The Peer Mentoring and Support Project is free for Thurrock residents experiencing mental health problems.
We aim to connect individuals and groups in the community. Working together to support each other through shared lived experiences.
Mental ill health can lead to feelings of loneliness, like no-one else is going through this, a sense of isolation and that nobody else can help. This can lead to feelings of helplessness, a downward spiral of depression, anxiety or hopelessness. This can make things worse and lead to developing unhelpful coping strategies such as not taking care of personal hygiene, developing poor eating habits, avoiding social situations or relying on alcohol or drugs.
Peer support can mean that someone else is there, sometimes simply to say, ‘I get that…’ or ‘when I felt like that, I tried this and it was really helpful.’ This can make a huge difference. With peer support, everyone’s views and experiences are equally valued, rather than anyone being seen as more of an expert than others.
At Thurrock and Brentwood Mind we connect individuals who can share experiences and suggest ideas of what can help others in coping with their condition and working towards recovery. This support can be helpful for all involved – those supporting can feel helpful, useful and involved and those being supported can feel less alone, isolated and understand that others have had similar experiences.
“I felt that I was matched to a peer who understood my needs and was able to support me using their own experiences. My Peer Mentor spent time with me, developing plans and goals. I felt supported throughout the process.”
More information about what Peer Support involves is available from the national Mind website – https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-and-treatments/peer-support/about-peer-support/.
At Thurrock and Brentwood Mind there are two parts to our service.
Understanding Peer Support
With thanks to:
