Many women over 50 avoid asking for mental health support, says Herts therapist
Nearly nine in ten women who struggle with their mental wellbeing admit to keeping their struggles hidden
A mental health expert from Hertfordshire says many women avoid asking for help when struggling because they worry about becoming a ‘burden’ and put the needs of others ahead of their own.
It comes as new research finds nearly nine in ten women over the age of 50 who struggle with their mental wellbeing admit to keeping their struggles hidden.
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) conducted a survey, gathering perspectives from 2,000 UK women aged over 50, uncovered the common symptoms of mental wellbeing struggles in midlife.
It found nearly three in five (59%) cited sleeping issues, while 58% feel greater anxiety or overwhelm over issues they might once have brushed off. Meanwhile, 38% reported avoiding social events.
Joanne Arnold, a psychotherapist in Hatfield explains, “We give so much of ourselves to other people and I think we feel a sense of responsibility to be there for others and in doing so, we can lose sight of us and what's going on for ourselves.
“We prioritise others' needs above the needs of ourselves and I think we have a tendency to buy into the fact that what we're going through, what we're feeling, perhaps isn't as important as everybody else's."
Adding: “We feel that we have to soldier on. We have to be responsible for the needs of others, not the needs of ourselves, so we put on this stiff upper lip and just get on.”
The BACP survey also highlighted an ‘epidemic of silence’, with almost two thirds of women over 50 saying they have faced mental health, yet more than 40% avoid seeking support.
Ms Arnold is also encouraging women to talk more openly. She said: “The more we talk to our family and friends and share experiences, it normalises that. So hopefully that will encourage more people to seek therapy, but not everybody is fortunate enough to be able to afford private therapy.
“Even just finding someone that you feel comfortable enough to actually be honest and be vulnerable in front of and say I'm struggling… can help”.