‘Don’t suffer in silence’
Union Matters October 10 2019Postman Ashley Creaser, from Malmo Road MPU in Hull, talks movingly about his own experiences and of how ‘the support of friends, family and fantastic co-workers’ has helped him through difficult times…
‘From the age of 15 I’d always struggled with my mental health after the sudden death of a relative.
I’d never lost anybody before and the quickness of it all really messed me up. I had one major issue at 19 that resulted in being hospitalised and, after that, I’d had the occasional episode on and off in my 20s.
I lost a very close friend to suicide at 22 and another later on in my life before I had a breakdown just after I’d turned 30.
I guess you could call it an early midlife crisis. I started having panic attacks for the first time in my life.
I reached my lowest point a year later when in the midst of it all I tried to end it all.
It wasn’t easy at first. I had to recognise everything I had to lose and everything I was pushing away and really start from rock bottom.
The doctor tried to prescribe anti-depressants, but after doing the research, I looked at alternative therapies.
It all started with getting clean. And I’m happy to say I’ve now been clean for three years and, although I still struggle with mental health issues, they’re not as often and intense as before.
I couldn’t have done it without the support of friends, family and fantastic co-workers.
We’re all in it together and, whatever may be playing on your mind, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, it can quickly manifest into something really bad really quickly.
There is always somebody to talk to. Don’t suffer in silence.
Thank you’