Mental health: Burnley man whose battle with depression and alcohol misuse led to a car crash calls for more NHS funding
A Burnley man has spoken about his battle with depression and alcohol misuse, which led to a car crash.
Personal trainer Phil Park says Burnley organisation Casual Minds Matter CIC helped him turn his life around by offering him therapy after he waited for around four to five months for mental health support through the NHS.
The 32-year-old now believes the Government should invest more money in the NHS to help speed up waiting times for therapy.
"The process [of seeking support] has been frustrating. If Casual Minds Matter hadn't helped me, there's a chance I wouldn't be here. There isn't enough mental health support, and charities and businesses are taking up the mantle. It's not good enough. A lot of people are not getting the help they need. For me, it took a car crash and getting arrested."
Phil first experienced trauma at age 17 when his 23-year-old sister died by suicide, for which he had bereavement counselling. Despite this early difficulty, he was still able to achieve his ambitions by attending college and university, and qualifying as a secondary school teacher.
But his mental health took a turn for the worse two years ago when his long-term relationship broke down, and he turned to alcohol to cope.
"If I was down and upset, I'd drink. It was escapism, but it became worse and worse. I was drinking on my own and kept it secret. I think the drinking was a consequence of the depression and worry I felt."
Although he continued to hold down a job, he attended two courses with addiction charity Inspire while his GP prescribed him medication for clinical depression.
But he continued to spiral and ended up in A&E with suicidal thoughts, where medics advised him to speak to the local NHS crisis team.
Despite hitting such a low, Phil says the team would not offer mental health support as they blamed his suicidal thoughts on his drinking.
"I was speaking to people [from the crisis team] on the phone, and they weren't being empathetic. They were telling me [my mental health] wasn't as bad as it seemed."
Instead, they advised him to self-refer to NHS mental health services for support, but after four to five months of waiting, he still "didn't get anywhere".
He then had to leave his job due to his worsening conditions, and returned to Inspire.
And more heartbreak came when he had a car accident after drinking, with Phil saying, "Luckily, no one else was involved, and I wasn't seriously harmed."
The NHS assigned him a case worker who, seeing the lack of mental health support he'd received thus far, recommended that he contact Casual Minds Matter CIC, which provides counselling and psychotherapy services in Burnley and Pendle.
"Straight away, Casual Minds Matter took me in for triage, were in constant contact, and sorted therapy for me," said Phil.
Funding eight months of private therapy, he retrained as a personal fitness coach and has now been sober for a year, though he still struggles with depression.
Phil believes more funding would enable the NHS to intervene earlier when people show signs of mental health struggles and help them learn how to cope before they reach crisis point.
"I've met a lot of people with addictions, and they all have mental health problems. Some are high-functioning and in well-paid jobs, but because they're not on a street corner begging, we don't notice it."
A spokesperson for Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust said: “Mental health support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 0800 953 0110. It is staffed by trained mental health professionals who are able to provide assessment and referrals to appropriate services. Please call if you need to access services or for advice about someone who needs treatment or support.
“If you need help with anxiety and depression, please visit Talking Therapies at lscft.nhs.uk/talkingtherapies where you will find more information and have the option make a self-referral into the service.”