Glastonbury Mental Health

[BambooShanks]

2 minutes ago, Quark said:

I know there's previously been talk of either a WhatsApp group or just an exchange of numbers for anyone who just wants to have access to someone who at least kind of "gets it" for a cuppa or something. I'll be on a festival brick phone without WhatsApp, but happy to chuck my number in the ring if that's happening again. There's a 50/50 chance I'll be at the Tea Tent at any given point anyway

Cracking Idea, count me in.

[priest17]

53 minutes ago, Jay89 said:

Oh sorry, I misinterpreted it. I’m with ya now! 

Yeah, I keep hearing about changing job from my GP all the time, but I’ve worked so hard for where I am now, and deep down I do love it. Only recently started getting help from ‘seniors’, so the only way is up, right?

@StLewi I’m out of upvotes, but thank you for this post. I often think of seeing professional, but I got in that horrible rut for some time now, that it makes me think ‘that’s who I am’ as opposed to seeking advice and help. Also possibility of going on medications scares the living hell outta me. 

Is there any way to skip group exercises in favour of one to one? The only environment when I seem to find my voice is work, I think having to speak up in a group of strangers about the way you feel would only make my anxiety levels shoot to extreme.

I went straight to 1 on 1, it was a charity thing rather than an NHS thing, I don't really know the difference though. I hated it at the time, I didn't say anything of worth for the first 4 weeks I don't think, but it really helped me separate myself from the illness and helped me talk a lot more casually about it with friends (which was massive). Wrote this blog just after I finished it, can't believe it was 2 years ago. I'm not much of a writer so don't expect anything decent from it ahah https://priesttom.blogspot.com/2017/04/dun-dun-depression.html

It's really sad reading back over that. I knew it wasn't a fix or anything but I'm so much worse now. I started hurting myself recently (which I thought I'd never do) so really need to act, for the people around me as much as me. Me and my GP agreed medication wasn't the way forward so I'm in the process of sorting out more counselling (albeit in a different place this time as I've moved).

Bloody effort eh? Ahah. Thankfully I'm surrounded by wonderful people who are more than happy to support me, my work is incredibly stressful and long but my bosses are very sympathetic and helpful and there's nothing in my actual life that's causing me too many problems. Reckon I'll be alright.

 

[carlosj]

2 hours ago, StLewi said:

Don’t worry, the group sessions aren’t like your typical Alcoholics Anonymous-type settings you see in films. You don’t sit round in a circle discussing your issues, and you certainly don’t stand up and say “my name’s Jay and I suffer from anxiety”. It’s a very relaxed classroom setting where, for the majority of the time, you just sit and listen. They do invite people to share how they put the previous week’s techniques into action, but they will never ask individuals to do this.

You may feel like you wouldn’t want to share your experiences with a group of strangers, I certainly didn’t, but when you hear others talking about their own plights, you realise you’re not alone and it becomes a lot easier to open up a little more.

Having said that, you may be able to jump straight into one-on-one sessions. You’ll just need to see what your area offers.

Do you work within the marketing industry, by any chance? If so, there’s a charity called NABS that offers support for those suffering with anxiety and depression… they paid for 7 sessions of private CBT for me! If not, it’s definitely worth speaking with your manager or HR as they may well have things like this in place.

And I know exactly how you feel about medication. I didn’t want to take it and had serious reservations, but I’m glad I did. Why struggle on? These drugs have been designed to help. You don’t need to be on them forever, just until you’ve learned how to deal with negative thoughts and anxiety. Once you’ve figured it out through talking therapies, you should hopefully never need to go back to the antidepressants.

For anybody in Local Government or the Civil Service, there are helplines which lead to phone or 1to1 face to face counselling and treatment at no cost to the receiving person, which may include CBT.

[clarkete]

2 hours ago, Quark said:

I know there's previously been talk of either a WhatsApp group or just an exchange of numbers for anyone who just wants to have access to someone who at least kind of "gets it" for a cuppa or something. I'll be on a festival brick phone without WhatsApp, but happy to chuck my number in the ring if that's happening again. There's a 50/50 chance I'll be at the Tea Tent at any given point anyway

I'm out of upvotes, but a helpful post that also mentions  the Tea Tent deserves two from me.

