MENTAL HEALTH is more than just a small part of our lives – it’s connected to everything we do, every place we go and everyone around us. Knowing how to respond to someone who is struggling with their mental health, or being open with others about our own emotions, is something lots of us still find difficult, however.

This Mental Health Awareness Week (May 12-16), Mind Cymru is sharing its top tips to help anyone who might be concerned about someone they know, or about their own mental health, find ways to get a conversation around it going.

Talking to others

There isn’t one set way to talk to other people about their mental health. But, here are some ideas to help:

• Ask open and non-leading questions, which can give people space to express their feelings and help you understand their experiences better too.
• Think about the time and the place. This can make talking easier, for example, if it’s while you’re doing something else like walking or cooking – but don’t let this put you off if it comes up naturally in conversation either.
• Remember you’re not there to fix things and that managing a mental health problem can be a long journey – talking itself can be helpful so, unless they’ve asked for advice directly, it’s sometimes best to just listen.
• Be patient and accept that, no matter how hard you try, someone might not be ready to talk about what they’re feeling, It could make it easier for them to be open with you when they do feel ready.

Opening up to others

It’s common to feel worried or nervous about how being honest about our own mental health might affect our relationships with others. When you do feel ready, here are some ways to help you to start:

Find a method of communication that’s right for you – talking on the phone or writing a letter might feel easier than speaking to someone face-to-face, for example.
Find the right time and place to open up. It’s not always possible to find a ‘good’ time to talk, but it could help to think where and when you’d feel most comfortable.
Practise what you want to say. Phrases such as ‘I’ve not been myself lately’ or ‘I’m finding it hard to cope at the moment’ might provide a good starting point.
Find relevant information and examples, like a description in a book or the storyline of a film. This could help explain your feelings and to let others know how they can help you – whether that’s through emotional support or with any practical help you might need.
Remember it’s ok to come back to a conversation. You may both need time to think about things, and they may struggle to know how to react at first.

Sue O’ Leary, Director at Mind Cymru, says: “Mental health isn’t just about how we deal with our emotions, it’s a part of our everyday life and can affect our physical health, our finances and our relationships too.

“That’s why Mind’s own services, information and campaigns here at Mind explore all aspects of a person’s life, it’s why we have different helplines to meet people’s different needs, and it’s why our 16 local Minds in Wales design their services to meet the specific needs of the communities they serve.

“We also know, however, that the level of stigma around mental health is higher than we’ve ever seen it here in Wales, and that too many people still find it hard to talk about how they are feeling.

“So, we just wanted to remind people in Wales during Mental Health Awareness Week of the need to work collectively in spreading awareness and encouraging each other to be honest and open about our feelings so that, together, we can make sure no mind is left behind.”

If you are finding it hard to talk to someone about their feelings, or to open up to others about your own mental health, you can also seek support for your mental health in a number of ways by:

Counsellors deal with nearly 3,000 cases as NSPCC highlights growing concern during Mental Health Awareness Week

NEARLY 3,000 children and young people across the UK have sought help from Childline over the past year due to problems managing anger – with Welsh children among those reaching out.

The NSPCC has revealed that the service delivered 2,895 counselling sessions on anger, marking a 6% rise on the previous year and pushing the issue into the top ten mental health concerns for children of all genders.

The rise reflects increasing pressure on young people at school, at home, online and in their communities — including in Pembrokeshire — as they struggle to manage intense emotions.

A 14-year-old girl from Wales told Childline: “When I get really mad, I throw things, break things, shout, swear. I scare myself honestly, but it’s hard to find things that work to calm me down. Childline helps, but only when I haven’t broken my phone in anger.”

Another young caller from Wales said: “My friend massively embarrassed me in front of this girl I like. I’m so angry, all I want to do is hit him, even though I know that’s not the best way to deal with it.”

The charity says more children are also becoming self-critical and feel that shouting is the only way they will be listened to.

