Army veteran

Helping our heroes: NHS urges veterans to get help despite coronavirus outbreak

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As the nation gears up to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, the NHS wants all those who have served their country to know that dedicated help and support is still available despite the coronavirus outbreak.

The NHS has also today payed tribute to the many veterans who are working as ‘hidden heroes’ in the NHS’s efforts to tackle the virus.

To date the world-leading services have improved the lives of thousands of former services personnel supporting their physical and mental health needs for those who struggle with civilian life, some of whose stories are set out below.

While a growing number of veterans have been referred for help year-on-year, latest data indicates a drop in the number of people reaching out to specialist services in April.

But despite the coronavirus outbreak help is still available and has been adapted to offer more digital services, including video consultations with psychotherapists and support by phone, in response to social distancing rules and travel restrictions in place.

The NHS lead for armed forces’ health has today issued a timely call urging veterans to seek help as dedicated services remain open for business.

Kate Davies CBE, Director of Armed Forces at NHS England and NHS Improvement, said: “This weekend’s VE Day commemorations are a reminder of the remarkable difference our armed forces have made to our country throughout history and the contribution they continue to make today on the NHS frontline in the fight against coronavirus.

“At a time when we are facing significant uncertainty and long periods of isolation which can be particularly worrying, it has never been more important for veterans to reach out if they need support– help is available – with new digital offers which ex-personnel are already benefiting from.”

The NHS is committed to making sure that every veteran gets the best possible support for their physical and mental health with dedicated services available for those who struggle with civilian life including targeted mental health services for veterans.

These include the NHS Veterans’ Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (TILS), which identifies and treats mental health needs early, and the NHS Veterans’ Mental Health Complex Treatment Service (CTS), which gives intensive support to those with military-related complex mental health concerns not improved by earlier care and treatment.

Since the TILS service was launched in April 2017 it has had over 11,000 referrals up to May 2020, while there have been almost 1,500 CTS referrals in total up to April 2020.

Both offer local community-based support ranging from therapeutic treatment for complex challenges or trauma, to help meeting wider needs that can have an impact on mental health, such as physical health, employment, housing, finances, social relationships and drug and alcohol misuse.

Plate of white fish

Eating Well for Mental Health

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From a young age, we’re taught that eating well helps us look and feel our physical best. What we’re not always told is that good nutrition significantly affects our mental health, too. A healthy, well-balanced diet can help us think clearly and feel more alert. It can also improve concentration and attention span.

Conversely, an inadequate diet can lead to fatigue, impaired decision-making, and can slow down reaction time. In fact, a poor diet can actually aggravate, and may even lead to, stress and depression.

Maxine Barish-Wreden, M.D., a complementary and integrative medicine physician with Sutter Medical Foundation, says one of the biggest health impairments is society’s reliance on processed foods. These foods are high in flours and sugar and train the brain to crave more of them, rather than nutrient-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables.

“A lot of the processed foods we eat are highly addictive and stimulate the dopamine centres in our brain, which are associated with pleasure and reward,” Dr. Barish-Wreden says. “In order to stop craving unhealthy foods, you’ve got to stop eating those foods. You actually start to change the physiology in the brain when you pull added sugars and refined carbohydrates from your diet.”

Stress and Depression

Sugar and processed foods can lead to inflammation throughout the body and brain, which may contribute to mood disorders, including anxiety and depression. When we’re feeling stressed or depressed, it’s often processed foods we reach for in search of a quick pick-me-up. During busy or difficult periods, a cup of coffee stands in for a complete breakfast and fresh fruits and vegetables are replaced with high-fat, high-calorie fast food. When feeling down, a pint of ice cream becomes dinner (or you skip dinner altogether).

According to the American Dietetic Association, people tend to either eat too much or too little when depressed or under stress. Eat too much and you find yourself dealing with sluggishness and weight gain. Eat too little and the resulting exhaustion makes this a hard habit to break. In either case, a poor diet during periods of stress and depression only makes matters worse. This cycle is a vicious one, but it can be overcome.

To boost your mental health, focus on eating plenty of fruits and vegetables along with foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon. Dark green leafy vegetables, in particular, are brain protective. Nuts, seeds and legumes, such as beans and lentils, are also excellent brain foods. Dr. Barish-Wreden says a healthy diet can be more effective for treating depression than prescription medications.

“Studies have shown a reduction in depression of 40 to 60 per cent when people are eating the right foods, which is a better outcome than most drugs,” Dr. Barish-Wreden says.

A Healthy Gut

Researchers continue to prove the old adage that you are what you eat, most recently by exploring the strong connection between our intestines and brain. Our guts and brain are physically linked via the vagus nerve, and the two are able to send messages to one another. While the gut is able to influence emotional behaviour in the brain, the brain can also alter the type of bacteria living in the gut.

