POOR MENTAL HEALTH ON THE (NHS) FRONT LINE
Due to intense demands of their job, first responders (such as paramedics) were already a high-risk group for mental health issues, such as depression and PTSD. They are 13 times more likely to attempt suicide than the general population. To make matters worse, as a group, they are less likely to seek support for mental health issues.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 has only made this situation worse…
SOLUTION: MEET 'THE FEELINGS'
To help support first responders with their mental health, we decided to identify language that resonates with the more challenging emotional states they may experience. We then visualised these emotional states as curious little characters, so they can be acknowledged, explored, talked about and better understood.
And then, we wrote a song about them...
When you’ve done everything you can but it’s still not
enough and it all keeps slipping away…
Overwhelming feeling of helplessness and hopelessness because you are continually faced with situations that are beyond your control.
You’re exhausted from the fight and can no longer find the will to keep trying because you fear your efforts will be proved futile once more, so you feel like giving up completely.
When you notice that the smallest things can
send you into a fit of fury…
Anger can be used as a masking emotion - we sometimes experience anger to avoid feeling pain. We also usually feel angry when we feel powerless.
People operating under high-stress levels, will often displace their anger, or show disproportionate anger.
When you notice that the smallest things can
send you into a fit of fury…
Anger can be used as a masking emotion - we sometimes experience anger to avoid feeling pain. We also usually feel angry when we feel powerless.
People operating under high stress levels, will often displace their anger, or show disproportionate anger.
When everything feels heavy and sludgy, and the future looks bleak...
Feelings of depression or low mood, possibly for a prolonged period of time, so it feels hopeless.
Low energy. Your limbs feel heavy. You can’t get out of bed in the morning or be bothered to get dressed. Even brushing your teeth seems pointless.
Everything looks grey.
Everything tastes bland.
Everything seems pointless.
When you simply can’t shake off the sadness,
and it follows you home…
Feelings of depression but also of real sadness. When you’re sitting in the pain or engulfed by it. Potentially crying a lot,
or easily at things.
Different to Black Cloud as because you feel the hurt and connect with the pain, rather than feeling the nothingness.
But the emotions are still overwhelming.
When something is too big or painful to process,
so you feel nothing at all…
Disengaging emotionally. Putting your feelings about something in a little box and burying it down deep because it’s too painful or potentially traumatic to go there.
Disallowing particular feelings and using lots of avoidance strategies, which may be done either consciously or unconsciously.
Also, from a practical perspective, there may also not be time to process emotions fully before ‘resetting’ for the next patient.