“Why Unmasked works for me

It has helped me with socializing. I go into town for shopping, but I rarely talk to people. I just get what I need and return home.

When I go to the group at Unmasked, I am welcomed, and I feel I have somewhere to go. Even if I do not feel like attending one week, I know I am always invited which makes me feel wanted.

There is no judgement. It does not matter what I look like, what I wear or if I haven’t brushed my hair. It doesn’t matter if I am feeling down, if I’m quiet or loud, I am accepted.

I trust the people who I talk with, and I feel safe. I trust the facilitators and feel supported. I don’t feel alone in my thoughts.

If a relative or friend asks me if I’m ok, I mostly say yes, I’m ok. At Unmasked I can say how I really feel. I can say if I am not doing so well, and I am given the time and patience to talk but I don’t have to worry about being judged or that I am a burden. At Unmasked I can safely offload without it becoming the entirety of who I am, and this makes me feel normal.

Unmasked is a place where I can socialize, trust people, talk about my feelings and it helps me through difficult periods. I come away knowing I am stronger than I think and that it is more than OK to talk.

Thank you Unmasked.”

Hub Attendee

“I accessed your services in Halifax last summer. I was going through some serious physical and mental health problems at the time (which contributed to my move from the area). I attended a few of the peer support sessions and found it so nice to informally chat to others, share coping mechanisms and just have someone that was there, non-judgemental to the situations.

I just want to send my appreciation and thanks to those involved as I do feel it was one of the things that kept me alive.

Since then I have accessed local services in my new area, been back in touch with my family, and escaped an extremely abusive and toxic environment, all whilst addressing the loss of a parent. Your service helped me immensely over that 4-6 week period.

Thank you for all your hard work and for setting me on a path of rebuilding my life again, and appreciating being alive, even when I didn’t feel like I wanted to be.”

Hub Attendee

“I was brought up in a strict religious household and lived in a very small village where everyone knew each other. As a male you were told to never show your emotions or feelings, as this was seen as a sign of weakness, and it was ingrained in me to put on a strong front.

My dad passed away when I was ten and it hit me hard, I began to rebel against things.

Religion didn’t matter and I became my own person, I was always the black sheep of the family and at weekends I would stay with my auntie and uncle where I received abusive behaviour. They were religious and I was told not to tell anyone so I did what they asked, even though it would affect me for years.

I left home at sixteen, got a job and my own place, not really speaking with my family. Later, I would get married, to do what my family approved of and go on to have a family of our own. Unfortunately, the marriage did not work out. Regardless of this I carried on working and went on to bring up my son until he passed away. I had dealt with deaths in my family, having lost 6 family members in 7 years.

One day I ended up walking out of work, contemplating ending my life. I was sectioned after this and eventually sent home. I started drinking alcohol heavily and was feeling like I was at rock bottom when one day I came across Unmasked Mental Health when I was sitting at home. After reading up on it I decided to book counselling sessions.

At first, I found it hard to open up because I had lost trust in people and was wary of them, but after around ten sessions I finally felt ready to open up. My counsellor was brilliant unlike anything I had imagined, she wasn’t stuck up or stiff and clinical – she was down to earth, listened to me and did it without judgement. The more sessions I attended, the more I understood why I was feeling the way I was. My counsellor gave me homework which helped me delve deeper into the issues I was facing, and we talked through all of it.

I decided to continue sessions with my counsellor at Unmasked Mental Health and it was so refreshing and valuable to have the time to explore all my issues, I realised I had been carrying the weight of the issues I’d faced for years; it all came to a head and eventually it was bound to explode. Attending the Unmasked peer to peer support hubs also really helped in knowing that I’m not the only person that was suffering from mental health issues.

12 months ago I suffered a stroke, Unmasked have been brilliant in my recovery. When I look back I realise that Unmasked Mental Health saved my life. I now live one day at a time and I am at a point where I am close to being a volunteer as part of the Unmasked Team, helping others who need the same support I needed. I owe it to the organization and to myself to help others – the same way I was offered help when I was at rock bottom.”

Hub attendee