Lived Experience Forum

[Re2]

Hi all

This week has been a hard one for me. I have suffered with anxiety for a number of years where throughout this time I feel like I have been caught up in the 'system' where I have battled to find a solution to overcome my illness.

This week I continued the search to find a local psychologist that could hopefully help me and provide me with some techniques on how to manage my anxiety. I had done some research and had found that CBT is a great type of therapy and has proven results which was great.

This is where the problem then started... do you think I was able to find someone who is taking on new clients? I made 5 phone calls to 5 different clinics yesterday only to be told that they all had closed books and were not currently taking on new clients. I felt disheartened, frustrated and overwhelmed, I knew I wanted help and I was committed to getting better but finding someone to help me with this was near impossible.

There is a lot of talk about there being support available and that it is important to speak however actually finding the right support certainly proves to be difficult.

Today being a new day, I decided to continue my search and was thrilled to come across This Way Up which is an online platform where you can learn practical skills to take care of your mental health. CBT is a course that they offer, I enrolled straight away and I have already done lesson 1 of the 8-week course. I feel like I have finally found the support needed and am excited to be provided with the tools to get myself better. I know I have a long road a head and it isn't going to be easy but at least I have a starting point and something to focus on. 

The moral of the story is not to give up. I could have given up which would have only impacted my mental state however by persevering I have hopefully unlocked the tools needed to live a happier life.

I know it is tough, especially at the moment but please find the strength to keep going. It is worth it.

For anyone interested here is the link to This Way Ups website - 

It would be great to hear your stories and if you chose to complete a course let me know your thoughts and keep in touch throughout your journey. 

Good luck and keep fighting the fight

[Gwynn]

I did their "Mindfulness-Based CBT for Depression and Anxiety" course during the first wave of the pandemic and it really helped me. 🙂 I'm glad you've found the site helpful, and I'd like to hear more about your impressions of the course as you go through it!

[Re2]

Hi Gwynn, that is the exact course that I am doing. Great to hear that you liked it. I will certainly keep you posted 🙂

[sal2]

Glad to hear you've taken the steps towards personal growth. Well done!... I was wondering if you or anyone knows if THIS WAY UP is helpful for young adolescent 16-18 yrs?

[Re2]

Thank you

Great question, I have just had a quick look and they do the following course specifically for teenagers. 

Adolescent Mental Health & Wellbeing

Yon can either google this or search this website. 
I hope this helps 🙂 

[sal2]

Thank you for the info. I will look into ot it.👍