Mental Health Awareness
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Last updated 10th May 2022
From Tuesday 3rd May, presenters from across the Absolute Radio family of stations will be picking their Time To Listen songs as we look ahead to Mental Health Awareness Week.
During Danielle Perry's evening shows, presenters including Claire Sturgess, Sarah Champion, Baylen Leonard, Ben Burrell, Ben Earle, Jay Lawrence and Jennie Longdon will be choosing one song that has a positive impact on their mental health.
Listen to Absolute Radio all week to find out more.
Time To Listen:
Here at Absolute Radio, we think it's important that we all have conversations about our mental health. We wouldn't hesitate to tell someone we feel physically poorly, but none of us are great at telling people when we're not in a great place mentally.
The good news is that things are changing, but it's down to all of us to end the stigma around mental health. We should all know where we can get help and also we should look out for each other. That can be as simple as having a conversation, talking about our own situation, or reaching out to someone who we think might need support.
Time To Listen is a series on Absolute Radio, exploring music's positive impact on our mental health, with musicians talking about songs that made a difference to them.
Guests over the series have includes Midge Ure, Badly Drawn Boy, Miles Kane, Wilko Johnson, Gary Lightbody, Jo Brand, Tom Walker, Tom Odell and more. We've also aired a series of presenter specials too where we continue to open up the conversation of mental health.
Each guest and presenter picks songs that mean something to them in various ways - from the song that changed their life, to the song that makes them happy.
You can listen back to previous episodes below:
Listen to Absolute Radio's Time To Listen
Mental health support:
Everybody is different and there isn't a one size fits all approach, but we wanted to share links to some organisations which can offer support.
Take care of yourself and each other - you never know the difference a chat with a friend could make.
Here are some amazing organisations that we work with, who you can contact for help and advice.
Mind
When you're experiencing a mental health problem, supportive and reliable information can change your life. That's what Mind do.
They empower people to understand their condition and the choices available to them through their:
Infoline which offers callers confidential help for the price of a local call.
Legal Line which provides information on mental health related law to the public, service users, family members/carers, mental health professionals and mental health advocates.
Award-winning publications and website.
CALM:
The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) are leading a movement against suicide, the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the UK. They provide help and support through:
Frontline services - Anyone can hit crisis point. CALM run a free and confidential helpline and webchat - 7 hours a day, 7 days a week for anyone who needs to talk about life's problems. They support those bereaved by suicide, through the Support After Suicide Partnership (SASP).
Communities - CALM spread their message and facilitate supportive spaces in workplaces, universities, pubs, clubs and prisons across the country.
Campaigns - CALM challenge boring male stereotypes and encourage positive behavioural change and help-seeking behaviour, using cultural touch points like art, music, sport and comedy.
Samaritans:
Whether it's an 'are you ok?' at just the right moment, or the midnight support of a trained volunteer; whether it's better training in the workplace or campaigning for more investment in national and local suicide prevention - Samaritans are here. They can help you in the following ways:
Contact a Samaritan - Whether by phone, email, at a branch, or by mail, Samaritans are there to listen.
Support and information - Samaritans also provide help to those bereaved or if you're worried about someone else.
Programmes - From schools, to the workplace, to prison and the military, Samaritans can provide services and information.
Where's Your Head At?:
Join our campaign to make it a legal requirement that employers look after the wellbeing of their workforce. We want to make it easy for you to talk about your mental health at work & ensure that there are trained colleagues on site who know how to point you in the direction of any help you might need.