1. Mental Health – My Story
Section Title
Mental Health – My Story
School Assembly

2. Mental Health We all have physical health and mental health.
Our physical and our mental health will vary.
1 in 10 young people will experience a mental health problem such as depression, anxiety, an eating disorder or psychosis.
When we experience a mental health problem, it can affect our thinking and feelings, our mood, and our ability to relate to others as we usually would.

3. Young People’s Experiences
We will now watch a video of a young person called Chris talk about his experiences of a mental health problem.
The video can be found on youtube here

4. ? ? Chris’ Story What triggered Chris’ illness?
He had experienced a sporting injury and was deprived of sleep.
What were his original symptoms?
He was feeling paranoid and highly anxious.
Do people recover from mental health problems?
Yes absolutely, the majority of people recover from health problems, particularly if they’ve sought help early. ? ?
More information:
There are lots of possible factors which might contribute to the development of a mental health problem, including a traumatic event, brain chemistry, bullying, deprivation. Everyone’s experience is different and anyone can develop a mental health problem, regardless of age, race, religion or gender.
Definition of psychosis; psychosis is the term used to describe a type of mental health issue that seriously affects the way that a person thinks or feels and where the person can lose contact with reality (more info at Symptoms can include: anxiety, very low or high moods, hearing voices or experiencing delusions. As mentioned above, psychosis can be induced by a range of factors including drug use. It is important to seek medical support early, to be best placed to experience a full recovery.
If you are concerned about you own or a friend’s mental health, talk to a teacher or an adult you trust. Help and support is available.

5. How you can help
“Sometimes he just knew. He’d give me a big hug and I’d feel safer and happier for it.”
Lauren
“He was there for me in my hardest time. He’d text me to chat about the telly and other normal stuff.”
Rob
“Something as simple as a text can turn a bad day into a good day.”
Victoria
“I let her know that I was there to have a laugh or to listen – whatever she wanted.” Su

6. Mental health affects us all
“Everyone takes time to recover, whether it’s from a physical illness or a mental illness and you shouldn’t be treated any different either way”
Chris ? ?
Discuss with the person next to you:
What are 2 small things which might make a big difference to someone going through a tough time?

7. Section Title
Thank You