‘We can build on what works well for us’
‘Encountering difficulty remains a fact of life,’ writes Lisa Ogilvie (p6) and we know that for many people involved with treatment services, the dice have been loaded against them from the minute they were born. But as we look for opportunities around Mental Health Awareness Week (9-15 May) she offers advice on developing strategies to boost resilience and improve wellbeing. The model is based on identifying character strengths so we can all build on what works well for us and reframe what doesn’t – an empowering and motivating message.
Of course there’s much to do in changing the landscape to a fairer outlook for everyone, and the Anti-Stigma Network (p15) aims to be inclusive and ambitious, harnessing its members’ ideas and initiatives to campaign for change. DDN is fully involved in the campaign, and we hope you will be too. Listening to lived experience is important, and we should never forget that in any context. Chrissie’s story (p20) is a reminder that management decisions must involve the people they affect – in this case a dedicated mental health nurse with years of experience. What choice did she have but to walk away – but what an opportunity missed.
Read the May issue as an online magazine or download the PDF here
Claire Brown, editor
Please send your letters and comment to claire@cjwellings.com