TV Doctor Alex George advises where to get help, when life gets you down
A recent survey found that 84% of people believe that year is the most challenging yet due to the cost of living crisis, which has been ongoing for three years. Additionally, nearly half of the respondents (46%) are more inclined to look for financial assistance in 2024 compared to previous years.
The main reasons prompting individuals to seek financial help in person include issues related to mortgages, pensions, managing debt, and dealing with difficult life events like bereavement. So who can you turn to when life becomes a struggle. A study from the Royal College of Psychiatrists around Debt and mental health found that half of all adults with a debt problem also live with mental ill-health. In response many Uk banks and building society’s have started to offer dedicated support to their customers including Nationwide who Dr Alex has partnered with to highlight the fact that help is available.
The main reasons prompting individuals to seek financial help in person include issues related to mortgages, pensions, managing debt, and dealing with difficult life events like bereavement. So who can you turn to when life becomes a struggle. A study from the Royal College of Psychiatrists around Debt and mental health found that half of all adults with a debt problem also live with mental ill-health. In response many Uk banks and building society’s have started to offer dedicated support to their customers including Nationwide who Dr Alex has partnered with to highlight the fact that help is available.
Transcript
00:00 You know, I guess we've had several years of cost of living crisis, but also actually
00:06 an even more broadening impacts in mental health. You know, we've got the short daylight
00:09 hours, seasonal affective disorders, more likely at this time of year with the weather
00:13 and things. And obviously the finances then add on top of that.
00:16 A recent survey found that 84% of people believe that this year is the most challenging yet
00:22 due to the cost of living crisis, which has been ongoing now for three years. Additionally,
00:27 nearly half of the respondents are more inclined to look for financial assistance in 2024
00:33 compared to previous years. The main reasons prompting individuals to seek financial help
00:38 in person includes issues related to mortgages, pensions, managing debts and dealing with
00:43 difficult life events like bereavement. So who can you turn to when life becomes a struggle?
00:49 So I always say you should have three groups, three circles that you have at least one person
00:53 you can talk to in your life. These three circles are a professional organisation of
00:57 mental health, they are friends and family and they are your workplace or school. And
01:01 the reason this is important is because people spend most of the time either, you know, in
01:04 the home environment or friends and family or their working environment. Okay, so that's
01:09 why those three circles are so important. The additional point of the professional side
01:12 is having someone that has got the external professional view that you can speak to in
01:16 a really kind of, in a really confidential and safe way.
01:20 A study from the Royal College of Psychiatrists around debt and mental health found that half
01:26 of all adults with debt problems also live with mental ill health. In response, many
01:33 UK banks and building societies have started to offer dedicated support to their customers
01:39 and that includes Nationwide, who Dr Alex has partnered with to highlight the fact that
01:45 help is available.
01:47 The Nationwide we've been talking about is that they're keeping their branches open.
01:50 So we know that face to face aspect is important for a lot of people. Some people don't want
01:54 to talk about these things face to face, they prefer telephone for cost of living worries
01:58 and so on. But going in and speaking to a person face to face for a lot of us is an
02:02 important thing. And that comes down to what is science really. I mean, communication is
02:05 only about 10 to 20% verbal, most of it's nonverbal, and a lot of comfort and support
02:10 that comes with, you know, nonverbal communication is huge.
02:15 And as for Dr Alex's biggest tip on the road to better mental health, well, it's simply
02:22 taking a local journey.
02:24 The biggest thing that keeps my mind in the right place is going for my walk in the morning,
02:28 get outside. I'm in nature. When you're outside, you often feel your problems just, you get
02:33 more perspective, you know, that kind of fresh air, you know, we always say about fresh air
02:36 perspective outside, you know, and walk the dog and stuff. And that just sets me up for
02:40 the day. And it sounds like such a simple thing. And people go, well, you know, how's
02:44 walking going to fix all your problems? You're right. It's not going to fix every problem,
02:48 but there's not many problems are made worse by walking, unless you have a bad ankle, of
02:51 course. So it's just getting outside and finding things that work for you. But just realising
02:56 that your time, your investment in yourself is very valuable. It's worth the time, it's
03:01 worth the energy.
03:02 [BLANK_AUDIO]