 

[Livvy13]

2 hours ago, Quark said:

I know there's previously been talk of either a WhatsApp group or just an exchange of numbers for anyone who just wants to have access to someone who at least kind of "gets it" for a cuppa or something. I'll be on a festival brick phone without WhatsApp, but happy to chuck my number in the ring if that's happening again. There's a 50/50 chance I'll be at the Tea Tent at any given point anyway

Great idea ? and of course you'll be at the tea tent ?

[Quark]

1 hour ago, Livvy13 said:

Great idea ? and of course you'll be at the tea tent ?

I'm nothing if not consistent

[kingbadger]

Since November I've been suffering from relatively severe anxiety symptoms (hearing voices, intrusive thoughts, panic attacks etc) and have been on Sertraline since January. Given I've had some borderline psychosis issues I'm giving all recreationals an extremely wide berth for the rest of my life, so this will be my first Glastonbury where I'll only be drinking. I'm probably going to spend most of the time sober and then have a few drinks in the evening after the headliners.

For whatever reason I don't actively feel anxious, and the only thing I've felt anxious about were the symptoms when they first onset. A very weird cycle indeed, but this thread has been a great help and comfort in trying to get my head round things. Happy to chuck my number in a WhatsApp for any assistance group.

[Crazyfool01]

me too with the watts app ... if anyone can take me seriously with a pyramid or ribbon tower on my head  

[Livvy13]

18 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

me too with the watts app ... if anyone can take me seriously with a pyramid or ribbon tower on my head  

Not sure about that but at least it'll be a laugh which could be much needed.

[Crazyfool01]

1 minute ago, Livvy13 said:

Not sure about that but at least it'll be a laugh which could be much needed.

That was my thoughts  

[admscott]

Definitely up for a WhatsApp group! Maybe we could also do a meet up and all feed off each others anxieties? ?

[Quark]

7 minutes ago, admscott said:

Definitely up for a WhatsApp group! Maybe we could also do a meet up and all feed off each others anxieties? ?

Circle quirks?

[Mr.Tease]

8 hours ago, Zoo Music Girl said:

You're absolutely right, of course. I know I should probably speak to somebody myself, but because my issues tend to be very up and down (acute at times and then nothing for ages) I always convince myself I don't need to. It's a very daunting thing to do, even though I'd be the first to tell my loved ones to do it. 

I'm a counsellor, but also try and avoid it unless absolutely necessary! It's like trying to bath a cat! So I do get why people are so hesitant to come and see me or other therapists!

I don't think that's a bad thing- I trust people's judgement, and if they want to handle things themselves, or feel that's the best approach for them, then they're probably right. If that changes, then there is help out there. What works for one person won't necessarily work for someone else.

I think it's good to make people aware of what options are available and how people personally found it, but there's no right or wrong way to getting through difficulties and there's no magic 'one size fits all' solution. But in case anyone would like more info, here it is:

 

Talking therapies wise the main two options are: CBT and Person-centred Counselling. 

This is a good explanation of CBT:

https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/cognitive-behavioural-therapy.html

And this is a good explanation of Person-centred Counselling is (that's the one I use so I'm a bit biased to that):

https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/person-centred-therapy.html

 

If anyone does decide to go for one of these, you can either access them via NHS (so see your GP or self refer), or via a third sector organisation (a support charity), or private if you can afford it.

Personally, I've had better experience via third sector organisations than the NHS (more sessions if you're lucky, sometimes shorter waiting lists, less 'clinical' and paper worky), however there is a wide variance so it depends on the area you live in and what options are available. usually they'll be some sort of cancer charity, or one for survivors of sexual abuse, or youth services, and usually a branch of Mind, amongst other things.

You can also have support (including the above) either face to face, on the telephone, via Skype or online (though again it varies which options are available). So, probably the best known phone line is:

https://www.samaritans.org

Who are at glastonbury. Also you don't have to be suicidal to phone them, or be at crisis point. This site also lists some others:

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/crisis-services/helplines-listening-services/#.XLYRFy2ZNUM

Online wise, I'm not very up to date, but I do know of Kooth, which is for young people:

https://www.kooth.com/index.html

 

If one to one talk therapies are not for you, there are also support groups, or there is the medication route, or you might ry a more wholistic kind of route of mediation, exercise etc. Whoever works best for you.

