Inside the mind: A guide for young mental health - The ...
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Inside the mind: A guide for young mental health
Hi, we are a group of young people between the ages of 14
and 19. We are all from different backgrounds and ethnicities.
At some stage in our life we have all been affected by situations
that have troubled us.
We are a group that have been on adventures together, and we’re
always there for each other. We have made this book as we want to raise
awareness of a topic that we hold close to our hearts.
Use your smile to
Bad mental health is an increasing problem worldwide and we want to
help in any way we can by educating and supporting the young people
and adults around us. This is why we have chosen the topic of mental
change the world,
health. Additionally, we know mental health is invisible, however our aim is
to reach out to anyone and everyone to encourage them to be open about
it and tell them that it’s ok not to be ok.
don’t let the world Another aim is to also help adults (parents, teachers and professionals
working with young people) to have a better understanding of young
change your smile
people’s mental health from our experience and perspective, as well as
from other young people’s.
We hope that you find this booklet useful and will learn from it. We have
included a wide range of activities, quotes and personal stories we hope
you can relate to. Enjoy and engage with the subject. It is important!
T he Par t icipat ion Team at T he Children’s Society Eas t
Disclaimer: We conducted a survey in which we ask other young
people for their input about mental health. Fifty five young people
responded and we used their answers to help inform this booklet.As part of our survey we asked young people to define mental health...
Mental and
mental health T he way emotional
noun you t hink well-being
a person’s condition with regard to their and feel
psychological and emotional well-being.
According to the WHO (World Health
How you
Organization), mental health is:
A state of well-being in which the individual
realises his or her own abilities, can cope with feel on
the normal stresses of life, can work productively
and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution
t he inside
to his or her community.
Mindset
Whet her you
are happy
or unhappyColouring can act as a great stress reliever, as well as enhancing creativity, strengthening memory and increasing concentration. Take five minutes out of your day to look after your own well-being.
Taken from the survey, these are who young people would go to for
1 in 4 75%
support when they are feeling down:
people in the UK will of mental illnesses start Sympathetic
experience a mental before a child reaches Someone
health problem each year their 18th birthday, while
you trust No one
50% Parents/family
5%
10%
of mental health problems
in adult life (excluding
dementia) take root
before the age of 15 Friends
of school children have a
diagnosable mental illness
31% 45%
More than
75% 50%
of young people with a of young people feel
mental health problem are embarrassed about
not receiving treatment mental illness 18%
Patient
676 million
For every person affected
by mental illness Teachers
people are affected
by mental health
£5 is spent
on research – 22 times
Someone you feel
comfortable with
issues worldwide less than cancer and
Understanding
14 times less than on
dementia
Statistics from NHS.Don’t judge
the path I choose to
take if you haven’t
walked the journey
I had to makeExamples of mental health conditions
Depression Some signs: Eating disorders Drugs, alcohol and
mental health
• Depression is a long-lasting low • Racing thoughts • People who have an eating
mood disorder
• Difficulty concentrating disorder use food to try to • Some people use drugs
• Affects your ability to do everyday
things, feel pleasure or take • Uncontrollably overthinking
control and manage their
feelings and emotions
and alcohol to try and deal
with the symptoms of a mental
interest in activities • Sweating, shaking, • They have an unhealthy
health condition – it’s called
'self-medication'
• Different things can lead to
depression such as your
heavy breathing relationship with food – may be
eating too much or too little • Drugs and alcohol can make
PTSD (Post-traumatic the symptoms worse
upbringing, stressful and stress disorder) Common eating disorders:
traumatic events, your lifestyle • Some drugs may make it
• Ifsleep,
you feel low, getting enough • Can develop after experiencing
a traumatic event eg witnessing
• Anorexia: trying to keep
weight as low as possible,
more likely for you to develop
a mental health condition and
eating healthy food and
an assault being bullied, being thinking of being overweight they may make it harder to
keeping active can help
involved in an accident, abuse even if others say you are treat, for example, research
Some signs:
• Not everyone who experiences
trauma will develop PTSD
dangerously thin, fear of
gaining weight
has shown that cannabis can
increase your chances of
• Feeling low • Bulimia: developing schizophrenia
• Feeling bad about yourself • With help you can recover
from PTSD
unhealthy eating
cycle, eating a lot of food • Ask for professional help if
and then do something to your drug and alcohol use
• Not wanting to do things Some signs: stop weight gain for example impacts on your physical and
Anxiety making yourself sick, taking mental health
• Traumatic memories or laxatives or over exercise;
• Educate
• Everyone has feelings of anxiety,
worry and fear sometimes
dreams, flashbacks average body weight which
yourself about
alcohol and different types of
may mean other people do
• Avoiding things that remind you drugs and the risks to your
• These can be normal responses of the event not notice the problem
health so you can make more
to certain situations
• Feeling isolated and withdrawn • Binge eating: eating a lot informed decisions
• Ifofyou have anxiety these feelings
fear and danger can be • Feeling on constant alert
of food in a short period
of time on a regular basis,
feeling out of control of If you experience anything
ongoing and interrupt your unusual in your mood or your
daily routine long after the eating, distressing, may feel
disconnected and struggle to physical reactions, always
threat has gone
re Good remember what was eaten ask for support and seek
You a enough!
