I’ve never been diagnosed with a mental health condition before, but knowing what I know now, there are certainly times in my life where consistent low mood and depressive thoughts have impacted my ability to function and I should have sought help sooner. When my first child was born I found that transition very difficult – the lack of sleep, loss of social life and extra pressure financially all weighed heavily on me and I felt for months that I was failing in everything I did. I was angry at myself for not enjoying what I thought should have been the best time of my life, and that made it even more difficult to get out of the negative thought cycles. I’m lucky enough that I eventually recognised and confronted these problems, and speaking with my wife allowed us both to make plans to manage our wellbeing better. I realised that I had been neglecting myself, and so started to manage my sleep more deliberately, improve my diet, exercise more and rejoined my 5 a side football group for increased social interaction. I found that taking better care of the basics really helped manage my low mood, and feel fortunate that we intervened when we did, as had I waited longer I expect things would have gotten worse and it may have been too late to self-manage!

Dale Tomlinson, Relationship Manager

I experienced a few traumatic events within a relatively short period of time and as a consequence suffered PTSD – although I didn’t have the knowledge or awareness that I do today around such complex issues and how it effects a person’s day to day life. The experiences had a profoundly devastating effect on my mental health, self-confidence and overall ability to find joy. For my recovery, I’d say it’s been a combination of talk therapy, EFT (emotional freedom technique) Kundalini Yoga and CBT.

Tamsin Mulloy, Lead Generation Executive

When I was 27 my marriage broke down after less than a year – I was obviously distraught and very hurt. I was extremely fortunate to have a very supportive family and friends who helped pick me up and get me sorted and settled into my very own flat but the impact it had on my mental health was huge. I began having panic attacks and would be afraid to leave the flat in case I saw anyone I knew. I felt so embarrassed about what had happened. I went to see my GP, I cried a lot and she offered me medication to help with my low mood and symptoms of anxiety. I took the prescription but I never got the pills. Instead, I brought a pair of running trainers and entered a marathon, giving myself 8 months to go from non-runner to marathon runner – this for me was the best thing I ever did and I have never stopped. I am not saying that this is the right path for everyone but for me it worked and continue to works. Exercise and running specifically has become my outlet and I am a happier person because of it.

Zoe Alcott-Wells, Senior Relationship Manager

In January 2023 I started to see a therapist once a week (something that was provided to me through Thrive Mental Wellbeing which I am very grateful for). I was experiencing high levels of anxiety and stress, which was getting so bad I wasn’t able to sleep or concentrate on anything. I felt like I was becoming totally overwhelmed, which made staying in touch with friends, focusing at work or even doing housework feel really difficult. My therapist helped me to understand the cause of my anxiety and gave me tools to help me cope. After almost 12 weeks, I feel like a completely different person. The techniques my therapist gave me to help manage my anxiety have been so impactful – reducing my symptoms to something that is entirely manageable. I still have moments of feeling anxious, but I am now able to recognise this in myself and understand a bit more about why I’m feeling the way I am. I am now able to manage these feelings myself through the use of mindfulness, primarily, along with calm breathing and following the cCBT programme. I cannot stress enough how much of a difference having this extra help, support and encouragement made to me. If you feel like your mental health is dipping, or is having a negative impact on your life, I’d highly recommend speaking to someone about what you’re going through.

Elizabeth Lerpiniere, Partnership Manager