Everyone has a story what's Yours? : Jim Hume, Convener of Scotland's National Rural Mental Health Forum

This week is mental health awareness week and the focus is on kindness, but for me every week is about raising awareness of mental health and thinking of acts of kindness that we can all do to improve mental health and wellbeing of those we care about.

My first exposure to people struggling with their mental health goes back to 2001 when another virus hit the community that I was part of.

Not a virus that was a danger to humans but the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak of 2001, which saw over 6 million animals destroyed across the UK.

A hard form of control to stem the spread of that virus and the damage to the animals was measurable, but what about the damage to those that cared for them and were involved in that crisis; the farmers, shepherds, farm workers, veterinary community and armed forces.

At that time, I was Vice-President of the Lothian and Borders National Farmers’ Union and farming South Country Cheviot sheep in the Scottish Borders’ hills.

My community was being hit hard with around one-third of that breed being destroyed, the hurt was unbearable for many. Farmers love their animals and have great pride in their stock-lines that go back centuries.

They needed help and support at a time when they were unable to move between farms and we did so by supporting them and helping as much as we could. In effect an informal helpline in a time of need, a little act of kindness.

That was 19 years ago and mental health was more of a taboo subject, we have now moved on from that with more people and organisations realising that mental health is something they can address.

After research in 2017, the National Rural Mental Health Forum was set up in Scotland, with the backing of Support in Mind Scotland and the Scottish Government. Scotland’s land mass is 95%+ defined as rural with 20% of its population living there. Initially a group of 16 organisations agreed to get together to explore ways of improving the mental health of their communities.

That 16 has now grown to over 160 member organisations from all walks of life. Some experienced in mental health and others not. Those that don’t have experience often are trusted in their communities and adopt best practice from others.

The outreach of the Forum is now to around 500,000 people in rural Scotland, which is half of Scotland’s rural population. Those Forum membership organisations are all doing their bit to tackle mental health as their act of kindness. I hope to see a future where there is no stigma and we can all openly talk about our mental health, good or bad, and that everyone makes it their business to tackle mental health.

Jim Hume , Convener of Scotland’s National Rural Mental Health Forum.

www.ruralwellbeing.org

Everyone has a story what's yours? : Chris Logan, Land Director, Persimmon Homes Scotland

My
Mental Health Story – 

I’ve been through some difficult times, none more so than losing my sister in a car accident. I was still at university at the time and found it difficult to talk about. I thought at the time that not talking about it and trying to just power through everything would help me; it didn’t. 8-10 months afterwards it hit me hard, I chose to attend counselling sessions.

It really helped me to process everything. Speaking initially to someone who didn’t know me helped me to open up about it to my family. Talking can be hard but not talking can be destructive. 

Over 10 years on, I have my own family, my wife Lauren and the kids, Lily (4) and Daisy (1). Lockdown has been a strange time to say the least, its great getting to spend more time with my family and not to have to do the usual 2 hours in the car every day for my back and forth commute.

It’s also been hard; balancing the kids, who demand your time because you are “at home” whilst still working remotely throughout lockdown isn’t easy.  We’ll never get this time back and my advice is to try and make the most of it. 

The positive aspect of remote working is that your working day can be far more flexible to work around the day-to-day.  We’ve also been taking advantage of getting out a walk with the kids and exploring the woods around our home for the first time since we moved in 6 years ago; something we’d probably never have done without lockdown.

Coming back to the issue of Mental Health, I have a few things that I’d say are key for me in maintaining positive mental health:

1)    Talk
Whether to someone you don’t know, a friend or relative – what’s the worst that can happen?

2)     Vent
Find an activity that allows you to vent or free your mind e.g. sport, walking, watching movies or box sets, shopping.

3)    Write –

Try writing a letter to yourself with advice about whatever situation you find yourself in. What would you tell someone else?

4)     
Sleep –

Try to get a decent sleeping pattern (unless you’ve got kids who get up through the night – good luck with that).

Everyone has a story what's yours?: Dylan Jones, Editor of GQ

Like many people I know, I have been seeing a therapist on and off for years, but have never seen the need to shout about it or indeed discuss it with anyone. The older you get, though, the past starts to catch up with you. Mine had probably never left me.

I spent most of my childhood being hit by my father - when he wasn't hitting my mother, that is. I was beaten relentlessly and repeatedly (daily, in fact), punched so hard that for years it was difficult for me to speak without stammering, finding it impossible to repeat my own name. (One therapist told me that if this had happened today, my father would have been in jail.)

For most of my life, all I could remember about the violence came in abstract, fuzzy images and I think I managed to pretty much blank most of it out. When I became a teenager I began treating it almost as badge of honour, like having a criminal for a father, advertising what a tough time I'd had, an excuse for delinquent behaviour and appalling results at school. And then I just buried it, for years, just put it into another box, one I rarely ever looked at.

When I started going to therapy I was told immediately that any problems I might be having in the real world were the result of my maltreatment when I was younger. At first I stupidly refused to believe it, minimising what had happened to me as a child and feeling guilty for even considering it. But then, of course, guilt is one of the many manifestations of an abused childhood, along with shame, fear and sociopathy. Oh, and denial, of course.

In the last ten years or so I have started to really acknowledge my past, and to draw the very real lines between abuse and temperament, between violence and fear, between hurt and anxiety, And I feel much better for it. Today I have no qualms about contextualising my present because of things that happened in my past. And while I wouldn’t say I’m any happier, at least I understand why I feel like I do.  Which is a huge consolation.

