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​Mental Health Awareness Week 2022: Prevention not reaction

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On Wednesday 11th March, we were delighted to welcome Asim Amin, CEO of Plumm, to join deverellsmith for an internal event in light of Mental Health Awareness Week. Asim shared his inspiring journey into the mental health sector, and his thoughts on how we can support each other through feelings of loneliness.

What inspired you to dive into the world of wellbeing?

Asim openly spoke about how his own mother battled with severe depression whilst he was growing up, and how this put a strain on his relationship with his siblings. He shared that home life was difficult for him, and only now is he rebuilding relationships with his siblings, after struggling to spend a lot of time at home when he was younger, due to his mother’s mental health issues. His sister is now working for Plumm which he explained has been a great way for them to create a bond that they missed out on when they were younger.

Remarkably, Asim’s mother not only was able to get the help she needed to make it through her depression, but she took it that one step further to help other’s and became a therapist herself. Asim candidly shared that he was ashamed to tell anyone about this, due to the stigma surrounding mental health. He told none of his friends that his mum was a therapist, with the fear he would face judgement.

It wasn’t until Asim faced mental health struggles himself and faced with suicidal thoughts that he was truly inspired by the impact his mother had on others. When researching the sector, he found that there weren’t any online resources that could put you in touch with mental health professionals when you needed help.

This is where Plumm was born.

What helped you push through your own mental health challenges?

Growing up in Dubai, Asim shared that as a country it is 5-7 years behind regarding mental health stigma. He said this was especially prevalent growing up within an Indian household. It was very much ‘boys don’t cry’.

He discussed that the problem that he has found in the mental health sector is that people wait for ‘burn out’ or to ‘hit rock bottom’ before they even start to look for help. We need to work on placing more of an emphasis on ‘prevention and intervention’, not just reacting when it gets to the worst-case scenario.

“Mental health is just health, we should be looking after it constantly”

Asim reinforced the point that there is so much help there, but it really starts from you wanting to change and asking for help. However, this is easier said than done and as he reminds us, the hardest part is taking that first step.

How can we help each other with feelings of loneliness?

It may sound simple, but really listening to each other and sharing our own experiences can not only help someone else but can be a helpful way to help yourself. Asim highlights that we most likely are not alone when it comes to feeling lonely, and connecting with someone who is experiencing similar feelings to you can be a great way of helping to navigate your emotions.

Giving a great piece of advice, Asim suggests that we learn how to direct people to the best professional help. After all, professional help is extremely effective for people who may feel like they need that extra support to overcome their mental health challenges.

Unlock therapy with just a swipe…

Asim revealed that the new Plumm app is now available to download and use. With all the valuable resources Plumm has to offer, it’s now a mobile app with a completely different experience than the desktop interface, giving people the ability to log in from wherever they are.

Whether you are coming back from a meeting, or even need some help settling nerves on the weekend for a big pitch on Monday, the app makes it easier to get mental health support right when you need it.

Learn more about the Plumm app here: https://www.plummhealth.com/

deverellsmith ensure our employee’s mental health is maintained through our Ambassador Programme. We appointed an Ambassador of Wellbeing to spearhead our internal and external strategy and provide a voice for our employees. Learn more about how we support our employee’s wellbeing here.