# M Y M E N TA L H E A LT H
MATTERS
Steven Fegan
Steven
When I was asked to
write something for
#mymentalhealthmatters month
I said “yeah, no problem”.
However, I soon realised that it
was much more difficult than I
had first anticipated. What did I
want to say?
I think it’s important to focus
on something that could
help people have a better
understanding of mental health,
and offer a little hope.
First, everyone has a mental
health. Like our physical health
sometimes we have poor mental
health; in fact 1 in 4 people every
year will be diagnosed with a
mental health condition.
I was admitted there after
being treated in the community
with the help of a Community
Psychiatric Nurse (CPN), a GP and
medication for about 4 months.
The problem was – the GP and
CPN were doing all the work and
I was adamant that I could be
better than I was, and therefore
I didn’t see the point in even
speaking to them. I realise now
that if I had, well, it might not
have got to the point where I
was admitted. The benefits of
hindsight.
So how did it get to that
point? Well apart from the fact
I wouldn’t entertain the very
people that were trying to help
me, it was probably the lack of
my general coping strategies.
I have been that 1 in 4, and
not a million years ago. At one
time, I had been an inpatient
within the mental health wards of
Crosshouse Hospital.
READ
ON
HERE
THE STUDENT VOICE EDITION 7
Lots of things happen in life
and have an impact; some have
positive impacts but, life being
the way it is, throws unexpected
things at us like a death of
someone close, a fall out with
a family member or a period of
sustained and high level stress
at work...
“
First,
everyone
has a mental
health. Like
our physical
health
sometimes
we have
poor mental
health.
”
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