Alcohol Action Ireland, the national charity for alcohol-related issues welcomes the launch today by the National Office of Suicide Prevention of its new youth mental health awareness TV advert and echoes its message to ’let someone know’ about your worries.
Alcohol Action Ireland’s Acting Director Cliona Murphy said: “We fully support the message to let someone know. We want to use this advert as an opportunity to highlight the effect that alcohol can have on a person’s mental health.
“We often use alcohol to change our mood or mental state, to cope with situations we might find stressful or worrying, or to relax or unwind.
What many people don’t know is that alcohol is not good for your mental health. Although in the short term it might seem like a good idea, alcohol can increase depression and anxiety soon after use leaving people feeling low and unable to cope, leaving you feeling unable to manage and overcome everyday stresses and significant life events such as unemployment or bereavement.
Alcohol can contribute to worsening an individual’s problems if they already have a pre-existing mental health issue, while on-going problem alcohol use can lead to an individual developing mental health issues.
Irish people drink at about 20% above the European average with Irish children identified as having “a major issue around drunkenness” according to a European survey of 15 year olds in 33 countries.“
If we want to reduce the effect alcohol is having on our mental health, we need to reduce the amount we drink.
“Young people who need help can visit the National Office for Suicide Prevention’s new site at www.letsomeoneknow.ie for a list of supports or visit their GP for information about intervention.” //Ends//
For more information please contact:
Cliona Murphy, Acting-Director on 087 219 5723
or
Jo Fox, Communications Officer on 087 995 0186
