Mental health services in the UK have always been hard to access. In the last past 5 years, they can no longer meet the needs of the increasing numbers of suffering individuals. The recuring question is "Why are more people diagnosed with depression/ADHD/ BPD?" So, what is happening?
John - Paul ford Rojas recently wrote in The Daily Mail: "Britain is suffering its longest sick note epidemic for 25 years as 2.7MILLION people claim they are too ill to work and holding back the country's economic growth in the process" Please, read: "People claim they are too ill to work" Meaning: "They are lying and work shy." "Holding the economy back:" Meaning:" The current disastrous state of the economy is the fault of all those liars and work shy individuals." All following the popular retheorises. Take Mel Stride, for instance who declared: "Mental health culture has gone too far." And "Normal anxiety life are being labelled as an illness."
For 13 years, under a Conservative government. people suffering with mental illnesses, have been subjected to increasing abuse and mistreatment, in the forms of Work Capability Assessments, the creation of Universal Credit, with a long process to get first payments, penalising individuals for minor errors, placing them into distressing living and emotional conditions; some losing their lives waiting for support and care, others dying by suicide, pushed to their limits.
UN warns UK government 'demonises' disabled people with 'onerous' benefits system: "Rosemary Kayess, the chair of UNCRPD, said: "We see a reform agenda that is framed in a political narrative that demonises disabled people, including proposals to cut disability benefits to reward working people by cutting taxes, which tells disabled people they are undeserving citizens." Later, She adds: "Reforms within social welfare benefits are premised on a notion that disabled people are undeserving and skiving off and defrauding the system. This has resulted in hate speech and hostility towards disabled people." Indeed hate speech and hostility towards disabled people has never been higher.
The constant dehumanization of disabled people has been brough a few times now, to the UN but, no concrete actions have been put in place for change. As the general Election approached, it is clear what Labour and Conservative parties are planning further attacks on their most vulnerable citizens - anyone who is sick, living in poverty, and unemployed. Liz Kendall, Labour's Shadow Work Secretary declared, on the 4th of March 2024: " Under Labour party, if you can work there will be no options of a life on benefits." The Standard read as follow: "Labour has promised tougher measures on handing out benefits payments as it sets out plans to reduce the number of young people out of work, education or training." If their promise is to support young people to get easier access to work, or apprenticeships , that is great but, "Labour has promised tougher measure on handling out benefits" feels like more unnecessary punishment and pressure instead of making sure, these young vulnerable adults have a safe and supportive system in place while they work things out and heal. There are plans for DWP to have access to benefits' claimants bank accounts, just to make sure they aren't lying and committing fraud.
The standards of living in the UK has seriously plummeted, with "The Cost of Living Crisis", ever increasing food, bills, mortgage/ rent etc..., Even those who work can't afford a descent life style. Working doesn't pay enough anymore. Getting into University, puts young adults in debt for most of their lives and no longer guaranties a good job/ life. There is a constant fear of becoming homeless, of losing everything; which all creates stress, anxiety and depression and trauma for parents and their children. Stressed and unhappy parents make stressed and unhappy children. People are struggling to survive: how can they be fully present for their children? These situations creates Attachment Trauma. Small and big kids not getting what they need more than anything: loving, caring and available parents. These little ones will grow up with difficulties such as ADHD, depression, anxiety., and more. They will be labelled as difficult, attention seeking, childish.
Adults survivors of child abuse (whether mental, emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse.) have already been through hell, trying to managed a life of total despair. If some get out of the abusive parental home/ or care setting, in one piece, they will have more difficulties than others to build their adult life. Some will fit well into society - workaholism, being forever busy, are also trauma responses, which are celebrated, but, still, these individuals are left alone to carry their pain. Society doesn't mind nor cares if you are struggling, as long as you can play the rat race game, even to the detriment of your health and happiness.
For those whose trauma manifests as depression, anxiety and lethargy: having great difficulties to even go out the in the world, feeling frozen in fear and in sadness, with no one to turn to, and for those dealing with inflammatory illnesses, with chronic pain as well as mental illness, who really can't "actively participate in the economy", they are doomed to suffer even more. They are dealing with having to beg for emotional and financial support they need and deserve. They are more likely to be dismissed by GP or so called mental health experts. They are constantly bullied in the news, in the papers and in politicians' speeches. They are hunted down and pushed to death by DWP - IT IS BULLYING AND PERSECUTION.
Suicide rate rise in England “very concerning, says charity." Nic Paton wrote, on 8 Apr 2024, for Occupational Health Plus. "In all, 5,579 suicides were registered in England in 2023. In response, the mental health charity Mind has called the figures “very concerning”. Jen Walters, Mind executive director of social change, said: “Even one suicide is one too many. The causes of suicide are many, complex, and vary from one person to another." She added: “What we do know is we are still feeling the seismic effects from the pandemic, and the cost-of-living crisis is continuing to have a devastating impact on society. We must do much more to reverse this.”
You can read about my own experience of suffering with mental illness, as a result of severe child abuse, which was labelled as BPD, and how it has affected my work life, on the page - About Sylvie. Suffice to say the messages we are receiving through the media - social, newspapers and News - as well as from politicians: "You are lazy. You are not wanted here. Everything is your fault and you deserve your "lifestyle". You are useless to us. You are just pretending to be ill, so you don't have to work." resonates strongly with the words I grew up hearing, from my biggest bully: my own mother. It is triggering, cruel and abusive.
Take gentle care of yourselves - it isn't easy to live in a such a cruel society.
Sylvie
You can read:
- The Office of National Statistics' latest release, Suicides in England and Wales Statistical bulletins
- On Winter Turns into Spring: The impact our environment has on our mental health.
- I tell my story in The Blossoming Lotus
What is it Life Coaching? What isn't Life Coaching?
It is a
partnership between a Life Coach and a client.
The coach facilitates a safe space and creates a positive rapport in order for the client to identify the inner blocks to their goals, hindering their happiness. Life Coaching helps the client to identify their own goals, to find their own solutions and achieve personal growth and transformation.
Life Coaching isn’t therapy. Although we acknowledge most inner blocks have their roots in the client’s past, we don’t dwell deep on it (this is best done in a therapeutic setting), but, with the client’s permission, we can explore how the "Then and There" affects the "Here and Now", and how the client can move forward, with Self-Compassion.
If I feel a client could benefit from ongoing therapy, I will advise they do so.
My approach is trauma informed. What is trauma? What does "Trauma Informed" means and how does it fit in with Life Coaching?
Trauma is the impact any significant event that has a lasting adverse effect on an individual’s happiness and well-being. The earlier and the longer lasting the stressful event in an individual’s life, the deeper the debilitating effect on a person’s happiness and well-being are.
“Trauma-informed coaching happens when the coach understands what trauma is, how it presents in the coaching room and how to respond. All this, within established coaching boundaries and contracts.”
Julia Vaughan Smith –
Coaching and Trauma
I have personal and professional experience of trauma and have a real understanding of its impact on mind, body and spirit.
What is Self-Compassion?
Self-compassion is extending compassion to oneself in instances of perceived inadequacy, failure, or general suffering.
Dr Kristin Neff,
PhD, has pioneered and defines self-compassion as being composed of three main components –
mindfulness, common humanity, and self-kindness.
Self-compassion is facing our deepest fears, outdated self-beliefs and our perceived inadequacies with loving kindness towards oneself, by learning to take the time to acknowledge when we are hurting (Mindfulness) , by reminding ourselves how suffering is part of the our human experience and we all experience it (to some degree), we aren’t as alone as we think we are (common Humanity ) and, finally, by taking time to sooth and to love ourselves though our pain as we would with a dear friend of ours (Self-Kindness).
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How does Self-Compassion and Trauma Informed Coaching work?
Oftentimes, our deepest fears, outdated self-beliefs and perceived inadequacies, are the very things blocking us from creating a happy, fulfilled life, and building happy relationships, tailored to our needs and aspirations.
These blocks have roots in our past, whether we are aware of this or not, and will impact our thoughts, feeling and our behaviour as well as on how we perceive ourselves and the world around us. The more severe a past trauma, such as Child Sexual Abuse, the stronger the blocks, which are survival/ defence mechanisms created in childhood in order to survive extreme violence and neglect.
They are also natural responses to abuse and neglect,
when the child really has no one to turn to.
In Coaching, there is an opportunity for the client to explore how the past has an impact on the present and focus on what the client can achieve NOW by becoming their own best friend through anything life throws at them and by having compassion for what they have been through. I will provide the space, the support and some tools (such as reading materials, meditations practice etc...), when necessary, to support clients on their journey.
The coaching process will be led by the client. It will be tailored to the client’s needs, with the client’s approval.
The coaching will be most effective if the client is willing and ready to commit
100% to their journey of self-discovery and healing. During Trauma Informed and Self- Compassion based Life Coaching sessions, the client will learn to approach their biggest blocks and find their inner resources of loving kindness and compassion towards themselves.
If you are interested and ready to transform your life, with self-compassion and tender loving care towards yourself, please, contact me for a FREE 30-minute Skype/ Zoom or phone assessment.
(See Notice Board below for more info)
I am looking forward to hearing from you,
Sylvie
Thank you for contacting me.
I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Kind Regards,
Sylvie
Notice Board
Zoom or Teams
For those who would prefer to have their Life Coaching sessions, remotely, I use Zoom and Microsoft Team.
Venues for face-to-face sessions
TBC
Life Coaching sessions available from January 2023
My Fees
- 30 Minutes Skype/ Zoom or phone
assessment:
FREE
-
Full price
-
£80. (8 to 10 sessions
in total.)
-Concession prices: £60 (8 to 10 sessions in total.)
If you are experiencing financial hardship, such as unemployment or long-term disability, I offer limited places on concession fees. Please, contact me to discuss.
All payments via bank transfer.