‘Try and develop a sense of when you’re reaching capacity’: this Mental Health Awareness Week, leading psychologist Dr Anna Galloway shares her thoughts.
Clinical psychologist Dr Anna Galloway has worked at a number of London hospitals, including UCLH and Great Ormond Street. She is now in private practice with the Integrated Psychology Clinic based in Marylebone, helping clients experiencing emotional and mental health difficulties.
GM: Have you noticed a change in attitudes towards mental health over the course of your career?
AG: Certainly there has been a shift. When I started out, the government had just launched their ‘Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies’ program, which aimed to broaden the scope of therapy for those with mild to moderate mental health difficulties. But we are still trying to undo hundreds of years worth of stigma in relation to mental health conditions. With the help of thoughtful campaigns and people feeling more able to speak about their challenges publicly, we’re moving in the right direction. There’s still lots of work to be done.
GM: Do you find there’s a stigma attached to seeking help?
AG: Sadly there still appears to be a stigma, particularly in certain populations. I am struck by the number of clients who apologise for coming to therapy: for worrying their difficulties aren’t ‘enough’ to warrant psychological support, or expressing shame for needing to talk to someone. It often feels as though there’s a persistent hangover from the past. The concept of a ’stiff upper lip’ persists, that somehow you’re weak or flawed if you’re finding life a challenge. Younger clients are far more accepting of support and thankfully, talking about feelings and the importance of emotional expression is being normalised, allowing them to access therapy without the angst of whether or not its justified.
GM: What are general strategies you recommend to people suffering from low mood?
AG: Firstly, don’t ignore the basics:
Sleeping
Eating
Social connection (whatever that may look like to you)
Low mood tends to be fuelled by negative cycles that we enter. If we’re feeling low we are often lethargic, and therefore lacking motivation to do the things that we’d previously enjoyed. We do less as a result, and therefore become more detached.
Exercise will give you a natural hit of endorphins, but beyond the basics, it’s important to recognise how you’re feeling. We have emotional responses for a reason: it’s our built-in warning sign that something’s not right.
Let yourself explore this and if you’re not sure how to find your way out of it, seek help from an expert. If you had a painful tooth, you wouldn’t leave it getting worse, you’d go to the dentist. With mental health, you’re not expected to know all the answers. Talk to someone who might.
GM: Do you think technology has contributed to the anxiety epidemic?
AG: Technology is both a blessing and a curse. It has opened our worlds up to diverse opinion, expert knowledge and increased opportunities. But it has also left us unprotected from misinformation and uninvited material. Undoubtedly the constant access to information has made us far more vulnerable to anxiety: 24-hour news updates and exposure to catastrophic events in minute detail can cause vicarious trauma and fear.
Social media has a huge role to play in self-scrutiny and comparison, which inevitably leads to some people feeling that they’re ‘less than’. So although I believe it has its place and if used thoughtfully can actually help, we have to be very careful about what we have the capacity for at any one moment.
GM: What steps can people take to protect themselves from mental health conditions?
AG: Try and develop a sense of when you’re reaching capacity. We all have a limit on what we can hold and endure at any one time, and this is of course in constant flux. We often ignore the smaller day-to-day load we carry in life, and forget that stress is cumulative. Sometimes we need to say no, sometimes we need to delegate and sometimes we just need to press pause and recalibrate.
Often, we’re not very good at recognising our own stress signals, and these can be different for everyone. We ignore what our mind and body are telling us either intentionally, because we don’t want to face that we might be struggling, or unconsciously, as we’re too busy.
If your stress signal is struggling to fall asleep, notice it; if it’s being more frenetic, notice it; if it’s organising cupboards, notice it!
GM: And lastly, for anyone experiencing difficulties, where can they seek help?
AG: Your GP should be able to signpost you to local talking therapies in your area, and you can also seek help in the private sector. When looking for a therapist, ensure you are reaching out to someone registered with a professional body. Word of mouth or recommendation is often great with therapists, particularly when coming from a trusted person.
Don’t wait until you’re really desperate; often therapy is most helpful when you’re starting to notice that you’re not feeling yourself.
Finally, talk to the people around you. Undoubtedly they will, at some point, have felt similarly to you.
May, 2024
