According to the mental health charity Mind (https://www.mind.org.uk), “Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year and in England, 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (such as anxiety and depression) in any given week”.

Most of us ensure that we look after our physical health – if we have a problem, we go and see our GP.

10 October is World Mental Health Day so this is a good reminder that we should look after our mental health too.

Some of the warning signs that you or someone you know could be living with mental health problems are:

• Eating or sleeping too much or too little
• Distancing yourself from your friends and family
• Arguing with family and friends
• Losing interest in regular activities
• Having little or no energy
• Feeling numb or like nothing matters
• Having unexplained aches and pains
• Feeling helpless or hopeless
• Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual
• Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared
• Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships
• Having persistent thoughts and memories you can’t get out of your head
• Thinking of harming yourself or others
• Struggling to perform daily tasks like taking care of your family or getting to work or school