Maintain mental health and ‘keep talking and praying’

Despite the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis which has led to widespread physical isolation a priest based in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary has urged people struggling with their mental health to reach out and “keep talking”.

Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Fr Micharel Toomey said: “If anyone is feeling really down and really suicidal, there is still people there to help.”

Mentioning the Samaritans and resources provided by the HSE, Fr Toomey said people “can still reach out, there are still helplines”.

“Even though the services have been curtailed there is a lot of support out there for people with mental health issues at the moment.”

He added: “Prayer is obviously very important, and meditation, a lot of people are meditating, I’ve seen lots of supports for people to engage with mindfulness.

“Take exercise as much as you can and take deep breaths, they’re basically the things I would suggest to people for the moment as well.”

Stress

The Departmet of Health and HSE are offering support and resources to help deal with the stress, anxiety and isolation currently experienced by many in Ireland. A new online resource at gov.ie/together will offer advice to help people cope at home and will promote the mental health supports and resources available on the HSE’s YourMentalHealth.ie.

Fr Chris Alar MIC, a priest with the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception in Massachusetts who wrote a book on suicide, told this paper that now it’s more important than ever for people to put their trust in God.

He said: “If you feel there’s no purpose to life, you don’t do it, you don’t continue it… and so that’s what’s happened with the loss of God in our society.”

The current coronavirus pandemic is a time that people can take a look at what’s truly important Fr Alar insists.

“Our stock market and the economy are going to crash, sports are cancelled, entertainment is shut down, people are realising very quickly that this stuff is not really everlasting, this stuff could end in a second,” he says.

“People don’t have a purpose, they don’t feel that they have a purpose in life and therefore they’re adrift and what we try to show them is that you do have a purpose, God has a plan for you.”

Samaritans can be contacted by calling 116123 or by emailing jo@samaritans.ie