Mental Health Ireland's Podcast Series

There's so many different ways to ask Hello, How Are You? But what if we really asked, and really listened? On March 30th, we at Mental Health Ireland are inviting the nation to ask ‘How Are You?' with meaning to celebrate the power of connection and encourage open conversations around mental health. National Lead for the Hello campaign Jo Donohoe sat down with PJ Gallagher - a man known for being a great talker – on stage, on screen and on our airwaves. Jo asked PJ about the meaningful conversations he's been part of, what real connection looks like to him and how it's made a difference in his life.

To celebrate National Walking Day on Sunday, 25th September, Mental Health Ireland has partnered with Dermot Whelan to produce a guided walking meditation. The broadcast star, meditation teacher and bestselling author of Mind Full will talk you through a mindful walk as a way to focus on both your mental and physical health. This can be completed while walking or as a visualisation exercise. Visit https://www.getirelandwalking.ie/ for more information on National Walking Day. Visit https://www.dermotwhelan.com/ for more meditation with Dermot Whelan. 

Support available for those suffering from an Eating Disorder and those caring for a loved one with an Eating Disorder. Contact Your G.P. You can contact CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services) Monaghan 047 95444 / 04795455 Cavan 049 – 4378920 AMHS (Adult Mental Health Services) Monaghan  047 95300 Cavan   049 4353145 For Adults (over 18s.) Bodywhys : Online Support Group- Bodywhys Connect (>19 years)                    :Email support address - alex@bodywhys.ie Bodywhys website - www.bodywhys.ie Bodywhys Helpline - 01 2107906 Information on how to recognize an eating disorder, how to speak to your loved one about your concerns and where to seek help. Contact G.P. / Adult Mental Health Services 04795300 Recommended Reading: For parents and carers of those under 18 Eva Musby “ Anorexia and other eating disorders - how to help your child eat well and be well” James Lock &  Daniel Le Grange “ Help Your Teenager Beat an Eating Disorder” Eva Musby - You tube videos and Podcasts. These are very helpful as the YouTube videos are short and deliver very valuable information. Bodywhys : Online Support Group: YouthConnect 13-18 years                    :PiLaR support group for parents/ carers of young people with eating disorders. There is also a website for National Eating Disorders Association which you can find on  www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

Individuals can self-refer to CAMDAS or they can be referred by a support agency. To make a referral please call 049 4379160 or email info.cavan.monaghan@mqi.ie Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:30 pm. https://mqi.ie/ Family Addiction Support Network is another source of support for families living with addiction.  042 9355251 / 087 9046405  or email info.fasn@gmail.com You can visit their website for more information www.fasn.ie If you would like to avail of support or information on services for yourself or someone you know, you can visit the HSE website www.yourmentalhealth.ie for general information as well as how and where to get support. You should always contact your GP, Doctor or other health professional you might be in contact with if you have concerns about your mental health & wellbeing. In the event of an emergency call 999 Emergency Services if you or someone you know is at risk of harming themselves. For further resources and information on recovery and promoting mental health & wellbeing please visit www.mentalhealthireland.ie/resources where there are wide variety of downloadable resources, webinar recordings, videos and links that are informative and supportive, including family recovery, farming and mental health, Mindfulness Practices, Recovery Colleges and more.

The CHIME model that Johanna mentioned in relation to the art course is a model that supports all recovery principles. CHIME stands for Connectedness Hope Identity Meaning and Empowerment. By having a balance of these five key pillars in our lives we can support our recovery and maintain our wellbeing on a daily basis. Lorraine also spoke about WRAP which stands for Wellness Recovery Action Plan and is a course you can do. Episode 2 of the Stories of Recovery series is dedicated to WRAP so if you're interested, do have a listen to that. If you would like to find out more about the Innovation Recovery College, please email innovation.recoverysouth@hse.ie or phone 0874098630 to enrol on a course. The college publish their prospectus for each term on their social media platforms which you can find by searching Innovation Recovery. You can also access self directed learning modules on mental health recovery by registering on www.mymentalhealthrecovery.com   All the modules and courses are free of charge and available to everyone over 16 years interested in learning more about their mental health & wellbeing.   If you would like to avail of support or information on services for yourself or someone you know, you can visit the HSE website www.yourmentalhealth.ie for general information as well as how and where to get support. You should always contact your GP, Doctor or other health professional you might be in contact with if you have concerns about you mental health & wellbeing. In the event of an emergency call 999 Emergency Services if you or someone you know is at risk of harming themselves. For further resources and information on recovery and promoting mental health & wellbeing please visit www.mentalhealthireland.ie/resources where there are wide variety of downloadable resources, webinar recordings, videos and links that are informative and supportive, including family recovery, farming and mental health, Recovery Colleges and more.

