How Kit Harington has shown that Mental Health matters

With Kit Harington recently undergoing treatment at a wellness centre for alcohol use and stress, it reminds us that anybody in any situation can be plagued with mental health issues. Having been on the hit TV-show ‘Game of Thrones’ for nearly a decade, the sudden end to this significant aspect of his career left him feeling lost, confused and unsure of the future. Turning to alcohol, his stress grew, and he recognised that he needed to seek outside help. Whether it is a sudden death, the end of a job or a broken relationship that causes us to sink into an unpleasant state, it is important to seek help and not be ashamed.Read on to learn how to recognise when our mental health is being affected and the best ways to overcome our negative emotions and find help through others.

Don’t Ignore Your Emotions

In April, Harington confessed that he had a breakdown while filming some of the final scenes of ‘Game of Thrones’. He said how he felt fine up until the final day, when he started to notice a change. He started hyperventilating and then broke down completely when they called it a ‘wrap’. Many of the cast members have admitted that they had mixed feelings of relief and grief when filming this final series. This highlights how we need to accept and understand our emotions rather than tell ourselves that we are ‘fine’ as this can lead to a breakdown.If you are coming to the end of something that has been important in your life, like taking retirement or ending a long-term relationship, you need to acknowledge your emotions rather than push them aside. By understanding that you are grieving for the end of a period of your life, it will allow you the time to work on accepting it and letting it go rather than being bombarded with repressed emotions. Ignoring your feelings exposes you to the risk of further and more severe mental health issues.

Ignore Short-Term Solutions

It was noted that Kit Harington was entering the wellness centre for both stress and alcohol use. Unfortunately, when many of us are facing depression, anxiety or stress, we tend to turn to short-term solutions like alcohol and drugs to numb the pain and suppress negative thoughts and feelings. While this seems to help us, the benefits are only short and can have detrimental effects on your physical and mental health in the long term.Try to focus on healthy solutions to your mental health like therapy, speaking to friends and family and medication. There are various medications created for depression, anxiety and stress that help to control the hormones in our bodies and stabilise the brains activity. Even exercise can be a perfect long-term solution for helping us to feel better. When we move, our bodies release the ‘happy hormone’ endorphin, which over a long period, can help to boost our mood and mental wellbeing.

Seek Help

Kit Harington has set an incredible example for people - he has been open about his visit to a wellness centre and has shown real strength and courage. People sometimes look at therapy or counselling as shameful and something to hide. Others see themselves as weak if they have to ask for help from others with their mental health. This is the complete opposite of how you should feel. Harington recognised the emotions that he felt after the end of an era on Game of Thrones and sought out expert advice and support, and that’s what we should be doing, no matter how ‘insignificant’ you see your emotions or issues. Hopefully, the publicity surrounding his visit will help to inspire others to seek out help for themselves when they too are feeling lost.Counselling can help us to understand our mental health and the confusing or harmful thoughts and feelings that plague us. With experience and expert advice, therapy can help you embrace the endings and look towards the future. By understanding why a particular event or a build up of feelings impacts you, you can start to work on a solution that helps your mental health. Don’t be confused by your feelings and fall further into a pit of depression or stress. Therapy can help you acknowledge what you are feeling and why, with genuine people wanting to help you feel happier in life. For more information about my services as a counsellor, contact me today.