Ryan's story

“Just over two years ago my life just seemed to unravel.

I was injured whilst serving in the army, this led to me being in hospital for quite a while.

I also broke up with my partner and was pretty much being a single parent.

I’d become good at living my life in secret, hiding things and not talking about it, but now there were things from my past coming to light.

All of that pressure seemed to combine so, aged 23, I tried to kill myself.

When I came out of hospital, my mum told me about the Release the Pressure helpline so I gave it a try and it was good to speak to someone neutral.

They didn’t judge me, they talked to me and directed me to lots of local support like the mental health charity Mind, and various therapies.

I still live with that pressure, and with some of those thoughts, but I’m now focused and busy working and looking after the kids.

The help I found from talking to someone has snowballed and I’m in a much healthier place now. I would urge others to talk and not bottle it up; try the helpline.”

_{Quotes are genuine, but names have been changed to protect confidentiality.}

Can your story help others?

Knowing that others have been through the same thing can encourage more people to seek help themselves. So if talking has helped you to turn your life around we're encouraging you to share your story.