It’s mid-season and you feel like you’ve got much more than you’ve bargained for. The idea of a glamorous, well-paid career on a luxurious yacht have long gone. You’re working long hours, jumping through every hoop imaginable and tensions onboard are at an all time boiling point. But unlike everyone else, you’re feeling on edge, trapped without anyone to talk to or so wound up and exhausted that you can’t sleep at night...

You're not alone. 

Depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions aren’t unique to the yachting industry, but working long hours coupled with increased feelings of isolation when living out at sea can contribute to mental illness. 

With the help of our digitally connected world, yacht crew can now access mental health support from any location at any time. If you need urgent support, no matter where you are, here are some mental crisis support services: 

• ISWAN (International Seafarers Network and Assistance) is a charity supporting all seafarers in the world. ISWAN has developed a 24/7, confidential and multilingual support service to deal with urgent emotional issues -Seafarerhelp. 

• BetterHelp is an affordable online service which provides professional counselling and support via video conference, telephone, live chat or messaging.

• NHS Recommended Apps -The National Health Service UK has recommended a range of mental health support apps which include resources and tools to help manage mental health.

In addition to these services, the PYA has been campaigning to raise awareness and remove the stigma associated with mental and emotional issues.

We recently joined forces to host the mental health awareness event, ‘Life is for Living’, in Palma Mallorca. Following its success, we would like to host more events to help support global yacht crew in predominant yachting hubs.

To find out about our upcoming event in a port near you, join the event’s Facebook page.

To learn more about this event and our mental health campaign, read our most recent Yachting Matters article.

Image credit: Photo by Ian Espinosa on Unsplash