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One in Four Holistic Mental Health and Well Being Autumn 2016: Edition 7

£2.50 Focus on Stress & Anxiety

If you ask what is the single most important key to longevity, I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension. And if you didn't ask me, I'd still have to say it." George Burns

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Editors Letter The One in Four has been running for nearly two years and it was felt to be time to review the direction that the magazine should take as well as other ideas for future editions.

Originally, the magazine was written by members of Mind for the members and staff of Brecon and District Mind. Its circulation has now increased to include hospitals, doctor’s surgeries. libraries and other organisations such as ‘Gwalia’ and ‘Kaleidoscope’. This means that we are circulated to psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, doctors, general public and Mind trustees, staff and members. One or two articles are now written with this change in mind.

In this latest edition of One in Four we focus on stress and anxiety and have a number of varied articles again mainly from members (thank you so much for your input) about this topic.

At the open meeting the question was raised about helping students who have mental health issues which is a growing problem.

It was also felt that the activities in Brecon and District Mind should be increasingly highlighted and I hope that we have achieved this in the current edition.

Finally, if there are any points that you may wish to highlight then please feel free to contact me on my email address which is [email protected] AndyH – Editor

DISCLAIMER: Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this booklet do not necessarily reflect the opinion of every person of Mind and whilst freedom of expression is encouraged it is suggested that each person takes responsibility for their own research and information gathering.

Contents 3 – 12 Stress and Anxiety 23 Out Reach Centres 13 Poems about Stress & Anxiety 24 EcoGroup, Men’s space, The Eve Project, 25 Community Art, Film Group 14 Contact Information 26 The Allotment Garden 15 Complementary Therapy 27 Friends Active Monitoring with 28 Stepping Stones ‘Haygarth’ Surgeries 16 BOG Summer Events Report 29 The Eve Project 17 - 19BOG Programme 30 A Group with a Changing Name 20 Puzzle Page 31 Activate Your Life 21 Eco Group 32 Drama with Franca Art in Mind 33 Puzzle Page Answers 22,23 Members Meeting 34 Brecon & District Mind Activities

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Stress related Irritable Bowel Syndrome When I offered to write for the 1 in 4 about Stress and Anxiety; my first thought was to write about how Stress and Anxiety affects me physically. How it could be said that Stress and Anxiety can be separated by the type of physical manifestation? My story starts 25 years ago and then jumps to 3 years ago.

I have a vivid recollection of the first time I experienced the extreme effects of stress, physically. I was living in shared housing, had a good, happy life and a full-time job. I can’t even say that there was a trigger for my stress other than not enough relaxation and perhaps a poor diet. One day I woke in pain: 5/5, 8 hours later it increased to 9/10. I called a friend and was taken to the local Accident and Emergency Dept. Very quickly I was diagnosed with “Stress Related” Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). I won’t go into detail about the treatment, the advice was to rest, limit my caffeine intake, drink water and take pain relief. It took a week for me to fully recover. I worked out that it was up to me to manage this condition because I certainly didn’t want to be in that state again. We can’t always manage the pressure we put ourselves under, but we can restrict its effects. For many years I had no IBS symptoms and I put this down to regularly receiving alternative therapy treatments. For the past 5 years I have not had access to a regular therapy and have had to be aware of the signs of the IBS starting. When it happens I buy an over the counter medication which deals with all of the symptoms, rather than targeting specific ones which the GP’s tend to do. I had one more instance a couple of years ago, that not even the medication could slow. The symptoms began 1 week before my in-laws were due to stay for a week and by the time they arrived and their stay progressed all I could do was stop the symptoms increasing. Within 2 days of them leaving I returned to normal. Fast forwarding to 2013/14 I experienced an “Anxiety Attack for the first time, which did not give me any IBS symptoms.

I experienced a mild “Nervous Breakdown”, which I think is now referred to as a “Mental Crisis”. I had experienced pressure emotionally in my personal life for some time; something else happened which was “the straw that broke the Camel’s back”. I had a number of anxiety attacks during that period but looking back was not able to separate them because I seemed to be in a permanent state of anxiety. Since my initial recovery I still have Anxiety Attacks; they happen either because I am nervous about doing something that I have not done before, or because something occurs spontaneously which puts me way out of my comfort zone. An attack begins with butterflies, quickly followed by bats in my stomach; my hands shake, my temperature rises and the feeling of nausea begins. In extreme cases I feel a sense of panic rising, my voice changes and I come across as aggressive (to those who do not know me). The nervous ones I can control with relaxation techniques. The spontaneous ones take hours to recover from, but I usually have to sleep. I end as I began: Can it be said that Stress and Anxiety manifest different physical symptoms within one person? NIK S

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Stress and Mania

My first manic episode developed when I was stressed due to overwork, lack of sleep, living on my own and continually worrying about personal and work issues. I worked for 112 hours out of 120 hours on a business plan but instead of becoming more tired my mind kept expanding.

The area of the brain where this occurred was like a huge processor of information. This ‘Processor’ was out of control like a washing machine churning through information and trying to answer questions in an illogical fashion. Thoughts ended up as being destructive and took me on a journey that would lead to my death if I could not make some sense of what I was going through. I therefore took notes and started to understand my churning thoughts.

I was on a journey and it was like I was living a dream/nightmare.

During my mania I also had thoughts about children and the need to understand them. When I was no longer manic I felt very threatened by what children were going to do to me and my own feelings. Later, I realised that my thoughts were not about children but myself as a very young child up to five years of age approximately. I was at a very impressionable age and my parents understandably tried to tell me about their own experiences some of which had been passed down from generations. These thoughts became precious to me and were so strong that no logic could displace them; I believe they were in fact placed in ‘The Powerful Processor of Information’ in the brain and became the cause of destructive mania when I moved into it for a long period of time. In simple terms, dad supports a football team and his passion for it is passed down to me at an early age and also becomes a passion for me as well; as another example, I made mistakes as a young boy and rather than dad being understanding I got told off. I believe that being told what to do can lead to illogical thoughts and mania occurring in that particular part of the brain

I believe that depending on how I was brought up depends on how safely I can access that part of the brain where mania takes place. By trying to come to terms with some of my feelings I have now found calm, clear thoughts with less conflict between my own feelings and logical thought.

From my self-analysis, important areas that I have highlighted that have helped me avoid destructive mania were a much better understanding of the need to manage stressful periods and having parental help during early childhood rather than being told or left to my own devices (for example, young children playing for hours on their computers). ANDY H.

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Anxiety and Stress

Anxiety affects me round the clock and has done for a large part of my life. I feel wiser and more educated now with how I deal with and confront fear. However, this doesn’t diminish the debilitating power it has on me at times; from social events to just talking to friends and family.

I physically feel fear in my chest telling me to be aware of potential threats. I know a lot of the time it is irrational but for whatever reason I have built this system in my body to protect myself. My methods for dealing with this are rationalising in my head and telling myself I have nothing to fear. For me the biggest fear is humiliation. You see, growing up this happened to me a lot where I was laughed at because I didn’t understand something so I was an easy target to berate. Unfortunately, this has continued into adulthood but I’m fighting to deal with that.

