Mental Health in Tameside

Mental health is more than the absence of mental illness. There are many different definitions of mental health, including:

'Mental health is the emotional and spiritual resilience which enables us to enjoy life and to survive pain, disappointment and sadness. It is a positive sense of well-being and an underlying belief in our own, and other's dignity and worth.'

Health Education Authority 1997

Mental health is essentially about how we think and feel about ourselves and about others and how we interpret the world around us. It affects our capacity to manage, to communicate and to form and sustain relationships. It also affects our capacity to cope with change and transitions such as life events - having a baby, going to prison, experiencing bereavement. Mental health may be central to all health and well-being because how we think and feel has a strong impact on physical health. There is now an abundance of data demonstrating the importance of mental health and well being to overall health and productivity. Mental well being, like physical health, is a resource we need to promote and protect.

What are Mental Health Problems?

Mental health problems affect one in four of us at some point in our lives. Therefore experiencing mental health problems is common. They can range from the worries and grief we all experience as part of everyday life to more serious problems needing treatment and support from specialists.

A mental health problem only becomes a serious problem when it interferes with our ability to cope or function on a day-to-day basis e.g. inability to concentrate; poor sleep patterns; withdrawal from people. The more extreme forms of mental distress can be very disturbing both for the person and for those around them. However, while mental distress can lead to considerable disruption and difficulty in people's lives, many people find ways of managing their problems and are able to lead fulfilling and active lives. Fortunately the majority of people who experience mental health problems do fully recover. Some people with more complex problems learn to live and cope with the illness, especially if they get help early on. Effective treatments and support are available.

Promoting Good Mental Health

We can all help ourselves and others to enjoy good mental health in all sorts of ways. Remember to:

• Make time to do things we enjoy.
• Try taking some exercise you like - walk, dance, swim, spring clean the house!
• Get creative! Paint, draw, write, garden, cook!
• Remember to celebrate the things we like about ourselves.
• Keep things in perspective.
• Develop and nurture your friendships.
• Get involved with something and meet new people
• Respect other people opinions, even if we disagree with them. You are entitled to respect too.
• Talk to someone if you're feeling distressed or upset. Listen to other people who say they feel distressed or upset.
• Avoid using alcohol as a way of dealing with problems- it will only make things worse.
• Taking as much care of ourselves as we do the people we care for.

Where you can get further information?

• Mind
• National Institute for Mental Health in England
• NHS Direct
• Tameside and Glossop Mind (local directory)
• Tameside and Glossop Primary Care Trust
• Pennine Care NHS Trust
• SANE
  

Mental Health Services in Tameside

Mental Health Services in Tameside are currently jointly commissioned by Tameside Council and Tameside and Glossop Primary Care Trust.

Mental Health Services are mainly provided via General Practitioners. This is complemented by a number of services provided within the voluntary sector, including Mind, Off the Record and Age Concern.

Pennine Care NHS Trust is a Specialist Mental Health Trust . In Tameside, Pennine Care comprises the Joint Mental Health Service that has been operating since the mid 1990s, and is made up of specialist health and social care staff working together within a single service to best meet the needs of people with serious and complex mental health problems.

The Council and Primary Care Trust commission additional services from the voluntary and independent sectors to enhance provision from Pennine Care.

Where you can get professional support?

• General Practitioner
  If you do feel that you are beginning to feel unwell and think you are not coping you should contact your General Practitioner in the first place to discuss your feelings and plan a way forward. Depending on the nature of the problem your GP may decide with you to refer onto a practice counsellor or a primary care mental health worker.
• Mind
• Off the Record
• Age Concern (Bereavement Counselling)
• Pennine Care NHS Mental Health Trust

Your GP may refer you to specialist mental health services for an initial assessment, which is a talk with you about your needs. There are guidelines as to who is eligible for this level of service. If we cannot help you directly we will signpost you to other services that may be able to support you. However, a treatment plan is written following all assessments.

Please note that you can contact these services directly for advice if you are concerned for yourself or someone you know.

• For people between the ages of 18 and 65 contact:
  
  Community Mental Health Team, Haughton House
  0161 339 2627 0161 339 0266
  
  
• For people aged over 65 contact:
  
  Older People Community Mental Health Team, Hyde Hospital
  0161 368 4157 0161 351 4987