“Talking is the best medicine for mental health” as part of Time To Talk Day campaign

A woman who works for a Northampton charity who has struggled all her life with mental health issues has claimed “talking turned” her life around and helped with her recovery.

Estelle Randle, who was taken into specialist care in a hospital in 2019, is speaking out as part of the national mental health initiative Time To Talk Day which takes place on February 2.

Run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, the aim of the national campaign is to encourage the nation to have a conversation with someone about their mental health.

At the time, the 22 year-old presented with self-harm, hearing voices, self-destructive behaviour including drug and alcohol abuse and suicidal thoughts. In addition she was also suffering from an eating disorder.

Estelle, who now utilises her lived experience as a recovery college peer trainer to instil hope in others at the mental health charity St Andrew’s Healthcare, said: “I was in a very, very dark place and I couldn’t see a way out. It wasn’t that I wanted to die.

“I just wanted all the voices and pain to stop. I felt trapped in my own mind that was torturing me every waking second. I couldn’t take it anymore.

“After arriving at hospital, I watched my mum drive away and I didn’t cry. I felt completely numb. I wanted to run away but I didn’t even have the energy. I hadn’t eaten or slept in days so I wouldn’t have got very far.”

Estelle’s mother had identified there was something seriously wrong with her daughter, but neither of them knew how to tackle her increasingly damaging and harmful thoughts.

Estelle said: “It took a while to settle at hospital. I didn’t want to be there but gradually I started to trust the staff and the therapist. It was a slow process but I began to open up about what was going on in my head and the people I was talking to actually understood me. I realised the more talking I did, the lighter I felt.”

Eventually Estelle improved and eventually she was allowed home where she started to rebuild her life.

She said: “I honestly think talking turned my life around, it saved me, which is why I’m supporting Time To Talk Day as I have first-hand experience of just how important talking really is.

“I’ve now got a handle on my mental health, but even now I have down days, but I recognise the signs and I make sure I talk to my mum, or my best friend or my therapist. Talking really is the best medicine for mental health.”

To support the campaign St Andrew’s staff are being encouraged to check in with their colleagues over a cuppa to make sure they are ok.

The charity’s CEO Dr Vivienne McVey said: “The more we talk about mental health issues, the more we reduce stigma, which is the ultimate aim. So we encourage you to reach out to someone today to check in and see how they are doing.”

The Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123