Richard joined Derby County Community Trust after being discharged from a mental health uni. Our Active Choices and Team Talk programmes have helped him to remain abstinent from alcohol and supported his wider rehabilitation. He is now using his experience to support others who find themselves in the situation he once was. Here’s his story, in his own words.

I joined the Team Talk programme after I was discharged from hospital where I’d been a patient within the mental health unit for the previous three months having being admitted after I tried to take my own life.

It was whilst I was in hospital that one of the nurses told me to look into the services which Derby County Community Trust provide.

I’d been diagnosed with depression at the beginning of 2008 but did what a lot of men do and buried my head in the sand and ignored it. Instead of getting proper help I “self-medicated” with alcohol, something I’d been doing long before I had any diagnosis. Whilst I was in hospital I was also diagnosed with anxiety.

I think that being in a secure unit made me realise that I couldn’t hide from my condition or my problems any longer and it was then that I said that I wanted help. This was the first time in over 10 years that I’d actually admitted that something was wrong and talked about it.

Upon my discharge from hospital, the Team Talk programme has come in. It has become my support network. Although I know it is not a medical service, just having people to talk to who I know won’t judge me is such a relief as I still find talking about my problems and conditions difficult.

For all of the campaigns telling us all that it’s good to talk I believe this is only possible if you have the right people to listen and this is again where Team Talk helps me. The non-judgemental and supportive nature of the group helps enable people who want to, to open up.

Since my admission to hospital in November 2018 I have not worked which has relieved a lot of stress. I have also been supported by the Active Choices service for my alcohol dependency. This has been helped by my involvement with the Team Talk programme too as I have people I can reach out to if I’m struggling rather than turn to alcohol as I have done previously.

I have been supported by various staff from Derby County Community Trust, mainly Luke Wilkinson, Chris Russell and Lee Fearnley, all of whom have been very supportive and are available to chat with and offer advice and assistance.

Although I still struggle some of the time and have bad days these are not as frequent as they were prior to my hospital admittance. Although I have had to give up my job and have had to move in with family, I actually feel my life is better now than it was three years ago when I was employed and living on my own.

All I would say to anyone who is feeling like they are in a low place, please remember: asking for help is actually a sign of strength, not of weakness as is it is often perceived.

Active Choices

Team Talk