Lancashire nurse hosting online family mental health sessions

Now Sam Tyrer, the brains behind social enterprise Change Talks, which delivers educational workshops promoting emotional well-being in schools, is hosting a series of free online family mental health sessions offering advice for children and parents.

Sam, who is teaming up with mindset coach Dave Cottrell, was inspired to create the videos after talking to various teachers across Lancashire and South Cumbria, who said that anxiety and self-harming have increased among their pupils. The project also follows a rise in calls to mental health charities.

The 27-year-old said: "Something has to be done. Many pupils feel they can't control the virus, so they turn to cutting to cope. It's a way of expressing themselves, as they don't have the same communication skills as adults.

"But it leaves them in constant pain. They feel guilty about it afterwards and end up cutting themselves more. It becomes a never-ending cycle."

Sam says Year 7 to 8 pupils are concerned about being isolated and losing friends, while older teenagers are worried about contracting Covid-19 or a loved one dying.

"It must be hard for them. We don't know how long the lock-down is going to last, and it'd be difficult for those transitioning from primary to high school. Isolation will have a big effect on anxiety levels at that age. It's the fear of the unknown," he said.

"It will also be hard for pupils who have also put a lot of work into their grades, and have now been told their final exams won't take place."

Seeing their parents panicking can also make children more anxious, according to Sam.

That's why the sessions are designed to help both generations shift their focus onto the things they can control.

One of the ways people can practice this at home is to consider how social media is impacting their emotional well-being and unfollow anyone, or any organisation, that triggers them or makes them feel anxious or uncomfortable.

"There's all sorts of information that circulates, so only follow pages that are reliable, like NHS England or the Department of Health, as well as people or groups that are promoting positive things, making you feel happy or teaching you skills," said Sam.

He also believes the deterioration of mental health among young people reflects society as a whole. Families might be dealing with several issues at once, including bereavement, money worries and the pressures of juggling life as both a parent and key worker - and children could learn unhealthy coping mechanisms from their elders.

"I'm concerned that following this pandemic, Britain's mental health crisis will worsen," he said.

"I've had mental health issues in the past but even if I hadn't, I'd still struggle now.

"There have been a few suicides due to the impact of Covid-19. I read that a man in his thirties killed himself because he was scared of catching the virus.

"And I think more people will develop social anxiety, and there'll be bereavement issues because families can't see their loved ones before they die. It's heartbreaking.

"And NHS staff could suffer from PTSD. It's traumatic for doctors and nurses holding people's hands, knowing they can't see their family. A lot of them will end up burning out. I have so much respect for them."

Sam also highlights the financial impact of lock-down, with businesses falling through, and says there has been an increase in online gambling, which could plunge some families into debt.

"It's why we need to put more mental health support in place," he added.

"We're really going to push it in the next couple of months."

Sam is also encouraging people to continue to go to A&E if they need urgent support.

"Don't think you can't - the help is still there and there are people willing to offer it," he said.

Sam and Dave's sessions have been designed with families in mind, to help parents and children talk to each other about a range of topics, including anxiety, self-compassion, depression, negative thoughts, body image, eating disorders, and positive thinking.

Suggestions for topics are welcome.

As Sam said: "They offer a good opportunity for people with children at home to sit down together and talk about it afterwards. It normalises those conversations in families."

The sessions will be screened live every Tuesday at 10am. They will then be uploaded to Youtube.

To access them, visit www.twitch.tv/mindsetbydave

Mental health helplines

- To contact a crisis team in Preston call 01772 773433 or to speak to the Chorley and South Ribble team ring 01772 773525.

- For free and confidential support regarding suicidal thoughts, call HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141, text 07860 039967 or send an email to [email protected]

- Alternatively, contact Samaritans for free on 116 123 or [email protected]