According to the American Psychological Association, gut bacteria produce an array of neurochemicals that the brain uses for the regulation of physiological and mental processes, including mood. It’s believed 95 per cent of the body’s supply of serotonin, a mood stabilizer, is produced by gut bacteria. Stress is thought to suppress beneficial gut bacteria.

Failing to keep the bacteria in our guts happy with a healthy diet can lead to depression, says Dr. Barish-Wreden. Depression can take hold when the gut is inflamed by processed foods such as sugar and flours, even whole grain flours. To remedy this, Dr. Barish-Wreden says people need to scrap their poor dietary habits.

“Reducing flour and sugar helps create a new microbiome of healthy bacteria. Adding fresh fruits, fibre, fish and fermented foods will also help your gut bacteria truly thrive,” she says.

Mindful Eating

Paying attention to how you feel when you eat, and what you eat, is one of the first steps in making sure you’re getting well-balanced meals and snacks. Since many of us don’t pay close attention to our eating habits, nutritionists recommend keeping a food journal. Documenting what, where and when you eat is a great way to gain insight into your patterns.

If you find you overeat when stressed, it may be helpful to stop what you’re doing when the urge to eat arises and to write down your feelings. By doing this, you may discover what’s really bothering you. If you undereat, it may help to schedule five or six smaller meals instead of three large ones.

Learn more about mindful and emotional eating.

Sometimes, stress and depression are severe and can’t be managed alone. For some, eating disorders develop. If you find it hard to control your eating habits, whether you’re eating too much or too little, your health may be in jeopardy. If this is the case, you should seek professional counselling. Asking for help is never a sign of weakness or failure, especially in situations too difficult to handle alone.

Brain Food

Your brain and nervous system depend on nutrition to build new proteins, cells and tissues. In order to function effectively, your body requires a variety of carbohydrates, proteins and minerals. To get all the nutrients that improve mental functioning, nutritionists suggest eating meals and snacks that include a variety of foods, instead of eating the same meals each day.

Here are the top three foods to incorporate into a healthy mental diet:

  • Complex carbohydrates — such as brown rice and starchy vegetables can give you energy. Quinoa, millet, beets and sweet potatoes have more nutritional value and will keep you satisfied longer than the simple carbohydrates found in sugar and candy.
  • Lean proteins — also lend energy that allows your body to think and react quickly. Good sources of protein include chicken, meat, fish, eggs, soybeans, nuts and seeds.
  • Fatty acids — are crucial for the proper function of your brain and nervous system. You can find them in fish, meat, eggs, nuts and flaxseeds.

Healthy Eating Tips

  • Steer clear of processed snack foods, such as potato chips, which can impair your ability to concentrate. Pass up sugar-filled snacks, such as candy and soft drinks, which lead to ups and downs in energy levels.
  • Consume plenty of healthy fats, such as olive oil, coconut oil and avocado. This will support your brain function.
  • Have a healthy snack when hunger strikes, such as fruit, nuts, hard-boiled eggs, baked sweet potatoes or edamame. This will give you more energy than packaged products.
  • Develop a healthy shopping list and stick to it.
  • Don’t shop while hungry, since you’ll be more apt to make unhealthy impulse purchases.
  • Think about where and when you eat. Don’t eat in front of the television, which can be distracting and cause you to overeat. Instead, find a place to sit, relax and really notice what you’re eating. Chew slowly. Savour the taste and texture.
Gambling

NHS fighting back against rising tide of gambling ill health

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The NHS is facing a rising tide of gambling related ill health as more betting addicts than ever before are being taken to hospital.

New data released today show a record number of admissions last year related to gambling addiction, including care for severe mental ill health conditions like psychosis.

The number of gambling related hospital admissions has more than doubled in the last six years from 150 to 321.

Cases of pathological gambling, where people turn to crime to fund their addiction has increased by a third in the last 12 months, bringing the total to 171.

The steady rise in admissions has prompted the NHS to commit to opening 14 new problem gambling clinics by 2023/24, alongside the first ever gambling clinic aimed at young people earlier this year as part of its Long Term Plan.

Claire Murdoch, National Mental Health Director for the NHS said: “Our NHS is fighting back against a rising tide of gambling related ill health as more people than ever before are being egged-on by shameless gambling firms not just to take a chance with their money, but with their health too.

“While the NHS will always be there for people – adapting, improving and increasing different and new treatments as our patients need them as part of our Long Term Plan – the gambling industry, which takes upward of £14 billion a year from punters, must take the blame for this increase and ensure a fair amount of its profits help its customers who may suffer from addiction.”

