Action 5: Encourage other supports cont.
A note on sleep: The amount of sleep a young person needs depends mainly on their age. On average, adults need around seven to nine hours sleep, and this includes young adults. Pre- adolescents need nine to thirteen hours (129). If a young person shares they are struggling with healthy sleep, share information or signpost them to The Sleep Charity for relaxation and routine tips. The young person may find it helpful to create an individual plan of all the self-help strategies they would like to try. Offer to help them put this together. It is important to note that the young person’s ability and desire to use self-help strategies will depend on their interests and on the severity of their symptoms. You should not be forceful when trying to encourage the young person, and remember that what works well for one person may not work for another. In addition, not all self-help strategies are suitable for all people due to interactions with other medical illnesses or treatments – although many self- help strategies can be useful alongside other treatments. Recovery plans A recovery plan is tool that can be used by anyone who wants to create positive change in the way they feel and their experience of life. It can help us to live well, and it can also help us to deal with the distress, vulnerabilities, and challenges that we all face in our lives. Recovery plans are individual and can serve as a helpful reminder for young people’s mental health goals. They can also advise on actions to take in a crisis (130). Most young people write down their plans on paper or online. Some young people might want to add pictures and photographs to their plan as well. If they aren’t experienced and confident assisting in a crisis, Youth MHFAiders should seek additional training to support a young person with writing a recovery plan.
Page 144
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker