Taking Charge of Our Mental Health (Weeks 1-2)

Taking Charge of Our Mental Health: The Journey Begins

The Taking Charge of Our Mental Health workshop at the Recovery College is a four-week programme designed to help us reclaim our agency. Our journey started by looking outward at how we interact with the world, before turning inward to examine how we perceive ourselves.

Week 1: Communication, Advocacy, and Boundaries

We opened our first session with a poignant reflection from author Ambrose Bierce: "Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret." This served as a reminder of how closely our mental state and our communication are intertwined.

​During our group discussion, we explored the Spectrum of Communication, identifying how our mental health often speaks for us even when we are silent. Direct communication is clear and honest (e.g., "My anxiety is affecting my sleep"), whereas indirect communication often manifests as withdrawing, cancelling plans, or using self-deprecating humor like joking about being “a mess.”

​​To help us find a more effective voice, we were introduced to the CLEAR framework:

• ​C – Concise: Being brief and clear about what we want.
• L – Logical: Giving ourselves time to make sense of the topic.
• E – Emotion: Freely expressing how we actually feel.
• A – Assertive: Speaking up honestly without fear of saying "no."​
• ​R – Realistic: Ensuring our requests are achievable.

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The Power of Self-Advocacy

A major part of taking charge is understanding Self-Advocacy - the right to be listened to and the strength to speak up for your own needs. We reviewed a "Bill of Rights" that reminded us of our inherent value, including the right to be treated with respect, the right to change our minds, and the right to refuse to take care of others' feelings at the expense of our own.

Setting Boundaries as Self-Care

We concluded the session by discussing Boundaries. Far from being "walls" to keep people out, boundaries are protective limits that safeguard our emotional and mental energy. We identified four key types:

• Intellectual: The right to your own opinions and to disagree respectfully.
• Emotional: Not taking responsibility for someone else's stress or absorbing their emotions.
• Time: Saying no to extra commitments and protecting your personal time.
• Physical: Respecting your personal space, body autonomy, and need for rest.

​As the Limerick Mental Health Association puts it, boundaries are not selfish; they are acts of self-care that define what is acceptable and prevent burnout.

Week 2: Recovery, Identity, and Challenging Stigma
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Our second session shifted the focus to the "Inner Critic" and the external labels that often hold us back. We began by defining what Recovery actually looks like using the CHIME framework - an acronym representing Connectedness, Hope, Identity, Meaning, and Empowerment.

Dismantling Stigma

Our group discussion focused on stigma — the negative attitudes and incorrect beliefs that can lead to being socially judged. We looked at the difference between Public Stigma (society's prejudices) and Self-Stigma (when we internalize those prejudices and begin to believe we are "broken" or "a burden").

To fight back against these myths, we explored five practical strategies to reduce stigma:

• Listen and Learn: Educate ourselves and others about mental health.
• Start a Dialogue: Share facts and personal experiences.
• People-First Language: Emphasize that a person is not their disorder.
• Equalize Health: Talk about mental health treatment the same way we talk about physical healthcare. Self-Compassion: Show kindness to ourselves when we are struggling.

Fact vs. Opinion: The Language of Change

A breakthrough moment was learning to separate Facts from Opinions. Facts are universal and verifiable; opinions are personal judgments. We realized that many of our most painful thoughts - like "I am weak" - are simply opinions, not facts.

We practiced Changing our Language to reflect this shift:
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• Instead of "I’m broken," we try: "I’m going through a difficult period."
• Instead of "I’m crazy," we try: "I’m experiencing anxiety."
• Instead of "I’m a burden," we try: "I need support, like any human would."

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Challenging the Thought
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Finally, we learned to put our negative thoughts on trial using the "Detective" approach. By asking questions such as "What is the evidence against this thought?" or "What would I tell a friend in this situation?", we began to see the gaps in our reasoning. By spotting the difference between an irrational assumption and a balanced perspective, we can begin to take charge of our emotional narrative.

With these two sessions behind us, we became better equipped to set boundaries, communicate our needs, and view our recovery journey through a lens of hope rather than shame.

If you would like to find out more about the Taking Charge of Our Mental Health programme, or any of our workshops, feel free to call us on 086 1746330 or send us an email at [email protected]. To keep updated on workshops/events, check our website and/or Facebook/Instagram/X.