Trigger warning: References to mental health, depression and anxiety.
As part of today鈥檚 World Mental Health Day, staff are sharing their experiences with mental health in the hope that it will help to break the stigma and that other staff members will find it helpful. You can find out about all the events planned for staff here.
Stephen struggled with his mental health from a young age after a traumatic childhood. He talks about his experiences with mental health throughout the years and his advice to others who are struggling.
Tell us about yourself and a little about your mental health journey so far
I spent over fifteen years in the armed forces when mental health was not discussed; thankfully, this is different now. Being a child of the 1960s and brought up in Belfast during the ‘troubles’, there was a lot of stress that led to issues with my mental health. My first diagnosis was at age five, when I developed alopecia as a result of my father being hijacked several times.
I used to teach stress awareness to military officers but failed to look in the mirror to see my own stress levels increasing.
Having left the forces, I found my finances suffered, which only added to my stress levels. A few years later, I sadly discovered that my coping mechanism of having a glass or two of alcohol to deal with problems had escalated, and it was becoming a serious issue. I also found myself increasing in low moods and dark thoughts, and I knew I needed to get some help.
I booked a GP appointment, was given medication, and was referred to iTalk, where I was diagnosed with stress, anxiety, and depression. A period off work helped to deal with this, and I found new coping mechanisms.
Over the next few years, I had mixed experiences with my GP surgery, but when I eventually spoke with Combat Stress, I started to find the support that worked for me and began to feel a bit better.
I鈥檝e since been through a divorce and a house sale, so things are still a little hectic.
How do you now take care of your mental health?
I try not to dwell on problems too much. I also volunteer for a charity helping veterans and emergency services with physical and mental health issues by building models, and I teach First Aid for Mental Health, which I find helps me by helping others.
What do you think is the biggest misconception surrounding mental health?
Having a mental health condition stops you from being an effective member of society.
What is your advice to others struggling with their mental health?
Don’t be afraid to talk about your condition. Society accepts physical health conditions such as broken bones, understands the process of how this happens and how it is fixed, and normalises conversations around this. Mental health conditions are not understood and therefore not talked about in a ‘normal’ fashion, but it鈥檚 important we start having these conversations to normalise them.
If you need help or support, please speak to your line manager, or email wellbeing@soton.ac.uk