Thriving at Work – Lisa’s Story

“I have had many dark days through depression and my anxiety has at times been so debilitating.

Ricky has given me the tools to control my emotions and not let my mental health control me but learn to live with it….”

It was great to receive a recent case study from Working For Health – one of our fantastic delivery partners on Thriving at Work.

In the Beginning…

I have been employed since Dec 2000 and have suffered with poor mental health since January 2008, experiencing depression and anxiety which is exasperated by work related stress.  I have undergone numerous interventions and therapies such as Lets Talk, counselling, CBT and EMDR.  Throughout this time, I have had long episodes of sickness absence from work. During the most recent sickness absence, during a home visit, my manager mentioned Working for Health to me and suggested I may benefit from their support with their Thriving at Work programme.  I had not heard of them before, so after researching them on the internet, I completed and submitted a referral form.  A few days later, I was contacted by Ricky.  We spoke for about an hour (I talked, Ricky listened).  I was reassured that WFH would be able to support me and he made an appointment for me to meet him in person.

How we are helping you….

To say Ricky saved my life, seems a little dramatic but is no understatement.  I have had many dark days through depression and my anxiety has at times been so debilitating, I haven’t been able to leave the house.  My way to deal with stress at work, is ‘reactive’, almost shooting from the hip before thinking it through, which not only increased my stress levels but was also starting to cause issues within professional relationships with colleagues and managers.  By working and supporting me over a relatively short period of time, Ricky has given me the tools to control my emotions and not let my mental health control me but learn to live with it.  I still have ‘off’ days, but this process has taught me to accept them, rather than fight against and overthink them.

The Future…

What does this look like now, what are your hopes and aspirations for your future?…

I thought Ricky was a special ‘one-off’, but actually the whole team are.  I have been made to feel so welcome by everyone.  I know if I had a problem or was feeling low in mood and Ricky wasn’t available, I could contact anyone of the team and know that I would be supported.  Work remains stressful, however, knowing I have the support of WFH and the Thriving programme, helps me get through each week.  I cannot thank them enough!!

For more information about the project and how you can get involved as an individual or as a small enterprise in York and North Yorkshire please click here to visit our project page here…