Male
Link Worker: Fiona Hunt
Patient came to the surgery to ask if there was anyone he could speak to and patient got a referral from his GP to a Social Prescribing Link Worker. Patient had been in the low place before and felt he was heading that way again and that everything was going wrong.
Patient could feel himself falling down “like I have fallen off a high building and I feel like the Link Worker stuck a net out to stop me from falling any further. Since the appointment with the Link Worker I feel I have a whole support network surrounding me”.
Initially I didn’t know where to turn to. If you go into job centre they push you into work and patient didn’t need that. Patient came to Social Prescribing appointment and was referred to counselling which was funded initially by the enablement fund and was also signposted to Man Down. “For me going to the Man Down Support Group at Clint’s Barbers in St Austell was the biggest thing of all. To see other man talking about things that they have been through and that they are all going through and facing it was a big eye opener and relief for me. I was brought up in a way to pull your socks up but you get to a point where you can’t pull up your socks up anymore. Growing up I was made to feel it was a feminine thing to talk about problems so I bottled things up”.
Patient couldn’t afford to continue with the counselling. “By going to the Free Man Down Support group it was great to see a group of blokes being able to open up and talk about their problems. I am really lucky living in St Austell because if I feel down I can just go into Clint’s Barbers and sit and have a cup tea. There is also someone always on messenger on the private group which has really helped. By having a group of blokes that have all gone through hard times it bonds people more just like the Band of Brother from the 2nd World World. We have things in common and are able to talk about anything and able to open up your chest in confidential and safe space. I didn’t have a clue what was available to me in my community and that there was so much available through Social Prescribing that has helped me. I feel I am now ready for the next stage in my life which is getting back into work thanks to all the support I have received”.