 

When it comes to glastonbury I think there's a lot of pressure sometimes that it's billed as a constantly amazing place, and everyone's fantastic and you should and will be happy all the time, but in reality it can have it's lulls, and you can have not very nice encounters and you can feel quite low or anxious sometimes (I know I have!), and that's okay- if you need a bit of space away from people there are spots- I think up the hill above the Tipi village can be quiet/deserted at times, and the green fields can be quiet too.

[Zoo Music Girl]

Thanks for the very detailed post Mr Tease. Some really helpful stuff there. 

This is going to sound ridiculous but I didn't realise you could self refer on the NHS. I thought the options were either see a GP or pay privately. I imagine the waiting lists are quite long in London? I've always been put off by having to see my GP. The surgery I'm a patient at is abysmal and have been terrible with everything physical I've seen them for. The idea of trying to talk about this kind of thing with them fills me with dread.

And then as I said above for me I either feel completely fine or am right in the middle of it. And when I feel fine it feels silly to talk about it, like I'm making it up or something, and when I'm in the middle of it I don't want the help (or I don't think I do). If that makes sense.

Anyway. Food for thought.

Glastonbury can absolutely be overwhelming. I love it so much though. After my first year I came home, completely sleep deprived and sunburned, and just wept in front of my bewildered housemates! The whole experience just blew my mind and I was so sad it was over even though that first time it hadn't all been plain sailing. I think I loved it all the more for having come through some difficult times and experienced such extremes of emotion. 

The week after the festival used to be such a bad time for me, but this place always helped. I've also learned it's better for me to go back to work on the Tuesday and just get back to normality rather than prolonging it. Used to love the Tuesday when me and my mates all stayed down in Somerset on the Monday but there seems little point in taking it off now, just to get mopey. This is a pretty personal thing though. I can understand why some people need much longer!

[Quark]

2 hours ago, Mr.Tease said:

When it comes to glastonbury I think there's a lot of pressure sometimes that it's billed as a constantly amazing place, and everyone's fantastic and you should and will be happy all the time, but in reality it can have it's lulls, and you can have not very nice encounters and you can feel quite low or anxious sometimes (I know I have!), and that's okay- if you need a bit of space away from people there are spots- I think up the hill above the Tipi village can be quiet/deserted at times, and the green fields can be quiet too

This is so true. Even for someone with hardly anything in the way of these sorts of issues to deal you can feel like you're somehow failing if you're not having the best time from 9am Wednesday until 9am Monday. It can make those low moments seem even worse!

[zero000]

For those interested in self referrals to psychological therapies services there's an NHS search engine (England only I think)  which lets you know what services operate in your area, and if you can self refer: https://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/Psychological-therapies-(IAPT)/LocationSearch/10008
 

Improving Access To Psychological Therapies Services (IAPT) mainly offer CBT and counselling but they are branching out into different types of therapy, so it's worth exploring and seeing what your local service can offer. 

[guypjfreak]

20 minutes ago, zero000 said:

For those interested in self referrals to psychological therapies services there's an NHS search engine (England only I think)  which lets you know what services operate in your area, and if you can self refer: https://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/Psychological-therapies-(IAPT)/LocationSearch/10008
 

Improving Access To Psychological Therapies Services (IAPT) mainly offer CBT and counselling but they are branching out into different types of therapy, so it's worth exploring and seeing what your local service can offer. 

Definitely recommend CBT.... 

[Jay89]

13 hours ago, StLewi said:

Do you work within the marketing industry, by any chance? If so, there’s a charity called NABS that offers support for those suffering with anxiety and depression… they paid for 7 sessions of private CBT for me! If not, it’s definitely worth speaking with your manager or HR as they may well have things like this in place

Engineering. My company is working with MIND for help and support. But I can imagine there’s a process you need to go through to get the ball rolling ie. manager, HR and such and to be fair, I would never speak to them about it. 

However, cause of people on this thread, I found out there’s something like self referral, which is probably the best way to go. Now the first step will be admitting to yourself you’d do with a bit of help and guidance. I’m sure it’ll eventually come to me on one of the dark days.

For now, absolutely buzzing with all the announcements, planning and can’t wait to step on Glastonbury soil!

Edited April 16, 2019 by Jay89

[Zoo Music Girl]

8 hours ago, zero000 said:

For those interested in self referrals to psychological therapies services there's an NHS search engine (England only I think)  which lets you know what services operate in your area, and if you can self refer: https://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/Psychological-therapies-(IAPT)/LocationSearch/10008
 

Improving Access To Psychological Therapies Services (IAPT) mainly offer CBT and counselling but they are branching out into different types of therapy, so it's worth exploring and seeing what your local service can offer. 

