“At around 1.30 am I was walking with a group of friends when we noticed an individual stood alone on a bridge looking out over the river. A friend approached them but indicated to me that all was not well and knowing that I had some training in mental health that may be helpful. It quickly became apparent that the individual was extremely distressed and speaking incoherently, the only recognisable words included those of further concern and those that raised immediate concern for their welfare and an imminent suicide risk.
My wife walked to a safer position and called for 999 assistance but kept in eye sight. Time seemed to dramatically slow at this point, I felt very alone and felt very small and the person seemed very big (in reality it was the other way).
I spoke, I spoke about anything and everything but their level of distress meant I could only make out a few words being said back. At this point I had to physically stop them climbing over the safety of the bridge wall, I felt even smaller yet increasingly stronger, this was not going to happen today. The person handed me personal items to look after.
I then started to remember the finer details of the Mental Health First Aider course completed earlier this year. My role there and then was to keep them safe until help arrived. I told them that I wasn’t going to stand by without helping, I said I couldn’t walk away because I CARED. These two words changed the dynamics, I had eye contact for the first time and the reason for being there started to emerge. It is not my story to tell, but this significantly raised my concerns further.
The challenges continued, however I no longer felt alone as I knew I had the skills needed to keep him safe for that period of time. After 20 minutes or so, they began engaging a little more and the immediate risk had subsided, although still very distressed.
The Mental Health First aid training gave me confidence, it came back to me at the point that I needed it, the points of ALGEE. I approached and listened. I gave reassurance and I encouraged them to make contact with a local support group that I was aware of.
I’m aware that my intervention that night saved their life, saying I CARED changed the conversation we had. I reminded myself that the training had reassured me that I could talk about suicide and it wouldn’t make the situation any worse. If anything, it helped reduce the severity of the situation we found ourselves in.
I’d say to anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation, take the time to
approach and listen. An hour of our time can mean a life-time to someone else.”
Anne Streather, Trainer at CPSL Mind said, “We are delighted to welcome everyone to our workshops on suicide understanding. In these sessions, we empower local people to recognise when someone may be vulnerable and at risk; to have compassionate conversations and ask directly about suicide if they are concerned and to help someone access the support, they need to keep safe.
There is no expectation to share any personal stories, although we are aware that talking about suicide may lead to difficult memories and feelings. Our priority is that our workshops are safe spaces for all who attend, with ways to get in touch afterwards if that would be helpful. A key part is understanding how we can look after our own mental health and wellbeing.”
We believe everyone should have access to positive mental health in the workplace. Our training courses are designed to be empowering and informative, giving workplaces in Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, and South Lincolnshire a chance to explore how they can encourage empathetic conversations about mental health and develop supportive processes for staff wellbeing.
CPSL Mind create mentally healthy and inclusive workplaces and local communities by empowering people to take a proactive approach to wellbeing. We develop and deliver evidence-based training and support to increase knowledge and confidence. Contact the CPSL Mind training team at: training@cpslmind.org.uk to find out more information about our training offerings.
September 28, 2023