A person affected by gambling related harm addiction has an intense desire to bet that interferes with their day-to-day lives.

171 patients were admitted for ‘pathological gaming’ last year, where a patient’s addiction to gambling is so severe that it can lead them to crime.

The NHS estimates that over 400,000 people in England have an addiction to gambling and two million people are at risk of developing the condition.

There has also been an increase in the number of young people that are affected by gambling related harm.

46 people under the age of 25 attended a hospital as a result of their addiction last year, with one person as young as 15 receiving treatment, compared to 37 people under 25 receiving treatment the year before – an increase of a quarter.

NHS Digital data published earlier this month found that more than half of people living in Britain gamble.

Research has shown betting firms spent an estimated £1.5 billion in 2017 on marketing ads, while a report in the British Medical Journal called for the introduction of a mandatory tax on the industry to fund and prioritise treatment.

Bookmakers are currently encouraged by the Gambling Commission to donate a combined £10 million to charities which help victims of gambling addictions – just 0.07% of what gambling companies currently receive from punters.

Couple preparing food

What is the best diet for mental health?

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Researchers have increasingly been studying the effects of diet and nutrition on mental health.

Many of them have noticed that people who follow a standard Western diet, which includes highly processed foods and added sugars, have higher risks of developing anxiety and depression.

Although the majority of the research to date has focused on the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, other dietary patterns may also have a positive effect on mental health.

In this article, we review some of the evidence suggesting that a healthful diet can improve mental health and help treat or prevent certain conditions. We also explore how food affects our mood.

Can Diet help with mental health?

Nutritional psychiatry, which some refer to as psychonutrition, is a new field of study that focuses on the effect of diet on mental health.

Most studies have focused on the effects of the standard Western diet and the Mediterranean diet. An article in the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society reviewed the existing body of research on diet, nutrition, and mental health.

The research suggests that the more closely a person follows a Western diet, with its highly processed foods, the more at risk they are for depression and anxiety. People who follow a Mediterranean diet, on the other hand, seem to be less likely to have mental health conditions.

Researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry at the King’s College in London in the United Kingdom investigated exactly how nutrition might affect mental health. They focused their research on the effects of diet on the hippocampus.

The hippocampus is an area of the brain that generates new neurons in a process called neurogenesis. Research has linked neurogenesis in the hippocampus to a person’s mood and cognition.

Stressful experiences reduce neurogenesis in the hippocampus, while antidepressant drugs appear to promote this process.

Factors that can negatively affect neurogenesis in adults include:

  • aging
  • oxidative stress
  • high fat diets
  • high sugar diets
  • alcohol
  • opioids

Healthful foods and habits appear to promote neurogenesis. These include:

  • diets that include polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), curcumin, and polyphenols
  • a diet that meets calorie needs without a person overeating or undereating
  • physical exercise
  • learning

Best Diets

There is no specific diet that is best for mental health, but some eating patterns appear to be better than others.

Mediterranean diet

Among common diet plans, the Mediterranean diet has the strongest evidence supporting its ability to reduce the symptoms of depression. It is also a diet that experts routinely recommend for overall health and well-being.

Compounds in the Mediterranean diet that have links to lower depression rates include:

  • omega-3 fatty acids
  • vitamin D
  • methylfolate
  • s-adenosylmethionine

The Mediterranean diet consists of:

  • plenty of fruits and vegetables
  • whole grains
  • potatoes
  • cereals
  • beans and pulses
  • nuts and seeds
  • olive oil
  • low-to-moderate amounts of dairy products, fish, and poultry
  • very little red meat
  • eggs up to four times a week
  • low-to-moderate amounts of wine

Learn more about how to eat a Mediterranean diet in this article.

Low calorie diet

Short-term calorie restriction has shown some promise for treating the symptoms of depression.

Experts have defined calorie restriction as “a reduction in energy intake well below the amount of calories that would be consumed ad libitum.” The extent of the restriction will vary depending on the individual’s needs.

One study that looked at the relationship between food intake and depression defined calorie restriction as a 30–40% decrease in calorie intake while retaining protein, vitamin, mineral, and water intake to maintain proper nutrition. According to this definition, a person who usually eats 2,000 calories per day would eat between 1,200 and 1,400 calories instead.

A person may not need to reduce their calorie intake by this much, however. Researchers also noted that in an earlier study, otherwise healthy people who reduced their calorie intake by 25% for 6 months also had reduced depressive symptoms.

It is vital to note that calorie restriction can sometimes lead to the development of an eating disorder. It is also not safe for people who have an existing eating disorder or behaviors relating to disordered eating.

Anyone who wishes to try calorie restriction should also speak to a doctor or a registered dietitian about how to ensure that they are getting enough nutrients.

