Mental health will always be a massive talking point in society, it has been for decades. From the amount of different mental health problems that have been researched to the stigma surrounding mental health as a whole as well as the stigma surrounding certain conditions. One thing that doesn't appear to be widely discussed is mental health services, whether they are good or bad, working for people or not, and the drastic changes needed to ensure that more people are diagnosed, treated and hopefully helped enough so that they don't feel the need to end their own lives due to their mental suffering

Mental Health Facts

  • Research conducted in 2020 showed there were 6,319 deaths registered in Great Britain where the cause of death was recorded as suicide

  • In 2022 this number fell slightly to 5,642 deaths which equates to approximately 10.7 deaths per 100,000 people

  • 115 people die by suicide every week (approximately 5,980 every year) in the UK with 75% of those deaths being male victims

  • in 2023 research showed that 1 in 5 people suffer with suicidal thoughts and ideations

  • in 2023 research showed that 1 in 14 people harm themselves in some way

  • in 2023 research showed that 1 in 15 people actually attempt suicide

  • In 2023 research showed that approximately 10% of the youth population self harm in some way

  • Last year 175,000 mental health appointments for young people were either cancelled or not attended

The statistics above make for pretty horrifying reading but this means that somewhere along the line either mental health services are failing people, or that people do not know how to access the mental health services on offer in order to get the help they need

In todays society there is no shortage of mental health services for people to access, from professional counselling services like the mental health charity Mind to other charities such as The Mental Health Foundation and support clubs such as Andy's Man Club and the promotion of such services has become a lot easier thanks to the continued and increasing use of social media.

However, sometimes professional services such as the Crisis Team can fall short of being the help that people need, especially with them being one of the first places that people are instructed to contact in a mental health crisis. In one particular instance, during my most recent severe mental breakdown that began in December 2023 and led to my suicide attempt in January 2024, i had contacted the NHS service to explain that I was suicidal and was heading to a bridge in Stockton (my local town). Despite the NHS 111 service being very supportive and compassionate which I am grateful for, when the police arrived and talked me down they contacted the Crisis Team on my behalf who simply stated that the police should take me home as I contacted NHS 111 for help and therefore I am not in severe crisis

The saving grace of my journey through this mental breakdown have been two local services in particular. Firstly a service connected to the NHS called Brook House. They have been so supportive from start to finish. Beginning with weekly home visits to check on my wellbeing and offer me advice to handling my medication and providing me with 6 weeks of talking therapy to help me understand my emotions and how to deal with the symptoms of my conditions.

The second service to help me has been a charity called Red Balloons. They are a local mental health charity who host local walk and talk groups around local parks and offer peer support drop in sessions as well as forming the Tees Valley Peer Support Network which I am now a part of. They have been absolutely fantastic with their support and I continue to access their services.

The purpose of myself forming Mot;v8 Peer Support is to provide advice and support to people by using my lived experience to help others who are going through mental health difficulties, bullying (including Domestic Abuse and Violence) and to advise on safe driving. I am hoping that I can bridge the gap between people not knowing how to access services and receiving poor service from other services, whilst also supporting and advising people in my own capacity.

We are also available for hire to host Motivational Speeches on Mental Health and effects it can have. As well as our Support Services. Please use the Contact Us form to find out more!