Improving your Emotional Health
What is mental health?
Mental health is more than the absence of mental illness. There are many different definitions of mental health, including:
The Health Education Authority 1997 defines mental health as “the emotional and spiritual resilience which enables us to survive pain, disappointment and sadness. It is a fundamental belief in our own and others’ dignity and worth”
The World Health Organisation defines mental health as “a state of well-being 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”
- What is good mental health?
- What are mental health problems?
- Mental Health Promotion
- What can we do to help ourselves to good mental health?
- Local Service
- Useful Links
What is good mental health?
The Mental Health Foundation has defined a mentally healthy individual as one who can:
- develop emotionally, creatively, intellectually and spiritually
- initiate, develop and sustain mutually satisfying personal relationships
- face problems, resolve them and learn from them
- be confident and assertive
- be aware of others and empathise with them
- use and enjoy solitude
- play and have fun
- laugh, both at themselves and at the world
What are mental health problems?
The Mental Health Foundation identifies that mental health problems range from the worries and grief we all experience as part of everyday life, to the most bleak, suicidal depression or complete loss of touch with every day reality.
On average one in four of people will experience a mental health problem in the course of a year. These problems can cause real and lasting damage, both to the individual and to the community. Fortunately the majority of people who experience mental health problems can get over them or learn to live with them especially if they get help early on.
Unfortunately many people experiencing a mental health problem don't receive the right kind of help and some don't receive any help at all. In fact many people with mental health problems are shunned or discriminated against by their families, friends and the professionals who are supposed to be caring for them.
NHS Dorset's mental health promotion strategy aims to improve the mental health for all, working with individuals and communities and to reduce stigma and discrimination against people with mental health problems and promote their social inclusion.
Mental Health Promotion
We all have mental health needs therefore it is important to look after our mental health. We aim to do this through mental health promotion. This is any action that enhances the mental well-being of individuals, families, organisations and communities.
What can we do to help ourselves to good mental health?
The Mental Health Foundation advise the following:
- making time to do the things we enjoy
- taking moderate physical exercise
- cutting down on coffee, alcohol, nicotine and other addictive substances
- remembering and celebrating the things we like about ourselves
- keeping things in perspective
- developing and sustaining friendships
- listening to and respecting other people, even if we disagree with them
- asking for help if we feel distressed or upset
- listening to other people who say they feel distressed or upset
- taking as much care of ourselves as we do the people we care for
Local Services
Please take the following links to the information on local services provided within the NHS Dorset website:
Dorset Mental Health Services
NHS Dorset provide mental health services for west Dorset. The Trust is committed to improving mental health services for its local population and works in close partnership with social care and health departments. For services provided in east Dorset please go to Dorset Healthcare Trust website
Expert Patient Programme
The Expert Patients Programme (EPP) is an NHS-based training programme that provides opportunities to people who live with long-term chronic conditions to develop new skills to manage their condition better on a day-to-day basis.
Primary Care Mental Health Services
Primary care, that is our local GP Surgery, may be our first port of call when we need help. In fact, one in four of us will visit our GP with a mental health problem in the course of a year.
Let's Get Active
Regular physical activity can be an enjoyable way to improve your physical health, mental health and overall well-being. Although the benefits are well established, it can still be a struggle to fit physical activity into our daily lives.
Healthy Eating
We all know we should be eating more healthily, but how do we make sure that we do?
West Dorset Mental Health Carers Forum
The West Dorset Mental Health Forum was established to improve the lives of all adults affected by mental ilness by providing advocacy service, support and information and influencing policies.
29-29A Durngate Street, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1JP, Tel: 01305257172
Email: wdmhf@dial.pipex.com
Useful Links
Please to go to the Useful Links page within the mental health section of the NHS Dorset website.