It’s with a mental health twist on the classic game of Bingo. In Mental Health Bingo, you are offered a lighthearted and enjoyable way to prioritize self-care and engage in activities that bring joy and fulfillment. Let’s see what mental health bingo cards can be and what overall mental illness bingo pertains to.
What is Mental Health Bingo?
The letters B-I-N-G-O are finished by completing the squares that are related to mental health, such as “ADHD”, and the numbers are replaced with relevant responses, such as “Relaxation Techniques”. This tool provides a fun way to prompt conversation in a group setting, where every box is a type of coping skill that helps with treating a mental illness issue. Once the squares are completed either vertically or horizontally on the mental health bingo card, you can cross one word off the spelling of bingo, or perhaps say it aloud, so everyone knows (if they are sitting nearby). Whoever completes the word BINGO wins this mentally ill bingo.
Through mental health bingo, participants have the unique opportunity to explore various self-care practices and build resilience against different types of mental illnesses such as Schizophrenia or less debilitating ones like anxiety. Whatever the case may be, it can help teach and reach goals that are associated with different mental health issues and subvert the game of bingo into a coping skill game for affected individuals. This way, all participants connect with others who share a common goal of prioritizing mental health and that doesn’t mean everyone participating in the game has poor mental health. Healthy people can also use it as it not only helps participants engage in diverse wellness activities and it also fosters dialogue around mental health topics, increases self-awareness, reduces stress, and also helps them gain knowledge about maintaining well-being.
Read More: The Debate of Behavioral Health vs Mental Health
Suggested Use and Prerequisites
Participants should be around 3 to 12 to make this game enjoyable and productive in the way you want it to be, which is to reach the goals that relate to mental health coping mechanisms.
Instructions
Step 1
Download a mental health bingo sheet from the internet or make one yourself. Then share or send the printout to all interested players, and encourage them to print it out/post it somewhere visible to them. Participants can mark an ‘X’ over squares as they complete them (these will be the activities that relate to mental health bingo questions or activities).
Step 2
Make an explanation sheet! In it, participants can write brief statements below each engagement activity to explore the justification and explanation about how they were able to complete each square.
Step 3
Step 3 is to elect a mental health bingo supervisor. This person will be responsible for receiving and reviewing the explanations for how the squares were completed. They should be willing volunteers and they will also be responsible for determining the order in which participants complete their cards. Additionally, you can be the supervisor too if you think you are up for the job.
Step 4
Once everything is in motion following step 3, participants start mental health bingo. They have to ensure all squares are completed either vertically or horizontally on the mental health bingo card, so they can cross off one word off the spelling of bingo, or perhaps say it aloud, so everyone knows (if they are sitting nearby – as mentioned before). Whoever completes the word BINGO wins this mentally ill bingo card game.
Step 5 (Final)
Although it may not seem like it, the supervisor checks if the squares completed in everyone’s mental health bingo card are justified and properly explained (that is how they were able to reach that point). Once the supervisor announces the winner then all bets are off as the announcement is final.
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What Else Can Be Done?
While mental health games are good for developing coping skills, whether it is mental health bingo for adults or mental health bingo for students and teenagers, at some point it’s not enough, which is when treatment becomes necessary for affected individuals who are tired of all the symptoms they are suffering from, for example, PTSD. Treatment options are available in the shape of psychotherapy, MAT (medicated assisted treatment), or psychiatric medication management, all of which can be complemented by mental health bingo.
Psychotherapy
It is essentially a type of therapy where a mental health expert talks with the affected individuals to help them identify and help their changing and troubling emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.
Read More: All the Benefits of Medication-Assisted Treatment in One Place
Psychiatric medication management
Medications such as stimulants, non-stimulants (both of which are used to treat problems like ADHD), antipsychotic pills (which fight problems such as psychosis), anti-anxiety medicines, and antidepressants (which treat things like depression) are really helpful in the treatment of affected individuals. But there is always a risk of mixing these medications, so for that one can use a monitored version of medication, called psychiatric medication management where an expert is tasked with handling your medication.
Medicated Assisted Treatment
It is the combination of therapies like psychotherapy, behavioral counseling services, and medication (even psychiatric medication can be incorporated into it.
Read More: The Benefits Of Telepsychiatry: A Convenient Path To Mental Health Support
Conclusion
We have laid down everything about mental health bingo and how it is helpful to you. It has its benefits and can easily be managed by whoever wants to participate in it. But if it is treatment options that you are looking for, such as the ones mentioned above, or flexible options like telehealth psychiatry, then look no further than Solid Foundation Psychiatry.