Friday, October 10, was World Mental Health Day.

I had the opportunity to visit the Community Mental Health Centre at 79 Buckingham Road in Brighton as it celebrated this important day by organising various activities for awareness among the public.

Mental health is one of the key agendas on the Government's National Service Framework.

According to a study by the World Health Organisation (WHO, 2001): "When compared with all other diseases, such as cancer and heart disease, mental illness (including depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia) accounts for 25 per cent of all disability across major industrialised countries."

Those suffering from mental illness often suffer from social isolation and social exclusion.

Community centres, therefore, can offer vital support. At Buckingham Road, Trish Savas, the centre manager, along with her team of dedicated volunteers, organises many activities and workshops.

These help people with information and access to local services such as GPs, community mental health services, consultant psychiatrists, social services, employment schemes and many others.

Trish says the centre's aim is to provide a safe, relaxed and non-stigmatised place for those suffering from controlled mental health problems, ranging from stress-related disorders to anxiety and depression.

The drop-in programme allows people to come and find out about the range of services - and you're sure to be welcomed with a warm smile from the coffee shop supervisors.

During Mental Health Day, we ran a workshop on a holistic approach to mental health and demonstrated some practical skills for self-help to the group of attendees and staff at the centre.

I talked about the definition of a holistic approach - where we address our mind, body and spirit, our emotions and behaviour and our interaction with our fellow beings and the environment.

Becoming aware of our inner spirit helps us to generate positive energy and confidence in dealing with our mental health problems.

We feel a sense of unity with others.

We got every one in the group laughing with a positive energy by doing my simple exercise of healing through human connection and touch where delegates connect up by forming a circle and give a brisk, thumping massage to each other on the neck and back.

You should try this at home or at work.

The group also found the yogic breathing and meditation extremely useful as self-help exercises. We ended the session by teaching self-help marma-point head and neck massage with aromatherapy oil which everyone loved. It was a great day.

The centre runs a holistic programme of weekly activities which include freestyle dancing and exercise, sound and music, art, crafts, garden maintenance, shiatsu, a computer course and a stress-management session. Call: 01273 749500.

Dr Milind Jani works as a conventional and holistic GP and Dr Asmita Jani as Ayurvedic Consultant from 3 Eaton Gardens, Hove. Call them on: 01273 777448 or e-mail: milind.jani@ntlworld.com