A man from Bristol who became mentally unwell after being diagnosed with a long-term degenerative health condition has shared his story to mark Mental Health Awareness Week. Darran was diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease, a condition that damages nerve cells in the brain causing them to stop working properly.
Following his diagnosis, doctors were unsure how to look after him, so Darran was placed in a care home for older people. There, he grew depressed and ashamed, as he was living with people he had nothing in common with and cared for by those who did not understand his condition.
He said: “They didn’t know what to do with me so they stuck me in an old person’s home at 46. I felt like my life was over. Life seemed so bleak.”
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His depression led him to take an overdose and Darran was sectioned and started treatment at St Andrew’s Healthcare in Northampton. After several years of treatment Darran’s mental health has significantly improved, which is why he decided to take part in the Hope photo exhibition.
The project was commissioned to mark Mental Health Awareness Week (May 15-21) and to raise awareness of complex mental health conditions and to demonstrate how hope can have a positive effect on a person’s life.
Darran said: “I can smile again. I have found meaning to my life. I’m around people who understand me and I feel like I have a future again.”
Now he lives in assisted living accommodation where St Andrew’s staff continue to support him and he spends his day focusing on his health and wellbeing. In addition to Darran, the exhibition includes portraits of four other people who have all been sectioned at some point due to varying mental health difficulties.
Each individual was captured holding an object that holds significant or sentimental meaning to them because it gave them hope along the way. In a separate shot they were captured with a staff member, chosen by the patient for the support they gave along their recovery journey.
St Andrew’s Healthcare’s CEO Dr Vivienne McVey said: “A large part of what we do as a mental health charity is to help people find some sense of hope. Sometimes finding hope can be incredibility difficult for the people we care for, but hope is that one thing that insists something better awaits us, if we only keep fighting for it.
“Through this powerful photo exhibition we wanted to show that recovery is possible, if you find hope. It showcases the inspiring stories of five people who’ve been in our care and what hope means for them. We also wanted to show other people who may be experiencing similar mental health struggles, that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
“We care for some of the most clinically complex patients in the country, many of whom when they are first admitted think their future is bleak and empty. Our staff are compassionate, empathetic and consistent, they make our patients feel valued and cared for, reminding them that they deserve to live meaningful, fulfilled lives.
“We’re hugely proud of our Hope Exhibition and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have played a part in bringing the project to life, especially the people in our care who have agreed to raise awareness of complex mental health needs. “
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