Barely surviving to thriving
Being involved in Focus 4 1 has truly changed my life. What makes this group so special is that it’s fully owned and run by people like me-those with lived experience of mental health challenges. This creates an environment where I feel genuinely understood and supported. Through taking part in member-led activities and wellness programmes, […]
Who’s got the push/Who’s got the drive by Clinton Henry
Is happiness a thing of the past- Good times we had just wish they could have last- In contact with everyone around- In mind mental motions vision and sound- The Angels feed my energies – Angry- Whilst absorbing all that’s bad- In and around me- Just had another mind flash- Like an advert on TV- […]
How Focus 4-1 helped me to realise I don’t have to isolate
As a mature male struggling with mental health life living in a city like London can make you feel small and shut away especially as you get older. Most of the time, I felt alone and didn’t have much reason to make plans. It’s not easy finding places where you really feel welcome or needed. […]
Focus 4-1 is a life saver
I am a 61 year old woman who has lived experience of mental health. I first struggled in 2016 after my father died. Everything around me seemed to be moving fast. As a result, I wanted to escape my environment which I shared with my hubby and two sons. I thought they wanted to harm […]
Terry Sue Lived Experience Story
My first experience of mental healthcare was in 2012, after my niece passed away. It was the day my son was starting at nursery for the first time, and while we were waiting for the bus, I saw somebody who had passed away – my husband’s uncle, and I ended up going to A&E in […]
Intentional Peer Support Kept Me Out of Hospital
Last year I had the worst relapse that I’ve ever been through. Things got so bad that they were talking about sectioning me. That word alone- sectioned is meant to send panic through you. But truth be told I was past caring. I was numb; empty; burnt out. I reached that place where nothing mattered […]
How a Community of Lived experience Became My Lifeline
My first suicidal feelings began in my teens. By the time I was 52, I’d already tried to end my life three times. I’d been on medication for about 27 years – high to maximum doses of antidepressants, sleeping tablets, tranquillisers, and at a later stage, beta blockers. I’d been using alcohol to self-medicate since […]