Rich, North Warwickshire, Former Engineering Administrator now working in the Education Sector.
I cannot thank the IAPT team enough for throwing me a lifeline when I really was at my lowest ebb. Physical health problems were making me reluctant to leave the house or to go beyond my “comfort zone,” without resorting to what I now recognise as “safety behaviour.”
It wasn’t the first time that I had used IAPT’s services, having suffered with depression and anxiety issues for many years. The two courses of CBT (Standard and then High Intensity), with talk therapy sessions in between have helped me to understand and deal with many issues.
I’m not going to say that there is a “magic cure,” (the physical issues aren’t going away anytime soon), but with a determination to work through the therapies and to use the tools and techniques learned in the sessions, I’m very pleased to say that things have improved considerably!
I would like to thank the therapists for their help, hard work and dedication from the bottom of my heart!
My therapist was amazing. I cannot thank you enough for the support over the last 6 weeks. The way you spoke to me during the sessions was supportive and I could tell you genuinely wanted to help me! My understanding of anxiety and low mood has increased, and the strategies suggested are benefiting me to no end. I am so glad I reached out for support- wish I had done this sooner. I have been managing my anxieties and worries for years however the new ways that I have learnt to actually deal with them has changed my life. I know I am only still beginning my new journey, but the progress has been seen by my family and colleagues already. Thank you!
I think this service was my life saviour. I never thought I’d be under the influence of depression. My therapist was patient, and her way of explaining and listening to me really helped. She is brilliant and the service is. I feel I have got a second life. Thank you IAPT, I appreciate all the help that you provided.
It is impossible to express how grateful I am for the help and advice I received from IAPT. At first I was very reluctant to seek help for my anxiety; I didn’t think anybody would be able to adapt my outlook on life. But now I can confidently say it is one of the best experiences I have been through. Truly life transforming and will provide me with long-term solutions to combat those bumps in the road which are beyond my control. Overall an extremely positive and productive experience. Thank you so very much!
Without the support of my counsellor over the last nine months I don’t think I would of coped with everything that has happened. It would have been twice as hard. I know there is not a cure, but feel I have been given the tools that able me to cope the best way I can. I am reassured that I can contact IAPT again if needs be.
Hello my name is Lucy and I am 35 and live in Warwickshire. I have had mental health problems with depression, panic attacks and anxiety. My G.P put into contact with the IAPT service. I found the service to be helpful as it made me find ways to understand why I felt this way and what and how I could feel better. I use the techniques all the time and even recommend them to others. I have learnt a lot and I would definitely recommend the service. Plus it's FREE!!!
Carl, Supermarket Worker from Royal Leamington Spa, was left with a burning sense of anger after he was nearly killed by a drink driver. But he was also anxious, sometimes overwhelmed and in physical pain – so much so that he began to have suicidal thoughts. The 54-year-old supermarket worker is now on the road to recovery after using services provided by expert therapists at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust.
“My counsellor, Chris, gave me the time and the space to talk through my emotions until I understood why I felt the way I did,” he says.
Carl realised many of his feelings of guilt stemmed from the fact he had survived the accident, unlike his sister, Angela, who had been killed in a car crash in the 1980s – a drink driver was also behind the wheel of that car.
“She was 23 and married with two young children and I felt it was unfair she had died but I was still here. I hadn’t realised this until I was given the chance to talk about my life with a trained expert,” he says.
“I can’t thank my counsellor, Chris, enough. He allowed me to come to terms with how I felt about Angela’s death and how I had linked it to my own situation after the crash.
“Counselling gave me a new way of looking at life and ways to help me cope when things start to get too much. I now believe I survived for a reason and am feeling much more positive about my future.
“It has given me the strength to take back control. I am a lot more cautious when driving now but I can now get behind the wheel of a car without automatically thinking someone is going to smash into me.”
Since his crash, Carl has become a strong advocate of the anti-drink drive message.
“I now feel I have been given a second chance for a reason and am keen use my experiences to warn about the dangers of drink driving."
Tracey from Warwickshire
My wonderful therapist helped me to deal with my overwhelming sense of inadequacy, particularly at work. Because of my worries, I even lost the confidence to park my car. But now I can park again, and much more. Problems had been building up over time for Tracey. The death of her father, divorce, and having to move home were possible triggers.
“I had an overwhelming sense of inadequacy, particularly at work. I thought whatever I did was wrong even though my boss said there were no issues with my performance,” she says.
“It built up over several months until it started having a serious impact on my daily life.
“I would find myself crying, I was often up in the early hours of the morning pacing around the kitchen.”
One example of how Tracey had lost confidence was that she would no longer reverse into a parking space, meaning she often drove much further than she needed to.
“It was ridiculous, nothing had changed that meant I could no longer park my car. I was just overthinking things and knew I had to seek help,” she says.
“I was sceptical at first but the therapy staff were really helpful. I was also glad I opted for the group sessions. It was such a diverse group – all ages and walks of life – but hearing their stories really helped me and I realised I was not alone.”
“They showed me ways to regain control and reduce negative and unhelpful thoughts.
“In fact, after a session where we had been shown breathing exercises, I drove back to work and was just about to go past bit of a tight parking space when I thought: No, I am not inadequate, I can do this – and I did.”