The Safehouse supports people with a wide range of mental health needs including personality disorder, bipolar disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, dementia and schizophrenia.
Many who have chosen The Safehouse to support them have endured a number of hospital admissions and may exhibit physically and/or verbally aggressive and/or self-injurious behaviour.
We enable people with mental health needs to fulfil their potential on a long-term basis. Once The Safehouse has been chosen to provide mental health support, individuals are involved in many aspects of planning their services which enables us to provide a bespoke plan, undertake detailed care and create person-centred relapse prevention plans. Alongside this, we measure the progress of the people we support towards realistic outcomes set by themselves, which is a fundamental part of the recovery process.
Our pro-active staff support initiatives to help people relearn the skills required for daily living in order for them to move towards increased independence and minimised support. In our experience, this not only helps to increase social and emotional wellbeing but also decreases the stigma that can be attached to people with mental health needs.
How Do We Define Mental Health?
Our mental health refers to our emotional, psychological and social wellbeing. The state of our mental health impacts the way we feel about ourselves and our lives, how we think and how we behave. It impacts:
How we function at work or school
Our relationships with friends and family
How to cope with the stresses and worries of normal life
Our ability to carry out our personal responsibilities
Our physical health. For example, high stress levels can increase our chances of getting a stress-related illness
It’s normal for all of us to have difficult emotions from time to time. For most people, these feelings are only temporary and won’t cause any long-term problems. However, for some people, these negative feelings can become worse over time and lead to the development of a mental health condition.
Struggling with your mental health doesn’t mean you’re weak and it’s not something that’s all in your head. If your mental health problems are persistent and ongoing, it’s a brave and important step to admit that you need support. Statistics on mental health show that 1 in 6 people report experiencing symptoms of common mental health problems in any given week. It’s likely it’s affecting more people around you than you realise.
How are Mental Health Conditions Treated?
Once a mental health professional, like a consultant psychiatrist, has assessed your symptoms and individual needs, they can work with you to establish what will be the most effective treatments for you.
Treatment programmes can be in the form of:
Inpatient (residential)
Day care and outpatient
Therapy
Medication
Wellness activities
When to Get Mental Health Help
If your struggles with mental health are persisting, it might be time to consider getting professional support. Here are some next steps.
Signs you’re struggling with your mental health
Mental health disorders have their own set of unique symptoms, but if you’re experiencing some of the following it could be a sign you need treatment:
You’re constantly worried, sad, on edge, or going through other difficult emotion
Your feelings are having a negative effect on your quality of life
You no longer find enjoyment in things you used to
You have thought about hurting yourself
Mental Health Diagnosis
If your symptoms are persisting, it’s really important to make steps to get treatment and start your journey to feeling better. This can start with an appointment with your GP. They can evaluate your symptoms, offer a potential diagnosis and outline which treatment might be best for you.