The news of a third Lockdown in the UK may be the path out of this Pandemic, but it does mean that the Mental Health crisis in the UK is only set to continue.
Now, when I say ‘Mental Health Crisis,’ I don’t just mean those with diagnosed conditions, I mean anyone whose mental state is not where it should be, such as loneliness, which has risen 63% among young people over the last 12 months. For many, this will most likely have manifested itself as Anxiety in some form or another, a condition which 5% of the UK population has been diagnosed with. Given the low levels of reporting mental health problems, and the lack of accessible treatment, it is likely that this number is far, far higher. It is also estimated that 1.1% have been diagnosed with OCD.
Both Anxiety and OCD invade peoples’ lives unnoticed, slowly becoming stronger until negative behaviours can become entrenched. For me, I have been affected with Anxiety since childhood, and, like many, I didn’t get help for my symptoms as they were just passed off as difficult behaviour. I have some OCD mixed in just for the fun of it, and it can be difficult to differentiate between the two. At Primary School, I would worry about being away from home for the whole day, a mindset that meant I felt scared and upset throughout. Other behaviours were easier to pinpoint, like the time I watched a murder mystery with my Dad, and I believed thereafter that the suspect was hiding in my cupboards. I would go through a ritual every evening that would assure me that my family would stay alive throughout the night.
Now, this story may seem familiar to parents of little children, but for me it was the fact that it was the ritual that ensured we all lived, and not the assurance that someone wasn’t in my closet. Everything I did was calculated at ‘3x3+3’ (and yes, I know that is 3x4), meaning that everything had to be done 12 times, be that opening and closing a door, or even smelling the inside of a book! Sounds pretty crazy, I know, but hey, my family are still alive so who’s the real winner here?
These behaviours creep in unconsciously, and, with 50% of mental health issues beginning before the age of 14, are often deep-seated until anyone realises that there is a problem. As I mentioned in my last post, even the most mundane of social situations can be nerve-wracking. These worries are often laughed off by others who say such thoughts are ridiculous, and that I can’t go about my daily life walking on eggshells, and they’re right, I can’t! That is why I am in the process of seeking help to learn the coping mechanisms that will enable me to get through life.
Loneliness amongst young people has increased 63% over the last 12 months as a result of the Pandemic. The turbulence that was 2020 threw many of our lives off track, with the ‘fear of the unknown’ leading to anxiety arising in even the most stable of minds. In young people, sleep issues have increased by 161%, self-harm by 27%, and anxiety by 133%. Loss of structure was a key reason for worsening mental health for 75% of respondents to this NHS survey. This shows clearly the importance of familiarity, and that it is not just the ‘mentally ill’ who crave some sort of normality. It does not take trauma or other ‘big’ life events to cause issues, and the sooner we accept that, the better.
I don’t believe anxiety can be eradicated; it is part of normal human thinking and is built into us by evolution to warn us of potential impending danger. Similarly, OCD is another behaviour that we cannot rid ourselves of completely. Both behaviours have their benefits, but it is important that we keep them at a healthy level, be that with coping strategies, therapy, or medication.
My message to everyone is that it is totally normal to be slightly ‘abnormal,’ but we must always be sure to check ourselves to ensure that we are not taking on any negative traits. It is vital that we, at all times, but especially now, remain aware of our own mental state, but are also mindful of the difficulties that our friends and family are going through. Checking in, properly, is the socialising we all desperately need right now.
We might be stuck at home, but at least we are going through it together.
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