• They can make you feel like
things are worse than they
medical advice.
Please don’t self-diagnose –
actually are
it is ok to ask for help!
Information from rethink.org/advice-and-information/about-mental-illness/Young people want you to know that...
Most people
will say they
Social media are okay when
isn’t t he they are not
only cause
Not everyone’s
symptoms or
t riggers are
t he same
Prevent ion
is better
t han cure
Mental health
isn’t just
about anxiety
and depressionExamples of mental health symptoms
Feeling sad Mood swings
Low self-esteem
• Everyone will experience
sadness from time to time • Aesteem
person with low self- • Refer to changes in mood
has a low regard from high to low or low
in the ups and downs of to high which everyone
everyday life. However, a for themselves, which can
show itself in indecision, experiences to a certain Racing Thoughts
long period of sadness could degree Extreme mood
point to a mental health
condition, including (but
hypersensitivity to
criticism, and guilt. It swings can be characteristic • Rapid thought patterns
that frequently occur in
doesn’t make up a mental of a mental health condition
not limited to) depression manic, hypomanic or mixed
and anxiety health condition alone but
episodes which commonly
in combination with other
associated with the mania
symptoms it can point to
in bipolar disorder and
conditions including (but
schizoaffective disorder,
not limited to) anxiety,
Weight loss but are also often found
depression, bipolar disorder
in anxiety disorders
Difficulty sleeping and personality disorders
• Most people experience such as OCD
• Most people have difficulty
getting to sleep at some
change in their weight
throughout their lives.
point in their lives which can However, if you have had a
be caused by various factors serious weight loss or are
including anxiety, stress unhappy with your weight
and changes in life-style. Self-harm this may be a symptom of If you experience anything
In combination with other
symptoms, long-lasting • Harming yourself on
purpose such as by
an eating disorder unusual in your mood or your
physical reactions, always
insomnia can be one of ask for support and seek
scratching, cutting,
several symptoms pointing medical advice.
overdosing on medication,
to a serious illness biting or burning. It isn’t a Please don’t self-diagnose –
mental health condition but it is ok to ask for help!
it is often linked to mental
distress. Drinking a lot of
alcohol or taking drugs
may increase your risk of
self-harm. You are more
at risk of death if you
self-harm because of
accidental suicide
Information from rethink.org/advice-and-information/about-mental-illness/1 3
1 1 5
2 6 2 I have suffered with mental health issues
2 4
since I was around 12. I felt very depressed and
anxious and felt like a burden to those around me. I
5 3
4
4 3
started to self harm as a way of having a release and
control. As I got older my mental health got worse along
with the self harm. I had a lot of counselling and therapy
but didn’t feel it was working. When I was 16 I was
2 1
diagnosed with anxiety and depression. At 17 I was put
4 4 3
1
3
3
6
1 2 on antidepressants to help me cope with day to day life.
5
4 7
5 7 2 6
Before my 18th birthday I attempted to take my own
life. I was in a very dark place at the time and felt there
was no other way out. I was sent to A&E and put on a
1
drip. I had a psychological assessment and was sent
home the next morning.
3 1 1 5 2 4
4 3
2 1 3 5
1 2
4
6 2
3 6 I am now nearly 20. I’m receiving support through a
5
7 5 3
2 4
5
therapist and another mental health service. I still take
4
6 1 5 4 3
7
2 6
medication to help me and I still have my bad days.
9
8
But I’m getting there, and so can you.
Written by a young person, age 19In the survey we asked: why do you think it is important to talk
about mental health?
To get rid of
the stigma
So people attached to
don’t have
to suffer
mental health
in silence
Give different
perspect ives
If we don’t
talk about it,
it will never
get solvedUsually, I don’t speak out about this stuff. I
just keep it all to myself, and sometimes it bottles up
for a while. Sometimes I forget about it by the end of
Social anxiety, to me, has always the day. I guess the only way I can really describe how
been an odd experience. One my brain works is: Have you ever been thinking to
moment I could be as confident as ever. But other yourself in the middle of the night and remembered
times I could be embarrassed at a sentence I said an that embarrassing thing you did three years ago?
hour ago that didn’t really matter that much. It could That’s a snapshot of what I think about daily.
be something as simple as ‘Did I say hello in the I know it’s never going away. I’ve fully
right way to this person?’ or ‘Is this person understood that, but I’ve learnt that I need to stop
judging me because they looked at me?’ This doesn’t caring about that spelling mistake or that missing
just happen in real life conversations either, even when I comma. I need to move on, and if you are in
text someone on lnstagram, WhatsApp or just a simple the same situation as me; no one really takes notice
text message. That worry always looms over me of of what colour socks you wear, how you word your
‘Have I said the right thing?’ sentences or that bit of hair that sticks up once in a
while. Forget about the past, that’s already happened.
Look at the now, and where you’re headed.