Thanks for this - that is super useful. So there are some places near me that accept self referrals! Extremely good to know that. 

[StLewi]

57 minutes ago, Zoo Music Girl said:

Thanks for this - that is super useful. So there are some places near me that accept self referrals! Extremely good to know that. 

I live near Brixton and thought it'd be months until I could see anyone. I self-referred earlier this year, had a telephone assessment within a week and was on a group CBT session within two weeks. I'm going to be starting one-to-one CBT next month. The waiting lists aren't as bad as you may think.

Edited April 17, 2019 by StLewi

[PorkSoda]

14 hours ago, Zoo Music Girl said:

Thanks for the very detailed post Mr Tease. Some really helpful stuff there. 

This is going to sound ridiculous but I didn't realise you could self refer on the NHS. I thought the options were either see a GP or pay privately. I imagine the waiting lists are quite long in London? I've always been put off by having to see my GP. The surgery I'm a patient at is abysmal and have been terrible with everything physical I've seen them for. The idea of trying to talk about this kind of thing with them fills me with dread.

And then as I said above for me I either feel completely fine or am right in the middle of it. And when I feel fine it feels silly to talk about it, like I'm making it up or something, and when I'm in the middle of it I don't want the help (or I don't think I do). If that makes sense.

Anyway. Food for thought.

Glastonbury can absolutely be overwhelming. I love it so much though. After my first year I came home, completely sleep deprived and sunburned, and just wept in front of my bewildered housemates! The whole experience just blew my mind and I was so sad it was over even though that first time it hadn't all been plain sailing. I think I loved it all the more for having come through some difficult times and experienced such extremes of emotion. 

The week after the festival used to be such a bad time for me, but this place always helped. I've also learned it's better for me to go back to work on the Tuesday and just get back to normality rather than prolonging it. Used to love the Tuesday when me and my mates all stayed down in Somerset on the Monday but there seems little point in taking it off now, just to get mopey. This is a pretty personal thing though. I can understand why some people need much longer!

As someone who works in IAPT and does these assessments daily, please please please don't think you'd be wasting anyones time or being silly because you're not down all the time. Loads of people have ups and downs and sometimes it can be helpful accessing support even when you're in one of those slightly better times. If you've noticed there's a pattern of ups and downs then you are nore than appropriate for services and your local service would happily give you at least an assessment which in themselves can be helpful. Then usually be offered, a workshop, one to one, online cbt or resources which can all be really useful. 

Most people I speak to who have put it off really say they wish they had called sooner. Hope all is good 

[Zoo Music Girl]

3 minutes ago, PorkSoda said:

As someone who works in IAPT and does these assessments daily, please please please don't think you'd be wasting anyones time or being silly because you're not down all the time. Loads of people have ups and downs and sometimes it can be helpful accessing support even when you're in one of those slightly better times. If you've noticed there's a pattern of ups and downs then you are nore than appropriate for services and your local service would happily give you at least an assessment which in themselves can be helpful. Then usually be offered, a workshop, one to one, online cbt or resources which can all be really useful. 

Most people I speak to who have put it off really say they wish they had called sooner. Hope all is good 

Thank you  All much appreciated and good to hear. 

[admscott]

Have been through the NHS here in Brighton, which is possibly comparatively busy. I was in 1:1 CBT sessions within 6 weeks. 

Although CBT ended up not being the right thing for me, the process was not as bad as I had feared.

[HS94]

Had a proper down couple of weeks lads and been very very anxious about how I'll get through 5 days of the festival. All of my friends go very hard in terms of drink and other stuff and I'm trying to take a bit of time away from that scene for my own health at the moment. Anyone got any input?

[carlosj]

23 minutes ago, HS94 said:

Had a proper down couple of weeks lads and been very very anxious about how I'll get through 5 days of the festival. All of my friends go very hard in terms of drink and other stuff and I'm trying to take a bit of time away from that scene for my own health at the moment. Anyone got any input?

Hey, are any of these links and treatments useful, as posted earlier?

In June, explicit and implicit peer pressure can be tough. Can you take time out for yourself there (meet up with others here?) or can you drink soft drinks to reduce impact on you?