AWARE, the depression charity for Northern Ireland, is supporting members of the local community in Ballycastle to set up a mental health support group.
The group which has been named ‘Phoenix Ballycastle’ will be facilitated by a team of trained volunteers, and welcomes adults experiencing mental ill-health as low mood, depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.
Attendees can speak freely about their feelings and connect with others who understand what they are going through.
The support group has been set up by Charlieen Crawford, founder, chair and lead facilitator of Phoenix, with personal experience of mental ill-health.
Charlieen currently volunteers as a support group facilitator for AWARE in Coleraine. With help and knowledge from the team at AWARE, she is setting up this group to deal with the high levels of mental ill-health in her own community.
She said:
"There is a vast need for mental health peer support in our community. I know first-hand how hard it can be to try and keep going whilst dealing with mental health problems. If it weren't for being able to talk to people who had experienced what I have, I'd probably still be stuck in a loop.
"In this area, the waiting list for counselling is massive, there's not enough to go around, and there's always a time limit on how many sessions you can have on the NHS. With peer support, there is no time limit on the number of sessions you can attend, and there is no waiting list.
"Volunteering as an AWARE facilitator allowed me to see the benefits of peer support. I wanted the same help available for our community; with that, 'Phoenix' was born.
"We have a fantastic team of facilitators, all with experience working with people with mental health problems, and many of us have also been on our own journey with depression. We all are passionate about helping people towards recovery and good mental wellbeing."
Caroline McLoughlin, Support Services Officer at AWARE, said:
"We were delighted to help set up this support group in the Ballycastle community. Talking to people with similar experiences can be an important step in your recovery from mental ill-health.
"The research around peer support shows that it can improve your wellbeing, help build your support network, and make you feel more confident.
"We would urge anyone in the local area experiencing low mood, loneliness or feelings of anxiety or depression to come along. The groups are free-to-attend and offer a safe space to be yourself."
The group will meet fortnightly on Tuesday evenings at 7.30 pm in The Sheskburn Recreation Centre in Ballycastle.
If you would like to attend the group, please email phoenixballycastle@outlook.com or call Phoenix on 07918213574 and leave your name and contact information.
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