Darek's story

“At the end of 2023 I made an attempt on my life. Everything had got on top of me professionally and in my personal life and I just couldn’t deal with it anymore. A police officer took me home and gave me the NHS helpline to call and they referred me to James’ Place who called me back the same day and I made an appointment to go and see them. I was so nervous and didn’t know what to expect, I have never needed help from anyone before and I was unsure if it would be for me. I didn’t sleep a wink the night before and I was feeling very agitated. When I arrived I was surprised at the centre and the atmosphere. It was like going to someone’s house. Everyone was really welcoming. I had a cup of tea and felt a bit more relaxed. I realised I had never been very open with my feelings and emotions and my kneejerk response it to run away from things. My therapist helped me to talk about what was going on for the first time, and we worked through understanding some of my thought processes and how to change them. It hasn’t been easy to dig deep but it has definitely worked, I started to feel a real difference in myself after a few weeks. Over the course of my sessions I began to really look forward to going.  I feel better equipped now to deal with difficult times, I have strategies to fall back on and I definitely feel less anxious at home and at work. My therapist encouraged me to do things I enjoy so I have gone back to playing the guitar which I find calming and have been spending more time with family.”

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