The way I deal with stress is normally taking myself away from the situation that is stressing me or trying to communicate with someone that I need some reassurance that the stress will pass. Sometimes, that’s all I need is a little bit of reassurance. It’s amazing the impact another human being can have on another by just being there and giving that reassurance.

The message I’d like you to take from this article is that it’s human to feel anxiety and stress (fight or flight if you will) but it’s the coping strategies and trying to communicate to others what is going on that can be the matter of facing up to it or a continued struggle. You have a choice. I know which one I’m going to take. JACK H.

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Stress and Powerlessness

My first memories of severe anxiety and stress occurred during my second primary school. The incident is still clearly etched in my mind. The female teacher, a large lady with a vicious temper, was attempting to teach me knitting; I kept getting it wrong and mis- counting the stitches so she kept me in late at school after everyone else had gone home and I still got it wrong. The more she shouted at me and sent me back to do it again the more anxious and stressed I became until my hands were shaking, my stomach knotted and I was fighting back the tears. In the end she completely lost it with me and slapped me so hard that I flew over a table, unable to withstand the violence.

Due to my mother’s survival struggle as a divorcee following my father’s return from war suffering from PTSD, then known as shell shock, she sought work as a housekeeper to provide accommodation and food in our bellies. Unfortunately she formed an unhealthy relationship with her male employer, a landlord of a village pub. There were heavy drinking bouts and drunken brawls between them and one incident resulted in my mother being axed on the head and running around the house screaming “you’ve axed me, you’ve axed me!” I was in bed and heard all this and crept out onto the landing and listened, my stomach tightened as I prayed hard for it to stop. Eventually a policeman arrived and told me to go to bed saying “Everything is alright now.” That was the beginning of a sense of powerlessness. That incident on top of violent treatment at school formed my early impression of authoritarian figures and their response to my extreme stress states.

I have learned since that severe childhood trauma can rip open the energy field that is designed to protect us. Children have a porous energy field until they form their own identity and healthy ego. These incidents combined to open me “psychically” hence I was privy to “invisible” worlds which others do not see, but may sense or feel around them. In old language “spirits” the modern terminology being units of alienated consciousness. We have gone from survival stress when our goals were to provide food and shelter as described in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, see above illustration, to an insanity of materialism and extreme 6 spiritual deprivation. Our country is obsessed with GDP whilst Rome burns. We may wish to think that we are safe and protected from world events, but our psychic mind and emotions are not and unless we deal with our own stress issues and healing journeys we will be ill equipped to enter the turbulent future on the horizon. Superficial practices of Mindfulness may work for mild symptoms of stress and anxiety but to really learn and grow from extreme stressful situations then something more drastic may be required such as psychotherapy or deep spiritual work under the guidance of a mentor. In other words why apply a band aid when spiritual surgery may be required?

It was following achieving esteem needs of family, wealth and status during my second marriage, that extreme stress entered my life which forced me to “wake up” from the somnambulistic material world I was dreaming through. I did not understand at the time that I was actually living a life of constant stress due to the high profile life I was leading, but I thought it “normal.” This “awakening” process started with consciously leaving my body during resting on a sofa at a friend’s house. This first incident rapidly progressed to several Out of Body Experiences and other “unworldly” scenarios and perceptions of different time zones, including “end of world” vistas and many paranormal experiences. This drastic change of perspective was also accompanied by an extreme change in lifestyle where I went from living in a country mansion to temporarily living in a caravan while waiting for a council house, having left my husband. This resulted in my physical body drastically losing weight, my menstruation cycle ceased and a heightened sensitivity when I could not bear to be touched and my head felt like a gigantic mushroom and I was frequently receiving “downloads” of knowledge and information. Computer technology was an unknown in my world at that time. But I can now look back and describe it as my brain being a computer downloading information that came from goodness knows where.

All this demanded a search for explanations and eventually led to me forming a close friendship with Eckhart Tolle the now celebrated spiritual teacher and Author of “The Power of Now” and encountering David Icke author of Children of the Matrix and one time TV Sports presenter before his “Spiritual Awakening” and media assassination and UK’s mass ridicule for his wild “conspiracy theories” which time has proved some of them to be correct. He was seen at the time as a mad man with an over inflated Messiah Complex. These two figures combined to save me from the madhouse. Without their in-put and influence in my life I would have ended up sectioned, drugged and regarded as “mentally ill.” We can either learn to swim throughout the turbulent times or drown in a fog of prescription treatments and drugs. I have now reconciled my experiences, faced some of my deepest fears and devoted my life to living holistically to better face the times we are entering. AVRIL MEYLER, Author of “A New Human” and “A Multidimensional Paradigm” available by e-mail from [email protected] or through Amazon.

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Stress and Anxiety

Q. Hey Nick, what’s the most tiring thing in your life ? A. Anxiety Q. Is it less of a problem now than it used to be ? A. Yes. I’ll tell you why…

To me, stress is a different thing than anxiety, though of course stress is a big cause of anxiety. Stress is something that hits me and is largely outside my direct control. Almost all the anxiety is generated entirely by me; it comes from my own thoughts. Anxiety is due to me thinking about stuff and coming to the conclusion that any number of disasters are right round the corner. Here’s an extract from a book I swear by: “Get Out of Your Mind & Into Your Life” by Professor Steven Hayes, which explains what I’m trying to say so much better than I could 

“Have you ever considered how pervasive thinking is ? Sometimes you may not even be aware of this process… the mind chugs along doing what it was designed by evolution to do: categorise, predict, explain, worry, judge… you can go for long periods of time without even noticing what’s there. “… first we need to catch the process in flight. Otherwise we are constantly dealing with the unfortunate behavioural results of buying into our thoughts.; that is, we tend to take our own thoughts as gospel truth, missing the pivotal point that can create destructive effects. “… because thought refers to something - and “means” something - it creates an illusion. When we think about something, it seems to us we are really dealing with that thing. When we evaluate something it appears as though that thing is either enhanced or minimised depending on the content of the evaluation.”

I’ve found looking at things this way has brought about a big reduction in my anxiety levels. Mostly. Well if anyone had a magic bullet I wouldn’t be one of the ‘One in Four’ would I! NICK H.

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Walking Reduces Stress

Walking with Brecon Outdoor Group is not only a pleasurable experience it is a good way to keep fit at the same time. It has been shown to improve blood circulation which is perfect for your Cardiovascular system and hence for your blood pressure. Walking has therefore been shown to reduce stress and anxiety. The pace is not breakneck so you can stop and take in the natural beauty of the flora and fauna and enjoy a chat about what you've just seen. Living around Brecon and environs you often see herons and kingfishers (among other wildlife) if you are quiet enough so as not to disturb or startle them. Alan the facilitator of the group has a broad knowledge of the countryside and is amenable to dispense knowledge on almost anything to do with the outdoors. All in all a very beneficial sociable group I would recommend to anyone. So come on get walking! PAUL S.

A Natural Health Service in Wales? Many of us enjoy spending time in nature, and know that when we go out for a walk or do some gardening, sit under a tree or by a river, or perhaps watch a beautiful sunset, we feel good. Connecting with the natural world can be very beneficial for our wellbeing in a number of ways and there is now a growing body of research evidence that supports this.

