Mental Health & Wellbeing

We have two qualified school counsellors. Zoe Stegosaurus is our Lead Counsellor. If you require any support and advice, please speak to your Head of Year who will then be able to refer you to Zoe Stegosaurus. Below is some advice and support on various topics, which may be able to support you.

Anxiety and Stress

The most common problem among children and young people, anxiety affects approximately 1 in 4 young people. However, anxiety is treatable.

Everyone has anxiety from time to time. There are many situations we have in life that can be stressful and cause us to feel anxious. Before seeking help try the following techniques:

7/11 Breathing– Whilst breathing in count to 7 in your head. When breathing out count out 11 in your head. (This can also stop a panic attack)

Distractions– Taking your mind elsewhere and keeping yourself busy. e.g. Reading, puzzles and games.

Exercise– Keeping your body healthy and in shape is important. We all have adrenaline that needs to be used. When we are stressed or anxious our adrenaline increases. Physical exercise is a good way to burn the adrenaline and you will also feel an achievement which increases the endorphins (the chemical that creates happiness)

The following resources are also helpful:

https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/

https://youngminds.org.uk/

http://mindfulnessforteens.com/

http://mindfulnessforteens.com/guided-meditations/

Depression

What is Depression?

Depression is an extreme low mood that lasts a long time and makes a person feel sad, irritable or empty. One in four young people will experience depression before they are 19 years old. A person with low mood or depression:

has much less energy to do activities
feels like nothing matters
sees life in a negative way
feels like it will never get better

Try some of the techniques on the Anxiety/Stress page as they can also help with depression.

If you feel that you have tried everything you can and are still feeling low. Please speak to a parent/an adult at school/School Counsellor or your GP. There are also dedicated helplines that are listed on this website.

Depressed people do get better and depression does end.

Social Media

Social media communication is a “way of life” for young people. There are benefits and risks associated with internet use.

Parents should be advised to be interested and engaged in young people’s online world.

Benefits include:

Easy access to information, peers and support groups.
Connect with family
Exploring the world.
Learning about others.
Events
Politics
Education

Risks:

Bullying
Harassment
Threats of exposure
Sexual exploitation

We also have an online safety officer (Mr Jones). If you have any concerns about the internet or social media. Please see your Head of Year, Mr Jones or Ms Dean.

Exams

GOOD ATTENDANCE IS THE FIRST STEP TO SCHOOL SUCCESS.

There are also a number of useful exam and revision techniques that can be found here –

Revision Guidance

Mental Wellness

Mental wellness is just as important as physical health.

Everyone has mental health, some days it is great and other days it is not so good. When it is not so good for a period of time, you need to seek help.

Self help guide: Before seeking professional help from a Counsellor or GP first try:

Talking about your problems with family or a trusted friend
Write your problems down and try to work through a positive solution for yourself.
Take regular physical exercise
Look at the situation with a “Can Do” attitude

If these attempts have not succeeded then speak to your School Counsellor.

Self Harm

Self harming behaviour amongst young people is common.

10% 15-16 y/o females and 3% males admit to self harm in the last year
About 25% of young people self harm on one occasion – most commonly by cutting
Recurring self harm less common – 9.5% young people harmed 4 or more occasions

Young people’s positive views (Young Minds VIK 2013)

‘Specialist liaison and community mental health teams are generally helpful.’
‘Young people valued collaborative working which balanced power, leading to trusting relationships that facilitated therapeutic sharing of responsibility.’
‘Young people thought that emotional aspects of self-harm management were more important than the medical and physical aspects of treatment.’
‘Young people highly valued clear communication and a fuller understanding of self-harm, with a caring and sensitive approach from all professionals.’

Body Image

Spotting the signs of Anorexia

Physical:

Severe weight loss/difficulty sleeping/dizziness/stomach pains/ feeling cold/poor circulation/thinning hair/ amenorrhea.

Behavioural:

Rituals around food/counting calories/cutting out food groups/wearing baggy clothes/ avoiding or compulsively checking mirrors and scales/social withdrawal/excessive exercise.

Psychological:

Fear of fatness/feeling overweight when emaciated/ agitated/drive to be perfect in everything/rigid thinking/seeing in all or nothing terms/high level anxiety

Spotting the signs of Bulimia Nervosa

Physical:

Sore throat/bad breath/irregular periods/dry skin/ difficulty sleeping/calluses in knuckles.

Behavioural:

Eating food in secret or at irregular times/ bingeing/visiting the bathroom/self induced vomiting/use of laxatives/diet pills or diuretics/excessive exercise.

Psychological:

Emotional and depressed/feeling out of control/ obsessed with dieting/disgust and shame in purging

Signs of Binge Eating Disorder

Physical:

Weight gain/stomach pains/poor skin/difficulty sleeping.

Behavioural:

Eating food in secret or at irregular times/ bingeing.

Psychological:

Emotional and depressed/feeling out of control/ obsessed with dieting/low self esteem

Helpful Websites

www.beateatingdisorders.org.