Dylan Jones is the editor of GQ magazine, journalist and author.

Everyone has a story what's yours? : Alastair Campbell

So my story, when it comes to mental health, is this … psychosis (once), addiction (a few things along the way, some better for me than others) and depression (comes and goes.) Then there was my big brother Donald, diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was a young soldier in the Scots Guards. My Mum once said: ’That phone call telling us he was ill changed my life, and it never changed back again.’

Donald was the main reason I became involved in mental health campaigning when I worked in Downing Street. The thing was that my Mum didn’t want me to talk about him publicly. It wasn’t that she was ashamed - far from it. She hated having one son in the media spotlight, and worried that giving Donald a public profile around his mental illness would merely add to his problems.

So I talked, as I still do, about my own issues, as part of the campaign to destigmatise, and also to fight for better understanding and better services. When my Mum died, Donald and I talked about making a film about his life living with schizophrenia. But then he died too, aged 62. Our Dad, also Donald, was 82 when he died. This is significant. Because people with schizophrenia live on average 20 years less than those who don’t. Can you imagine any other illness where it would just be accepted that the medication for an illness - diabetes or asthma, say - would take two decades off your lifespan?

No. Nor can I. So that is why the fight goes on.

Alastair Campbell was director of communications to Tony Blair from 1997 to 2003.

Everyone has a story what’s yours? : Lorraine Kelly

“Just like everyone else trying to make sense of this strange new world we are living in; I have good days and bad days.

On the plus side I’m still able to go into work and do my breakfast TV show from Monday to Friday which gives me structure and a routine, but it does mean being constantly steeped in all of the latest news and developments, and that can often be overwhelming.

My workplace is also very different these days, usually the studios are full of purposeful bustling, but now it is just me and a producer and a couple of crew members all observing strict social distancing.

Dr Hilary sits two metres away from me in the studio, and I interview my guests on the show in their homes via Skype or FaceTime. 

Hearing about the daily numbers of dead from Covid 19 is heart-breaking and makes all of us deeply sad and also upset and anxious.

I am worried about my mum and dad who live just outside of Glasgow and who I obviously haven’t seen in person since the beginning of March. My 79-year-old dad John is extremely high risk as he is still recovering from a severe lung infection and dealing with heart problems and diabetes.

My mum Anne is as fit as a fiddle and coping incredibly well, but when I call them every day, I  worry they are both putting a brave face on things so as to protect me, and  I won’t  be properly reassured until I see them face to face.

I know I am not alone in finding it difficult to get to sleep and then wakening up in the wee small hours and lying awake fretting. I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like to have serious mental health problems, as I find my anxiety can be crippling at times.

What has helped me through is focusing on the positives. We are lucky to have a small garden and we can take our little dog Angus out for a walk. To be honest he has been a lifeline and a real stress buster. 

I have also been doing my exercise classes online and that has been invaluable in keeping me physically fit after all the Lockdown comfort eating.  Even more importantly it is good for my mental health. It’s not the same as seeing all my pals in class but at least I feel part of the gang for that one hour and I’ve been talking a lot more to friends and family and reconnecting with people, which has been a real comfort.

It is always important to share concerns and worries, but even more so now. We must not bottle up our anxieties and never feel that we can’t ask for help.

I have seen a real improvement in our attitude towards mental health over the past decade, but we have a long way to go. Sadly, too many people still have the “pull yourself together” attitude, which is not just unhelpful, but downright dangerous and even life threatening.  

Anyone can be hit by mental health problems.  It’s not a sign of weakness, in fact it takes real strength to get up in the morning and face the day, but even more so now as we try and adjust to the “new normal”. We will get through this together, but some of us might just need a bit of extra help.”

Lorraine Kelly is a journalist and presenter of the Lorraine Kelly TV show.

The Labour Party: The saga continues

2019 will go down in the history books as the year when the Labour Party was inundated with accusations of antisemitism, more plots than Jeremy Corbyn’s allotment yard and a weak electoral offer that resulted in the
worst humiliating and crushing defeat for the Labour Party since 1935.

The party that once promised “a new kind of politics ” went full throttle with the party’s spin machine and
to the surprise of the few and not the many declared that whilst Labour had not won the election, they had in actual fact won the argument. John McDonnell, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, seemed genuinely surprised at the result and attempted to take ownership, but the reality is that the buck stops with the leader and Jeremy Corbyn must accept responsibility for the party’s catastrophic failure.

So, what now for the Labour Party? Now that Christmas and the new year festivities are out of the way the focus will be on the forthcoming leadership election with the timetable still to be announced by the party’s National Executive Committee. Laura Pidcock who until December 13th represented North West Durham was always seen as the heir apparent to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party but that has all changed since she lost her seat, and subsequently Rebecca Long Bailey has emerged as the firm favourite from the left wing faction of the party who is seen to continue project Corbyn.

Unlike 2015, Corbynism can no longer offer hope having lost two elections in the space of two years and with the emergence of Ian Lavery announcing that he will go for the top job it’s either a smokescreen to position Rebecca Long Bailey as the sensible left candidate or there is a split within the left wing.

Irrespective, the Labour Party cannot afford to have another repeat of the 2019 election, and most importantly neither can the country. To date, only Clive Lewis and Emily Thornberry have announced that they will stand for the position of leader of the Labour Party with Yvette Cooper, Jess phillips, Lisa Nandy and Dan Jarvis likely to announce in the coming weeks.