It is also important not to restrict calories or follow a low calorie diet in the long term, as this can damage neurons and make depressive symptoms worse.

Intermittent fasting

There is some evidence that intermittent fasting can help improve mood and mental well-being.

Clinicians have noted that fasting could contribute to improvements in mood, as well as people’s subjective sense of well-being, alertness, tranquility, and, in some cases, euphoria.

A small 2013 study involving men over the age of 50 years found that in comparison with a control group, those who participated in intermittent fasting had significant decreases in:

  • anger
  • tension
  • confusion
  • mood disturbances

However, other research has produced contradictory results. A study in amateur weightlifters found that 48 hours of fasting caused negative mood changes, including significantly increased anger and slightly raised confusion and fatigue.

As with calorie restriction, intermittent fasting is not safe for everyone. People with a history of eating disorders or blood sugar issues, such as hypoglycemia, should not attempt intermittent fasting without a doctor’s guidance.

Learn more about the potential benefits of intermittent fasting in this article.

Polyphenols

Another study showed an association between polyphenols and both the prevention of depression and the improvement of depressive symptoms. The polyphenols that the researchers studied came from:

  • coffee
  • tea
  • citrus
  • nuts
  • soy
  • grapes
  • legumes
  • spices

Foods or diets to avoid

Several studies have shown that people who follow a Western diet comprising highly processed foods are more likely to have major depression or persistent mild depression.

A 2010 study showed that women who ate unhealthful Western-style diets had more psychological symptoms. The foods that these participants were eating included:

  • processed foods
  • fried foods
  • refined grains, such as white bread
  • sugary products
  • beer

Similar unhealthful dietary patterns that typically lead to obesity, diabetes, and other physical health problems can also contribute to poor mental health.

Summary

Researchers are still determining how diet affects mood.

A Mediterranean diet is one healthful diet that can positively affect a person’s weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and other measures of health. Calorie restriction and fasting may also affect a person’s mental health.

While a healthful diet may aid treatment for poor mental health, anyone experiencing the symptoms of a mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety, should speak to a doctor.

Mother to be

Specialist mental health support for new mums available in every part of England

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New and expectant mothers across the country can now access specialist mental health care in the area where they live, NHS England announced today.

The landmark rollout of specialist perinatal community services across the whole of England, means that mums and mums-to-be who are experiencing anxiety, depression or other forms of mental ill health should be able to access high quality care much closer to home.

Five years ago two in five parts of the country had no access to specialist community perinatal mental health treatment, but there is now full geographical coverage for the first time, with services in every one of the 44 local NHS areas, and plans to develop them further.

The expansion comes alongside the opening of four new mother and baby units, which mean that the most seriously ill women can receive residential care without being separated from their babies in every region.

Claire Murdoch, NHS national mental health director said: “Mental ill health during pregnancy or that affects bonding with a new baby can be devastating, which is why the NHS has invested in better care for expectant and new mums, with at least 9,000 extra women getting treatment last year.

“As well as expanding access to world-leading talking therapy for anyone who needs it – the NHS Long Term Plan is further ramping up specialist perinatal care for every part of the country, offering tailored support to dads and partners and extending care to cover the first two years of a child’s life.”

Specialist community perinatal mental health teams can offer psychiatric and psychological assessments and care for women with complex or severe mental health problems during the perinatal period. They can also provide pre-conception advice for women with a current or past severe mental illness who are planning a pregnancy.

Teams can be made up of doctors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, nursery nurses and administrative staff, who all work together to provide a comprehensive service to mums, depending on what their individual needs are. They also work closely with partners across the health and care system, including in maternity, health visiting, and other mental health services.

The expansion to the community teams is a key plank of wider plans to transform perinatal services. By 2023/4 an additional 54,000 women each year with moderate and complex, to severe mental health difficulties should get the right care, at the right time and as close to home as possible.

The NHS Long Term Plan also sets out a raft of new measures to improve care for new and expectant mums and their families, including:

  • Making specialist community-based care available from pre-conception to two years after birth rather than one. Evidence suggests this is the most critical time in a child’s development and the period when infant separation anxiety can peak and may trigger a relapse of mental health difficulties, along with other changes in women and children’s lives.
  • If a new mum is suffering from mental ill health, the NHS will automatically offer comprehensive assessment to her partner if they are suffering from mental ill health too and sign-post them to professional support if needed.
  • Expanding access to evidence-based psychological therapies within specialist perinatal mental health services so that they also include parent-infant, couple, co-parenting and family interventions.
  • Increasing access to evidence-based psychological support and therapy, including digital options.
  • Maternity outreach clinics will join up maternity, reproductive health and psychological therapy for women experiencing mental health difficulties directly arising from, or related to, the maternity experience.

Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts: “We know from conversations on Mumsnet that the effects of mental ill-health in the perinatal period can ricochet; illness that goes untreated has impacts on mothers’ self-confidence in their own parenting, sometimes for years afterwards, with a knock-on effect for children and the wider family. Our users have talked movingly about the difficulty of accessing support, so it’s fantastic to see these specialist services being rolled out nationwide.”

Dr Trudi Seneviratne, chair of the perinatal faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists said: “This is fantastic news for all new and expectant mums, and for their families. 1 in 5 new mothers will experience some form of mental health difficulty and if left untreated, perinatal mental health problems can be devastating.

“A previous lack of specialist services has not only meant that some women couldn’t access the treatment they needed, but it also lead to mothers and babies often being separated at a key time in their child’s development. Providing everyone with access to the right care in the right place has always been our hope, and it’s now finally being realised in England. Hopefully this will cause a tipping point for other nations too.

“We now need to focus on building the perinatal mental health workforce whose job it will be to deliver these vital services.”

Emily Slater, Campaign Director at the Maternal Mental Health Alliance said: “The Maternal Mental Health Alliance’s (MMHA) Everyone’s Business campaign welcomes the opening of specialist perinatal mental health services in the remaining areas of England, meaning women should now be able to access life-saving care in their local area. We look forward to working closely with NHS England to ensure these services are of the highest quality and sustainable across the whole country to meet the needs of women and families.”

As many as one in four women will experience mental ill health during pregnancy or in the two years after birth, covering a wide range of conditions and different degrees of severity. It is estimated that as many as one in five hundred women may experience postpartum psychosis, one of the most severe forms of mental ill health affecting women in the perinatal period.

NHS England has already funded four new Mother and Baby Units (MBUs) in areas of the country which historically struggled to access specialist inpatient services close to home.

Mother and Baby Units (MBUs) support women who are experiencing the most severe forms of mental ill health to stay with their babies, helping them to bond at a critical time, while receiving around the clock care, treatment and support.

All four new MBUs are now offering care – three eight bedded units have opened in Kent, Lancashire and in East Anglia, with a further unit in Devon open.

NHS England plans to increase the national capacity further to more than 160 beds – providing specialist inpatient care and treatment to mums, without separation from their babies.

Homeless man

Jo Cox Foundation backs campaign to end loneliness

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The sister of MP Jo Cox is backing an anti-loneliness campaign to help 30,000 people avoid health and wellbeing problems that can come from feeling and living alone.

The campaign, backed by the Foundation set up following the murder of the former MP for Batley and Spen in 2016, is one of a range of schemes being introduced as part of the NHS Long Term Plan to support personalised care through the potential of people, families and communities.

It will ask people to look out for the newly bereaved and others whose loneliness may trigger health problems.

West Yorkshire and Harrogate’s ‘Looking out for our Neighbours’ campaign will see 300 local groups take part to give out 30,000 packs with a focus on simple acts of kindness including advice on how to interact with lonely neighbours such as meeting for a cuppa, offering a lift or even just saying ‘hello’.

A Health Foundation report recently highlighted how living alone can make older people 50% more likely to find themselves in A&E than those living with family. Pensioners living alone are also 25% more likely to develop a mental health condition. Age UK’s recent report “All the lonely people: Loneliness amongst older people” shows that the number of lonely older people is rising quickly.

James Sanderson, director of personalised care at NHS England, said: “Loneliness affects too many people and leads to poor health and often dying too soon. Every health and care system must focus on reducing this problem and the ‘Looking out for our Neighbours’ campaign gives people practical ways to do so. Whether it’s checking on an elderly neighbour or being friendly to a single parent, we all have a responsibility to help the most vulnerable in society connect into their communities.”

Jo’s sister Kim Leadbeater, Ambassador for The Jo Cox Foundation, said: “I feel passionately about creating well-connected communities where everyone is happy and healthy and has a sense of identity and belonging, and it is heart-warming to see the work that Jo started on this important issue being continued in such a positive way in the county where we grew up. Much of my focus since Jo was killed has been on how we can build compassionate communities and bring people together.

“The national Great Get Together campaign which we run across the weekend of Jo’s birthday in June is the centre piece of this, and it would be wonderful to think that some of the connections which will be made through the ‘Looking out for our Neighbours’ initiative can be continued and we see lots of Great Get Togethers happening in June as a result! I believe if we all work together to prevent loneliness and its associated health risks, we can reduce the demand on health and care services and have a positive impact on the wellbeing of everyone, which is why I am delighted to support this campaign.”

The campaign comes on top of the existing West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership allocation of £1m to support voluntary and community organisations to help tackle loneliness and to further support the role of community partners in the region.

