Bradford's mental health support groups on reaching out

The past few months has seen the district spend more time indoors with little contact, leaving many worried and low on hope.

But groups like It's Worth Talking About are based all around the district and have saved many lives through the power of words.

No one is alone, they say.

Ryan Anderton was inspired to start a mental health group following his own recovery from depression and the loss of Keighley's Tom Marshall and Bingley's Sam Mackleroy.

Since launching in March last year, there are now several safe spaces across the district for men and women to open up and share their problems.

Above photo taken before the pandemic.

Speaking to the Telegraph & Argus, Ryan said: "I've been an in-patient at Airedale Hospital, that was 11 years ago. I've had quite a long standing experience of suicidal thoughts. Four years ago I found myself stood on a train line and it was at that point I had a realisation - 'I need to pull myself together'.

"I attended peer support groups and learnt about my mental health. I then started working for Mind in Bradford. It was at that point I realised within the Keighley, Bingley, Skipton areas there wasn't the support available. So we set up It's Worth Talking About.

"Statistics show men commit suicide more than women so men do need to open up more and talk more. We have women's groups as well. 

"We do try and train our faculties in mental health first aid so they do have the skills to faciliatate a conversation with people.

"It's really just enabling people who have got challenges in life to be able to come together and gain support."

In a message to anyone reading this who feels alone in their struggles, Ryan said: “Try and gain some support and advice, a problem shared is a problem halved. The more you share it the smaller that problem becomes as you receive answers to life’s challenges.”

Men's groups operate at Keighley's Cougar Park on Monday's, Haworth's West Lane Baptist Church on Tuesday's, Saltaire's Higher Ground Cafe on Tuesday's and Bingley's Arts Centre on Wednesday's.

Women's groups take place at Keighley's Civic Centre on Tuesday's, Cross Road's The Burnt Bear on Wednesday's and Bingley's Arts Centre on Thursday's.

All groups take place between 7pm and around 9pm.

Rugby union's James Griffin, chairman and founder of mental health awareness charity Talk Outside Of The Scrum (TOOTS), has urged people to ‘get talking’.

James, who lives in Farsley, started the charity in 2018 after he became worried that the way players are encouraged to be tough contributes to a silent struggle with mental health.

After seeing friends, particularly sportsmen, struggle with depression, James wanted to encourage more men needed to open up.

Read more: 'If you take one thing from my story let it be that things get easier when we talk about it'

A survey by YouGov in December 2020 found that almost two thirds of Brits say that the pandemic has had a negative impact on the state of their mental health, including 10 per cent who say it has had a “very negative” impact.

James said: “There’s a thin line between staying safe and staying sane. We’re built to have interaction. To be locked in, it’s going to make a lot of people desperately unhappy and in all sorts of worlds of pain.

“Message your family, text them, set up a group on Whatsapp. Once someone puts something in that’s it then, there’ll be 15 lads chatting for about six hours, forwarding silly things.

“There’s lots of groups and charities now that are designed to be helping people with their mental health.”

Earlier this month the Telegraph & Argus reported on a new project set up by Dudley Hill RUFC's Neil Wall and Elliott Cousins.

The Speak In Club, currently run as walk and talk groups, is aimed at helping people of all ages, backgrounds and genders to 'unlock their worries'.

Elliot said: "Men think it's going to be a burden on somebody if they talk about it. As soon as you tell someone that weight's off your shoulders. It's massive for men but that's started to come out more now.

"We're going to have some guest speakers, people who have struggled in the past and came out the other side, ex professional sports players who've struggled with gambling, women who've struggled with domestic abuse. We've got banking personnel who can help with any banking problems, mental health professionals."

To get involved, email thespeakinclub@gmail.com or message the Speak In Club's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

More urgent support:

• Text Samaritans on 116 123.
• You can call the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) line on 0800 58 58 58 – open 5pm to midnight every day – or access the web chat via www.thecalmzone.net
• Papyrus, for people under 35, can be reached via 0800 068 41 41 – from 9am to midnight every day – or by texting 07860 039967.
• Childline – for children and young people under 19 – can be reached via 0800 1111 and the number will not show up on your phone bill.
• SOS Suicide of Silence can be reached on 0300 1020 505 – open 9am to midnight every day – and by email, support@sossilenceofsuicide.org
• If you do not want to talk to someone over the phone, these text lines are open 24 hours a day, every day.
• Open to all, you can use the Shout Crisis Text Line by messaging  “SHOUT” to 85258.
• YoungMinds Crisis Messenger – for people under 19 – can be reached by texting “YM” to 85258