A BROMSGROVE mental health campaigner has opened up about his experiences and shared his goals to support other youngsters during Mental Health Awareness Week (May 12 to 18).
Campaigner and local youth centre volunteer, Paddy Crump, shared some of his own battles with mental health during a conversation with his MP, Bradley Thomas.
He told the MP for Bromsgrove about living with OCD and experiencing anxiety and depression from the age of 13.
He added how much of an impact the Covid-19 lockdowns had on him and shared the inspiring story of receiving help and support and being able to live a much better life now.
In a recorded conversation shared by Mr Thomas, Paddy said: “I managed to have a counsellor which my parents paid for, and I can say without that counsellor I wouldn’t be here now.
“I feel lucky and passionate about it because I know I’m in a very fortunate position and could have been someone who went down a very different path.
“That experience opened my eyes to what so many people are going through and was very luck to get support but there’s lots of people waiting.”
During their conversation, Mr Thomas recognised the pressures faced by young people today which can take many forms such as from peers, in education, on social media and more.
Bradley Thomas MP said: “This particularly affects young people and we have to do more as a society to provide genuine support.
“This mental health week lets all think about the role we can all play in weider society so people are able to enjoy life, get support, and feel empowered.”
Mr Thomas continued the conversation by asking Paddy about his involvement in Bromsgrove based youth support centre, The Hub.
Paddy volunteers at the hub and shared details of it’s mission to provide a space for young people to receive the support they need. The Hub has been active for a while providing youth services for the local community.
Paddy added: “We want to turn this into a mental health hub from 9am to 9pm for any young person from Bromsgrove to see someone or have regular sessions.”
The young campaigner is keen to support the hub in avoiding the sterile or dull environment sometimes associated with therapy sessions and create a more relaxed, informal, empowering environment for young people to get support. This could take the form of offering activities for young people visiting to help calm them before, during or after difficult conversations or sessions.
“A lot of the systems are lacking an awareness and are not fit for purpose when it comes to mental health. We need to look at the systems and overall view of it.”
The Bromsgrove MP concluded by encouraging everyone to watch the video. You can watch below.
