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Minding Your Head is a website developed by the Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland for those who are worried about poor mental health, either their own or that of someone else, as well as those interested in maintaining good mental health. You can check it out here-
http://www.mindingyourhead.info

Mental health
For the next few weeks we're going to look at things we can all do to look after our mental health. Mental health is something we all have and there are things we can to look after it in same way as we look after our physical health. Good mental health helps us get the most out of life and helps us get through difficult times.

Looking after your mental health
*Eat well* A healthy, balanced diet is important for your mind and body to work properly. Try to eat regularly and aim to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. *Exercise* Regular exercise helps you feel positive and gives your mental health a boost. Find an activity you enjoy and do it regularly. Exercise may feel like hard work (especially if you're feeling down) but it is worth it and will improve your mood. *Relax* It is important to allow yourself time to relax. Relaxing gives you time to unwind and helps you deal with stress. Find something that helps you relax like reading, listening to music or watching TV and fit it into your day.

Looking after your mental health
*Be creative* Doing something creative can help you when you are feeling low. There are lots of different things you can try- poetry, music, writing, art, cooking. Try out different things and see what you like doing. *Don't binge drink* Drinking alcohol to deal with problems will only make things worse. Drinking can damage your health and won't help you to deal with the cause of your worries. Alcohol is a depressant and overdoing it can increase anxiety and lead to depression. *Talk about it* Lots of us feel overwhelmed by problems from time to time. Talking about how you feel will help. Talk to someone you can trust and if don't feel you can talk to someone you know call a helpline such as the one run by the Samaritans - 1850 60 90 90.

Asking for help
Ask for help If you were feeling physically sick you would see a doctor, so don't be embarrassed about getting help for your mental health. Everyone needs help from time to time and there is nothing wrong with asking for it. In fact, asking for help is a sign of personal strength. If you think you need help with your mental health, talk to your local doctor or GP. Contact your local doctor or GP; see 'Doctors - General Practitioners' in the Golden Pages, Republic of Ireland / 'Doctors (Medical Practitioners)' in the Yellow Pages, Northern Ireland. You can also go to http://www.icgp.ie/go/find_a_gp to find your local GP in the Republic of Ireland

Happiest When
Contact your local doctor or GP; see ‘Doctors - General Practitioners’ in the Golden Pages, Republic of Ireland / ‘Doctors (Medical Practitioners)’ in the Yellow Pages, Northern Ireland. You can also go to http://www.icgp.ie/go/find_a_gp to find your local GP in the Republic of Ireland. Talk to someone who you can trust as well. http://www.spunout.ie/health/healthy... http://www.spunout.ie/health/self-ha...

What is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder is sometimes called manic depression. It is a mental health condition marked by extreme changes in mood. Everybody experiences mood changes from time to time but where these changes are extreme and intense, it may indicate bipolar disorder. In bipolar disorder, moods can swing between low and high. A low mood involves feelings of intense depression, despair and poor self-esteem. This is known as a depression. A high mood may involve excessive energy, restlessness and racing thoughts. This is known as elation or a manic episode. Individuals with bipolar usually experience alternating low and high moods, but some will have only manic episodes.

What is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder affects about one in every 100 adults. It can start at any time during or after the teenage years, although it is unusual for it to start after the age of 40. Men and women are affected equally. Bipolar disorder responds well to treatment and people with bipolar disorder can lead normal lives. Sometimes an individual with bipolar may only notice the depressive phases (they may understand the ‘highs’ as being ‘in a good mood’) and so may only present for treatment for depression. It is important that if you have a family history of bipolar or suspect that someone else in your family may have experienced it, that you tell your GP, as there can be family link with bipolar, and it is important the GP knows this so you can get the most appropriate treatment.

During the manic phase a person may
•Feel "on top of the world" •Be over-confident •Be restless and over-active and plan too many activities for a given time period •Sleep less, without feeling tired •Be easily irritated •Have racing thoughts and talk at a fast pace •Lack judgment which may lead to reckless driving, sexual indiscretions, spending sprees, increased use of alcohol or drugs •Give unusual attention to previously unimportant or irrelevant things •Have false beliefs of self-importance, power or knowledge •Have false beliefs of being controlled by someone or something

During the depressed stage a person may:
•Feel worthless, helpless, hopeless, guilty •Lose all interest in people and enjoyable activities •Have appetite changes: over or under eating, leading to weight changes •Feel tired all the time •Sleep more than usual or have trouble sleeping •Have trouble concentrating •Have aches and pains that have no physical cause •Think about death, or attempt suicide •Have false beliefs of being inadequate

Getting help
If you are think that you, or someone you know, might be showing signs of bipolar disorder, it is very important to get help. Bipolar disorder responds well to treatment. Contact your local doctor or GP; see ‘Doctors - General Practitioners’ in the Golden Pages, Republic of Ireland / ‘Doctors (Medical Practitioners)’ in the Yellow Pages, Northern Ireland. You can also go to http://www.icgp.ie/go/find_a_gp to find your local GP in the Republic of Ireland. Talk to someone who you can trust as well.

More information
For more information on bipolar contact Aware: loCall Helpline 1890 303 302 or see www.aware.ie A booklet about bipolar disorder available on the website at http://www.aware.ie/literatureItem.p...