talking trade
Monday February 4 2019 THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM, BIRMINGHAM
Who needs a stiff upper lip? W
hy do we do it? Why do we struggle on in silence, when simply reaching out for help can make a
world of difference? Is it stigma? Is it pride? Is it a bloke thing? It
doesn’t really matter why. It matters because the effect of stress and anxiety in their various forms has a huge impact on our lives and, as importantly, on our livelihoods. On your livelihoods. Awareness of mental health issues is growing thankfully and more people are asking for help. The big problems like PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), bipolar disorder [a condition marked by alternating periods of elation and depression] and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) grab the headlines. But it’s good old-fashioned stress that is most widespread. The pressure of work - or finding sufficient work, family issues and bereavement all add up to a pretty unhealthy atmosphere. If our brains are diverted from our day job, we
don’t function properly, and our work is affected. That can lead to some pretty one-sided conversations with managers which, ironically, just make everything worse. We start worrying about losing our job, which can be incredibly self-destructive. It rapidly becomes a vicious downward spiral. Let me give you a very personal example, drawn
from my own experience. In October 2017, our 13- year-old daughter Evie started getting headaches. We took her to the doctor and were told not to worry, as it was just puberty-related migraines. We went on holiday to Spain. Twelve hours after
arriving, we were in A&E. Eight hours later we were in intensive care, and a few hours after that she had an emergency operation to save her life to remove part of a massive brain tumour. Fast forward through a month in the Bristol Royal
Children’s Hospital and six weeks at home, and Evie died on January 11 2018. The emotional trauma that we went through -
and are still going through - has led to an enormous amount of stress. So much so that many months later, I’m still not functioning properly. My brain is constantly questioning what happened and asking: ‘Why?’ I’m exhausted all the time and don’t sleep. Now what that leads to is that without the
support of our GP and months of counselling, I wouldn’t be functioning at all. It affects work, home life, everything. But I recognised early on that something was wrong and asked for help. There is help out there. All you have to do is ask.
The Rainy Day Trust doesn’t just give financial support, although that in itself can help alleviate those money worries, especially if you are ill or off work.
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HousewaresLive.net •
twitter.com/Housewaresnews January/February 2019
We can also offer free telephone counselling, free debt advice, an hour’s free legal advice, housing advice and support for those affected by cancer. From a mental health perspective, arranging a
face-to-face counselling session can be difficult to fit in with work commitments, so telephone counselling is really flexible. We give five free 30- minute sessions over the telephone. If at the end of that you want more, just ask.
“There is help
out there. All you have to do is ask” Or if you need face-to-face counselling, we can
pay for that if you can’t afford it or can’t find a charity that can give it locally. So take it from me: you don’t need to keep a stiff upper lip. You don’t need to bottle it all up and pretend the problem doesn’t exist because, you know what? If you do, it’s going to build up and bite you in the backside sometime sooner or later. Tackle it now and get your life back. Take it from someone who has experienced the most horrific year possible. You don’t have to deal with stress or mental health issues alone, and neither should you. Take a look at our website
www.rainydaytrust.org.uk or give us a call on 0203 192 0486. We are here to help because we care.
Rainy Day Trust (RDT) is the only charity which exists solely to is the only charity which exists solely to help people who have worked or currently work in the UK’s home improvement and enhancement industry including DIY shops, hardware and housewares stores, builders merchants, garden centres, cookshops, and all the manufacturers, distributors and retailers in the UK who supply them.
RDT operates across three sectors (builders merchants, DIY & Hardware and Housewares & Tabletop) which have a combined turnover of more than £50 billion and employ close to 500,000 people.
The charity grew out of two benevolent funds for the industry with roots back to 1843, and now offers a range of services to retail and supplier employees - ranging from a regular cash payment to white goods and even house repairs.
Rainy Day Trust chief executive officer Bryan Clover explains how the industry charity can help you get through difficult situations, financially or otherwise
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