OPEN MINDS

Pro’s and Con’s of Cognitive

Behavioural Therapy.

Unemployment Affects Health

Scottish Mental Health Arts and

Film Festival

Scottish Mental Health Magazine

“I also always felt

like my therapist just

didn’t empahise with me

and she wasn’t very

compassionate”Rona Carr, 25

“I firmly believe in

CBT, I know it is a

controversial

subject for most”Adam Thomson, 22

Cognitive

Behavioural

TherapyGood bad or undecided?

its simplest form cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT, is a talking therapy that

aims to help you manage your problems by altering the way you think and

behave.

It should be stressed that, CBT cannot remove your prob lems or “cure” you but it is

there to examine your ac tions and how they can affect the way you think or feel.

CBT can be used to treat an array of mental well-being problems, it has even been

known to help those suf fer ing from physical ailments; such as arthritis and ir ri table

well-being.

In terms of mental health, the therapy has a helpful and af fective way of tackling

issues such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders and

sub stance abuse problems.

Unlike forms of psychotherapy - which uses elements of your past to try and

understand your current problems - CBT focuses on your current problems and the

therapist will help you to find ways of improving your state of mind on a day-to-day

basis.

There are an array of arguments both for and against cognitive be havioural therapy.

Someone who feels they have not benefitted from CBT is Rona Carr, a long term

depression suf ferer who has had this type of therapy on and off for years: “I have

personally felt like CBT is just a quick fix, something to keep you feeling normal for a

short period of time until your next session when you revert back to your old ways. I

also always felt like my therapist just didn’t empahise with me and she wasn’t very

compassionate - something that I think all CBT trained therapists most certainly

should be, although this does not reflect on all CBT cases I know that but it has marred

my opinion of it for good.

“I also felt like I was being forced to feel something that I wasn’t ready to feel, I

know where my problems stem from and they are from the past yet CBT is so quick to

try and focus on your present and try to alter your thinking you can sometimes feel

like you are being brainwashed.

“I think doctors today are quick to send those suffering from depression and anxiety

to CBT be cause it is a quick fix and not because it is necessarily what is good for them”

Adam Thomson is a fundraiser for mental helath awareness and himself has been

back and forth with doctors experimenting with different medicines and therapies to

help him cope with his mental health. Although he has never had CBT personally he

has witnessed the benfits of it in his close friends and family: “I firmly believe in CBT, I

know it is a controversial subject for most but in the grand scheme of things it is

therapy to make you view yourself and deal with your poblems in a very proac tive

way.

“I know it has come under scrutiny for somewhat disregarding the past and focusing

on a persons present to help them but sometimes that is exactly what they need. A

close friend of mine undertook CBT for PTSD for something that happened to him

years ago and instead of dwelling on the past it made him look at his presnt and

future in a new way and hes a whole new person now.

“I think in some cases it doesn’t help people but it is the same as any therapy or

medicine: trial and error. If it doesn’t work try something else but don’t discourage

others from tryng it who may see the real benefits.”

IN

Continued

Advantages

•Studies have shown that CBT can be just as effective as some medicines in the treatment of depression and other mental ill

health problems - CBT can also be completed over a short period of time

•The highly structured nature of CBT means it can be pro vided in different formats, including in groups, self-help books and

computer programs.

• Skills you learn in CBT are useful, practical and helpful strategies that can be incorporated into everyday life to help you cope

better with future stresses and difficulties.

Disadvantages

•To fully benefit from the ther apy, you need to commit yourself completely to it which can be challenging for some due to its

structured nature it may not be suitable for people with more complex mental health needs or learning difficul t ies

•Some critics argue that be cause CBT only addresses current problems and focuses on specific issues, it does not address the

possible underlying causes of mental health con di tions, such as an unhappy childhood.

•CBT focuses on the indi vid ual’s capacity to change themselves - their thoughts, feel i ngs and behaviours - and does not address

wider prob lems in systems or families that often have a significant im pact on an individual’s health and wellbeing.

Unemployed

Young

Scots “We have nothing to live for”

in ten young people in Scotland are believed to be

suffering from mental health problems caused by

unemployment.

In a survey conducted by the Prince’s Trust 16 to 25-year-olds

were interviewed across the country and the results showed

that suicidal thoughts, panic attacks and feelings of self-

loathing were prominent in 13% of young Scottish people.