Family Wellbeing is the topic of the fourth episode of Stories of Recovery Podcast, a collaboration between Mental Health Ireland and HSE Cavan Monaghan Mental Health Service as part of the Connecting for Life Cavan Monaghan Strategy to reduce suicide in our communities. In this episode, Miffy Hoad, Development Officer with Mental Health Ireland for the Cavan Monaghan area talks with Dympna Finnegan and Ann Crowe. Dympna is a mother to two young men and among other things a WRAP facilitator. She is talking about supporting her son through very difficult times when he was experiencing a lot of mental distress and episodes of psychosis. She shares some of the challenges she faced as a mother in this situation and what has been helpful in her own journey of recovery. Ann Crowe is a community development and family support worker with Focus Family resource centre in West Cavan. She talks about the sorts of challenges faced by families due to the pandemic and also how family resource centres help and what supports families can avail of there.   Please see information below for contacting your local Family Resource Centre : Family Resource Centres in Cavan & Monaghan: Focus FRC Killeshandra - 049 4364065 Teach Oscail FRC Cavan Town - 049 4372730 Clones FRC Clones - 047 52919 Teach Na Daoine FRC Monaghan Town - 047 71398 To find an FRC near you visit www.familyresource.ie for more information For further information on supporting your mental health & wellbeing visit: HSE www.yourmentalhealth.ie  For more information and resources on family wellbieng visit Mental Health Ireland Family Recovery https://www.mentalhealthireland.ie/wearefamily/family-recovery-information/

Men's Health and Wellbeing is the topic of the third podcast in the Stories of Recovery Podcast Series, a collaboration between Mental Health Ireland and HSE Cavan Monaghan Mental Health Service as part of the Connecting for Life Cavan Monaghan Strategy to reduce suicide in our communities. In this episode, Miffy Hoad, Development Officer with Mental Health Ireland for the Cavan Monaghan area, is talking to Martin McGuire and Peter Cavanagh. Martin talks about his journey with a cancer diagnosis and the support available through Crocus Men's Den Cancer Support. He also talks about the benefits men can get from mutual support.  Peter is the regional rep for the Men's Sheds and speaks about the benefits for men who may be experiencing isolation or just would like a social outlet. He also talks about where the Men's Shed idea came from and how to get involved.

Stories of Recovery Podcast Series is a collaboration between Mental Health Ireland and HSE Cavan Monaghan Mental Health Service as part of the Connecting for Life Cavan Monaghan Strategy to reduce suicide in our communities. The podcast series will hear from local people who have lived through adversities that challenged their mental health and wellbeing and how they now flourish and continue to stay well.  In conversation in Episode Two with Miffy Hoad, Development Officer with Mental Health Ireland are Dermot Foley and Helen McCrarren.  Dermot is a Sports Physiotherapist, working with several football teams as well as having a private Physiotherapy practice. Dermot talks about his recovery from long term anxiety and depression and how WRAP – Wellness Recovery Action Plan, has been a staple for him in getting well and staying well. Helen is a Social Worker with HSE Cavan Monaghan Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service and is also a WRAP (wellness recovery action planning) facilitator. 

‘Stories of Recovery', is a collaboration between Mental Health Ireland and the HSE Cavan Monaghan Mental Health Services as part of the Connecting for Life Cavan Monaghan strategy to reduce suicide in our communities.  The podcast series will hear from local people who have lived through adversities that challenged their mental health and wellbeing and how they now flourish and continue to stay well.  The first episode features Eoin Kelly whose brother sadly died by suicide and Emer Mulligan, Resource Officer for Suicide Prevention with HSE Cavan & Monaghan in conversation with Miffy Hoad from Mental Health Ireland. 

In this episode, we talk to Dr Tony Bates and Senator Lynn Ruane about what we learnt about ourselves and each other in 2020 and how we can best move forward into a new year. 

In this episode, we talk to academic psychologist Dr Sharon Lambert and radio presenter and author Nikki Hayes about resilience - what impacts our resilience and what can help us build and protect it during tough times and beyond. If you have been affected by the contents of this podcast episode, please contact the Samaritans on Freephone 116 123 or visit www.mentalhealthireland.ie for information and resources to help mind your mental health.

In our sixth episode, we’re talking mental health and recovery with Martha Clark, a Peer Support Worker with the HSE and Brendan Kelly, a Professor of Psychology at Trinity and a consultant psychiatrist at Tallaght Hospital. We explore what the word recovery means to our guests, what can we do if we or someone we know is struggling with their mental health, and look at what we can all do to stay mentally well.   

We talk to athlete Brendan Doyle and performance coach Alan Heary about the relationship between our physical and our mental health. We find out how to train our minds to overcome self-doubt and learn about how an active lifestyle can boost our mood as well as our health.   

In this episode, we talk to Registered Dietitian Orla Walsh to discuss the link between nutrition and our mood. We explore comfort eating, the importance of nutrition during pregnancy, and try to debunk some of the myths around diet and healthy eating.  If you have been affected by the contents of this podcast episode, please contact the Samaritans on Freephone 116 123, or see a list of further supports at YourMentalHealth.ie - https://www2.hse.ie/mental-health/

How are we all sleeping? In this episode, consultant psychiatrist and sleep expert Dr Matthew Sadlier answers this question and more, and shares his top tips for good sleep health. We talk about how much shuteye we actually need, and whether sleep tracking apps are a help or a hindrance at bedtime. 

In this episode, we’re joined by child and adolescent psychotherapist Dr Colman Noctor to talk about the effects of modern technology on a child’s development, family life, and our mental health. We look at whether technology is making our kids more anxious, tackling phone addiction, and how parents can manage technology use in the home. If you have been affected by the contents of this podcast episode, please contact the Samaritans on Freephone 116 123, or see the list of youth mental health support services here:  https://www2.hse.ie/wellbeing/mental-health/supports-for-young-people.html

In this episode, we talk to comedienne Alison Spittle and CEO of Alone Sean Moynihan about loneliness, and explore the question, are we lonelier than ever in Ireland? We look at the causes of loneliness, its impact on our mental health and wellbeing, and talk to our guests about how we can stay more connected in today’s world. If you have been affected by the contents of this podcast episode, please contact the Samaritans on Freephone 116 123, or ALONE on 0818 222 024.