What is mental health?
A persons mental health is paramount to their ability to achieve personal wellbeing, form relationships and integrate into society. At some point in our lives we will all experience mental health difficulties.
However, the reality is that this is still a taboo subject, not just in Ireland but in the entire world and it is the stigma attached to mental health that stops so many from seeking help when they need it the most. Why do we treat our mental health differently to the way we treat our physical health? Why is it that we never hesitate to go to a GP if we are concerned about our physical health but contacting a therapist or counsellor to care for our mental health never crosses our minds – unless we have actually come to breaking point.
Our mental health is our most precious resource as it enables us to reach our full potential as human beings. Quite simply, our mental health is how we feel about ourselves.
Social Justice and Mental Health Broadcaster
Dil has been interested in the area of mental health since she went through her own journey of self-discovery. Since then mental health is a topic that Dil will talk about to anyone that will listen to her as a broadcaster, trainer and as someone who has a lived experience of struggling with her mental health. Through her work, Dil hopes to raise awareness about mental health as a human rights issue here in Ireland and break down stigma one conversation at a time.
Taking care of your mental health on Global Village on Newstalk 106 108
In an effort to encourge people to talk openly about mental health Dil is joined by Caroline McGuigan on Global Village every other week. Caroline is a qualified psychotherapist, founder and CEO of Suicide or Survive and she has experience of personally attempting suicide and experiencing the limited services available. She spent 8 years as a user of the psychiatric services, leaving her with an in-depth knowledge of the medical model, how and why a person is diagnosed and the treatment they may receive in Ireland. She received a Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Level 1 Award in 2006, and a Level 2 Award in 2007. Caroline was part of a very powerful documentary “I See a Darkness.” Listen back to Take care of your mental health on Global Village.
Psychotherapy, Counselling and Personal Development
There are many ways to take care of your mental health. In Dil’s own experience she found that therapy was an effective method of “talking through” what was holding her back from living her life to the full. However, going to a therapist can be very intimidating at first as there is little awareness of the types, approaches and methods used. Since 2012, Dil has been delivering Personal Development and Life Skills courses through Insight Matters.
Insight Matters Psychotherapy & Counselling is an organisation of experienced and highly qualified Psychotherapists, Counsellors and Trainers.
Our therapists provide a safe environment in which issues and concerns across a broad spectrum can be explored, understood and resolved, including: trauma; stress; anxiety; phobia; sexuality (LGBTQ), gender identity, bereavement; depression; confidence; addiction; self esteem; eating disorders and relationship difficulties.
All our therapists are sensitive to issues of race, gender and sexual orientation and are drawn from all sectors of the community.
By providing quality mental health services, and using the most up-to-date evidence based practices, we help our clients reach their full potential and become active members of their communities. See www.insightmatters.ie for more information.
Mental Health Ambassador
For as long as Dil can remember she didn’t feel good enough and experienced depression, anxiety and low self-esteem due to the unstable environment she grew up in and also because of her experience of sexual abuse as a teenager.
She spent all her energy pretending she was fine and happy but never let on to her friends and loved ones how much she was struggling inside her head, mainly because she was afraid of how they would react as she knew many wouldn’t understand. Turns out this is stigma.
Thankfully, she got help, she started thereapy with One in Four in 2008 and after years of working on herself she feels so much better about who she is in this world. Becoming self-aware has helped her so much in shedding the layers of inhibitions, limitations and self-doubt she has carried with her for so many years.
Through Dil’s work she hopes to encourage others who are struggling with their mental health or their experience of sexual abuse to get help and break down stigma one conversation at a time.