It is estimated the number of young Scots that are claiming

benefits, for six months or more, has risen by 240% since the

country’s recession began.

Shocking figures have revealed that on in three of the young

people interviewed admitted to contemplating suicide and one

in four has self-harmed to cope with the stress of

unemployment.

These statistics are in stark contrast with the recent news that

general unemployment in Scotland is on the decrease and the

Scottish Government has said the latest employment figures,

which puts total employment in Scotland at 2,561,000, is “now

just 1,000 below pre-recession levels” in what has been 13

consecutive month of reported employment growth.

However it is the young people that are left behind that are

cause for concern, those who have spent so much of their

young adult life unemployed and who have lost the urge to try

and find gainful employment due to their mental health issues.

There is hope for Scotland’s young people as the Princes Trust

has plans this year to work with more than 8,000 of those

struggling with unemployment and mental ill health.

Shona Morrison the communications manager for the Princes

Trust in Scotland said:

“Unemployment has long been the cause of mental health

issues with young people and it although issues can arise out

with this unemployment certainly seems to make things worse

for the youth of today.

“Its great to see that unemployment is decreasing in Scotland

amongst young people but that does distract from he fact that

there are still hundreds and thousands of young Scots still

struggling to find work and this issue is one that needs to be

tackled head on

“The Princes Trust is here to tell young people that they are

not alone and that we are here every day to help them back to

work and support them with any training or education they

need to find work. They needn’t struggle alone.”

ONE

David’s Story

THE Princes Trust along with the Macquarie Group Foundation carried out this

important research and have since called upon governments, employers and

health agencies to fund their work with these long term unemployed

youngsters who are suffering from mental ill health.

Fundraiser for the charity and former unemployed youngster David Carr said:

“I lost all motivation to try, after so many knock backs from every job I went

for I just couldn’t handle any more rejection and just reserved myself to the

world of the unemployed.”

“It’s a culture in a way, some young people revel in being unemployed and

getting to do hat they like whereas there as those of us who hate every minute

of it and the fear of being judged for not having a job sends you spiraling

towards depression.”

“It’s the feelings of hopelessness that are the worst, of needing experience to

get a job but nobody willing to give me it”

“Thankfully I started a Get into Cooking course through the Princes Trust and

with the skills I gained I have now go t the confidence to start applying for jobs

again.”

The Princes Trust will continue to work with getting Scotland’s youth who are

still most at risk into employment and help them to get the best start in life.

THE Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival is

a diverse cultural event that covers everything from music

and film to visual art and literature.

This annual festival takes place in venues across Scotland

throughout October and this year will be no different.

The festivals aims are to change people’s preconceived

notions about mental health and change the way we treat

those with mental illnesses.

The festival takes place in venues all across Scotland

including major events in Glasgow and South Lanarkshire.

SMHAFF

Returns

The main aim of our festival has always

been to show support for the arts and

challenge preconceived ideas about

mental health.

“

”

ONE of the most popular aspects

of the festival is the competitions.

First of all there is the SMHAFF

writing competition which in

partnership with bipolar Scotland is

encouraging up and coming writers

to submit their poems, short stories,

diary entries, blogs, letters and

newspaper articles all with the

theme “Power”.

This competition is a new addition

to the festivals lineup as it is making

its debut this year.

The theme of is to encourage a

variety of different perspectives of

how people interpret and perceive

power with the winning entries

being highly commended in a

ceremony at the end of the festival.

Entries for the writing competition must be received no later

than 5pm, Friday 25th July 2014.

Alongside the writing competition aspiring directors are being

asked to submit their short films to the Festival and he winners

films will be screened at the festival and then honoured at the

International Film Awards ceremony.

The competition – now in its eighth

year – is open to both industry

professionals and amateurs alike and

organisers of the festival are keen to

showcase filmmakers who have

grasped a key understanding of mental

health and how they interpret this in

their films.

Christopher Tolmie, who was a

winning film maker with ‘Mental: A

Family experience’ last year, said: “I

felt great pride in what I had achieved,

from the whole process of doing it.

“Speaking to people at the awards

who could relate to it, freely and

openly talk about it, and share

experiences and ideas was for me the

best feeling in the world.”

Previous winning films have

examined issues including ageing, childhood, equality,

friendship, grief, music and sport, as well as specific mental

health conditions.

The closing date for entries is April 11.

Lee Knifton, Festival Director