Tá tú cróga

Guest writer Mary Marshall with a short piece promoting Tá tú cróga – a free workbook for individual or group work addressing mental health issues.

With poorly funded, healthcare services crashing under the weight of demands there is, I believe, a need to empower the disempowered - free of charge. Often individuals with mental health issues are left waiting weeks for a first appointment.

The delay of healthcare interventions can result in an escalation of the illness on individuals and for some it may result in enacted suicide. This is a free 42 page workbook I created and titled Tá tú cróga /You are courageous because in the face of intense suffering we can hold fast/overcome.

The workbook may be used by an individual or utilised in a therapeutic group setting. It is should not replace eventually accessing professional healthcare services and ideally be used as an adjunct.

It is vital we educate societies on mental health issues to assist in exposing and smashing down the societal stigmatization and shaming put on those who are unwell. It is this form of societal ignorance acted out which often adds in to the suffering on those afflicted with mental health issues. It serves to deter those suffering with mental health illness from failing to disclose how things really be for them and from accessing deserved support/help.

This workbook is up on Scribd site and can be read online or if you are a member of Scribd (it is free to join) your can download it or you can download the pdf file here.

9 comments:

  1. Mary,

    good job. We are always glad to carry your material. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good one Mary,you have a great social heart and conscience hon,long may you continue to care ..p.s that,l be £50.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mary, fair play to you for taking the time to do this and distributing it free. Perhaps if more people cared....

    ReplyDelete
  4. @Anthony thank you Honour to have it up on yourr blog.

    @Marty lolz re 50 quid. A friend today gave me a huge - it be as big as a door blank canvas (how could I say no to it! they cost a fortune) I have so many canvases now I am panicking lolz PS I think everyone here, you too, have strong social conscience/heart for the people/s.
    Even JJ when u peel away the religious stuff hehe

    @BelfastBookworm I personally think if more creative resources were freely given out it could help much. Those govt. healthcare clinical brochures at Doctors surgeries and so forth with questions like Are you depressed suicidal etc are not particularly inspiring to seek help nor do they connect with the person in a real way IMO that is...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Rise and win. Let the immune system purge the virus; let the land itself swallow the invaders. Ukko rides with you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mary,
    What's your background with mental heath issues?

    ReplyDelete
  7. @ Niall re Mary, What's your background with mental health issues?

    BA Soc (Soc Wel) & a few other quals. Work - primarily in addiction field harm min/harm reduction, detox/rehab, dual diagnosis - mental illness combined with addiction, homelessness, street ppl outreach –setting up program etc Worked in an injecting centre. Worked in what in Aus is a special centre for intoxicated people at risk to come to rather than stay on streets or be arrested. Not sure what they call it in Ireland. Intoxed persons unit (IPU) it be called here. Did education speaking on bbv prevention & living pos – with hep c for Aus hep c positive org. Worked terminal care & childcare aeons ago – kids at risk focus.

    NB Experiential relay is imo/conviction is NOT EVER a good lookin in a work setting with clientele - it is highly unprofessional /unethical as it takes emphasis off the client needs & focuses onto the counselor. Worse the client feels unsafe hearing someone’s history and the old yada yada ‘how i got me shit together & so can you’.
    But in the workbook i do weave experiential relay deliberately using various mediums as it is NB irrelevant who i am, to a person reading it which is why there is nought about me in intro.

    You can connect in real ways as well as relay essential stuff. The worst part for too many is the belief no-one knows really how they are feeling... so i sought to bring that out/answer back about it. NB I was very careful in what i wrote – am NOT a fool nor did i write for accolades/monetary profit. The content i believe is tight and right with consistent reinforcers to seek professional healthcare intervention.

    It is primarily targeting young at risk. Mental health issues including traumatic childhood events often underpin addiction and other serious health issues. Hence the workbook is a small contribution in seeking to address that. And yes i know there are grammatical errors in some of the Irish but hey broken Irish is better than... The Aus Irish language teacher has already told me of the errors but i am leaving them – imperfect is good too! Imperfect cheers others up when they spot it lol (yoohoo Noel lol)

    I hope the little workbook inspires others to make FREE creative stuff available that supersedes my contribution. Meself i have grown weary of help services/organisations including voluntary ones that ask all the time for donations. Or worse (imo) sell these dreadful little items like tshirts with a happy face on it with a slogan, etc ad nauseum LOL yeah sure like that is gonna hold a person back from toppin themselves! Hell as if those in need/on the edge don’t have enough to contend with to have crap like that stuck in their faces... The End

    ReplyDelete
  8. @ High Arka
    I have no idea who Ukko is but I defo believe in God teehee. Ukko sounds very trippy & sci fi! Too scary for wittle auld mehehe

    ReplyDelete