"I was involved equally in the management of my mental health."

A referral by my GP brought two young women practitioners from the North Perthshire Older People's Community Health Team (OPCMHT)to my home. I had suffered the loss of my husband, I have a numbervof health issues to manage and had become very unsure of myself culminating in a distressing concoction of depression and anxiety. My first year of bereavement/life change I appeared to get through but in the second year I found myself floundering badly and perhaps should have shared this with my very understanding GP earlier than I did. Anyway fast forward to the arrival of the OPCMHT ladies to my home to my relief and the start of my education. These practitioners managed to combine their professional acumen of delivering cognitive behaviour therapies with friendly open down to earth and at times a very agreeable sense of humour. 

My sessions were always interesting and welcome. A few times I didn't grasp the message of some of the exercises but when I did..and I did - these were such satisfying milestones...what I would call my 'light bulb' moments. I felt safe to allow these ladies to get to know me, my background and learn from them how I could change my reaction to life's difficulties. 

I have been discharged from their care now and I have to say I am enjoying implementing my new way of thinking and getting the positive results. I have had an excellent experience of care and therapy. Should I ever become in  need  of help in the future I have been left armed with my new techniques, a comprehensive list of emergency agencies who can help as well as knowing who and how to contact in the primary care.

 I was treated not just as a patient but I was  involved equally in the management of my mental health needs. 

You were interested in how I as an individual approached some of the new learning tools and made them work for me. 

We none of us ever stop learning from each other. 

'You' saying that, emotionally validated me and enabled me to trust and learn..to talk and to listen.

Thank you Sheila and Kate