have a negative impact on your own health. Some 70% of unpaid Carers have a long-term health condition. Living with a physical long-term health condition can impact your mental health if you do not take action to manage it appropriately. Recognising, accepting and learning to live with a long-term health condition can help you adjust to changes and take positive steps to move forward. Regular and appropriate exercise, that supports and provides relief to long-term health conditions will also help your general physical and mental health. Set yourself realistic targets to managing your condition and pace any activities that will help improve it. Setting an action plan with steps to reach your target, and being patient with yourself, will help reduce pressures you may be putting on yourself and didn’t even realise. Your GP or Consultant can offer you advice, support and signposting and, if they are reviewing your conditions regularly, will be well placed to give you the most appropriate advice and guidance. Research other charities that support patients with your specific condition as often they can give you very accurate and up to date information, guidance and support.
Constructive counselling can make a difference. • All unpaid Carers deserve an opportunity to focus on themselves and think about their needs too. • Counselling can help you think about your own circumstance, consider options and figure out your own coping mechanisms. • Being a qualified listener, a counsellor will help you explore how you feel about yourself and your caring responsibilities.
• Counselling usually takes place in a face-to-face setting but if you are unable to get out you could access phone or online counselling. • Your GP can help discuss how you are feeling and guide you to the most appropriate support, and you may be able to access free counselling via the NHS. Recovery College Recovery College NHFT offers you a range of different courses to help you support yourself and others to understand health conditions and help with recovery. Hope, control and opportunity are what we strive for and help our students to achieve. Courses are designed to support you to take control of your own well-being, despite any health challenges you may have. They are produced and presented by a health professional and someone who has personally experienced their own health issues. Courses are related to mental health, physical health, as well as workshops on well-being and opportunities to become more involved in our community. Who is this service for? Our courses are available for people over 18 years old, living in Northamptonshire, who are NHFT current and previous service users, their family and friends, Carers, members of partner organisations, and NHFT staff and are free to attend.
You may also need some help yourself, and your local Council can arrange a free care needs assessment.
If you feel able to, speak to family and friends who may be able to support you, even if it’s with the weekly food shopping or taking you to a hospital appointment. Depending on your condition and personal care needs you may also qualify for benefits such as Attendance Allowance. Keeping a routine Keeping to a routine may not sound important to some, but it can support and improve your mental health and general well-being. Significant life events or changes can throw your routine into disarray which can also compound mental health and well-being issues and those you care for. An effective routine can help reduce stress, so in turn improves your mental health and enables you to have more time to relax with less anxiety. A consistent daily routine can also give you a predictable day helping you feel more in control of everything going on around you and therefore better able to care for your loved one. Being clearer about your tasks, timings and consistency will help you become more efficient in your daily routine which in turn helps you feel under less pressure and more relaxed as you approach the jobs in hand.
For further information visit: www.nhft.nhs.uk/recovery-college/
IAPT Feeling lethargic, unmotivated, not feeling like your usual self? Could you benefit from support by talking to someone or through online programmes working at your own pace? NHS Northamptonshire Talking Therapies works with people across Northamptonshire who are trying to get back on track, although they may feel stressed, low or anxious.
www.nhft.nhs.uk/talkingtherapies/venue/ northamptonshire-nhs-talking-therapies-stuart- road-corby-292/ Managing a long-term health condition
Being a full-time unpaid Carer for a loved one can
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