Organisations who have pledged their support range from dementia cafes to children’s hospices, hospitals, councils, sports clubs, arts and wellbeing groups to domestic abuse support.

Dr Hilda Hayo, CEO and Chief Admiral Nurse at Dementia UK, said: “All too often families living with dementia shut themselves off from social gatherings and activities, becoming increasingly isolated which can have a very negative impact on their health and well-being. We are supporting this campaign because it is so important to look out for each other, to offer a helping hand, especially to the most vulnerable people in our communities.”

The campaign was co-created with over 100 residents, piloted in three different communities including high rise flats, a village and a rural community, and will mainly target people aged 50-65, families with children, carers plus the area’s 113,000 NHS staff.

West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership is one of the country’s 14 most advanced integrated care systems where the NHS, councils and the voluntary sector join up to tackle local health and care issues.

Rob Webster, CEO Lead for West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership, said: “People of all ages can feel alone for a variety of reasons, and this important campaign is a reminder that it’s often the smallest acts of kindness that make the biggest difference to a person’s life. As neighbours, we could all look out for each other a bit more and local organisations can also help bring people together in shared endeavours.”

The campaign, supporting not just the elderly but anyone who may be living in isolation – for example anyone becoming less mobile, looking unwell, those without many visitors and homes with the curtains drawn or piled up post – launches on March 15 across West Yorkshire and Harrogate and any organisation in the region can sign up, get a helpful neighbour pack, download campaign resources and report their acts of kindness.

Case study

Karl Jordan is participant turned facilitator for Andy’s Man Club in Wakefield.

Karl started attending Andy’s Man Club in July 2018, after he saw a poster displayed at South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (Fieldhead Hospital) where he was receiving treatment and support for depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

It took Karl four attempts to actually walk into the Club – something which he shares is common with most new attendees – and has since praised the Club for “saving his life”.

Andy’s Man Club is a sanctuary for men to talk openly about anything that they may be struggling with. Since the Club started in 2017 its growth has been exceptional throughout the UK, and it currently helps on average 376 men per week.

Karl shares his support for the Club and how it helps men to offload about the weight of modern-day life from those who may be struggling with depression, alcoholism, substance abuse, anxiety, suicide and even loneliness.

At Andy’s Man Club they understand that loneliness can be a precursor to other health and wellbeing issues; predominately mental health challenges. Karl shares how even the simplest of actions can prevent or help to reduce the risk of suicide, self-harm or mental health deterioration. For example, asking for your neighbour’s mobile number and texting them to check up on them can make a big difference.

That’s why Andy’s Man Club is proud to support the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnerships’ “Looking out for our neighbours campaign”.

Andy’s Man Club is run exclusively by unpaid volunteers each day from central Halifax in West Yorkshire and is available to men aged 18 and over in the UK. For more information on Andy’s Man Club, including location of Clubs, please visit: andysmanclub.co.uk

Social Media

NHS to give therapy for harmful social media as part of plan to tackle rare eating disorder

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Hundreds of people will receive therapy to counteract the impact of harmful social media, as part of a new NHS service for the rare eating disorder diabulimia.

Patients will be coached to deal with unrealistic body images amid increasing concerns about the potential damage social media can have on young peoples’ mental health.

Diabulimia is a condition where people with Type 1 Diabetes restrict their insulin intake to lose weight and can lead to serious complications including blindness and amputations. It is most common in young people aged between ages 15 and 30.

Responding to growing awareness of the potentially deadly condition, NHS England today announced that it will pilot services joining up treatment for diabetes and mental ill health in London and the South Coast.

The new service comes as the NHS Long Term Plan has committed to deliver a step change in mental health treatment and a renewed focus on children and young people’s health.

Patients who are referred to the new services will also be offered daily structured meal planning and clinical support to manage their insulin intake as well as therapy.

The services which mark a major step forward in the improved recognition of the condition will begin later this year and if successful, more services will be rolled out across the country.

Two in five women and one in ten men with Type 1 diabetes are thought to have diabulimia.

The new service will also provide:

  • Eating disorder teams including team members specialising in mental healthcare and Type 1 diabetes
  • Specialist day care centres including structured meal planning and advice on glucose and insulin management
  • Tailored care ranging from hospital stays where necessary and help in the community to provide advice on diet, insulin doses, as well as mental health support
  • Training for healthcare workers to increase their knowledge of the condition.

Professor Jonathan Valabhji, national clinical director for diabetes and obesity at NHS England said: “As a diabetes clinician, I’ve seen first-hand the devastating impact that this condition can have on people and their families and so these services are an important step forward in the recognition of diabulimia.

“With further emerging evidence from these pilot sites and more joined up working as part of the NHS Long Term Plan, we will treat many more in the near future.”

