It Is Time To Talk

The NHS is calling on residents of Bedfordshire, Luton, and Milton Keynes (BLMK) to join the nation’s biggest mental health conversation on Time to Talk Day (February 6)

Time To Talk Day is an annual event.  Talking about mental health isn’t always easy, but a conversation has the power to change lives.

Taking part doesn’t need to be a big event, it could be a text to a friend, putting up a poster in your community, school or college or checking in on a neighbour. There is a range of resources which are available for anyone to download to help start a conversation.

Mind, the national mental health charity, recommends that asking questions can give both people in a conversation the space to express how they’re feeling and what they’re going through, and it can help you to understand one another’s experiences better.  Sometimes it’s easier to talk side by side rather than face to face, and it’s often easier to chat while doing something else.  You could start a conversation when you’re walking, cooking or stuck in traffic. But don’t let the search for the perfect place put you off!

NHS Talking Therapies provides support and treatment for common mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, panic attacks, flashbacks or nightmares about upsetting events from your past, stress, obsessive thoughts, fear of social situations, and being afraid of things (such as spiders, flying or heights).

You do not need to have a diagnosed mental health problem to refer yourself to an NHS Talking Therapies service. Getting support as soon as you start having difficulties can help to reduce their impact.

“Talking therapies are one of many ways that can help with the treatment of mental health conditions, speak to your GP if you are having difficulties and they can talk through the right option for you.”

Dr Ian Reckless, Chief Medical Officer at Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board, said:

“Engaging in open conversation is crucial for expressing our feelings and emotions. If we can’t share what’s on our minds, those feelings can become confusing and overwhelming, potentially leading to heightened emotional distress and even problematic behaviour. Talking about mental health also helps to normalise the topic. The more we discuss mental health openly, the more comfortable we become addressing it in our relationships and as a society. Lastly, these conversations remind us that we are not alone.”

You can find information on Time to Talk day and starting a conversation on the MIND website using the link https://timetotalkday.co.uk/