Physical activity in natural environments has proven benefits to mental as well as physical health, easing stress, anxiety and depression and improving self-esteem. Studies show that recovery from stress is faster in a natural environment, and people’s stress levels fall within minutes of contact with nature. Blood pressure and muscle tension reduces when viewing scenes of nature. This means that spending just five minutes outside, perhaps taking short walks in a local park, gardening or even looking at pictures of nature, can reduce stress and anxiety and increase positive feelings. One study found that those living in areas with the most green space had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and reported feeling less stress than those who spent more time in urban settings.

We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the country, surrounded by the stunning landscapes of the Brecon Beacons and Radnorshire Hills. However, for those who can’t easily get outside or are less mobile, bringing nature inside such as with a window box, house plant or even a picture on the wall can also be beneficial. Interestingly, studies have demonstrated reduced stress levels in hospital patients in wards with pictures of nature, and patients with a view of trees rather than a blank wall recover from surgery more quickly. Our responses to nature involve the parasympathetic nervous system which helps us feel calm and relaxed. Becoming aware of our five senses - consciously focusing on what we can see around us, the sounds we can hear, the smell of fresh air or grass, and sensing the sun or breeze on our skin - can also help to bring our attention into the present moment and away from distressing thoughts of the past or worry about the future which can trigger feelings of stress or anxiety. Contact with animals can also reduce stress and increase wellbeing, and many pet owners experience the beneficial effect of stroking their cat or dog. This is perhaps not surprising, as our brains and sensory systems have evolved over thousands of years when 99.9% of our time was in natural environments. Yet these days we can spend up to 85% of our time indoors and it is easy to become disconnected from the

9 natural world. E.O. Wilson’s ‘Biophilia Hypothesis’ (biophilia meaning love of life or living systems) suggests that humans have an innate affinity with other living things and nature as a whole. Perhaps we have a biological need to connect with nature based on our evolutionary history, that is beneficial to our emotional wellbeing and our physiology.

Understanding and interest in the therapeutic benefit of contact with nature and activities outdoors is growing fast, and many projects and services are developing around the world to explore these potential benefits under the umbrella of ‘green care’, including in the UK and in Wales. These may include ecotherapy projects, green gym, blue gym (water-based activities), walking for health and horticultural or conservation activities, which can offer a source of meaning and purpose as well as perhaps developing skills and social connections. In some countries, rehabilitation gardens are used to help recovery from stress and burnout, and some healthcare practitioners are giving ‘nature prescriptions’ to help treat a variety of conditions. Closer to home, the Brecon Outdoor Group offers an impressive programme of events, and Brecon & District Mind has developed links with the National Park. With the wonderful outdoor resources that Wales offers we are perhaps well placed to further develop our Natural Health Services.

Further information “Feel better outside, feel better inside: Ecotherapy for mental wellbeing, resilience and recovery” published by Mind’s Ecominds project, 2013. http://www.mind.org.uk/media/336359/Feel-better-outside-feel-better-inside-report.pdf “Ecotherapy – the green agenda for mental health” published by Mind, 2007 https://www.mind.org.uk/media/211252/Ecotherapy_The_green_agenda_for_mental_heal th_Executive_summary.pdf “A review of nature-based interventions for mental health” published by Natural England, Feb 2016 http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/4513819616346112 A Dose of Nature – information website http://www.adoseofnature.net

TANIA D. Bronllys Hospital Psychology Dept.

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Sue’s Story “Stress and Anxiety on its own does not exist, it is often a culmination of previous trauma and present circumstances. So resolving stress by using various techniques may ease the symptoms but they will always re-appear when pressures build until the root causes are examined. Clearly we cannot have control over all events in and around us but we can learn to have control of our responses to them.”

This was the theme of discovery when Sue agreed to be interviewed for this article. It was quickly realised that the topic could not be tackled without travelling back to when she first felt stress and anxiety. Now in her fifties she traced the first episodes of this during her early school days when a combination of harsh teachers, school bullies, and complex yet understandable responses to her childhood tantrums, from her main care giver, resulted in early psychiatric intervention. As Sue’s story unfolded it became clear that to undertake a formal interview in order to produce an article would have been insensitive and unsatisfactory so here is an abridged version that tracks her life experiences in her own words with the occasional prompt from me;

A; “When was the first time you experienced extreme stress and anxiety?”

Sue; “At the age of four, I was hit by my teacher at nursery school when she tried to force me to write with my right hand, as I was naturally left-handed. The extreme stress and anxiety continued when I was bullied and taunted at school. I had no defence mechanisms to cope with this nor when my tantrums caused domestic turbulence at home. I never had chance to develop coping strategies. I felt completely powerless. Eventually I was referred to a child psychiatrist as my instinctive response to everything and everybody was rebellion, and others could not cope with me.”

A; “How old were you when you were first referred to a child Psychiatrist?”

Sue; “I was thirteen. This resulted in me being sent to a special school where I was again subject to bullying, so I ran away from school.”

A; “What happened then?”

Sue; “My parents paid for me to attend a private school and things at first started to improve but I still seemed to have manipulative and bullying ‘friends’ in my life. I eventually became so desperate that I began episodes of overdosing through taking over-the-counter sleeping tablets, but that failed as did future destructive suicidal tendencies which turned me into an abuser of alcohol. Yet deep down I knew I was not an ‘alcoholic’ even though my drinking was destructive. It seems that I was always attempting self-sabotage. I’d failed in my suicide attempts so I tried to annihilate myself in an alcohol induced fog.”

A; “Had you been formally diagnosed with a particular mental illness by this time?”

Sue: “I’ve been given different diagnosis by different Doctors, one was Chronic Depression then one Doctor said he ‘thought’ I had a personality disorder?”

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A: “Did you think that?”

Sue: “I wasn’t sure by this time what or who I was. In sheer desperation I turned to God and said “Please God show me the Way out of this pain.” It was some time after this a life changing event happened, I was due to attend a non-related lecture at a hotel and by accident I walked into the wrong room and found myself amongst devotees sat in front of a Spiritual Guru. I was intrigued at the strangeness of this yet at the same time there was such a peaceful atmosphere I‘d never experienced before and so I stayed and missed my scheduled event. I did not see at that time how my prayers were being answered, not in the way I expected, but in a way that would give me gifts that stayed with me right to this day and that I truly believe saved my life. For the first time in my life I felt surrounded by acceptance and I experienced pure love. As I look back on this time I see that the Spiritual Guru merely reflected and demonstrated to me that I was loved and that I was worthy. As he accepted me the self-hatred I’d carried since my early years without even realising it, was replaced by self-acceptance and love. But more than this, it gave me a sense of belonging to something precious and sacred that I’d never experienced before. It is something that has stayed with me and sustains me to this day. I’d previously been searching and encountered much superficial and trendy New Age and Spiritual Philosophies, such as Mindfulness; Louisa Hay ,“Heal your life” etc, which claimed you could change your mind and positivity would help etc. But I quickly discovered they were only quick and unsustainable fixes, they never touched the real self, that part of me that is eternal and innocent and which my Guru helped me discover.”

