The UK government’s plan to ‘transform’ attitudes to mental health, with a focus on children and young people, announced by Prime Minister Theresa May, will include additional training for teachers, an extra £15m for community care, and improved support in the workplace.
The government says one in four people has a mental disorder at some point in their life, with an annual cost of £105bn and figures show young people are affected disproportionately with over half of mental health problems starting by the age of 14 and 75% by 18, reports the BBC.
The prime minister said mental health had been ‘dangerously disregarded’ as secondary to physical health and that young women presented the ‘highest mental health risk’.
Medical health experts agreed more funding was needed to improve services and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt told the BBC care for children and young people was a ‘black spot’ that needed urgent attention as the pressures of social media, cyber bullying and a big increase in self-harming was a ‘massive worry for parents’.
The National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) already plays a major role in treating mental issues like stress, anxiety and depression and is ideally placed to assist in dealing with this national problem. It is the UK’s leading not-for-profit hypnotherapy professional association, representing over 1800 professional hypnotherapists.
“All our practising members are fully insured and trained to the highest standards, so you can choose a hypnotherapist with confidence,” says the NCH, adding that the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council – set up with government support to protect the public by providing a UK voluntary register of complementary therapists – recognises NCH verified applications.
This means the General Medical Council (GMC) guidance allows GPs to refer patients to practitioners on the CNHC register and, with therapists across the UK, the NCH can offer support and ease the burden on the NHS and GPs.
Referring to the announcement by Mrs May, mental health charity Sane said the plans needed to ‘be matched by substantially increased funds to mental health trusts’ while Mind said it was ‘important to see the prime minister talking about mental health’ but the proof would be in the difference it made to patients’ day-to-day experiences.
Clinical hypnotherapy has a proven track record in helping people overcome issues with stress and anxiety – which can lead to severe depression – as well as treating things like bullying, peer pressure, exam nerves, fear of public speaking, phobias and other issues which can lead to undue stress and anxiety.
Says the NCH: “Anxiety is a fear or concern that is exaggerated, and is out of proportion to the situation, although sometimes it may not feel like this. The symptoms of anxiety correlate with the stress response or ‘fight-or-flight’.
“This is primal response that protects you against threats in your environment, so if danger is present your body triggers a rush of blood to your arms and legs so that you can fight or run away.”
The body says that, in treating anxiety, a hypnotherapist can help assess the anxiety, identifying the root of stress or anxiety whether it is a situation, a physical issue, a past experience or a relationship.
“Then they will set you a goal asking how you wish to feel, how you would like to be, and things that you would choose to do in your life if you were free of anxiety. The therapist will then work with you to reach your goals using a range of different techniques. Every therapist may use slightly different techniques, but working towards the same goal.”
The important thing, adds the NCH, is that clinical hypnotherapy can be quick, efficient and does not rely on drugs or other invasive treatments.