Peer Support & Mental Health Awareness

Provided by Rebecca House author of Police to Paranoia

Introduction

My name is Beck and I retired from the Police three years ago after serving 21 years. Sixteen years ago I was sectioned under the Mental Health Act as a serving police officer having suffered a severe psychotic episode due to a number of personal reasons and the medication I was placed on. I spent 28 days in a psychiatric unit under assessment. This was an horrendous time for myself and I was still no better when I was discharged. However over the coming months I gradually worked on my mental health and got myself off my medication. My main aim was to get my career back in the police which I had wanted to do since the age of 5 years. I was very fortunate to do this and managed to get my career back as a police officer for another 15 years as a frontline officer. Unfortunately I was assaulted at a job which ended my career in the constabulary. I now work part time for Victim Support.

It was only when I left that I was open about what happened to me and self published my book 'Police to Paranoia' which is a true story of everything I went through. From that I have been approached by many individuals about their own Mental health which gave me the idea to set up my own CIC S.I.S - Strength In Struggles. The aim of my talks is to educate people around mental health and ultimately recovery, based around my own experiences.

Having experienced severe mental health myself I know how it feels and want to offer that help and understanding to others going through similar situations. I was lucky and recovered and I want to turn my bad experience into something positive with a view to educating and supporting others. I often think if I had had somewhere to go or listen to someone who had gone through this then it may have helped me.

Peer Support

S.I.S has now initiated two peer-to-peer support groups tailored for men and women, facilitating an environment where individuals openly express their mental health worries and receive mutual support. Appropriately, directing those requiring additional assistance towards relevant agencies.

These support groups aim to empower individuals by equipping them with the necessary tools, knowledge, and self-assurance to manage and confront various health-related concerns, encompassing issues like loneliness and self-esteem.

Peer-to-peer support establishes connections among individuals with shared experiences, fostering a supportive, motivating, and secure setting for all participants involved.

Awareness Talks

S.I.S offers guest speaking engagements across the UK for various organisations, such as the police and the NHS.

These speaking engagements provide a platform for open and honest conversations about mental health, aiming to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illnesses. By sharing personal stories of triumph over adversity, the speakers at S.I.S help inspire hope and resilience in their audiences.

The interactive nature of these presentations encourages active participation, enabling attendees to ask questions and engage in meaningful discussions.

Overall, these speaking engagements serve as a powerful tool in promoting mental health awareness and fostering a supportive community for those on their journey towards recovery.

Testimonial

I had the pleasure of meeting Becky in a force wellbeing event last week where she was a guest speaker in the area of mental health within the police. Becky spoke honestly and bravely about her experience of being a police officer whilst suffering with a mental health condition and how badly she was treated.

I can honestly say I was captivated from from the start to the finish and I could have listened to her all day. Her harrowing experience and suffering she endured and was subjected to by professionals was extremely difficult to comprehend, but her bravery in sharing this is truly commendable. What she is doing to try and develop can only help to educate police forces and other professional organisations on how best to deal with mental health within not only the police but much wider than this.

I am now reading her book and it is gripping. I can not put it down. It is a difficult read as it is sad to find out the awful treatment Becky endured, but i know that Becky is sharing her experience to make positive change in the future. Thank you so much Becky. For being so brave. You are an inspiration to so many people and i absolutely know will go on to achieve great things with your journey. you deserve nothing but the best for your future.

T/Detective Inspector Joanne Jones SWP

Testimonial

Police officers are often exposed to situations which are stressful which often includes providing support to our communities during the worst times of their lives. We accept as a service this may have an impact upon our staff and their emotional and mental wellbeing. I want to thank Rebecca for being brave, open and honest in sharing her story about her own mental health as this will no doubt support others moving forward. The feedback from colleagues about Rebecca’s presentation has been incredibly positive and I want to personally thank her for starting the conversation, which is often the first step along the journey.

Superintendent Eve Davies SWP

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