Sharing people's stories of their lived experiences with disability, mental health and suicide.
The UK's first Mental Health and Disability Lived Experience Library, where every day people who have recovered from, or learned how to manage and thrive with, a mental illness or disability share their experiences via video and podcast. We have taken our knowledge and experience from successfully running peer support groups over the years, capturing the very essence of what made them so invaluable, namely the sharing of experiences, to create a unique library which is available to everyone. Through the sharing of lived experiences people will, see they aren't alone, obtain relevant information on specific conditions, learn lessons from others experiences and most importantly, be shown there's always Hope.
03/10/2023
Episode2 is out NOW, with lead singer of the US band Citizen Soldier and qualified therapist, Jake Segura, sharing his lived experiences with mental ill health and surviving su***de.
I learnt SO much from Jake during our chat, with his professional training as a therapist and experiences of directly helping his clients, providing perspectives I hadn't thought of before.
The bands songs are all based on lived experiences of mental health and are resonating with their fans on a whole other level, which is absolutey incredible and something I've never seen before.
Remember, nothing is permanent and time always passes, so stay safe during the dark times and make memories through the good. You got this 💚
***deSurvivor ***dePrevention ***deAwareness
28/09/2023
Maybe you've noticed a name change of this page and a lack of posts from Talk Mental Health, well there's a very good reason and here it is!
A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who supported me and Talk Mental Health over the past 3yrs, I wouldn't have been able to do it without you all 🙏
During this time I've directly helped over 350+ guys and their partners, whilst sharing information on mental health and su***de, in addition to my messages of hope, to over 150k people 🥳
However, I simply couldn't continue putting up with the comments, behaviours and judgements of others against and towards me, especially when it began interfering with local collaborations, to grow the level and types of support provided 🤷♂️
There ARE amazing individuals and organisations around Northants though, who are working tirelessly and selflessly to provide an incredible array of support services and are genuine people with hearts of gold. Please remember them 💚
My only aim is to help and support others impacted by Disability, Mental Health and Su***de, whilst hopefully providing an element of hope, which has never and will never change.
19/05/2023
One of our guys, good friend and brother, are no longer with us. They tragically died 1yr ago, leaving a huge hole in all our hearts and of course their family.
We are meeting at Daventry Country Park tomorrow, Saturday 20th, from 0830hrs and urge those who knew our brother, to join us in remembrance 🙏💚
07/04/2023
Our Lived Experience Walk IS taking place tomorrow 🥳 meeting at the car park for Sixfields Reservoir for 0800hrs, just look out for a dark red van with black stripes and a big guy in a wheelchair 😄
The path is easy going, alongside the reservoir and then the river Nene, and the weather looks good too 🌞 see you there 👍
31/03/2023
**URGENT NOTICE** Unfortunately, we're having to postpone our Lived Experience Walk from Saturday 01st April, until Saturday 08th April, due to Disabled Adventurer hurting himself today whilst going over the route.
Our utmost apologies should this mess anyone around, good news though, the weather then is meant to be much nicer, silver linings and all that 💚
26/03/2023
Next Saturday 01st April at Sixfields Reservoir from 0800hrs, will be our monthly Lived Experience Walk and there's an open invitation for anyone to join us 🤗
You'll have the opportunity to chat with those who have personal experience of struggling with mental ill health and trying to support those they love who are experiencing poor mental health.
It's a great opportunity to gain a better understanding and support, from those who know about it all too well and have learned invaluable lessons along the way.
08/01/2023
Lived Experience Walks. We've now planned our next three walks and will be visiting locations around Northants, enabling more people to benefit from them and all, non-gender specific 💚
02/01/2023
What an INCREDIBLE 'Walk Into The Light' meetup, earlier this morning, with truly humbling feedback from those in attendance 💚
At 0630hrs today, over twenty strangers gathered together at Daventry Country Park for a symbolic walk, which began in darkness and ended with the beautiful sunrise of a new day 🌅
We shared gratitudes, reflected on times gone by and wrote down those things we wished to move on from, to change, before burning them in the fire pit 🔥
It might well be a new year, a new day, but, many issues and challenges remain in place for a great number of people and to whom, I've the following message;
There'll always be challenges, grief and upset in life, with many a twist and turn.
Accept the things you cannot change and choose how to change the things you can.