A: “Was this the end of your episodes of extreme stress responses and alcohol abuse?”

Sue: “Sadly no. I did travel a lot and had blissful periods in Ashrams and whilst it brought me permanent gifts that I use to this day it did not undo and heal the ‘trauma’ I experienced as a child. I was then given an unwelcome ‘gift’ of cancer. Of course I did not see it as a gift at the time it was more of a curse. But it was the wake-up call to fundamentally change or die. Through the harrowing experience of this I entered a period of therapy, stopped drinking alcohol and changed my diet and lifestyle.

A: “How would you summarise the most helpful strategies in your life that are now contributing to the authentic realisation that you are worthy and you are loved and loving?”

Sue: “It’s my ability to know and go into that sacred precious part of the wholeness of me, no matter what’ s going on around me, that my Guru introduced me to. This together with a period of therapy and more formal prayer and religious practice, and although I do not believe in religious ‘dogma’ I can discard that when I reduce it to the simplicity of being kind, caring and being cared for, being good to myself and helping others where I can. This enables me to see the light at the end of what has seemed at times a long dark tunnel.” Sue (not her real name) has shown remarkable courage in sharing this intimate, tragic, yet moving and humbling story. It was inspiring to witness the strength and heightened awareness that emerged as her story unfolded. She admits she is still in the middle of her journey to complete healing and has ongoing health issues. She stressed that despite the often turbulent periods in her life, she was also mysteriously steered towards events and people with whom she could learn and discover more about herself. This has enabled her to reach out to others who are also experiencing disability and vulnerability and she is able to empathise and support them compassionately without losing sight of the necessary self care that she knows needs to be a priority in her life. AvrilM

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Anxiety/Stress

Significant worry, concern Tension in body, spinning head Fear and dread Trauma combines with misapprehension Anguish, strain, pain, tension Thoughts of self-harm Warning bells sound, There’s dismay, panic, alarm Loathsome feeling, odious illness Time to address, anxiety /stress

Feeling anxious, feeling down Unable to smile, a permanent frown Wandering from town to town Always anxious always down The anguish the pain, The stress the strain The sadness the sorrow Today and tomorrow

PhilP and his creative writing team

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Contact Information

St Davids House, 48 Free Street, Brecon, Powys. LD3 7BP Tel: 01874 611529

Samaritans crisis call Tel: 0845 7909090

Community advice and listening line: Mental Health Help Line: Tel: 0800 132 737

Brecon Tel: 01874 622333

Gwalia Housing Brecon Tel: 01874 622617

Newport Tel: 01633 244244

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Complementary Therapy

Acupressure Alternative Therapy

After being discharged from Bronllys Hospital back in January 2015 with bipolar I was lucky enough to attend Brecon & District Mind at Tŷ Croeso. One of the first people I met was Wynona who specialises in acupressure. She said that it would help my condition by helping me to relax and suggested I do it on a weekly basis. I found it relaxes me and helps considerably with my muscles as I used to be in a lot of muscular pain with my arms and legs. I have a half-hour session on a Wednesday afternoon which sets me up for the rest of my week. Wynona’s relaxed personality and gentle massage has helped with my mobility considerably and is an important part of my weekly routine. I would recommend acupressure and Wynona’s sessions to anybody who needs de- stressing and relaxing. GWEN P. Active Monitoring with 'Haygarth' Surgeries

In September Brecon and District Mind will be operating a new service out of Hay and Talgarth GP surgeries (Haygarth) called Active Monitoring. This early intervention service will mean that the Practice clinical team are able to refer anyone with symptoms of anxiety, depression, low self-esteem or stress directly to a Mind Practitioner in the surgery to be seen straight away.

The Mind Practitioner will carry out a short assessment and will then see the person for up to five sessions to support them through a guided self-management programme using a range of booklets and informative leaflets.

This exciting new service is being run in collaboration with the GP cluster and Red Kite Health Solutions CIC, and hopefully will mean that people will not need to experience long waits for services through the NHS. They will, in many cases, be able to feel better without further intervention as the practitioner will be able to guide them through options and offer solutions to help them maintain their mental health.

Brecon Mind is only the second Local Mind in Wales to offer the service, thanks to the forward thinking GP’s in our area who are seeking better ways of providing services for people experiencing mental health issues.

We hope therefore that we will be able to reach out to far more people in the local community and support them back to a state of wellbeing

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Brecon Outdoor Group (BOG)

BOG is a social group which aims to bring people together to benefit their health, fitness and well-being.

We have a variety of events from cinema, theatre and meals to outings and many walks of distances from 2 miles (new members) to 7 miles.

For further information call:

Alan 01874 611628 or 07969986154 Rachel 07790594485

www.breconoutdoorgroup.com

BOG Summer Events Report June's top events proved to be our visit to Crickhowell Open Gardens where we viewed 6 out of 20 interesting and different gardens and enjoyed the usual tea and cakes. Our meals out took in two new venues, 'Bridge End Inn', Talgarth and 'Oak Inn', Pencelli, both good but in particular the Oak is worth another visit.

July's circular 6 mile walk to Llyswen gave us an unexpected surprise when we happened upon Llyswen's 'Wye Knot Stop' Café serving a splendid range of teas and coffees. The carrot cake was Scrumptious! A river walk along with the same café will be in the autumn programme. The following day took us to Llaneglwys where the excellent 'Windbags' performed a wonderful mix of light classical music. The £6 including a buffet which was well worth it. Some glorious walks were had towards the months end culminating in a relatively easy 9 miler around the lovely Penwyllt area giving great views in pleasant surroundings. Afterwards we stopped for tea and cake at Craig y Nos country park.

August began with a 3 mile and 5 mile walk, the latter included a 90 minute spell of laborious but rewarding whinberry picking near Builth Wells. As I write the Brecon Jazz/Fringe Music Festival 11th to 14th is just days away and many of us are very excited at the prospect of yet another superb event and good weather is forecast which is a bonus.

Finally, we have now formed a committee with Pat Evans as Chair, Rachel as Membership Secretary and me, Well, I'm the engine room I guess and we are planning an autumn programme with a difference. The members are organising and leading their own events and the response has been amazing while the programme promises to be very exciting and varied. Furthermore our website has been updated and now looks more colourful. ALAN S.

