Category Archives: Stigma

Episode 44 – Young Person Sanctuary



In this episode, Molly and Sassie are joined by young people Alex and Sharmin, as well as Sanctuary Cafe staff Zahra and Betty, to discuss what the Young Person Sanctuaries are and what to expect as a young person visiting for the first time. It’s a great resource in the community for young people (14-17 yrs) to have a safe space to go to, have someone to talk to, or just be in the space for some time. The different locations are listed below:

Luton Young Person’s Sanctuary:

  • Young Persons Hub, ResoLUTiONs, 89 Castle Street, Luton LU1 3AJMonday – Sunday 4pm – 10pm
  • Please note: ResoLUTiONS has two buildings, one located in Victoria Street and one location in Castle Street. We are based in Castle Street, opposite Matalan.

Bedford Young Person’s Sanctuary:

  • CAMHS, 5-7 Rush Court, Bedford MK40 3JT(7 days a week) 

The Bedford Young Person’s Sanctuary is open on Monday – Friday from 5.00pm -10.00pm, Saturday – Sunday 4pm – 10pm.

Central Bedfordshire Young Person’s Sanctuary:

  • Leighton BuzzardMeadow Way Community Centre, Leighton Buzzard LU7 3FS 
    • Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 4pm – 10pm
  • Houghton Regis; Houghton Regis Children’s Centre, Tithe Farm Neighbourhood Centre, Tithe Farm Road, Houghton Regis, Dunstable, LU5 5JB
    • Monday and Tuesday 4pm – 10pm
  • Sandy; Sandy Children’s Centre, Laburnum Road, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 1HQ
    • Opening Saturday 30th September
    • Saturday and Sunday 4pm – 10pm

If you would like further information about the Young Person’s Sanctuary, please email on: YPS@mind-blmk.org.uk


Episode 42 – Talking about Self Harm and Scars



In this Podcast Marianne and Molly are joined by Young People Alex and Maiya, to discuss self harm, the misconceptions and how to take care of yourself. They are also joined by Bongi, a CAMHS nurse who offers their unique perspective. The podcast looks at defining self-harm in a subjective way and dispelling harmful rhetoric surrounding misconceptions. The young people offer their advice and resources they’ve found helpful. Below are some of the resources mentioned in the podcast: 
*TW*: This podcast may contain sensitive content, while we intend for our podcasts to be educational and insightful, our priority is your well being. If you feel overwhelmed by the content, please do take a break from listening in order to care for your well being.
Resources:
Text “Reflect” to 85258 – if you’re feeling anxious, lonely, overwhelmed or not quite yourself – FREE and anonymous
The Butterfly Project – https://www.elysiumhealthcare.co.uk/butterflyproject/

Episode 38 – Mental Health in the Media



In this episode, we meet Kim, a participation support worker who joins Marianne, Molly and Maddie to discuss the representation of mental health in media. We also are joined by Kieran, to bring his clinical therapist in training perspective to the discussion.

 


Episode 18 – BAME and Access to Mental Health Services (part 3)



Welcome to part 3..!

Cultural diversity and access to services is an issue that is high on the agenda for CAMHS and there is no better way of understanding the needs of the BAME community than hearing directly from the young people that have accessed the service. Today, we are privileged to have four of our ex service users talk about judgement, understanding and how important it is for clinicians to be curious and open to challenging their own beliefs. We also are very happy to welcome Helen Anderson, a CAMHS Clinician based at the Bedford Clinic. Helen has joined the discussion today to further her understanding of the challenges and difficulties that our young service users experience and to discuss the changes that can be made to make the CAMHS service more inclusive and accessible to all.


Episode 16 – BAME and Access to Mental Health Services



Cultural diversity and access to services is an issue that is high on the agenda for CAMHS and there is no better way of understanding the needs of the BAME community than hearing directly from the young people that have accessed the service. Today, we are privileged to have four of our ex service users talk about judgement, understanding and how important it is for clinicians to be curious and open to challenging their own beliefs. We also are very happy to welcome Helen Anderson, a CAMHS Clinician based at the Bedford Clinic. Helen has joined the discussion today to further her understanding of the challenges and difficulties that our young service users experience and to discuss the changes that can be made to make the CAMHS service more inclusive and accessible to all.

So come and take a listen..


Episode 5 (Part 3) – Let’s discuss Men’s Mental Health



In part 3 we continue the discussions around the need for developing emotional language and where we can support this to happen. We also take a look at not making assumptions about the meaning of expressed emotions such as anger or withdrawal. In the discussion, we also explore generational issues such as parental role modelling and what impacts on our choices around emotional expression.

As this is the final part of the episode, I’d like to say a big thank you to Robert Lindsay, Mark Thomas-O’Keefe, Nicki Scott, Jay and Arron who shared, discussed and debated key issues around men’s mental health. It was a privilege to have contributed to the national/worldwide movement and we hope that you have enjoyed listening in on our discussion. If you’d like to comment. please feel free to share your thoughts or ideas, we would be happy to hear from you!


Episode 5 (Part 2) Let’s discuss Men’s Mental Health



In part 2 of this episode, we continue the discussion around men’s mental health and talk about the difficulties that an autism spectrum condition can add to seeking support from others. We are so privileged to be able to hear first-hand from the panel about how difficult it is to seek out support, be able to trust others and how others can misinterpret this for lack of motivation.


Episode 5 (Part 1) – Let’s discuss Men’s Mental Health



The issue of men’s mental health has been the focus of a lot of debate and a common theme is how difficult it is for men to open up and talk about how they feel. In this three-part episode, we have brought together a group of men, both service users and professionals who share and debate the issues that affect men today. This is a good opportunity to listen in on a heartfelt discussion about stigma, society expectations and the ways in which men are ‘supposed to be’. In this discussion, we talk about our own experiences of mental health issues, how we manage them and what needs to be different.