Patients will be treated by a wide range of healthcare staff, including mental health therapists and specialist diabetes nurses, under one service to address physical and mental health needs.

Online learning will be provided for people with diabulimia, carers and families so they can better understand the condition and support their loved ones.

The pilot will reduce emergency admissions to hospital for complications resulting from diabulimia.

Claire Murdoch, national director for mental health at NHS England said: “Body image pressure is helping to drive ever increasing numbers of young people to the health service for treatment and support and while diabulimia is rare it can be just as deadly as other more common eating disorders.

“These pilots are another important step forward but the fact is the NHS can’t do it all – wider society needs take a long hard look what more we can do together to protect young people’s wellbeing.”

NHS England remains firmly on track to deliver on the target to treat 95% of all children and young people with an eating disorder in one week for urgent cases and four weeks for routine cases by 2020/21.

With an extra £30 million going in to eating disorder services every year, and 70 community treatment teams covering the whole of the country more young people than ever before are getting the right treatment, at the right time, closer to home.

Libby Dowling, senior clinical advisor at Diabetes UK said: “Diabulimia is a serious eating disorder which – without the right clinical and mental health support – can have devastating consequences, such as stroke, kidney failure and blindness. It can also be fatal. Diabetes UK welcomes this investment from NHS England to pilot two new sites designed to support people living with diabulimia as effectively as possible. It provides new hope that we will be able to much better support people with diabulimia.

“Diabulimia is often well hidden by those living with it, and difficult to spot by healthcare professionals. And with as many as four in ten women aged between 15 and 35 affected by diabulimia at some point, it’s so important that specialist – and joined-up – services like these are made available to those who need them. These pilots are so important, and we hope their success will inspire even more investment across England.”

Buffon reveals panic attacks and depression

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Paris St-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has revealed he suffered with depression and once missed a Juventus game after having a panic attack. Former Italy international Buffon, 40, spent 17 years at Juventus, playing 656 times and winning nine Serie A titles, before his 2018 move to PSG.

But in an interview with Vanity Fair, Buffon says he struggled during his early years with the Italian giants. “For a few months, everything lost meaning,” he said. He added: “It seemed like no-one cared about me, just the footballer I represented. “It was like everyone was asking about Buffon and nobody about Gigi.”

Buffon, who won the World Cup with Italy in 2006, says the turning point came at the age of 25 when he told Juve’s goalkeeping coach he couldn’t play in a Serie A match.

“I went to Ivano Bordon, the goalkeeper coach, and told him: ‘Ivano, get [goalkeeper Antonio] Chimenti to warm up and play. I’m not feeling up to it.’

“I had suffered a panic attack and was in no state to play the match.

“If I had not gone through this experience, that cloud and that turmoil with other people, I may have never have got out of it.”

Matt Johnson – Why you should talk about mental health

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Nine years have passed since TV host Matt Johnson ­contemplated ending his own life and five since he became an ­ambassador for the mental health charity Mind.

Yet despite channelling his efforts into de-stigmatising mental illness for others, the former This Morning presenter has only just spoken to a therapist for the first time.

“I probably didn’t go to see someone because I was scared of digging too deep and it getting messy,” admits Matt, 36, who first suffered depression in his 20s.

“It’s such a shame it took me so long. I can’t recommend it enough – I’d 100% tell people to go and talk to an actual professional. Just do it.”

After his close call with suicide while on a Christmas break in Spain in 2009 (“I was on a balcony’s edge with my foot up”), Matt suffered several bouts of depression yet avoided therapy.

“It didn’t fit with the way I wanted to go,” he says. “Maybe in my ­subconscious I didn’t feel comfortable with going to talk to somebody. I wanted to deal with it in a different, more organic way.”

Instead, Matt spent years trying ­alternative therapies to improve his mental wellbeing. “For me, my life was my therapy. I’ve been to Thailand and chanted with monks, when I was in LA I tried yoga and meditating. I’ve done the whole ‘I want to punish myself’ thing too, so ran three marathons.

“I thought talking to people I met was enough. Everything has been a forward step in self-discovery, but sitting down and having a talk with a professional didn’t happen until a few months ago.”

“I have grown up in a world where therapy is for broken people and that perception is wrong”

It wasn’t a drop in mood that finally persuaded Matt it would be good to talk. “I have grown up in a world where therapy is for broken people and that perception is wrong,” he says.

“We think it means accepting there is a problem, which isn’t necessarily the case. When I finally went, it was not as somebody who wanted to fix anything – I’m in a really great place – but because I’ve got a busy year coming up.

“I’m very good at creating ideas and then not following them through, so that was the reason I signed up. Then, in a way, everything fell into place – all the stuff about my past all made sense.”

