Update from the chair: February 2014

February has been a fairly busy month for MHAG, starting off on the 1st with some of the group attending the LGBT event at Redditch Library - having a table at events like this is something we are very keen to do as it enables us to speak to people who either may need to access mental health services but need pointing in the right direction or to those who might be interested in getting on board with MHAG and campaigning for better services. All in all, it was a great networking opportunity for us.

The following week we met with representatives from Redditch Borough Council and the Redditch Community Amateur Boxing Club - the former was to find out more about the events they are hosting throughout the summer. We should have a packed schedule with these events plus our own we are hoping to organise. The latter was to hear more about a new project they're hoping to launch and we have a representative coming to our meeting tomorrow to share some more information about that.

On the 7th, we held our Valentine's Ball which was a great event and saw us raising nearly £500 to add to the funds we started gathering last year. We're really hoping to hit our £5,000 target soon and hopefully the combined efforts of these fund-raising events and our Three Peaks challenge will get us much nearer that total!

We've also met with Jestaminute who have some great ideas about Wellbeing Week (to be revealed at our March MHAG) and some of our members have been busy putting together proposals for a mentoring project - the pilot of which should be ready to launch soon.

To round the month off, we have a representative of the Redditch and Bromsgrove Clinical Commissioning Group coming to talk to us tomorrow at our monthly meeting which will be followed by a talk from some people who've completed the Three Peaks challenge who'll be sharing some top tips.

Harriet.

The invisible man

The Invisible man - written by a Bromsgrove A-Level student

43 years of age. A grown man. I think, feel, hope, dream and love the same as everyone else. I support a football team, I hate sprouts, I love to garden and see new life emerging.  I vote in the election, I fancy girls – not all of them!  I love art, films, the theatre and most of all I love visiting the pub with my mates or indulging in my secret pleasure – mochachino!

Why then may I ask does everyone treat me differently?

It might not be so bad if it was because of my taste in football clubs or even my passion for mochachino. I could understand it better then.  Sadly though it is neither of these things.

“What could it be then?” I hear you cry.  Surely it can’t be so bad that it makes almost everyone that you come into contact with behave in such an adverse way towards you.

Mental health my friend, that’s my demon.

You’d think that it was associated with the dark arts or some underground criminality for the stigma that it brings and the doors that it closes.

At my lowest I needed specialist help and regularly attended a clinic for support, particularly when I was self-harming.  My mom came with me.

Don’t get me wrong, it was great that my mom came with me.  I know she finds it hard and blames herself – what could she have done differently – was it something she did – maybe she smothered me – maybe she didn’t smother me enough - but really she’s been a rock.

No the problem was the doctor!  What other medical condition can you have that renders your own doctor incapable of direct communication and forces him to speak to the person who you brought with you?

Yes you’ve got it, the doctor didn’t even eyeball me when he was explaining to my mom the condition that her 35 year old son was suffering from and what could be done!

Lucky I was there at all really!

Fortunately my mom gave them short shrift and told them I was ill not deaf or stupid and they could just as well talk to me directly.

Getting a jobs the next hurdle.  Equality and Diversity – that’s a laugh.  In most cases, in my experience, this just means they are really cute about finding out what you have got wrong with you before they take any risks like giving you a job.

I went to Uni.  I studied better than most and came away with a bloody good degree.  Why then must I be penalised for something that is not my fault.  I have a really good sickness absence record and am committed to everything that I do.  I bet I don’t have as much time off as some of the people who burn the candle at both ends and roll over in the morning because they can’t be bothered.

It’s interesting really. Four out of five people will suffer some form of mental health during their lifetime.  Why then it is such a taboo subject?

I sometimes wonder whether it’s the fear that it might be them next.  If they ignore me I might just go away and then they can get on with pretending it doesn’t exist and it’s only something that happens to other people.

“the people in our family don’t get depressed, they just get on with it – stiff upper lip and all that”  Yep someone actually said that to me! Can you get your breath!

The bit I don’t think anyone gets is the pain that society inflict on people like me when they make us hide away in the shadows for fear of rejection.

I’m not ill all the time but when I am I already think I’m rubbish, worthless, scum. I already hate myself. I don’t need anyone else to do it for me.

Valentine's Ball

Friday saw us all donning our black, white and red outfits for Redditch MHAG's first Valentine's Ball. The idea of the event was to embrace the wider meaning of the word 'love' - focusing not just on romantic partnerships but also the community and self-esteem which can be key parts of people's mental health and wellbeing.

The event raised nearly £500 which will be used to fund projects in Redditch. We would like to say a massive thank you to all of the staff at Studley Castle, especially Rachel. It was a great venue for the event with a fantastic team who worked hard to ensure it all went smoothly. Also a massive thanks to David, Helen, Sarah, Lee, Elaine, Mary, Mark, Rob, Lisa and Rebecca for pulling together the event and to DJ Miles and photographer Katie.

We had representatives from Samaritans, Early Help, Sandycroft, Mentor Link and Jestaminute there as well as individuals who came to support us. Thank you again to all those who helped to make it a success.

All pictures by Katie Lester - please contact us for her details. 

2014 so far

This year is shaping up to be a busy one for MHAG with the potential launch of a mentoring project to provide ongoing support for residents who have already accessed more short-term help from other services (more on that soon), as well as our Valentine's Ball this Friday at Studley Castle, preparations underway for this October's Wellbeing Week and plenty of other events in between. Last year we touched on the link between wellbeing and physical exercise and some of our members will be truly testing that out when we take on the Three Peaks challenge this August. As well as providing a challenge for those climbing three mountains (Scafell Pike in England, Snowdon in Wales and Ben Nevis in Scotland) in 24 hours, it will hopefully be well supported by the public and help boost our fund-raising for the year. If you'd like to get involved in the challenge it'll be on August 1 and 2 with the option of just climbing Snowdon on the Sunday - there will be a practice of Snowdon on March 9 for those unsure about signing up or wanting to get some mountain-walking hours in early on. Join in by e-mailing redditchmhag@gmail.com or calling Harriet on 07788 379389. Our next meeting will be on Thursday, February 27, at 7pm at Redditch Town Hall when we'll be joined by a representative from the NHS Redditch and Bromsgrove Clinical Commissioning Group to talk about commissioning mental health services in the borough.