Talking saved my life - now I want others to do the same as I did
He is certain that talking is the way forward to ensure people continue in their recovery.
He said: “I always pass on techniques and information I’ve used to help me.
“The biggest one is just talking. Giving people the opportunity to talk about how they’re feeling, with no judgement, is the most important thing.
“That’s especially true when you come out of hospital, because mental health isn’t cured overnight.
“You need to work on your mental health constantly, it needs to be nurtured and looked after.
“I am still part of a support group and talking rather than bottling things up is vital to keeping me right.”
The Drop-in Chat cafe at the NCT Centre started four weeks ago, following a successful trial in the Windmills cafe in Motherwell.
And Alan just wants to see as many people come through the door to take advantage of the free help on offer on Wishaw’s doorstep.
He said: “I just want to help as many people as possible.
“The fact there are no appointments needed, and no waiting times, is massive.
“There are a lot of services out there at the moment but they’re severely overloaded.
“This gives people a chance of speaking in a less formal way, with no pressure and no judgement.
“There are more support groups opening up all over North Lanarkshire and they are definitely helping to break down the stigma of suicide.”
The Drop-in Chat Cafe is running every Monday, from 10am until 2pm, until the end of April.
Mental health officer Len Northfield, who works for Lanarkshire Links who are the service behind the cafe, echoed Alan’s call for people to make the most of the opportunity for help.
He added: “In the wake of the recent suicides in Wishaw it was clear that there was a need to bring the service further into the community.
“The most important things are the human to human contact and talking without a six-week waiting list.
“The more we get people talking about suicide the more people we will ultimately save.”
You need to work on your mental health constantly, it needs to be nurtured. I just want to help as many people as possible Peer worker Alan Neilson