Prioritise Mental Health Now!

The Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies has spoken out about the urgent need to prioritise the treatment of mental health illness in the UK. It is estimated that mental health illnesses like anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and eating disorders not otherwise specified {EDNOS}) are costing the economy 100 billion pounds in absence from work, lost productivity and benefits payments.

Yet despite mental health problems representing 28% of all illness only 13% of the NHS budget is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of frequently debilitating conditions including post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sleep disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, panic disorder and panic attacks. Currently it is estimated that the lack of money assigned to mental health treatments and therapy has resulted in 75% of sufferers being unable to access help.

Nick Clegg has in the past raised the importance of focusing attention on improving mental health care and therapy referring to it as the “poor cousin” in the health service, yet recent signs suggests that instead of increasing provision in the NHS, plans are set to cut an already inadequate service.

With 450 million people worldwide suffering from at least 1 diagnosable mental health problem and 1 in 4 Britain experiencing an anxiety or depression based disorder the future of both the financial and emotional well being in the UK is bleak unless dramatic changes are made to current mental health services.

As a result of the poor provision in the NHS people are increasingly looking elsewhere for mental health treatments and therapy in particular Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), a ‘talking therapy’ endorsed by The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) due to its proven track record of successfully elevating symptoms of anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), eating disorder (including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and eating disorders not otherwise specified {EDNOS}) and panic disorder.

With half of adults who suffer from mental health problems developing symptoms before the age of 15 years old early, decisive and effective invention is pivotal. At The British CBT & Counselling Service Doctors of Clinical Psychology and Counselling Psychology provide just this. Experts in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with experience of working with adults and children with the full range of mental health problems, our team can help you now, no waiting lists and no bureaucratic restrictions, just individualised and effective therapies with long lasting results.