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September Programme

Sat 3 8.30pm Irish/folk music at the Harp Inn, Glasbury. Contact Sarah 01874 711632. Weds 7 9- Bird watching with an expert guide at Goldcliff and Newport 5.30pm Wetlands Centre. Leave Brecon Theatre at 9am. Contact Alan 01874 611628 Sun 11 1 to We have a stall at the Promfest in Brecon 4pm Tues 13 4 – 4 mile leisurely walk from Eardisley near Hay-On-Wye, along 8pm lanes and bridleways with no stiles followed by a meal at the Tram Inn. Contact Andy 07960107690 Sat 17 1.30- 4 mile circular walk from Llyswen along the River Wye taking 5pm in a Church visit and Café stop. Contact Alan 01874 611628. Wed 21 6- Easy 3 mile walk along the canal. Meet outside Theatre 7.30pm Brycheiniog at 6pm. Contact David 0776609836 Sat 24 10-6pm Heritage tour of Blaenavon including lunch stop and a visit to keepers Pond en route. Contact Pat 01874 624501

www.breconoutdoorgroup.com

October Programme

Sat 1 8.30pm Irish folk music at the Harp Inn, Glasbury. Contact Sarah 01874 711632 Tues 4 1- Easy going 5 mile circular walk from Talybont. Only hill is a 4.30pm long gentle climb on a good track. Great views of Talybont Reservoir and the Usk Valley. Walk back along the canal. Contact Alan 01874 611628 Weds 10-4pm Not to be missed! Easy 5 mile walk from the White Lion Inn, 12 Leominster where we will also be having lunch. We can browse in the delightful antiques town and view some beautiful churches. Meet Theatre Brycheiniog at 10am. Contact Andy 07960107690 Sat 22 9.30- Day trip to Glansevern Hall Gardens near Welshpool to see 7pm the lovely autumn colours in this wonderful garden and hopefully some fungi along the way. There is a café in the gardens serving hot food, soup, burgers etc. Contact Alan 01874 611628 Weds 6pm Meal at Yak y Da, Glasbury. Good reviews and prices. Contact 26 Caroline 07915913473

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November Programme

Tues 1 10-4pm 9 mile canal walk from Llanfrynach to Llangynidr where we will catch the 3.26pm bus back to Llanfrynach. Contact Rachel 01874 665577 Sat 5 8.30pm Irish folk music at the Harp Inn, Glasbury. Contact Sarah 01874 711632 Weds 9 6pm Meal at Harp, Glasbury. Contact Sarah 01874 711632 Sat 12 9.30- Day trip to Bridgnorth for a journey on a steam train, an 7.30pm optional 4 mile walk and a pub meal. Total cost up to £40 including travel and meal. For more information Contact Dick 01874 409276 or www.svr.co.uk . Tues 15 2-4pm Easy relaxing 3 mile walk on decent paths from Theatre Brycheiniog circling Llanfaes. May stop at the Drovers Inn for a drink if open. Contact Alan 01874 611628 Fri 18 7.30pm Cinema (TBA). Contact Rachel 01874 665577 Tues22 2-5pm Easy 3.5 mile circular walk in lovely countryside on the Graig Cerrig Glesiad National Nature Reserve. Contact Dick 01874 409276 Weds 6pm Meal at the Castle Hotel, Brecon. Contact Rachel 01874 30 665577

www.breconoutdoorgroup.com

Doctor, Doctor I feel like biscuits! What, you mean those square ones? Yes! The ones you put butter on? Yes! Oh, You're Crackers!!

Doctor, Doctor I keep thinking I'm a dog. Sit on the couch and we will talk about it. But I'm not allowed up on the couch!!

Doctor, Doctor you have to help me out! Certainly, which way did you come in? 18

Brecon Outdoor Group Details

1.0 CONTACTING ORGANISERS:  For all events please let the organisers know that you are attending.  The organisers can confirm meeting place and hopefully arrange transport if required. They will advise the difficulty of the walks etc.  An event will only be cancelled if no one contacts the organiser or if the weather conditions are considered to be hazardous.

2.0 CAR SHARING & COST:  The recommended cost when car sharing has been agreed as 20p a mile. This cost is for all occupants of the car including the driver.

3.0 MEMBERSHIP:  Anyone who receives a programme is permitted to attend events, guests are also welcome.

4.0 WALKS:  Walking boots, waterproofs etc are necessary for your safety as well as clothing suitable for the weather conditions. You are advised to carry your own basic first aid, whistle, adequate water, snacks and packed lunch if necessary

5.0 DOGS:  BOG has a NO DOGS ALLOWED policy

6.0 DISCLAIMER: Everyone taking part in the activities of the group does so at their own risk. BOG will not be held responsible for any accident, injury or loss occurring on or as a result of any group, or in connection with travel to or from any such event, however caused. Any transport sharing arrangements are deemed to be made between passengers and drivers and it is the responsibility of the passenger to satisfy him or her that the driver has appropriate insurance cover.

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Puzzle page

2. Sudoku

5 1 1.Anagrams 2 4

1 4 7 TOSLUONI 9 3 4 BCIOELAS EDNDEP 5 8 9 7 SNAREW 6 7 8 9 5 8 7

2 1 9

6 4 3 5

3. Maths Puzzle Fill the empty squares with numbers 4. Word Wheel that will make the across and down This is an open-ended puzzle. How many calculations produce the results shown words of three or more letters, each in the grey squares. Each numeral from including the letter at the centre of the 1 to 9 must only appear once. The wheel can you make from this diagram? calculations should be performed from We’ve found 36 including one nine letter left to right and top to bottom, rather word. Can you do better? than in strict mathematical order. D + - -3 I + x + U R + - 1 12 N I x - - T

- 4 - 0 N G 90 8 3 U G U G U Answers on page 27 D

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Group

We meet every Tuesday morning at Tŷ-Croeso. Several of us work outside on garden spaces. WE have just put plants in a little area outside the CO-OP. We also work on the earth bringing some compost from the Mountain Centre.

We also have a little garden to work on at the Mountain Centre at Libanus. It has a pond and we keep the area clean and do different jobs on it. It has an insect Hotel; but we haven’t seen any insects yet! WE also hope that in both gardens we can attract bees and other insects. I enjoy Tuesdays. It cheers me up and I feel I have done a useful job, that I am proud to look back on. I have also met many new friends. JohnB

Art in Mind

Mask making Dan the man he’ll make you a ‘Mask’ as fast as you can!! Nick and Dan started the mask making as Veronica is away at the moment, and it is very successful. We all have a good laugh together and find it very therapeutic. LizzieT

Doctor, Doctor I think I'm suffering from Deja Vu! Didn't I see you yesterday?

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Notes from Members Meeting June/July 2016 Members present: DR/AH/NH/NS/T/GP/EJ/LL Matters Arising from last meeting.  Police are enjoying building a bond with members who have mental health problems. They were unable to attend in May or June but came on 27th July, however numbers were low due to the allotment so they joined the allotment group. We are in the process of choosing a different day for them to come on.  The Drama class recently held was very successful and we hope to hold it again.  Members enjoyed attending the Hay Festival – however there was a distinct lack in communication which caused complications with transport and tickets which was frustrating for festival organiser AnneWoods.

