Mental Health Support

Inishowen Co Donegal

Donegal Image, Credit: Donal Kearney

Please get in touch if your business or organisation provide services for those living through the defective concrete crisis and we will add your information here. We need to hear from areas all across the county so do get in touch to add to this directory of support. 

If you are stressed, which many of us are, then please be aware that this is normal and to be expected. You do not have to suffer and you are not alone. You might want to consider an alternative therapy, therapies like reflexology. A lot of us are living in a permanent state of fight or flight and don’t even realise it.

“As a homeowner living through this crisis on top of dealing with lifes’ stresses, I was living in a state of heightened chronic stress, fight or flight mode,  for a long time. I knew I had to take steps to change things if myself and my family were going to get through this. I have been working hard to destress through daily walks, counselling and regular reflexology sessions because long term chronic stress is seriously bad for your mental and physical health. I feel much more able to cope with everything now.” – Roisin Gallagher

Taking steps to ease that stress and regulate the nervous system on a regular bases is extremely important. A daily walk, zoning out during a self care routine like your skin care routine, reading self development books, audiobooks & podcasts, learning resiliency skills and having therapeutic treatments like Reflexology make a huge difference in reducing the affects of stress and chronic stress we live through.
Therapeutic treatments should be made widely available on prescription for everyone through the HSE and it is recognised for its value and is being used in some settings already but hopefully it is available on prescription some day in the near future as it is highly effective treatment for stress. Redress Focus Groups Mental Health and Youth Group will be advocating for things like this to be made available to property owners living through this crisis.

Redress Focus Groups

Mental Health & Youth Group work together to research the mental health impacts of the Defective Blocks Crisis on people and families to help get supports in place. The group are reaching out to schools and organisations to develop a network of people to work together to ensure supports are put in place as soon as possible. If your school or organisation would like to get involved please contact us on info@redressfocusgroups.ie

Support Hub Group is a dedicated team within the Redress Focus Groups Initiative, working tirelessly to bring about a transformative solution in the form of a physical hub where property owners can go to get emotional and practical support as they navigate through this difficult process. This hub would also ensure the critial work of Redress Focus Groups can continue. Funding is urgently required which we are working hard to ensure. You can find out more on this HERE  

The Exchange Inishowen – Redress Focus Groups are proud to be a full member of The Exchange Inishowen who provide supports and services for all areas of the community including all affected by the defective blocks crisis. Various classes, therapies and counselling are available here from Insight Inishowen, The Music Box  here and many others. Find them on Facebook or at exchangeinishowen.ie 

Insight Inishowen are providing free counselling sessions for people and families affected by this crisis. They are also providing Art Therapy sessions, Writing for Wellness and many more supports for children and adults. Please contact them on social media, email: inisightinishowen@gmail.com ot tel: (074) 9362572 listening

Insight Inishowen and Greencastle Community Centre developed a Peace of Mind Plan for people affected by living through the Defective Blocks Crisis. Available on http://www.insightinishowen.ie/mica-practical-help.html  or
https://greencastlecentre.ie/peace-of-mind/

Inishowen Development Partnership are providing 6 free counselling sessions for people and families living through this crisis throughout inishowen. Get in touch by calling IDP on (073) 9362218 . Counselling sessions are from age 7 up and can be used for individuals, couples and families. 

Ifan Defective Blocks Sub Group – The IFAN Defective Blocks Sub Group have been meeting since July of 2021 and consists of community centre managers and staff, liason officers from schools and child services, and managers and representatives from various different community groups and services throughout the county. The group meet regularly to discuss the needs of the community and to help put supports in place such as the free counselling, art, music and creative therapy classes for children and practical help. The group organised a showcase week last year called ‘Mica Week’ . Throughout the week all of the community centres in inishowen ran information sessions explaining exactly what supports and services are available in the various communities. This culminated in an evening in the Gateway Hotel Buncrana.

MyMind.ie There are limited online couselling sessions available from MyMind (based in Dublin) for those affected by the defective concrete crisis. Contact them to avail of 6 free sessions online via their website www.MyMind.ie These sessions are government funded but are limited to 75 hours/sessions until the end of 2023, which is 6 sessions for 12 people.

Dr. Coleman Noctor speaks to Roisin Gallagher, Paddy Diver, Angeline Ruddy and Eileen McLaughlin Long about the effects of this crisis on their childrem their students and parenting through this crisis. Dr. Noctor gives valuable advice in this 1hr 25 min long episode of his parenting podcast show, Asking For a Parent. Listen here Dr. Coleman can be found on Instagram at asking_for_a_parent 

Research & Studies

Two PhD Studies have commenced at University of Ulster – An earthquake in slow motion: Investigating the familial and psychological impact of the MICA/defective block property decay crisis in the Republic of Ireland

https://www.ulster.ac.uk/doctoralcollege/find-a-phd/1455704

A second PhD study is also underway – Investigating the causes of Ireland’s Defective Concrete Block crisis

https://www.ulster.ac.uk/doctoralcollege/find-a-phd/1461407

 

Our Mental Health and Youth Group are willing to support any local Universities and researchers in their independent investigation of the extent of the impact.

 

The Mental Health Commission report for Donegal

Alarming information and statistics for the county

https://www.mhcirl.ie/news/mental-health-commission-publishes-9-individual-cho-reports-child-and-adolescent-mental-health