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BABCP member Saiqa Naz has been taking over footballer Neville Southall’s Twitter account every Wednesday from 9pm-10.30pm to share knowledge about mental health and cognitive behavioural therapy.
#AskSaiqa has been focussing on men’s mental health in the last few weeks, engaging with a wide audience to discuss what gets in the way of men receiving help for mental health problems. Issues raised include a lack of recognition of mood problems in this group, a lack of knowledge of where to seek help, and particular pressures relating to economic difficulties in the climate of austerity.
Men’s mental health has long been acknowledged as an area which needs more support. Male suicide is the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK, and men are less likely to access talking therapies. As recently highlighted by comedian Robert Webb and writer Matt Haig, amongst others, men are often encouraged to keep silent about their problems, which can exasperate worries and low mood.
BABCP support service initiatives to reach out and help men access talking therapies. BABCP President Paul Salkovskis said: “I think it’s wonderful that Saiqa and Neville are collaborating in seeking to help men not only to become open to discussing mental health issues but also to develop an awareness of help seeking options. Knowing when to seek help is a key factor in men’s health”.
If you’re affected by these issues helpful resources include:
Campaign Against Living Miserably https://www.thecalmzone.net/ 0800 58 58 58
Samaritans https://www.samaritans.org/ 116 123
To access talking therapies see your GP or search for your local Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service: Local IAPT Service
More on cognitive behavioural therapy can be found here in the form of people’s personal stories: Personal Accounts
Or the BABCP podcast ‘Let’s Talk About CBT’, which covers CBT for lots of different problems, from people who have experienced the therapy as well as therapists offering it. http://letstalkaboutcbt.libsyn.com
Accredited CBT therapists can be found here: www.cbtregisteruk.com/