Outreaches / Activities/Courses  We are currently having a bit of a ‘shake up’ with activities such as Cookery and Art as the numbers are currently low.  The Cookery is restarting in September on Tuesdays as two members have shown interest. And the Art is carrying on , although Veronica Gibson (Art Teacher) is away on leave at the moment so other members of staff are helping out.  On Wednesdays the Well Being Group with Kate is still very popular and Wynona still does massage in the afternoon. The Allotment Group is currently doing very well, however one of our key volunteers for the Allotment – Graham Hughes will be retiring at the end of this summer.  Stepping Stones is going well – beginning to circulate well in the community.  The two Pottery classes – one in Brecon Mind with Annette Claire and one in Crickhowell with Martin Craddock are both doing very well, although, the group at the Crickhowell Outreach will not be available 12th & 26th August then be back to normal in September.  The current 1 in 4 Magazine is now available. This month it focuses on ‘Addictions’. The magazine is now being made available in various different libraries such as Crickhowell/Brecon/Hay/Talgarth. It is also available to look at, at waiting rooms in doctors surgeries. The autumn 2016 magazine is being prepared and will be focusing on ‘Stress and Anxiety’.  There have been a few new members with the Brecon Outdoor Group (BOG) and a meeting was held on the 16th August 2016 to discuss ideas for the autumn programme which will be published in the autumn ‘One in Four’ magazine, the Local Beacon or you can now look at the programme of events on the website www.breconoutdoorgroup.com. If you would like to get involved ring Alan Salter.  There will be no Sennybridge Outreach.  The Talgarth Outreach will be allowed to have talks, but must consult with Val the Service Director over who they would like to have. Matthew Sowerby (Volunteer Co- ordinator and Neil Hirst (stepping stones ) may be going to do several talks at Talgarth, this is yet to be decided.  People are still joining the Eco volunteering 10am -2pm with Matthew Sowerby which is held on a Tuesday morning and now a Thursday morning up at the mountain centre. 22

 Other ‘Volunteer’ groups which have started up or will be starting soon are Community Art – Tuesdays 3pm-5pm and the Film Group – 1pm-3pm on Thursdays. Also starting are the Eve Project – which replaces the Womens Zone from 24th August and Mens Space/Support and work group – 10am-12pm.

Out Reach Centres

Hay – The Hay outreach meets on Tuesdays between 9.30 and 1.30pm at the Bowling Club in Hay-on-Wye. We have various activities but when the weather was fine we played the French game of ‘Boules’ on the playing field next to the ‘Bowling Club’. We each had two balls of a particular colour. We took it in turns to throw a small black ball to get started. The challenge was to bowl as near as possible to the small ball. NickyP is one of the coordinators of the group and her dog ‘Beenie’ wanted to join in the game. A good time was had by all. We also do sketching and painting with Thomasin. Phil sometimes comes and does a poetry session. We also do a ‘quick’ crossword which is an enjoyable activity’. Apart from these activities we do a lot of chatting and drinking tea! ANNETTE C.

Talgarth – My name is Robert Lloyd. I live in Talgarth and I attend the Talgarth Mind Drop-In on Thursday mornings between 9 to 12 noon at the Church Hall. Among other problems, I sometimes suffer quite badly from social phobia. Going to the Drop-In has helped me a lot in overcoming this. It’s a nice, friendly group and I enjoy going to it very much. We have breakfast and then play games like scrabble, dominoes and bingo as well as having talks and go on trips. ROBERT L.

Crickhowell pottery is a fantastic facility run by Martin Craddock. It is based at ‘Arts Alive’ and runs from 9.30am to 1.30pm. He is ready and available to help on any matters regarding pottery. For those who like the feel of clay in their hands and those who like to paint on colorful glaze this is THE place to come and experiment and have fun. We are a supportive group who can relax into sometimes quiet contemplation whilst working or having a chat while drinking a cup of tea and munching a biscuit. It has been shown that pottery is beneficial to cognitive powers and helps to still the mind so is good for anyone suffering stress. A good sense of community has developed over time with the group so the pottery classes have become a social gathering as well as a good working platform full of ideas and creativity. This group is the best and tops the list for me.I would say to anyone with the interest to give it a try, well done Crickhowell pottery full marks. PAUL S.

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Eco group Tuesday & Thursday 10:00am - 2:00pm

Group

The eco group is going from strength to strength. We have been working every week either at the mountain centre where we are managing the wildlife garden for the national park or litter picking in the towns. The eco group have designed and erected three interpretation boards for the garden as well as clearing the paths and mowing the lawns and have been watching out for any new animals coming to the pond including smooth newts and common frogs along with fresh water snails and common toads. We have been able to get the help of Brecknock Wildlife Trust bee friendly planting project and have been able to plant three gardens in town where we were able to use donated plants to create a bee garden outside the co-op building and outside the library We have also taken part in a tree disease course run by Cardiff University

Men’s space Men’s support and work group Friday 10:00am - 12:00pm

Men’s space

The men’s space is a new idea from the volunteers and is a project where people can join an all-male work group. This group will be able to work with helpers to do basic carpentry and craft work in order to help restore old chairs and other furniture to sell at local stalls. The group is where men can get together with other men and chat about anything they wish and take part in a worthwhile programme the group will also be offering a chance to join the board game group and learn new games and play against each other. This is a good way to get to know a new group and learn new skills from each other every week Brecon and District Mind are also working to help launch a men’s shed in Brecon and people who join this group could help get this off the ground!

Eve project Woman’s support and work group Thursday 10:30am - 12:30pm

The Eve Project is the Woman’s zone group reimagined by its new group leader Nicky Scott. This group will again be meeting once a week as an all-female group to work on art and craft pieces. From woodwork and photography to poetry and painting it is of interest what the group are interested in. The pieces will be exhibited at local events run by the wider group itself. An all-female group is benefical for women who have not been to support groups before and is a place where one meets new people and get information on Brecon & District MIND and other group sessions. Or just have a cup of tea!!!!!! 24

Community Art Tuesday 3:00pm - 5:00pm

ART

The community ART project is an exciting new project with the Westenders theatre company The Westenders committee have asked MIND volunteers to create a large art installation in the Westenders hall at Llanfaes. The Westenders have asked for four large sound boards to be painted with the Westenders LOGO the 10 foot boards are to be painted by the volunteers with the help of local artists to create an artistic logo for the Westenders and have it shown to all the members of the company and users of the Westenders. Please contact: [email protected]

Film group Thursday 1:00pm - 3:00pm

Film group

The Brecon and district MIND film group is a new and very exciting group that is already up and running being coordinated by Dave Bell a new volunteer who has worked in film making for many years. The group will be meeting once a week to do workshops on lighting and camera work and as well as editing and interviewing pieces on camera. The group is working on projects that the members are interested in and can bring their own ideas to the group the films will then be published on the new Brecon and district MIND YouTube channel

Doctor, Doctor I've got wind! Can you give me something?

Yes – Here’s a kite!

Doctor, Doctor You’ve got to help me – I just can’t stop my hands from shaking Do you drink a lot? Not really, I spill most of it

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The Allotment Garden

The best thing about the arrival of summer at the Allotment Garden is that all the preparation and work of sowing seeds and planting out suddenly results in tasty things to eat! The strawberry plants we were given last year have spread themselves out and produced a wonderful crop of large red fruit in early July. The birds as usual also get their share despite NicP carefully spreading net over them for protection! The raspberries also have continued fruiting, and usually, the first thing we do on arrival is check the raspberries, and pick the ripe ones to have with our biscuits at tea break.

The weather has been remarkably dry with light showers on only a couple of afternoons, but it has also been hotter than last year. Combined with watering the flowers and vegetables each week, this has given perfect growing conditions and the peas and runner beans in particular have put on huge growth.

Also this year, for the first time, we are growing Greenfingers with tomato plants sweet corn, and we have all been amazed that the little seedlings we put in the ground in May, have grown to five feet tall at the end of July. We just need some warm weather in August now to ripen them. We are growing yellow courgettes this year and they too grow really fast, one week the size of a finger, the next, the size of a cucumber. It’s all a bit like ‘Jack and the Bean stalk’.

