After sustaining life-changing injuries in a violent domestic attack, Harish had been waiting for talking therapy support for some time before finding our services here at Ideal for All. He spent 6 months in and out of hospital, constantly falling and not being able to carry on with a normal life and he was on a long journey to recovery. His traumatic experience, and subsequent impact of his injuries caused him confusion about where he was in life and how to cope with day to day living, leading to depression and severe anxiety. The attack left him with mental trauma, frightened and physically unable to function. He said he was always looking over his shoulder thinking that he may be attacked again, and he felt vulnerable.
As someone with English as his second language, we were able to provide an interpreter from our own staff, to ensure we could communicate with him in his first language. In our 1:1 sessions he spoke about his past, so we could reflect on this and move towards a place of closure. We supported him to manage his anxiety and thoughts, by learning how to make choices and take control, through an activity using colours and words and using deep breathing exercises.
Through keeping a weekly diary of his positive and negative thoughts, and through our discussions, he was able to identify what was important for him and what wasn’t right now, and to focus on the 5 ways to wellbeing, to stay in the present moment, and take small steps. It has been a long journey and he has had times where he felt he “would relapse and start feeling unwell” and ‘stuck’ in the trauma, but the fortnightly sessions meant he had close contact with staff and was able to address his issues at a pace that suited him in a supported way.
This has enabled him to make and achieve smaller goals, leading onto bigger accomplishments. When we first met him, it was a huge accomplishment for him to feel able to come to meet with us in person, but after seven months support he began attending training and sessions at Ideal For All in a group and will soon be joining our gardening group! A fantastic achievement, demonstrating his trust around other people and he is now able to feel safe again, growing in skills and confidence.
In sessions he talked about how keeping busy stopped him thinking about the past, and he decided to start working again in a flexible role which would give him control over his hours of work as he recovered. He has worked hard, saved his money and managed to buy a house and now feels he has something to look forward to in life. He continues to come to the sessions to support him and give him a safe space to talk or take his mind off things through fun activities.
“I have had great support from Ideal for All. I was not under no pressure to do anything. I have choices I can make now and decide for myself. People are coming back into my life.”
