Hi, my name is Sam, I’m thirty five years old, and was born and bred in York. My journey with mental ill-health is one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through in my life, so I really know how people can feel. I’ve come to a point in my life now where I want to share my story to help people if I can.
“I felt so low that I didn’t want to live anymore – I was in crisis.”
My experience with poor mental health started when I had a young son and was going through my divorce. I was overweight, unhappy, and hit rock bottom. I felt so low that I didn’t want to live anymore – I was in crisis. It really was the hardest thing I’ve ever been through, but I did get through it and that’s why I’m writing this blog.
“I want people to know that it does get better and that I have learnt to cope.”
I want people to know that it does get better and that I have learnt to cope. The thing that has helped me the most to improve my mental health and how I feel about myself is taking up martial arts. Martial arts have improved my mental and physical health. I have lost a lot of weight which is better for me physically, I’ve met new people, I enjoy training, and it has given me a huge sense of achievement to improve and gain my belts (different coloured belts rank stages of progress and expertise in martial arts).
“The thing that has helped me the most is taking up martial arts.”
I still have ‘off’ days and struggle with my mental health, there is no magic cure, but I feel much better able to cope. I know that exercise doesn’t fix broken marriages or produce perfect mental health, but what I do know is that discovering my love of martial arts has helped me out of a very dark place and helps stop me from going back to that darkness. It was such a struggle to start something new and to change myself, but it has helped me so much. Exercise helps me, but I’m not here to tell you what to do, I want you to know that it is possible to come back from rock bottom.
Because I understand the difficulties people can go through on a day-to-day basis I want to share my experiences. I know everybody’s mental health is completely different and if I can make people laugh or smile, I have achieved one of my goals.
“I still have ‘off’ days and struggle with my mental health, there is no magic cure, but I feel much better able to cope.”
Resources for England
- NHS Every Mind Matters – Be active for your mental health can be accessed at: www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/be-active-for-your-mental-health/
York Ending Stigma
To 
find out more about our work and to join us to end mental health stigma in York, please refer to our website https://yorkcvs.org.uk/york-ending-stigma/ or email us on yes@yorkCVS.org.uk