stigma around accessing therapy as your child is able to hear first-hand how therapy works and the positive, helpful nature of sessions which can help to de-mystify therapy, make it feel more accessible and in turn encourage your child to access mental health support themselves.

2) Talk your child about how they are feeling.

Helping your child to understand their feelings in a positive way can help them to open up and be better able to cope with difficult emotions.

Starting conversations about how they are feeling can be difficult, but it is important to let them know you’re there for them and are on their side, recognising that their feelings are valid. You might want to read NSPPC’s guide to helping children with anxiety or depression to learn more about how to approach this topic here.

3) Remove the stigma around therapy

Many children and young people may have a negative association with therapy, so the best way to approach this is by normalising therapy by letting them know that it is nothing to be ashamed of.

It can also help to tell and show them what they can expect of the therapy sessions in detail, whether this involves showing them images of the therapy rooms or who their therapist is, so it removes the idea that therapy is ‘scary’.

How we can help

At the Retreat Clinics, it’s possible to arrange appointments with one of our therapists to talk about your child, without them needing to attend themselves.

These sessions are an opportunity for you and a qualified therapist to think together, explore options and work out ways to support your child.

If you would like to find more about how therapy could help you and your child, or if you’d like further information about the types of therapy that are available at our clinics in York, Manchester or online then please get in touch by using the form below, or emailing york@theretreatclinics.org.uk or manchester@theretreatclinics.org.uk.