News / Bristol
‘The Bristol Sanctuary saved my life’
“I was in crisis. I thought the only way out was to take my life and I am only here today because of The Sanctuary,” says Shaun.
The 58-year-old reached rock bottom in December 2016 after the break-up of his marriage and – less than a year on – has shared his story to help reach out to others across Bristol struggling with severe emotional distress.
A new campaign, ‘We Hear You’, was launched by St Mungo’s this week in a bid to get people talking about mental health and raise awareness of The Sanctuary, a unique service that offers support when it’s most needed.
is needed now More than ever
The rate of death by suicide in Bristol is above the three year average for the country according to the latest Public Health England statistics and the city council’s Joint Strategic Needs Assessment reported 137 suicides between 2012 and 2014.
After two serious attempts to take his own life, Shaun could easily have been among those statistics, but says visiting The Sanctuary made him feel that there is a future worth living for.
“I had an accident about 27 years ago and that was when I had my first suicide attempt,” he tells Bristol24/7.
“I lost my job and I had previously been very fit – I swam for Bristol and Gloucestershire and I used to lift weights. I did not handle that well at all, I thought you could grit your teeth and get through it, but I couldn’t.”
The Sanctuary offers a safe space for people facing a mental health crisis
Shaun battled with depression over the resuming years, but it was after he split up with his wife of 37 years that things got really bad.
“I was OK for about a month but then it all came to a head in December. I took a very large overdose after which I was hospitalised for six days and I was told my kidney could go – I only have one because I lost one to cancer,” he says.
“I came back from that and then there was another really bad suicide attempt. I thought if nothing could stop the pain, there’d be no point in seeking help. It was relentless, I could only sleep for an hour or two, and sleep was the only break I got from my dark and painful thoughts.”
It was a member of the emergency services who passed him details of The Sanctuary.
“I phoned up on the Friday and had a chat to someone and came in. I was met at the door by someone who was warm, not over the top, but they respected me. I think there were a few people dotted around, but I was very bad then, I was at my worst.
“If I had not come here, I would have tried to take my life.”
Shaun says he cried a lot during that first one-on-one session, something that he never does, and while this was a big emotional release, what really helped was coming out to be in a safe space with other people.
“I stopped having those suicidal thoughts and got a different perspective and was able to think about the future,” he tells Bristol24/7.
“I built confidence. Being married for 37 years, I did not meet people. There was much more to it for me than just the one-on-one. I found people who suffer with mental health can be very good at knowing what you are feeling.
“For me, on a Wednesday, it’s nice to know I have got this place to go to on a Friday even if I don’t end up going.”
Shaun was brought up in a ‘grin and bear it’ age, but now feels able to talk about mental health and advises anyone in crisis, or feeling they might be reaching crisis point, to phone The Sanctuary.
Richard Popp says the aim of the campaign is to reach out to more people across Bristol who are suffering with feelings of desperation, loneliness or suicidal thoughts
“Three out of four people who visit The Sanctuary are considering suicide or serious self-harm,” says Richard Popp, St Mungo’s Sanctuary manager.
“We want people to know we are here for them. The Sanctuary is a welcoming safe space available for anyone feeling they can’t cope or are feeling desperate over the weekends.
“We help people find some stability and make a plan to stay safe. People can spend time talking through their situation with a trained worker, or just take some breathing time. Some people don’t interact with others, they sit by themselves, but knowing other people are in the room can create a safe space and really help. We create quite a unique space. There is no time pressure.
“Many people, particularly men, can avoid talking about their feelings until it becomes a crisis. We hope this campaign will inform people about the service before they reach breaking point.”
The charity has partnered with sports and leisure provider, Everyone Active, Cabot Circus and The Galleries to place adverts in premises across Bristol, encouraging people to get in touch with The Sanctuary if they need to talk.
The Sanctuary opened in St Mungo’s New Street HQ in April 2015 and is commissioned as part of Bristol Mental Health services. It is open Friday to Monday from 7pm until 1.30am. Call 0117 954 2952 or text 07709 295 661 to book a space. Phone lines open at 5pm. Or email: awp.bmhsanctuary@nhs.net.
Join the conversation on twitter by following @StMungos using #WeHearU
*Shaun has not been pictured to protect his identity. Main photo shows people in the garden of The Sanctuary.
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