The Missing Link

Sarah Jarman - 14 May 21

I am writing this as we approach the end of Mental Health Awareness Week. For the past few days my social media feed has been graffitied with well-meaning quotes, promises to ‘be there’ and articles highlighting individual struggles. It has been both heart-warming and reassuring to hear from people who have had their lives turned around, it’s more important than ever to ensure an end to the stigma that mental health issues have seen. However, is a week enough? Are we doing all that we can for those affected? From as young as five I could see the impacts that depression has, there are numerous members of my family who have suffered in some way. From personal experience I can honestly say we are a long way from seeing the perfect balance between suffering and treatment.

Last Summer I had a spell of headaches. I am autoimmune so my doctors investigated my blood count and changed my meds but I was told should they get no better I could start a course of mild anti-depressants which might help. Yesterday I was on the phone to someone who is in their second trimester of pregnancy and has been feeling down. She reported these feelings to her midwife, who listened carefully, and went on to contact a psychiatric specialist. While I was on the phone a letter arrived for her with the instructions to begin a course of antidepressants. After I had my first daughter, I went through a stage of feeling dizzy and ‘off’. I explained my symptoms to my GP and was diagnosed with post-natal anxiety, she could recommend, you guessed it, antidepressants.

According to GOV.UK 7.3 million people here in the United Kingdom take antidepressants. That is almost a fifth of the UK’s adult population. This number soared over lockdown, which is understandable, we were all faced with remarkable situations that none of us could have predicted and our mental health was bound to be impacted, but were the drugs always necessary? If you ask Google what antidepressants do, the NHS website states, ‘it is not known exactly how antidepressants work’ ‘it is thought they work by increasing levels of chemicals called neurotransmitters (which are) linked to mood and emotion.’ Given we do not even fully understand them, should they be the first port of call in helping mental health issues?

Before I go down this road, I do wish to say I am by no means a doctor. I know, in many cases, there are no other options but meds. I have seen various stages of anxiety disorders, depression and bipolar and I am not blind to the fact that without medical treatment some people may not be in my life and I am so grateful that there is treatment available. However, if a mum to be is having a wobble, if someone is struggling being stuck within the four walls of their home, if there has been a family falling out that has weighed heavily, affecting the ability to think positively, should we always turn to meds?

I vote before meds are administered, we should try one of several alternative therapies available, Cognitive behavioural Therapy (CBT), for example, is a talking therapy which can help manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave. Hypnotherapy can teach vital grounding techniques for anxiety. Counselling, simply talking through our problems can take a massive weight off our minds. We live in a country where it takes three miscarriages before help is given. Parents grieving the loss of their baby can go to their GP and be given antidepressants but not the emotional support that is needed to help them through the various stages of grief. One of the most prominent quotes from this week was ‘You wouldn’t wait for every bone in a person’s body to break before you treat their broken arm.’ Please don’t stop fighting for mental health support. Continue to champion for early intervention, for counselling, for alternative therapies to encourage us to change the way we see the world. Don’t simply slip a pill and send people on their way, drugs aren’t always the answer.

Sarah Jarman

Primarily a Mum, aspiring Author, Freelance Writer and Artist, Blogger, Foodie and Jewellery Designer just having fun doing all the things I love! My portfolio available to view over on my website www.saspsdesigns.com

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