Mental health support group aims to empower
NON-CLINICAL GROUP AIMS TO ACT AS SUPPORT FOR THOSE IN NEED
A new mental health support group aims to educate and empower people to act on their mental health.
Replenish was set up in Derry by Caroline McMenamin who is a qualified counsellor.
“She has personal and professional experience with mental health so she set this up as a non-clinical support group and sort of fuels it with her experience,” explained Bekkii Spain, who will lead the Sligo branch of the Replenish Tribe.
Bekki’s own experience with mental health had led her down a similar path to that of Caroline McMenamin - she is now intent on helping people who may be going through what she went through.
“She held a workshop in Sligo in April, and I had been in contact with her. After I went to the workshop she asked me if I would consider setting up a group here in Sligo.
“She is hoping to set up these tribes across the country so that people can have that support at home.”
Having interacted with Caroline regularly through social media, discussing the topic of mental health and Bekkii’s own journey, she became familiar with her and knew that this was something she would like to do.
“It’s all based around non-clinical methods. Like diet, exercise and fitness will all be discussed and it’s about what might work best for you.
“It’s about being there and talking to someone who will have had a similar experience.”
She spent a period in St. Columba’s having suffered with anxiety.
When she did get out of Columba’s, Bekkii was left looking for a support group or some form of after care that suited her.
It wasn’t as easy as she had hoped, and this is part of the reason she is now forming this group in Sligo.
“In 2015 I developed really bad anxiety, and I was getting very bad panic attacks. I spent two months in St. Columba’s because I wouldn’t leave, I had agoraphobia.
“I got out and I was thinking like, I only had anxiety, what about people who are going through much worse than me? When I got out of Columba’s it was a big thing for me, but I needed something else after that.”
She feels that her experience can help others, and while the clinical route may help some, Becky feels that this non-clinical group may be just what some might need.
It may help people to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel, that people who were once in their position are now in a much better place.
“People need someone else who is experienced, who has been through all of that. That’s why I jumped at the chance to set this group up.
“Caroline knew what I had been through and she knew that I had the experience.
“When I came out of Columba’s myself I found it hard to find a support group that was right for me.
“I tried to go to several groups but they just didn’t suit me. I found that with Caroline she was very accessible and very understanding and always available.
“She is big on social media so has ‘mental health Monday’ and these sort of things where she’ ll use Instagram or Facebook to talk about it.
“And that can really help, she is very relatable for someone like me.
“She will always be there, and I felt like I had a bond with her. She just understood.”
The support group will not push any agendas on anyone, people involved such as Bekkii just want to be there for others.
“We basically just want the group to be a bit of support for people and to encourage them to talk about what they’re going through because we have all been through it.”
The first meeting of the group takes place this Friday, December 14 th at 11am in the Sligo Family Resource Centre, The Mall.
“We’re going to try to accommodate people who are working as well or maybe people who work early or late.
“So this month’s meeting will take place in the morning but in January we are hoping that we can have two meetings, maybe one in the morning and one in the evening.”
For more info on the group check out ‘Sligo Replenish Tribe’ on Facebook or contact Bekkii on bekkiireplenish@gmail.com.