Shaun Friel, Director of Childline, said: “We are seeing firsthand how pressures in young people’s lives are making it harder for them to manage their feelings. This Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re urging children to seek help early and reminding them that our counsellors are here to support them.”

In response to the growing problem, Childline has teamed up with Place2Be, a children’s mental health charity, to provide advice for both young people and parents on dealing with anger in a healthy way.

Children are encouraged to talk to someone they trust, express themselves through creativity or sport, and build their own ‘feel-good’ toolkit for when things feel overwhelming.

Dr Rebecca Kirkbride, Clinical Director at Place2Be, said: “We need to give children the tools and space to process emotions safely. Anger is often a sign of deeper distress – not bad behaviour.”

Children can contact Childline at 0800 1111 or visit childline.org.uk. Adults concerned about a child’s wellbeing can call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000.

Retired doctor calls for emergency response to ‘failing’ NHS

A FORMER Director of Withybush Hospital has launched a scathing attack on the Welsh Government after his ninety-year-old mother-in-law was left waiting seventeen hours for an ambulance.

Dr Iain Robertson-Steele, who lives in Solva, told BBC Radio Wales’s Breakfast programme this week that he had “never seen the Welsh NHS in such a poor state.” He also criticised First Minister Eluned Morgan and the wider handling of health and social care by ministers in Cardiff Bay.

Dr Robertson-Steele explained that after his mother-in-law suffered a fall, 999 was called – but the ambulance did not arrive until 2:00am.

“She was found on the floor,” he said. “An ambulance arrived seventeen hours later at 2:00 in the morning, and, at 2:30am, she was taken to Withybush Hospital.”

Baroness Morgan admitted the delay was “unacceptable” and said the government was working to improve the system and address “blockages” in the care pathway.

But Dr Robertson-Steele said the situation required far more than promises.

“As a retired doctor, I’ve become increasingly aware of growing ambulance response delays — we’re talking about heart attacks, broken necks, and femurs,” he said. “It’s completely unacceptable for critically injured or ill patients to remain at home for such long periods. They become cold, hypoglycaemic, and develop skin damage. All of these increase the risk of poor outcomes.”

He was clear that frontline staff are not to blame.

“This isn’t the fault of nurses, paramedics, doctors or hospital staff. It’s a system that’s inadequate, badly organised and clogged up. The Welsh Government has been in power for twenty-five years. Eluned Morgan can’t just say she’s ‘working on it’.”

Dr Robertson-Steele called for immediate action: “The government has failed to deliver, failed to organise, and the NHS is frankly on the point of failure. That is bad for patients, bad for staff, and bad for the country.

“That is why I’m calling on the government to organise an emergency response to address the current crisis. And let’s be clear — it is a crisis.”

In response to Baroness Morgan’s claim that delays in operations were due to her not being “in every theatre,” he said: “Delays in theatre are often because there are no beds for patients or there’s a lack of staff. So it’s a bad example for her to give.

“The real problem is delayed discharges. Patients are stuck in hospital waiting for social care packages to go home. Bed numbers have dropped over the years. The population has aged. The demands of the elderly are much higher than those of younger people.”

He warned that superficial fixes would not solve the crisis.

“We’ve had the Bevan Commission. We’ve had report after report. We all know the answer is solving social care and elderly care.

“As the Senedd election nears, politicians will roll out magical solutions. But none of it will work unless we deliver, pay and organise staff properly — and most importantly, train enough doctors and nurses.”

Turning to workforce issues, he added: “We’ve seen the cut in nursing places at Cardiff University. We train doctors in Wales but don’t retain them. We don’t train enough, and we don’t pay them well enough to keep them here. Many leave for Australia or New Zealand.”

Dr Robertson-Steele concluded: “It’s naive of the government — and very naive of Eluned Morgan, the former Health Minister — to suggest this is just about poor organisation or management. The crisis is systemic, and the responsibility lies squarely with those in power.”