Learning to cope with depression
A motivational speaker is visiting Stratford this month to offer advice on how people can break down barriers to everyday wellness.
John Shackleton will share his personal experience with stress and depression and give people tools to mentally cope, in a presentation at the Stratford War Memorial Hall on October 16.
John’s visit is part of a wider project which has been organised by the Central Taranaki Safe Community Trust with support from Tutaki Youth and the Rural Support Trust.
Central Taranaki Safe Community Trust community project officer Hannah Shepherd says one of the trust’s main goals this year is to raise awareness of mental health and suicide prevention and the talk will give an insight into how these issues affect the community.
Having suffered from depression himself, John will talk about how mindfulness can help people get through depression and will also be addressing senior Stratford High students during his visit. As well as being a motivational speaker, John has worked as a sports psychologist and a competitive swim coach and currently lives in Auckland.
Hannah says mental health awareness is a big issue in the community and the trust’s 2017 Community Needs Assessment shows that between 2004 and 2013, suicide was one of three major contributors to injuryrelated death statistics, along with transport accidents and falls. Between
July 2007 and June 2016, a total of 11 suicides or possible suicides by Stratford district residents were recorded by coronial services. All but one of the 11 suicides were males.
■ Take a Break with John Shackleton is on at the War Memorial Hall on Tuesday October 16, from 6.30pm. To RSVP contact Hannah at safetrustprojects@gmail.com or phone
7658863.