My name is Marie Duffy, and for the past few years I have been involved as a youth advisor to youth organisations such as www.spunout.ie and Headstrong (The National Centre for Youth Mental Health).
During this time I have attended and spoken at many conferences on youth mental health, and it is a subject I am extremely passionate about. As someone who comes from a rural area in Donegal, I know how difficult it is to find information on local mental health services, not to mention the difficulty in actually accessing them.
Talking to young people I realised that many of them wanted information specific to Donegal, but mostly they wanted practical advice on how they could help manage stress levels so they didn’t have to attend a doctor. Those who did attend a doctor spoke of their shock at being given a prescription, but yet no practical advice on how to feel better.
So I decided to start a blog called Unwind Your Mind in which other young people would speak of what they did to de-stress.
As afterall, who knows what will help young people achieve wellbeing, than young people themselves?
Contact me: Drop me an email on unwindyourmind1@gmail.com
You can find me on Linkedin
Hi Marie,
What a great site. I will do my utmost to promote it. I am the Chairperson of the Openarmsproject which is a suicide awareness group set up by young people who feel a need to raise issues with regard to suicide awareness. We could link in and maybe work together somehow. Contact me anytime.
Yours
Ger
Great Blog Marie,
I posted a response on one of your other pages.
The Suicide rate among young people in Australia is also shockingly high and growing. Increased 300% in the past 20 years alone. The USA has similar figures, it’s worldwide!
I’m starting up a new, non-profit organization either in Australia or Ireland in the near future, (hopefully we’ll be in operation by mid 2011) called, ‘Reasons for Being – Preventing Teenage Suicide’. Our program will focus on helping young people discover a reason and a meaning to their lives that will lift them out of depression.
I ran a similar program with long term unemployed people in Australia a few years ago. The vast majority of the people taking our course were of course chronically depressed after being unemployed for years, some were suicidal. The program had truly remarkable results. I have found that once a person has discovered a reason and a meaning for their life, (A reason and meaning that comes from themselves, not some thing that is put into them) that then gives them the direction and the enthusiasm needed to lift them out of depression quickly and permanently.
I believe we can make a difference, I hope a big difference,
Please contact me on; brianoraleigh@hotmail.com
Brian O’Raleigh.
Hi Marie
What a great blog ! Keep up the good work…if you think I could help or need any advice please let me know…only too happy to help
Mark from Lucca
Great site and blog. We will feature it in our monthly CDP newsletter for the Cloughaneely area – Glór don Phobal. It might be useful to list the 9 Donegal CDPs as community resources who offer youth supports and services.
Once again well done and we will be encouraging the young people we work with and our Youth Work volunteers to check in here regularly – and subscribe.
Paul Kernan @ teh YARD Centre, Falcarragh
Thanks Paul. If you have anyone who would like to contribute for it- please feel free to email me or leave a message on facebook or here on the blog.
It’s great that you’re promoting it
and yes I’m always trying to add things to the services directory so will def add them.
It would be great if you could get your young people to add us on bebo or facebook
Marie
Well done. It’s great to see you doing something. I agree with you that it’s important to improve the mental health services for young people in Ireland. I’m in Cork and we have similar issues here.
I look forward to reading your blog as it develops and telling others about it. Every drip helps.
Thanks Paul- I’ve never tried to do anything like this before so it really is a work in progress
It would be great if you could pass on the word, or if you know of any young person who would like to contribute point them in my direction.
Marie