3 minute read
A passion to raise awareness around mental health.
Each year, one in four of us will experience a mental health problem and during the pandemic, we know many people struggled with their mental wellbeing.
Dan Stears from Salford shares his experiences about mental health and how that led him to join our Patient and Public Panel (PPP).
As a mental health service user for over 20 years and with regular involvement in lots of volunteering roles, Dan has been an advocate for many people across Greater Manchester, providing support to both professionals and the public.
“My personal experience of depression turned out to be a side effect of untreated anxiety. It wasn’t until 12 years later that one professional took the time to understand me that I was then diagnosed with severe anxiety. It is why I am a big advocate of person-centred care - see the person, not the diagnosis.”
If we don’t get help with our mental health, sometimes this can escalate to suicidal feelings. These feelings may build over time and it’s common not to understand why you feel this way.
“Having had experience of suicidal thoughts myself, it can be somewhat of a relief to come to that conclusion. It wasn’t until after I came out of that period of darkness I realised how wrong I was to attempt suicide.”
For anyone struggling with these thoughts, my advice would be to:
1. SPEAK UP.
Don’t ever feel like you can’t or that you are burdening your problems on someone else.
2. SEEK HELP.
Whether from your GP, mental health NHS services, mental health charities, service users groups, or just a close friend.
3. BE KIND TO YOURSELF.
Don’t give yourself a hard time for feeling this way; you are not alone. Many people struggle to cope at one point or another in their lives. Reaching out to someone could help them know that someone cares, that they are valued, and help them access the support they need.
“If you thought there was an immediate threat to life and you were unable to get to the person, I would call the emergency services for help. If the risk to life isn’t imminent, then there are many things you can do. You can talk to the person’s GP privately to express your concern or look at what is available locally in ways of support.
“Always keep your eye out for subtle changes that may not be normal for that individual. Warning signs can range from not engaging with friends and family to a change in routine, such as sleeping or eating more or less than normal.”
As well as supporting several mental health organisations, Dan is also passionate about LGBT+ rights.
“Within the LGBT+ community, the figures for mental health are one in two, double that of the national average, yet because of stigma nobody wants to talk about it. As a trustee of Salford Pride, it is one of my personal goals to help change that.”
Since joining our PPP, Dan has supported many workstreams concerning mental health and suicide, bringing his lived experience to help make improvements across the trust.
“I have had numerous experiences with NWAS, and joining the PPP has given me the opportunity to help make positive improvements. I regularly attend sessions and support staff who work on suicide and self-harm prevention, and a few weeks ago I also shared my story and experiences with NWAS’ Patient Safety Management Team.”
Samaritans has more information online at: www.samaritans.org
YOU CAN JOIN OUR PPP LIKE DAN
We’ve formed our Patient and Public Panel to give members of the public a voice and the chance to have their views heard. The panel comprises of representatives from local communities, interest groups, the voluntary sector and partner organisations, and offers meaningful opportunities to influence improvements in our emergency, patient transport and 111 services.
Varying levels of participation enable you to get involved in a way that suits you best, depending on the time and level of interest you have.
