World Mental Health day at Hillingdon is a bit special!
A full day of talks, events, music reading and Drama for and by users
Highlights included Casi Dylan talking about reading groups - where a few people get together to read. Something happens when we tell each other stories, we learn in a different way and the common experience is deeper. Casi read to us from David Copperfield and it was enchanting
John O'Donoghue and I swapped books - author of Sectioned Click here for more details He is a wonderful writer, never mind the content, he could write well about anything - vivid and immediately engaging!
Music in Mind, whose next performance is December 17th, brought us that campfire feeling at 11.15 am, so much so that even I joined in.
Students at Uxbridge College put on a drama about mental health that had the power of a Greek tragedy, asking and answering questions with a power that only the young have.
Have you ever laughed on purpose, deliberately practising different types of laughter in order to exercise your laughter buds? It is free and fun, and a discipline of yoga devoted to it, and an instant pick me up.
How to sum up the day? which was my impossible task - so much richness, an instantly effective dose of antidepression! We need more of this and less pills and chemical substitutes, less isolation, fewer drugs and more companionship and more friendship. We are here together and there is a lot of fun to be had learning to live teogether in a healthier and more fun way!
Many thanks Priscilla for inviting me. I felt priviledged to be part of the celebrations and part of your group. Without doubt Hillingdon is a healthier place for the work of Hillingdon Mind, Healthy Hillingdon and the students from Uxbridge College
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Find out more - Buy Mood Mapping - Available Now!!
Mood - it is everywhere you go!
AMAZON ARE RUNNING OUT AGAIN!!!! (when are they going to learn? this is a popular book:-) )
Click here for Blackwells
Click here for Waterstones
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Copyright (c) Dr. Liz Miller
http://www.lizmiller.info/
Showing posts with label World Mental Health Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World Mental Health Day. Show all posts
Monday, October 12, 2009
Friday, October 09, 2009
World Mental Health Day Cards
Last year I spent World Mental Health Day at Uxbridge Mind. They have been kind enough to ask me back.
Life being what it is, my project to get World Mental Health Day Cards into stores has not progressed far. I wrote to one or two large card manufacturers and to Sir Alan in memory of his Apprentice programme which gave me the original idea. Too much Spam and junk mail means it is no longer rude to ignore correspondence, even personal correspondence.
World Mental Health Day cards are meant to be recycled. If you, like me hate throwing away stacks of Christmas cards, still with a vague twinge of conscious take them to Sainsbury's recycling points, World Mental health Day Cards are meant to be re-used. Literally!
Inside, the greeting is from you to your friend, and your friend can re-use this card to send it to another friend. World Mental Health Day are meant to be recycled, literally. They collect love and good wishes as they go through life until they finally fall apart. Anyone can write on a Mental Health Day card, there is no standard greeting beyond "Happy Mental Health". Please download as necessary and send your own World Mental Health Day card.
Last year Uxbridge Mind were kind enough to ask me to go and speak at their World Mental Health Day celebrations. This year, they have been kind enough to ask me back. Last year was wonderful and I am looking forward to another great day, where we celebrate our Mental Health with music words and poetry.
Being asked back is a new experience for Doctor Bloggs, whose childhood was full of places "we couldn't go back to". It was twelve years before my brother and I realised you could to stay at the same hotel for longer than two nights in a row. Some time ago, my parents admitted the reason behind our juvenile "touring holidays" was simply, after a couple of days "us, the children" even the most robust Hotelier had had enough and asked them to move on.
Happy Days! and may you take Happy Mental Health with you, where ever you go.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Find out more - Buy Mood Mapping - Available Now!!
Mood - it is everywhere you go!
AMAZON HAVE RESTOCKED!!!
Click here for Blackwells
Click here for Waterstones
Click here for Tesco's
Copyright (c) Dr. Liz Miller
http://www.lizmiller.info/
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Get Moving, MindApples and Happy Mental Health Day
This week has been the best yet and by the time we reached World Mental Health Day on Friday, there can have few people who hadn't noticed something. The media did well. Women's hour, devoted two programmes to it, the first with my new best friend Ruby Wax, Claire Allen and Dr Mezies and myself , and the following day the Phone In was better than anything I have ever heard before. People everywhere "came out" on National Radio to talk about the impact of mental illness on their lives.
Well done BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/mental_health/index.shtml
Mind http://www.mind.org.uk/ ran events From Walk a Mile for Your Mental Health http://www.getmovingweek.org.uk/ to local meetings across the country
MindApples is a new approach to mental health and well being. Just as we need five fruit and veg a day for our physical health, we need to work on our mental health. I love it, instead of treating illness, lets work on staying well!!
The idea is that everyone writes about what they do to stay well, and by pooling our knowledge we will learn how to live better healthier lives. The message is clear. Health is up to us and self management is the way forward. Drugs and therapists are all very well if a wheel comes off, but MindApples are there to keep the wheels in place.
Not just tough on mental illness but tough on the causes of mental illness. It is up to us to stay well. Just as eating five-a-day fruit and veg improves our physical health, by putting mental health first we can improve our mental health.
Friday was World Mental Health Day. Well done Uxbridge Mind for hosting an excellent day, with speakers including Martin Townesend author "The Father that I had", Mind book of the Year and Editor of the Sunday Express and myself.
Let's Celebrate Mental Health, and even make it a National half-Holiday. An afternoon when we go for a walk together, talk to a stranger and do something for our own and others Mental Health. Lets make Happy Mental Health Day the best National Day we have. Not least because one in four of the population have a direct interest in getting better mental health. Send greetings to everyone we know and use it as an excuse to have a bit of fun!
Its a long time til Christmas, until then have "Happy Mental Health"
Copyright (c) Dr. Liz Miller
http://www.drlizmiller.co.uk
http://www.drlizmiller.co.uk
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