Rethink Northern Ireland
The UK mental health charity Rethink exists to give a voice to people affected by severe mental illness. Helping over 48,000 people each year, its aim is to provide hope and empowerment through effective services, information and support. It was a runner up in our 2007 Northern Ireland Integrated Health Awards.
In 2001 Rethink created a self-management programme aimed at supporting mental health service users who wanted to set up their own self-help groups.
Rethink Northern Ireland, based in Belfast, were runners-up for their ‘Voices Self-management Programme’, a 12-week course which aims to support and facilitate people’s endeavours to take active steps towards their own recovery. The self-help groups are run by people who have themselves experienced mental illness, and people on the courses can either self-refer or be referred by a social worker or community psychiatric nurse. The programme operates out of five Rethink centres and one independent centre across South Belfast, and Rethink hope to roll the scheme out across other parts of Northern Ireland.
During the course, participants have the opportunity to learn about ways in which their lifestyle can affect their mental health. They learn about healthy eating and the role vitamins and supplements can play in maintaining health and wellbeing, and how they can incorporate exercise into their lives. It also covers complementary therapies such as reflexology and aromatherapy which can help them to maintain equilibrium.
One person who has been through the self-management programme described it like this: 'Self-management entails both a positive mental attitude and positive actions that help you get on with living your life in the way you want to. It includes knowing when to recognise the illness limitations and adjusting your way of life to accommodate them. The more you live your life and achieve goals, no matter how big or small, that's active self-management.'
Another person helped by Rethink says: 'I lost hope after being in hospital, so it was very important that others held hope for me. Belief from others makes you feel bigger.'
