Moving stories of life-saving club
“Medication has its place but it’s not the answer - the answer has to come within yourself.”
Those were the thoughts of Andy’s Man Club Perth member Colin McNicol as he addressed last week’s meeting of the Perth and Kinross Integration Joint Board (IJB).
After a moving presentation by Colin and two other members of Andy’s Man Club Perth, NHS Tayside’s director of public health jumped on Colin’s words of wisdom about medication not being the answer.
Dr Drew Walker said: “That will resonate with me for a while.”
Prescriptions for antidepressants in Scotland have almost doubled in 10 years.
Figures published by NHS national services Scotland information services division in October 2018 showed more than 900,000 people in Scotland were prescribed at least one antidepressant during 2017/2018.
Dr Walker pointed to the work being done in NHS Tayside by Andrew Radley, a consultant in public health pharmacy, to promote social prescribing.
A NHS England report states that evidence has shown social prescribing “can boost health and wellbeing more than dishing out pills or other treatments.”
Social prescribing, sometimes referred to as community referral, is when a patient is referred to a whole range of non-clinical services.
They are typically provided by voluntary and community groups such as Andy’s Man Club.
Andy’s Man Club Perth has proved a lifeline to countless men in the Perth area with their Facebook page being said to have saved the lives of those messaging privately for help when they have reached crisis point.
The Perth group has come along way since Alex McClintock and two others started it in September 2017 and had no one attend for its first five weeks.
Last week 61 men came along and they have around 200 members in total.
The group meets every Monday from 7pm-9pm in the Muirton Suite at McDiarmid Park.
That is the time Andy Roberts, whose death prompted the creation of the first club in Halifax, committed suicide. It is also statistically the most common time for people to die from suicide.
At Wednesday’s meeting of the IJB, Andy’s Man Club members Nicol Lumsden, James Mackie and Colin McNicol all bravely shared their stories.
Nicol was diagnosed with depression, anxiety and insomnia. Two years ago, his mum suggested he go along to Andy’s Man Club.
He said: “For four weeks I went along with my headphones on not engaging.”
Things went downhill when he stopped eating and ultimately tried to end his own life. Nicol told the board how he recently had the pleasure of being reunited with the “absolute saint” who saved his life when they spotted him on the railings of the Queen’s Bridge and contacted the police.
Nicol spent the following six weeks in both Carseview and Murray Royal and was staggered by the messages of support he got from members of Andy’s Man Club.
When Nicol eventually returned to the club, he removed his headphones, interacted and is now lead facilitator of the Perth club.
Colin McNicol says Andy’s Man Club has given him “a space to talk.” He was in denial about how bad things had got. He said: “I do not know where I would be without Andy’s Man Club. I look forward to Monday night - it’s the highlight of my week.”
Convener of the IJB Councillor Eric Drysdale thanked the men for opening up so bravely and commended their “immense courage” in doing so.