Mental Health Awareness Week 2025: a reflection on community from Bethwin Road

Community plays a vital role here at Bethwin Road, supporting people with their mental health and wellbeing.  Humans are inherently social beings, and our mental health is deeply influenced by the relationships, environments and connections we maintain. 

A strong, supportive community can act as a protective factor in supporting individuals’ wellbeing. Isolation and lack of support can contribute to stress, anxiety and depression.

We witness both regularly here at Bethwin Road.

Addiction is the great disconnector. It can and often will disconnect a person from family, jobs, homes, money, self-esteem, self-worth, healthy pride, integrity and dignity.  Eventually, if not sooner, it will disconnect a person from the breath that keeps them alive.

Addiction and mental health go hand in hand. Addiction and toxic shame go hand in hand. Where there is addiction, there will be unhealthy shame. Where there is unhealthy shame, there will be addiction. 

A safe environment can enable a community to begin the slow healing process: learning to trust, taking ownership of past experiences, and developing new, healthier coping mechanisms. 

Community – and providing a healthy community – is essential for individuals to begin laying a foundation on which to build their recovery, alongside like-minded others.

Together we stand, divided we fall.