The sweet peas have flowered nicely this year, and when brought into Ty Croeso provide lovely Sweet Corn & Runner beans behind colour and fragrance.

We are also hoping once again for great results from our seventeen tomato plants in the polytunnel. We are growing three varieties, two red tomatoes and a yellow variety that is new to us. They are all flowering and fruiting well, and should be on sale in Ty Croeso before the end of August – yum yum! Greenfingers

Finally, it is with regret that Greenfingers (Graham) is laying down his gardening gloves and retiring after five years at the helm. His unique sense of humour will be sorely missed as will keeping the gardening group in order! We wish him well for the future.

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Friends of Brecon and District Mind TEA-ON-TOP 2016

The Friends of Brecon and District Mind continue to strive to put on a varied programme of events to raise awareness of mental health issues. The June event was a presentation by Gez and Sue Richards relating their recent experiences on a Tall Ship voyage from Southampton to the Bahamas. The significance of the trip was that a high proportion of the crew had some form of disability, physical and mental and most benefited in many ways in terms of growing self-confidence and ability. The visuals of the trip, with sea and sun gave a real summer feel. Sadly due to an error by local press, this was not advertised properly so attendance was low, However those who did come had a hugely enjoyable evening.

July saw the annual Tea on Top, which features a walk up the Crug, with music and food awaiting on Top. This year we were blessed with perfect weather. There was a good attendance, including 4 well behaved dogs and several children, who enjoyed sliding down the slopes on my black plastic bags, I wondered where they'd gone!. Thanks to everyone who donated cash and food . After expenses we did make a small profit.

We have a break in August and begin the new programme on September 21st with Paul Johnson from ‘Change Step’, who will talk about the services and support his organisation offers to veterans suffering from mental health or substance abuse problems. This is at the Castle Hotel, Brecon. @ 7pm.

On October 19th Keith Bayliss, who has worked in community and psychiatric settings will give a presentation about figurative art and how it benefits emotional expression. This is also in the Castle Hotel @ 7pm.

November brings us round again to the Autumn Fair. We have yet to confirm a date for this, so watch out for notices and posters as this is a good chance to do Christmas shopping!!

By popular request we are putting on another December ceilidh, which will be in Bishop Bevan Hall on December 10th

As usual our events are open to everyone, existing members and newcomers. Our programme is available at various venues including Ty Croeso, Free Street, Brecon.

Individual posters and press releases go out for specific events. CYNTHIA B.

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Stepping Stones Project

Brecon and District Mind have received funding to run a project called Stepping Stones.

Who are the project team! Neil Hirst is the Project Officer and I, Clare Searle am the Project Administrator. Neil and myself sit in office immediately as you walk into the Brecon and District Mind centre, Neil is in and out of the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and I am in the office on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. What is Stepping Stones you may ask, well the project offers a pathway of activities aimed at assisting people to overcome their barriers to employment and as part of that pathway, the support to stay in employment moving forward or you may already be in employment and need a little external support. This project is open to the wider community as well as Mind members and is purely there to assist you if you feel it will benefit you. We offer 1:1 and Group training sessions to include; team building, CV writing, interview skills, confidence building, we are always open to other training initiative ideas that you may have. Our 1:1 sessions are held on an individual basis in a confidential setting. Why not come along to one of our informal and friendly sessions in Brecon, Crickhowell and Hay-on-Wye and see what support we can offer. Dates are posted on the Brecon and District Mind Facebook page and on flyers/ posters dotted around. To book an appointment or let us know you are coming call the usual Mind office on 01874 611529 and ask for the Stepping Stones team, or email [email protected] if we are not in the office we will get back to you as soon as possible. We look forward to hearing you.

Web: www.breconmind.org.uk www.facebook.com/breconmind

Doctor, Doctor I think I’m a bridge What’s come over you? Oh, two cars, a large truck and a coach!!

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At the end of August the new reborn and renamed activity group held its first session as “The Eve Project”. I am the person who has volunteered to manage the project; Nik Scott, a Recovery Support worker at Brecon and District Mind. Volunteer hours make up part of my contract, allowing me to commit to the project that we want to exist well into the future. Why have we begun this project?

It has been identified that gender specific groups can have a greater positive effect on mental wellbeing. Men and women handle and manage their emotions and behave socially in different ways, altering how they behave when in a social group together. I can recommend a book I read many years ago: Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, by John Gray. I read this shortly after I met my husband, realising that he handled difficult situations, stress and anxiety very differently from me, but I could not make sense of his behaviour. Having read the book I could relate a lot of his behaviours and mine to us actually metaphorically speaking “being on different planets”. Group activities are proven to increase self-esteem, decrease the feeling of loneliness, whilst providing support for any number of issues and problems. Whilst hopefully forging new friendships. Marry that with a male/female only gathering and we have a recipe for successful groups and improved mental well-being. How will it work?

The Eve Project is one of a few volunteer projects overseen by Matthew Sowerby; our Volunteer Co-ordinator. It has a specific amount of funding and as the Manager of the project it is my responsibility to ensure that the ‘paperwork’ is up to date and that I/we meet the guidelines set out by Matthew. One of those is that every three months we must exhibit our work. This is the boring/frightening but necessary part of providing “evidence”, which is linked to the funding. (Just as well I don’t find it boring or frightening!”) It is also my responsibility to ensure that the group is well attended and runs smoothly; That everyone who joins feels empowered yet relaxed and able to contribute in practical and verbal ways to make it a fun and productive place to be. The mid-term goal for the first year is that the project becomes self- sustaining; allowing us to spend what we make on materials for the next 3 months. The Eve Project will officially start on Thursday 25th August 2016; 10.30am to 12.30pm, (these times may change dependent upon the needs of the group once we get going). The Venue: Brecon and District Mind. My plan for the first three months is to create decorations and gifts that we can sell in the Brecon Christmas Market. By using materials we already have at the Centre we will minimise costs and as a group will make our first profit which will be used to fund the next three month project. Over the 1st three months we will work out as a group what the next project will be and how to exhibit it. If you would like to know more, please e-mail NIK Scott: [email protected]. Or phone/visit the centre between 12.30-4.30pm. NIK S

