Mental Health

Promoting and Preserving Good Mental Health & Wellbeing

“Mental health is…..a state of wellbeing in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community” – World Health Organisation (2001)

There are a number of Mental Health resources available electronically, please find below:  

What is good mental health and emotional wellbeing?

People who are emotionally healthy are in control of their thoughts, feelings and behaviours. They feel good about themselves and have good relationships. They can keep problems in perspective.
It’s important to remember that people who have good emotional health sometimes have emotional problems or mental illness. Mental illness often has a physical cause, such as a chemical imbalance in the brain. Stress and problems with family, work or school can sometimes trigger mental illness or make it worse. However, people who are emotionally healthy have learned ways to cope with stress and problems. They know when they need to seek help from their doctor or a counsellor.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Laughter really is the best medicine and is a unique quality belonging only to the human race. We all have the ability to laugh and find humour in every day of our lives, it can have a positive effect on our health in many ways: physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

Laughter has a positive effect on our body whether we like it or not, it can:

  • Act as a muscle relaxant and lowers blood pressure
  • Reduce four (neuroendocrine) hormones associated with the stress response
  • Increase the salivary and blood levels of Immunoglobulin A, M & G (which enhances the immune system). Many studies have shown that as little as 30-60 minutes of comedy can have this effect.
  • Increases levels of ‘Complement 3′ which assists antibodies pierce through defective or infected cells in order to destroy them
  • Increases the levels of ‘T-Cells’ which are the natural killer cells that have the role of seeking out and destroying tumour cells in the body as well as battling the latest cold and flu virus
  • Helps with arthritis by increasing the levels of ‘gamma interferon’, a substance that plays an important part in the maturation of B-cells.
  • Helps to reduce pain by increasing’ endomorphs’ the bodies natural morphine.
  • Provides cardiac exercise which is FUN-damental to good cardiac conditioning.
  • Clears the respiratory passages.
  • Emotionally can provide a more positive aptitude for life.
  • Helps us to deal with STRESS.
  • Is good for mental health and gives a sense of wellbeing.

A Guide to Mental Health and Debt

No debt problems are unsolvable. It mightn’t be easy or quick, but there’s always a route. When mental health problems are involved, some special solutions apply. This is a free 40-page PDF booklet supported by Mind, Rethink, CAPUK and others, for people with mental health problems and those caring for them. It covers how to handle debts when unwell, work with banks, free debt counselling, specific tips for bipolar or depression sufferers, whether to declare a condition and more.

The following resources are available on Self help: