Welcome to my counselling website blog. I will be blogging about different events, research and anything related to counselling or mental health which I think will be interesting or relevant.
Last Monday I went to hear Jo Brand being interviewed by the journalist Rosie Boycott at The Tabernacle, Notting Hill. Jo talked about some of the significant experiences in her life, including growing up with a father suffering from depression, the challenges of being a psychiatric nurse and her career as a female stand-up comedian.
I was impressed by Jo’s openness and honesty, and by her calm response to some difficult questions. When Ros
ie asked her whether she thought that there were “fashions” within mental health, citing the apparent rise in self-harming behaviour, Jo gave a very measured answer. She suggested that self-harm has probably always existed as a strategy to manage very difficult feelings, but that social media has played a significant role in normalising self-harming behaviours, which may encourage people to seek help, as there is less stigma attached to them.
Jo also revealed that her father’s life was transformed once he started taking anti-depressants. He became a different person, and she and he were able to enjoy a much closer relationship. She encouraged anyone suffering from depression to talk to their GP about medication as it can have a very positive impact.
For further information and advice on self-harming behaviour, see this article here.