Content warning: su*cidal thoughts, hospitalisation, childhood sexual abuse mention

I have been a mental health services user for around thirty years, following a breakdown in 1994 which required lengthy hospitalisation in Park Prewett.

My diagnosis rests at PTSD (as a consequence of sustained historic child sexual abuse between the ages of 8-11), which, it would be fair to say has impacted on every aspect of my life ever since.

I have experienced most forms of counselling models, psychiatry and abuse-specific therapy. I also trained, by way of ‘giving back’ in Person Centred Counselling to Level 3 in 2010 and have volunteered in various capacities with a variety of support groups ever since.

I am, following a significant drop in my mental health last year (with spiralling suicidal ideation), receiving life saving/changing/and affirming support from Solent Mind at their Winchester Wellbeing Centre in Parchment Street. At present the art psychotherapy and peer support group with self esteem and emotional resilience classes to follow.

The art psychotherapy has been beyond my wildest hopes and expectations, enabling me to gain insights into the narratives and discourses of my past, present and future, my coping strategies and in particular, the self destructive and limiting patterns of behaviour and thinking in a way that talking therapies could not, in my case, reach.

The process enables me to explore those life narratives in an organic, un-self censored way and offers a way of exploring opportunities for moving forward within a safe, positive, supportive and ‘realistic’ environment.

My experience of the peer support group and its facilitation is equally positive and it superbly dovetails, informs and enhances the art psychotherapy seamlessly.

The group members all present with different experiences and diagnoses - yet there are many commonalities (in particular the sense of isolation and being ‘unheard’) The facilitators create a safe, non-judgmental environment in which the group can share and explore their narratives and feelings and a natural feedback occurs, by nature of the different skill sets/experiences and areas of struggle which enriches all parties.

My recent experience with Solent Mind, in tandem with some quite beyond the level of my expectation support from all the work coaches at Winchester JobCentre Plus and my debt advisor at CAP have brought me a renewed sense of attainable positivity and signposted models and opportunities for moving forward. A vital service.