Let me start by saying these are my viewpoints from not only personal experience, but from watching family, friends and now clients that I am working with.
A bit of background, I have suffered with poor mental health for many years, first attempt at suicide at 15 years old through depression through being bullied. I have slipped in and out of depression and anxiety states since then, every time being stuck on pills that quite frankly did nothing for me other than make me a talking zombie. My final time of being put on these pills I decided enough was enough and with help from a friend I started alternative therapies including CBT and mindset. I ditched the pills and found myself for the first time in a long time. Then some family members started to suffer poor mental health for varying reasons. I taught them what I had learnt and for the most part it worked. From there I decided to train in any and all area’s that I could regarding mental health and mindset, so I did and here I am, qualified and running my own business, Brighter Horizons NE. I even wrote and became a bestselling author of Life, the Universe & M.E. Punch Anxiety in the Face (available from Amazon), it is about my mental health life story, plus a few hints and tips to get everyone started, even if you have perfect mental health, the hints and tips can help you maintain that.
So why am I writing today? It has come to the point where it needs pointing out by professionals and experts a like that the mental health system is beyond broken in England, the NHS is doing all it can to stay afloat, but it is sinking, it can no longer keep treading water to survive and help a handful of people any more. I have nothing but the upmost respect for the NHS, I think they are a phenomenal institution, but with years of budget cuts by the government, they have had to cut back services and the public suffer for that. Mental health help waiting lists are increasing, [as reported by ITV News 24th March 2021], children are expecting to wait up to four, yes four years to even get to be seen, with lockdown impacting on people’s mental health as well, I dread to think how long it would be for adults, plus there are more issues with the adult referral service.
It used to be you go see your GP they refer you to the service you need. Now when you are feeling at your lowest, feeling like life is at its worst, you are not worth people’s time or help (which by the way you all are). You now not only have to be able to pick up the phone to talk to your GP, but then you have to pick up the phone again to ring the service they give you the number for, so two phone calls at least, that you probably really didn’t want to do, but then you go on a waiting list, then, at some point when you get to the top of the waiting list you get 6-8 weeks of talking therapy (over the phone at present), then you are discharged. Good news is you can re-refer back into the system going through that whole process again to get another 6-8 weeks in talking therapy, but chances are it will be someone completely new that you are talking to, so you have to start right back at the beginning again. The major screaming problem with this is you never move forward and most people don’t think it works, I tend to agree. Talking is great and it should be done (hang on I know it seems like I have just contradicted myself there, bear with me), talking on its own doesn’t work, but with other mindset practices added into the mix as well, it has the potential to be much more effective.
This is what I do in my job, I have clients that have done the talk therapies and the aforementioned NHS sessions, they come to me saying it hasn’t helped and in some cases made things worse. They work with me and they either do my online course or we do a plan that incorporates everything and they have reported back that it has made such a difference, E – From Northampton is a client of mine and they are quoted as saying, “I felt lost, alone, anxious. I felt had no purpose, but working with Rachel; I have worked through what was causing the feelings and now I walk taller and feel free to be me”.
Everyone regardless of their situation has the right to live their lives in true happiness, with a positive outlook, free from stress, anxiety, depression, poor mental health and I am here to help that happen, I am here to help take stress off the NHS, I am here to prevent poor mental health. For further information feel free to reach out to me at: