By Eric White

AS this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (16-22 May 2016) kicks off, NHS West Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) would like to remind residents affected by mental health conditions of the resources available to them in the area.

Mental illness is something that can affect anyone.

At least one in four people will experience a mental health problem at some point in their lives, and one in six adults will have a common mental health problem, such as anxiety or depression.

Across west Essex, this means that as many as 76,000 are coping with a mental health illness at any given time.

The CCG commissions the West Essex Healthy minds service to help people manage everyday problems using the national initiative called IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies).

The service, which also offers Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), can help people who are struggling with difficulties such as depression, stress, phobias and obsessive compulsive disorders, to name a few.

You can call the Healthy Minds Service on 0300 222 5943.

Dr Miranda Roberts, the CCG’s Mental Health clinical lead, said: “As a GP, I know how hard it is for
people to talk about any mental health problems that they may be experiencing.

“The CCG would like to take this opportunity to encourage our local population to talk about mental health and to seek help if they need it. Talk to a friend, a neighbour or your GP.

“But it’s important that you don’t bottle your feelings inside. There is help available, whenever you need it.”