Seek to learn from mistake and failure, whilst growing the knowledge and pushing the boundaries, of self 👊
26/12/2022
One week to go until our Walk Into The Light event, in partnership with Nature Nurture Bushcraft, being held at Daventry Country Park from 0630hrs and YES, in the morning!! 😉😅
It includes a walk around the reservoir whilst sharing our,
💚 Truths
💚 Gratitudes
💚 Changes
There'll be an open fire pit waiting for us at the end, thanks to Lee from Nature Nurture, where we'll have hot drinks and bacon butties whilst the darkness melts away to welcome a new day, full of opportunity.
In two weeks we will be holding our Walk Into The Light event following a succesful one in January, which you can see in the video, and you're invited to join us at Daventry Country Park along with Nature Nurture Bushcraft who'll be providing warmth and hot drinks from an open fire pit 🔥
Last meetup of "Blokes, Brews and Breakfasts" for the year and from all of the guys past present and future, to everyone out there, we hope you have a wonderful, peaceful and warm Christmas, full of gratitude and love 🎅💚
Oh and don't forget to book on for Walk Into The Light meetup on 02nd January
Merry Christmas x
01/12/2022
West Northamptonshire Council are supporting International Day People with Disabilities today and are streaming LIVE on YouTube via -
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A Veteran who served 14 years in the British Army, Nick has had a rich yet tumultuous life.In 2012, after leaving the Army, Nick started his own Executive Chauffeuring business. During the ensuing years, he will be diagnosed with; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depression, Generalised Anxiety Disorder(GAD), Addiction to Prescribed Opiates/Morphine, 7 Pro-Lapse Discs leading to Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain Syndrome.
Nick’s chauffeur business became well known throughout Oxfordshire, becoming a £1/4M business within two years. He then suffered a mental breakdown and had a failed su***de attempt. Spending some therapeutic healing time with Combat Stress, Nick then made the life-changing decision to fight back.
Selling his chauffeuring business, Nick started again. This time, he felt refreshed, vibrant and determined to help others with mental health issues, so co-founded * 360 Wellbeing a mental health consultancy, along with his personal and business partner. Then from January 2020, Nick made the decision to stand down as Director of the company, due to continually declining health. Just as he was wrapping up the handover to his partner, Covid19 happened.
It was like a sign for what he was to do next, so after some planning, rearranging and alot of hard work, Nick’s Social Enterprise: Racing Minds CIC, which he had founded a while back, begun trading as Talk Mental Health. The aim? To Inspire, Educate and Empower individuals to better manage their own Mental Wellbeing, through Public Speaking, via his Podcast show; Let’s Talk Mental Health, Training and provision of projects which can assist both the Veteran and local Community.
The initial project created, was in direct response to Covid19 and Nick saw a way in which he could both assist our heroic KeyWorkers and individuals of the Veteran Community. It provides emotional and wellbeing support to those KeyWorkers, who have been impacted by Covid19, called - Veterans In Support, owing to the fact, the Volunteers working within the project are all from the Veteran Community. This enables Nick to provide individuals from the Veteran Community an opportunity, “To Give”, which is one of the five steps to Wellbeing, and also to provide Self-Management training included within the bespoke three day training package devised for the Volunteers, which would Empower them to better manage their own Mental Wellbeing!
If ever there was a time to realise your Purpose, Meaning and Identity, for Nick, this was it!
Notable Achievements:
· Served 14 years in the Army, deployed on several Operational Tours around the globe including Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.
· 2014 – Started a Chauffeur company, creating a £1/4M business within two years
· 2017 – Studied CBT, NLP and Psychology
· 2017 – Co-Founded 360Wellbeing, a successful Mental Health Consultancy business
· Raised over £75,000 for charities by planning events such as Basrah's first half marathon in Iraq, and a non-stop 1,000-mile cycle ride through Europe for the 60th D-Day commemorations
· Received a Commendation from the Army, for going above and beyond whilst on Operational duties.
· Ran highly successful Mental Health campaigns in 2018 and 2019, reaching and positively impacting approximately 250,000 people through #Realmentalk and #Timetolisten
Notable Challenges:
· 2012 – Diagnosed with Degenerative Disease Disorder of the spine, resulting in seven pr*****ed discs
2020 - Diagnosed with Fibroyalgia and Myofascial Pain Syndrome.
Nick is determined not to allow these challenges dictate his life and his ‘cheeky chappy’ persona reflects a friendly, humble guy whose speaking style is open, honest and powerful. His wealth of personal, practical and professional experiences over 20 years guarantees a direct impact on all those he works with, inspiring and empowering everyone he meets.