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A group with a changing name Andy, the editor has kindly asked me (KateD.) again to write about the group which takes place on Wednesdays 1:00 to 2:00pm at Tŷ Croeso. This group has now been running for over 2 years and is open to all at Tŷ Croeso – members and newcomers, volunteers, staff and trustees. It began with the title of Recovery Community group: how we work together and very soon discussion in the group criticised the idea of “Recovery” and suggested the alternative of “Discovery”. The last poster played with the idea of it as a WILD group standing for Wednesday, something beginning with I, Lunchtime Discussion group. The “something beginning with I” tried to pick up on the idea the group offering open discussion which might be Interesting, Inspiring, Integrating and Inventive. I have wanted to keep the idea that it is about how we work together but not in a decision making way – more being a reflective space which can then inform and nourish decision making in other groups like the members group and Trustees’ meetings. There is a definite set of principles behind the practice of the group which I am hoping to find ways of sharing or discovering or perhaps even inventing jointly with the group. But first it is important to give thanks that this group is lucky. Groups don’t always go so well and when they do it is because of the combination of people who come and help make the group work and so there are a growing number of individuals – some who no longer come and have moved on – who have helped to make this group what it is. To use a current term the group is co-created or co-produced. Underpinning this are a number of ideas and as deep a listening as I, or better, we can manage. Our listening varies but hopefully we help each other keep on going, learning and caring. That word “hopefully” is interesting I think. I should mention that at the moment we spend a few minutes at the end of each group being a tree. We also begin each group with a short mindfulness or participation exercise or perhaps an experiment quite often invented by the group on that day. However one important principle is that people who come participate as much or as little as makes sense to them in that particular group – sometimes people leave and come back – not everyone talks – sometimes we are all quite silent and thoughtful – we aim to respect each other’s diversity – what suits or makes sense for one person may not work for others. Below are some versions of tips or guidelines which have been used for different but similar groups. There are many other similar sets of ideas and I have begun collecting them – any contributions welcome – as I suggest above we could perhaps make our own version for this group. Give and receive welcome No absolute truth searching Non judging Be present as fully as for the value in different No assumptions possible views Accept/explore diversity Patience Speak your truth in ways People are in charge of Observe confidentiality that respect other people themselves Beginner’s mind No fixing, saving or All are fallible while trying Curious correcting to do their best Non striving Trust Learn to respond with Searching for accurate Playful honest open questions understanding without judgements and blaming When the going gets tough Trust and learn from silence Acceptance turn to wonder We each have our limits Attend to your own inner Negotiating limits which will be different teacher

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Powys Teaching Health Board are running a course called Activate Your Life. Dates, times and venues for when and where the Activate Your Life courses are running can be found below. The aim of ACTivate Your Life is to help people improve their mental health and wellbeing. ACTivate Your Life is a four-week course created by Professor Get wise Neil Frude, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and is based on to your Be Mindful Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. mind ACTivate your life trains people to work with what they can change and stop struggling with what they cannot change. Mindfulness helps people stay in the present moment rather than worrying about the future or struggling with the past. ACTivate Your Life also trains people to be more aware of, and cope better with emotional difficulties and struggles in life. Many people feel self-conscious about seeking help in traditional ways like going to see their doctor or a counsellor when life becomes challenging. These FREE ACTivate Your Life sessions use an informal accessible lecture-style format where there is no interaction or discussions during the sessions, people are invited to come along, listen and learn. Evidence has shown that these sessions can be at least Do what Face up as effective as 1 to 1 therapy. Matters to life Sessions run on an ‘open access’ basis – no assessment is necessary, there is no waiting list and no need to book or register. Sessions run for 2 hours and free handouts are available to help people learn to build on the information and skills provided in the sessions at home. ACTivate Your Life sessions will run throughout the year, so if you miss one session in a course, you can come along to another.

Where and when will the course be running?

Venue Date and time

Wednesday 07/09/2016: 2-4pm The Concert Hall, Bronllys Wednesday 14/09/2016: 2-4pm Hospital, LD3 0LU Wednesday 21/09/2016: 2-4pm Wednesday 28/09/2016: 2-4pm

Welsh Speaker Thursday 06/10/2016: 6-8pm Adelina Patti Day Room, Thursday 13/10/2016: 6-8pm Ystradgynlais Hospital, SA9 1AU Thursday 20/10/2016: 6-8pm Thursday 27/10/2016: 6-8pm

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The Empowering Effects of Drama From actively researching drama techniques used within the mental health sector, I discovered the importance of participants exploring and identifying with different roles and characters. On a daily basis people will be switching between varieties of roles: being an office worker to being a student and to being a family member. However there is evidence that people with mental health illnesses can find it more difficult to step in and out of different roles. Therefore by enacting different plays and scenarios, the participants can begin to explore how a diversity of roles can reflect and contradict their hidden characteristics.

The first three drama sessions were inspired by Henry V’s (William Shakespeare) memorable speech ‘Once more unto the breech’. The sessions were used to explore and express the metaphorical language through improvisational techniques of still and moving images. They depicted a variety of roles and differences within their facial expressions and body languages, including the changing emotions of the soldiers within the speech. Some of the participants depicted the strength of the soldiers going into battle, whilst others opted for the weakened and injured soldiers or even the horses beleaguered from galloping into battle. When they were in the role of different characters, they could distance themselves off from the stigma of experiencing mental health difficulties. The performers could then fully immerse themselves in the characters, without being distracted by distressing and anxious thoughts. For example, breathing techniques and mindfulness practices were often used before the development of the scene, in order for the participants to feel in-control and attentive to the present moment. I used visual guided imagery to connect the mind and the body of the participants to the historical setting of Henry V; from the modern era of the 21st century to the medieval wars and festivities of Henry V.

We concentrated on replicating the aforementioned improvisational techniques in our next play, ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog at the night time’. The play is based around a 15 year old boy who suffers from symptoms of autism and experiences loss of control and stability as he discovers the lies and conflict within his family life. They explored characters that could define a fundamental aspect of their personality or a defining characteristic of someone they knew from their past or present life. We practised ‘conflict resolution’ techniques, such as reflecting the play’s dominant and inferior characters and also constructing family life scenes to identify participant’s own family experiences. Conflict Resolution strategies were formed by the drama practitioner Augusto Boal, who uses role play and scene work to identify, analyse and potentially resolve the causes and effects of internalised oppression. This could incorporate someone volunteering to depict the controlling and sinister guise of the play’s authority figure, in which they could identify their hatred and revenge feelings towards this character. Through using the safety of the play, the drama setting and the support of the group, a participant could explore how to accept these feelings and find missing links to the cause of this internal oppression. This exercise can involve an experiential process of cathartic, emotional release; as expressing their ‘internalised oppression’.

"Under the guise of play and pretend, we can for once act in new ways. The bit of distance from real life afforded by drama enables us to gain perspective on our real-life roles and patterns and actions, and to experiment actively with alternatives’’, by ‘Renee Emunah’, a national award winning Drama Therapist. FrancaA

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Puzzle Page Answers

2.sUDUKO 1.ANAGRAMS 5 8 7 1 3 2 9 4 6 3 2 4 6 9 5 1 8 7 TOSLUONI SOLUTION BCIOELAS SOCIABLE 1 9 6 8 4 7 2 5 3 EDNDEP DEPEND 7 1 9 5 2 3 4 6 8 SNAREW ANSWER 4 5 8 9 6 1 7 3 2 6 3 2 7 8 4 5 1 9 9 4 3 2 5 8 6 7 1 2 7 5 3 1 6 8 9 4 8 6 1 4 7 9 3 2 5

3. MATHS PUZZLE

4. Word Wheel

3 + 2 - 8 -3 Ring Rind Unit Dint + x + Grind Tin Nut Gun 7 + 6 - 1 12 Turning Gin Turn Nun Ruining Nit Din Run x - -

9 - 4 - 5 0 9 LETTER WORD 90 8 3 Intruding

THAT IS 17 YOU CARRY ON!!

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