Matt has been surprised to discover even his close friends aren’t as comfortable talking about mental health. “The stigma attached is terrible,” he says. “Recently I shouted across the gym to a friend to say I was leaving as I had a therapy appointment. He jumped across the room to shush me up because he was so worried I was going to embarrass myself. He couldn’t believe the fact it didn’t bother me to say it out loud.

“He’s intelligent and has seen so much of the work I’ve done to raise awareness of mental health, but was still saying ‘shhh, let’s not talk about therapy out loud’. There’s still work to be done.”

This is one of the reasons Matt joined forces with life coach Ben Bidwell. They met on a plane to Ibiza and discovered a mutual interest in mental health. “I told him about my work for Mind and he told me about his work as The Naked Professor and we had a ‘eureka!’ moment of making a podcast together.”

In the weekly show, the pair interview household names such as Davina McCall and Busted singer Matt Willis about their own experiences of mental illness. “We want to start conversations about mental health and see where they go,” Matt says. “When I first spoke publicly about my own experiences five years ago – to my ‘TV parents’ Eamonn and Ruth – it was a huge, huge shock as I was one of the very tiny number of people talking about the issue.

“Now you see a lot more public figures opening up but I’m concerned it’s not a true reflection of what is happening in rural and working-class areas in the UK.

“The stats just haven’t improved. Suicide is still the biggest killer of young men, so while ­discussions may be happening in magazines, on TV and in the cities, I’m not sure the message is getting thought in rural parts of Wales, the valleys where I come from, for example. My story might have been very different if I had stayed in Caerphilly.”

Matt also believes drastic action is required when it comes to the state of our mental health services. “What’s the point of TV shows helping us recognise the signs of a problem just so someone watching can say ‘that’s me’, then wait up to 10 weeks to see someone?

“We need to make therapy affordable and accessible because the people who are struggling with purpose and finance are the ones who really need help.

“There was a moment for me in 2016 where I didn’t have any work lined up and had debts. I’d also had a break-up. I was in bad shape and suffering from chronic sleep deprivation so took myself to the doctor as I didn’t want to end up back where I was in 2009.

“It was quite a desperate moment and my GP gave me seven minutes to discuss what was wrong, diagnose me, give me tablets and tell me to expect a letter within seven days. I then had to call a number on that letter to sort a counselling appointment six weeks later. I never took the tablets and never phoned them back – and no one ever followed me up.

“It’s shocking. The entire mental health sector is massively underfunded and needs to be straightened out.”

The Naked Professors podcast can be downloaded on iTunes, Spotify and Acast.

Mind has a confidential support line on 0300 123 3393 (9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday).

If you need to speak to someone, Samaritans are available 24/7 by calling 116 123 or by emailing jo@samaritans.org

Never take a bad work day home again, using these 3 steps

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It’s about creating a space to transition from your work self to your home self, according to peak performance researcher and consultant Adam Fraser.

What are you carrying home from work with you? We don’t mean the tangible, practical items — the empty sandwich container or the folders of papers to look over — but the invisible stuff that can weigh us down — that critical comment made by a coworker, the disappointing numbers in the weekly report, the important meeting that keeps getting rescheduled. Do you ever wish there was a “delete” or “pause” button you could push to stop your brain from whirring?

Australian performance consultant Adam Fraser hasn’t invented a pause button, but he has come up with a trick to help people stop bringing home their bad days: Create a “third space” that gives you the mental room to transition from work life to home life.

The third space doesn’t need to be a physical area. It could be “the drive home, the ferry ride, the bus ride, walking the dog, going to the gym,” as one CEO told him. It’s just about taking the time to power down from your day and decide how you’d like to show up at home. Because if you don’t do this, you risk passing your grumpy mood to the people you live with. “Even if you live on your own,” Fraser adds, “how you transition home determines whether you unwind, relax and socialize or obsess and worry about the day.”

To set yourself up for a restorative evening, Fraser suggests these three steps.

Reflect on your day. Ask yourself: “What went well? What did I achieve? What might I do better tomorrow?” These questions are intended to remind you about your successes, nudge you to learn from your experiences, and adjust for the future.

Rest by doing something that makes you present. This might mean doing sudoku, exercising or meditating. It could also be as simple as taking a shower and changing out of your work clothes before you engage with other people. Fraser likes to bring his two kids and dog to the park, where they all run around. “We are idiots for 45 minutes,” he says, laughing.

Reset by asking yourself: “How do I want to show up at home?” Rather than flying in the door with your work day trailing behind you, try to be purposeful as you step into your personal life.

You can spend as little as 15 minutes in your third space, says Fraser: “It’s not when you show up, it’s how you show up.”

Watch his TEDxQUT talk here: