It’s not a secret that times are hard. Whether it’s politics, world events such as the war in Ukraine or global warming, the cost of living crisis, the time of year (as I write this, there’s a blanket of fog outside and it’s been there the past two days), there are things that are making life that little bit more difficult for people. People are worried, scared, hungry, cold. It should be easier, but for whatever reason it’s not. This is where therapy can help, being able to talk and share your thoughts, feelings and fears.
I also know that realistically, therapy may not be something budgets can stretch to. If you can’t afford it, you can’t afford it, but in terms of the cost to your mental health can you afford that? I’m not saying that you should spend money on someone like me if you don’t have it. There are low-cost services out there, but if you don’t have the money, £10 could be £1,000 for all the good it is. We all know that the NHS provision isn’t quite what it should be either. They do their best but it’s a long time to wait for support, and it’s time people may not have. Doing what I am doing has not been easy in starting up, it’s not going to be easy continuing and it is what it is.
So what do we do? What can we do? We have to look after each other as best we can. During COVID, there was a sense of people looking out for one another, even as we were locked down. We called friends, family, checked in on vulnerable neighbours as best we could and it helped. Not totally, but it gave us something to do that felt a bit more worthwhile. We can do that again. We can make use of the warm banks that are popping up, where we can gather, get warm, keep each other company. There are resources we can tap in to, and if it is becoming a struggle, we can reach out for support. It might help, it might not, but you’re not alone and we can get through this. It will get better, I believe, even if I can’t say when, but while we are where we are, we need to look after each other.