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Understanding mental health
We all have mental health, just as we all have physical health, and it can ebb and flow throughout our lives. Find out more about some of the most common mental health conditions that might affect you, your colleagues and your loved ones.
Dealing with a mental health condition can be a long and difficult journey, requiring understanding not only about the condition itself but also on what you can do to help yourself and others. Before starting your journey, why not complete our short wellbeing assessment which will provide you with a personalised wellbeing rating based on your responses, and will assist you in identifying the help that might be available to support your mental wellbeing.
Mental health | Low mood | Depression | Anxiety | Borderline personality disorder | Maternal mental health | Other conditions
Mental health
How to talk to your GP about your mental health
Get the most out of your GP appointment with top tips to help you prepare.
Get more men talking
Book of Man editor Martin Robinson hosts an enlightening conversation that tackles male mental health head-on, looking at where we are now and what needs to happen next to encourage more men to open up.
Mental health clubs for men
Find support and friendship at grassroots clubs for men based around talking, walking and sharing skills.
Men, it’s OK to reach out, and here’s why it’s important
When was the last time you spoke to a friend, colleague or family member about how you feel? How you really feel? Gender stereotypes can be damaging for both men and women, and when it comes to opening up about our mental health, for many men the pressure to be ‘strong’ or ‘the breadwinner’ has led to a culture of silence.
Nine ways to be a mental health ally
Learning how to be an effective ally can help you tackle tricky situations, and support others through your everyday interactions.
How to be your own mental health ally
From shushing your relentless inner critic to the importance of learning from your good days, Andrea Woodside, wellbeing training lead at the Retail Trust, explains to editor and writer Miranda Eason how to be a brilliant mental health ally to yourself.
Glossary of mental health terms
Get to grips with the key mental health terms and acronyms with our back-to-basics glossary.
A helping hand: six steps towards supporting your colleagues
If you spot someone struggling at work, these tips can help you to support them in the right way.
Low mood
Understanding low mood
Feeling low from time to time is part of life. Find out how to recognise low mood, what we can learn from it and tips to lift it.
Your wellbeing assessment
Complete our short wellbeing assessment which will provide you with a personalised wellbeing rating based on your responses and will assist you in identifying the help that might be available to support your mental wellbeing.
Depression
How to manage depression
There are various types of depression. Learn more about them, as well as the signs and symptoms of depression, self-help strategies and treatments.
Anxiety
How to manage anxiety
Anxiety is something we all experience from time to time. Learn more about the causes of anxiety as well as tips for managing it, and ways to help someone who’s suffering.
Managing anxiety in testing times
From breathing techniques to guided imagery, try these tools to help manage anxiety levels.
Managing health anxiety
Health anxiety is an unfounded, sometimes all-consuming worry about having, or developing, a serious medical condition. Learn about managing health anxiety in these uncertain times.
Don’t panic: how to keep calm under pressure
Joshua Fletcher, aka The Anxiety Geek, is a psychotherapist and author who specialises in working with anxiety-related conditions. A previous sufferer of several anxiety diagnoses that followed a tragic life event, Josh is now one of the leading voices on anxiety disorders and he uses his knowledge to help and educate others through his best-selling self-help books, his podcast The Panic Pod and on social media @AnxietyJosh.
How to keep calm under pressure
Navigating stressful scenarios, managing conflict and how to thrive under pressure.
Borderline personality disorder
Understanding borderline personality disorder
Find out more about the symptoms, causes and treatments of borderline personality disorder (BPD).
Maternal mental health
Perinatal depression
Pregnancy can be an exciting and happy time but for some women, perinatal depression can make the experience very challenging. Affecting up to 20% of expectant mums, this form of depression is serious and debilitating but help is available.
Postnatal depression
Welcoming a new baby can be one of the most exciting times in a person’s life but for some women, struggling with their mental health can mean that it’s not as enjoyable as it could be. Postnatal depression affects about 10% of new mums and it’s important to know where to get help if you’re affected.
The baby blues
About 80% of new mums experience the baby blues. While it’s a difficult experience, symptoms tend to lift within 14 days of giving birth. Learn what signs to look out for.
Other mental health conditions
Understanding panic attacks
Panic attacks can be very scary and have a significant impact on quality of life. Learn more about them, as well as how to look after yourself and others during a panic attack, and ways to reduce your risk of further attacks.
Understanding personality disorders
Our personality is made up of the way in which our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours work together to make us the unique people we are. But for some people, the way they think, feel, and behave cause significant barriers to wellbeing on a day-to-day basis. In such cases, a personality disorder may be diagnosed. The good news is that there is help available for people living with a personality disorder, and no one needs to suffer in silence.
Understanding bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental health problem characterised by marked changes in mood, ranging from extreme highs (mania) to extreme lows (depression). It’s thought that between 1% and 2% of the UK adult population live with this condition.
Understanding post-traumatic stress disorder
A traumatic event can cause anyone to feel anxious, scared and distressed. It’s estimated that one in three people who have been exposed to a traumatic event will go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or complex-post traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD).
Understanding psychosis
There are many causes of psychosis, a state in which someone has difficulties determining what is real and what is not. Symptoms can include seeing things that are not there, or hearing voices when alone. Treatment depends on the root cause, but there is help available and recovery is possible with the right type of timely support.
Understanding obsessive compulsive disorder
Obsessive compulsive disorder, often referred to as OCD, affects approximately 1% of people in the UK. Categorised as an anxiety disorder, OCD is often misunderstood. Learn more about the condition and the treatments available.
Understanding schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a severe long-term mental health condition affecting roughly 1% of people in the UK. Treatments are available but lifelong monitoring is required to offer the best chance of returning to a life of quality.
Understanding body dysmorphia
Body dysmorphia is a mental health condition in which a person perceives their body to appear very differently than it does in reality. It’s much more than just being unhappy with the way that your body looks and it can cause serious problems for people in all areas of their lives. There is help and treatment available for people living with this condition, and no one needs to suffer in silence.
Understanding premenstrual dysphoric disorder
Many women suffer from premenstrual syndrome (PMS) around the time of their period, but others live with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a very severe form of PMS. PMDD can make life extremely emotionally and physically difficult every month during the week or two before their menstrual cycle. Sometimes referred to as ’severe PMS’, there is help available for women who are suffering in silence.
Understanding dissociative disorders
Dissociative disorders belong to a range of mental health conditions that can cause serious physical and psychological difficulties. Although some dissociative disorders are very short-lived, perhaps following a traumatic life event, and resolve on their own over a matter of weeks or months, others can last much longer. Learn more about these disorders and how to access support if you’re affected.
Understanding seasonal affective disorder
As the nights draw in, we can all feel ourselves becoming tired, low, and frustrated. But for about 3% of the UK population, this time of the year can cause a type of depression known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. This article explores the condition and treatments.
Understanding phobias
A phobia is defined by a persistent and overwhelming fear of an object, place, animal, or situation. A phobia is much more than an aversion – at its most extreme, a phobia can cause people to go to great lengths to avoid the source; they may stop working, avoid socialising, or become unable to leave their home due to the anxiety they encounter. Many people feel shame about their phobia but there is no need – phobias are not as uncommon as you might think, and there is help out there to help you to get back to your usual self.
An A to Z of phobias
The following is not an exhaustive list of phobias but represent some of the more common ones.
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