Written by a young person, age 15how ptsd
feels
Illustrated by a young person, age 17The advice young people would give to an adult (ie parents,
teachers) on how to support young people’s mental health...
Don’t put too much
Don’t be pressure on young people
judgemental
Stop
comparing
age
Don’t assume
generat ions
t hey are seeking
attent ion or
being dramat ic
We will open
Young people up eventually
don’t show
Talk to t hem
mental illness as if t hey
at all times. were an adult,
not a child
It can happen
in episodesIt’s okay not to be okay.
I tell myself these words every day and yet I still struggle
to come to terms with this phrase and its meaning... is it 1 2
okay not to be okay? 6
3
2 2
1 4 1 3 1 1 4 4 3
4 3 1 3 1
5 4 3 6 2 2 3
Everyone is allowed to be happy and smile and laugh, 5
8
5
1 2 4 4
5 3 5 5
but why can’t we be sad or angry or emotional. We are 7 2 4 6
7
9
2
6 7
7
6
7
6
humans after all, we are all entitled to have and express 11
10
our emotions. There’s no need to explain yourself to
someone if you woke up feeling groggy and moody just as
you don’t have to explain yourself to someone when you’re 1 1 3 4 3
1 4
feeling good and happy. The same way that we embrace
6 2 3
5
1 2
our happiness we should also embrace our sadness and 5
4
3
2
6 7 2
hurt because all of these feeling and emotions make us
who we are as individuals and builds us up stronger.
1
3
So yes, it is okay not to be okay. It may be something that 2 1
you may not want to show or may not be proud of but you
1 2 1 4 6 4 5 2 5 3 4 1 1 2 4
4 3 4 3 1
3 6 2 3 5
6 5 5
should because it is what made you who you are today. 5
3 1 2 1 2 3
5 3
6 7 6 7 4 5
4 2 3 2 2 4 1 6
Written by a young person, age 17
7Self-care isn’t just about
a bath and a face mask
l Ps
yc
s ica h olo
y
Ph h Se
lf-r
gic
al
ug efl
e no Th ec
t p
Remember the time
Ge slee yo ink tio
n
ur ab
e’ qu pos out
e t ‘m e ali itiv
G im tie e
t s
you thought you
Professional
Emotional
Set boundaries Affirmations
could never survive?
Self-care
Learn to say no wheel Cry
You did and you can
Jus
t re h
Sp lax ris
en c he
wit d lf- on
do it again
Pla t
h f ime Se e cti
ns am efl ss
ho ily lf-r ne
ter rt an Se ve
m rgi
go d lon l f-fo
als g Se
Pe al
rso u
n al irit
Sp
Young people who completed the survey found these
resources helpful:
Ԏ Sport Ԏ Films Ԏ Stress toys Ԏ Video games
Ԏ Music Ԏ TV shows Ԏ Playing Ԏ Hanging out
Instruments with friends
Ԏ Dance Ԏ Hobbies
Ԏ Reading Ԏ Crying
Ԏ YouTube Ԏ Art
Ԏ Meditation
Ԏ Comfort food Ԏ SleepT he only
m n o
Our example of an A-Z of self care... way to have
a friend is
to be one usic ature pen up
a ffirmations b ubble bath c alming down
p
ace yourself q uiet time r elax
d rink water e xercise f eelings
s
ocialise t
reat yourself u se your senses
g oing outside h appiness i
magination
v enture w ell-being x
e hale
j oy k indness l ove yourself
y
oga z enm n o
Make your own A-Z of self care...
a b c
p q r
d e f
s t u
g h i
v w x
j k l
y z Mental
healt h begins
wit h meYou were given
this life because
you are s t rong
enough to live it
Written by a young person, age 19Every day may not be good but there is good in every day
Apps: Websites:
• Calm • Samaritans –
samaritans.org
• Headspace
• Sanvello • Young Minds –
youngminds.org.uk
• White Wall
• Mind –
• For Me – the Childline app mind.org.uk
• WYSA • Anna Freud Centre –
• Calm Harm annafreud.org/on-my-mind/
resources
• Mindshift
• Childline –
• WellMind childline.org.uk
• Elefriends • Rise Above –
• Meditation app riseabove.org.uk
• Daylio Journal • The Children’s Society –
childrenssociety.org.uk
• 3 Minute Mindfulness
• ClearFear • Rethink –
rethink.org
• Kooth –
kooth.comI know that life is hard right now,
for you, for me, for everyone.
We know the pain can weigh a ton,
the pain is shared we grow as one.
Day by day we’ll find our way,
in hope to reach a better place.
Written by a young person, age 15
There is hope even when your
brain tells you there isn’tThe Children’s Society and our supporters have been there for vulnerable children and young people for more than 130 years. We believe that every young person should have the support they need in order to enjoy a safe, happy childhood. That’s why we run services and campaigns that make children’s lives better and change the systems that are placing them in danger. Together with our supporters, we’re improving the lives of children today and long into the future. Charity Registration No. 221124 CYP099/0320 © The Children’s Society 2020.
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