How’s your emotional landscape?

Breathing Space celebrates Rural Health week

 

Breathing Space Scotland – the phoneline and web service for people experiencing low mood or depression is marking Rural Health Week (19 – 25 September) with a series of awareness raising visits and local advertising campaign in Orkney.

 

Richard Leckerman, Breathing Space National Development Officer will be visiting Orkney on Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st September.

For people living and working in Scotland’s rural and farming communities there can be quite particular pressures and feelings of isolation. Richard comments “People living in close knit rural communities can often find it particularly difficult to ask for help about a mental health problem perhaps for fear of being stigmatised or judged by those in their close knit community.

“It’s quite possible that you will know your local doctor or health visitor and this can make it particularly difficult to ask for help. Moreover the availability of mental health services may be limited in rural areas.”

The Breathing Space phoneline and web service is witnessing record numbers of people contacting the service.  With around 6,000 calls received each month.  People are getting in touch with everyday problems such as relationship difficulties, money worries all of which can lead to the onset of low mood and depression.

Richard stresses “Breathing Space advisors can listen, offer advice and signpost callers onto help in their local area.  The service is free, confidential and anonymous. It’s vital that people know there is help available should they need it.”

Jane Randall-Smith Chief Executive of The Institute of Rural Health adds "The Institute of Rural Health is very encouraged to see the work 'Breathing Space' is doing in Scotland, since it addresses the very real problems of isolation and depression in rural areas. Finding someone to talk to at an early stage can be enormously helpful so a free and easily accessible service such as Breathing Space provides can be a lifeline, particularly for young people who find it hard to ask for help from the statutory services."