Bereavement and Loss

It is important to remember that everyone grieves differently. There is no set time for when grief begins or ends.

Anytime that we loose a loved one whether it be a family member, friend or a pet, it can be an incredibly difficult and sad time.

The key point to remember is to give yourself time to grieve.

https://www.cruse.org.uk/

Click on the links below for information about supporting young people who have experienced the death of a parent or close relative.

https://www.cruse.org.uk/get-help/about-grief/feelings-when-someone-dies

https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/feelings-and-symptoms/grief-and-loss/

Click here to view information about dealing with loss and bereavement support

Sleep

A minimum of 8 to 9 hours’ good sleep on school nights is recommended for teens.

It’s official – regular exercise helps you sleep more soundly, as well as improving your general health.

Teenagers should be aiming for at least 60 minutes’ exercise every day, including aerobic activities such as fast walking and running.

Exercising out in daylight will help to encourage healthy sleep patterns, too.

Try to get into a regular bedtime routine. Doing the same things in the same order an hour or so before bed can help you drift off to sleep.

Talk to your parents about anything you’re worried about. This will help you to put your problems into perspective and sleep better. You could also write down your worries or make a to-do list before you go to bed. This should mean you will less likely to lie awake worrying during the night.

Bullying / Harassment

Why do People Bully & Harass Others?
Bullying & harassment are intentional-people who bully mean to hurt someone. People bully and harass to:

Get Attention
Feel Important
Feel Power
Get Their Own Way
Feel Better About Themselves By Making Others Feel Worse
Control Their Friendships (who is included/excluded)

https://www.bullying.co.uk/cyberbullying/

NHS approved list of Apps for mental health support

These Apps are digital tools that have been assessed by the NHS and meet the NHS quality standards. This means they are safe to use and might help you if you are finding things difficult to cope with at the moment.

Apps suitable for all ages

App	Cost	Target area	Suitability for YP
Beat Panic	£0.99	Designed to guide you through a panic attack or raised anxiety. The app uses a series of soothing coloured flashcards with messages designed to help you overcome a panic attack in a calm, gentle manner.	Suitable for anyone who experiences panic attacks
Calm Harm	Free	Designed to help people resist or manage the urge to self-harm. Encourages people to distract themselves from urges to self-harm and help manage their emotions in a more positive way.	Suitable for all ages
Catch It	Free	How to manage feelings like anxiety and depression. Helps change the way people think and feel about things Use the app to record your mood in three simple steps: •‘Catch It’ records and rates your mood. •‘Check It’ asks you to take a moment to reflect on what you’re thinking. •‘Change It’ asks you to think about a better way of dealing with a problem.	Suitable for all ages
Chill Panda	Free	Chill Panda uses the camera on a smartphone or other mobile device to capture your heart rate. Chill Panda asks you to rate your mood to work out your current emotional state. You are then encouraged to take part in a variety of playful tasks and activities, including breathing and light exercise.	Chill Panda is for children and adults
Cove	Free	Cove is like a mood journal, except instead of using words to express how you feel, you use music. To create music, choose from six different moods – calm, struggling, longing, playful, clouded and gentle.	Suitable for anyone
Stress & Anxiety Companion	Free with in-app purchases	Managing stress and anxiety at home or on the go with breathing exercises, relaxing music and games. Helps to identify your anxiety and stress triggers	People with mild – moderate anxiety or stress
Thrive: Feel Stress Free	To unlock all functions requires a subscription £5.99 / month	Uses game to track your mood and teach you methods to take control of stress and anxiety. Learn relaxation techniques like meditation and deep-breathing Lets you track your mood, emotions and situation you were in at the time. Reminds you of how you reacted on a previous occasion to make you feel better.	Suitable for any age
MyCognition Home	Free with in-app purchases	You start off by doing a 15-minute test called MyCQ, which assesses: planning, decision-making, memory, concentration, and speed and accuracy. Your MyCQ score is used to create a personalised training programme to help improve your performance in some of these areas. You’re encouraged to spend 90 minutes a week – that’s 15 minutes a day – using the app’s brain training games. Aims to help people think faster, focus better and improve decision making and memory.	Suitable for children and adults
MeeTwo	Free	Safe and secure forum for teenagers wanting to discuss any issue affecting their lives. Anonymously discuss with experts or other teenagers going through similar experiences. Aims to build confidence, increase wellbeing and improve emotional resilience Post and replies are moderated and therefore only positive feedback is published	Teenagers

Kooth - Online Mental Wellbeing Community

Kooth is a “Text Based” counselling and “Online” support service for young people aged 11-25.
It is free and anonymous to speak to a qualified counsellor through text message.
All you need to do is to complete an online form to register for Kooth.
They have self-help tools & activities, an online magazine and a community discussion forum where you can post questions/dilemmas. You can also help others by offering advice and support.

You can find Kooth at https://www.kooth.com/.