"How it is for me" - Lisa's story
"It was like having the lights switched on again after years of being in the darkness.”
First contact mental health practitioners are specialists in mental health and work directly into GP surgeries across North Yorkshire and York. They can provide quick assessments, offering one-to-one support. They also help people to access local services that can help their well-being.
Lisa's story
As a single mum, on a low income and living in a rural area of North Yorkshire, Lisa found life very difficult at times. She had always struggled with her mental health and as her daughter approached high school age Lisa’s anxiety got the better of her and she knew she needed to seek support.
She was initially apprehensive about going to her GP as she found it difficult to talk about her mental health. However, after finding out about the new first contact mental health workers, Lisa decided to take the step she needed towards support and met with Sophie one of the first contact mental health workers.
Lisa said: "Discovering the wonderful support from Sophie was life changing maybe even lifesaving. She helped me face, accept and deal with all my anxiety. It was like having the lights switched on again after years of being in the darkness."
Despite having the support of her friends and family, Lisa hadn’t realised just how much she was dealing with things on her own.
Lisa adds: "When I first met Sophie, she looked me in the eyes and she said, ‘we can sort this out’. She made it all sound very simple and doable. From that day, I have had started to have feelings of hope and a belief that I will find much better ways for me to cope with my life."
Lisa had resigned herself to a specific way of life, but Sophie showed her it didn’t need to be that way. Lisa comments: “As an older parent in my 50’s, I am feeling a new lease of life. Sophie has helped me to think about how I could be a successful working woman again and not be on benefits low income forever. This is the most important change to my mental outlook. I have started to believe in myself again.
“My Department for Work and Pension work coach has noticed a big difference in my outlook too and without sound too daft, things in the garden are really much rosier. I feel like my life is restarting after years of being stuck in first gear.”
"I’m totally convinced that first contact mental health workers are the way to go in the future."
Lisa strongly supports the first contact mental health workers and believes they are essential.
She said: "Sophie was very caring, and her knowledge and skills helped to see through to my inner most issues in need of fixing. She’s not only greatly enhanced the quality of my life but also the life of my daughter. I will be forever grateful for the help I have been given.”
Thanks
Thanks to Lisa for sharing her story and to Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, the mental health & learning disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.
