Nottinghamshire Healthcare starts the year continuing with the successful campaign ‘Check it Out – Healthy Body, Healthy Mind’ in partnership with the Nottingham Panthers.
The campaign aims to break down the stigma surrounding mental health and promote physical health and well being, the next theme focussing on depression.
Depression can affect us in different ways - Have you got the January blues and can’t figure out why? You are not alone, many people suffer with seasonal depression at this time of the year – it’s cold outside, the hype of Christmas and New Year is over and many of us are feeling the pinch after the festive period.
If you haven’t been feeling yourself for a prolonged period of time however, it may be something more serious. Anyone can suffer from poor mental health and 1 in 10 of us will be affected by depression at some point in our lifetime from childhood to old age.
Depression is a serious and important illness. It has a lot of different symptoms;
· Persistent low mood
· Fatigue
· Lack of enjoyment
· Poor appetite
· Lack of sleep
· Feelings of anxiety
· Irritability
· Ideas to self harm
Depression can often affect athletes and emotional wellbeing is extremely important in their performance. David Clarke, one of the Panthers players commented: “It’s not just your body that needs to be healthy, it’s how you feel mentally that has a huge effect on your game and having supportive team mates around you makes all the difference to your mood.”
‘Check it out – Healthy Body, Healthy Mind’ is running until the end of the ice hockey season and so far mental and physical health care messages have been promoted to thousands of Panthers supporters at a number of games.
The theme at the next game on 28 January will focus on depression and professionals from the Trust will be on hand to talk to the public about this important illness.
As with any other illness there are successful treatments for depression such as talking therapies and medications such as antidepressants. These approaches are often combined.
Here are a few tips if you or a friend or family member is struggling:
· Get help early from your GP
· Eat regularly and healthily
· Try not to isolate yourself, see your friends and family
· Avoid alcohol or illicit drugs
· Try to exercise regularly
If you feel you need to speak to someone, you can get help from your GP. More information can be accessed on the Trust website: www.nottinghamshirehealthcare.nhs.uk.
