People came from across the county to talk about mental health and all forms of relationships from romantic to family and friends as well as relationships people have with their illnesses or voices they may hear.
“Listening to service users’ stories and experiences has reinvigorated my passion for why I chose this profession.”Delegate
Attendees heard a series of talks from carers, service users (both current and former) as well as guest speaker Ian Callaghan, Recovery and Outcomes Manager, from charity Rethink Mental Illness who spoke on the subject of sex and sexuality.
“I could really connect with a lot of what was discussed, it was very informative.”Delegate
The first presentation, by a carer, Lynn, looked at the difficulties she faced trying to fit into a role she did not identify with. This was followed by a talk from Tim, an ex-service user who spoke about his battle with depression and the impact it has had on his relationships with his loved ones. He detailed key points to bear in mind when relating to someone experiencing depression and shared some helpful tips.
“It was good to hear real life experiences being shared, the hard truth and reality being explored with the advice that followed.”Delegate
Service users and former service users also presented. One speaker spoke of the difficulties in making friendships, especially when wrestling with a diagnosis that might impair social function but also discussed the value that they hold once the right friendships have been found. Others spoke about the importance of the therapeutic relationship and how it impacts on care while ex-service user Rebecca spoke about her perspective on the unique relationships people form when in hospital and why they are important.
Throughout the day there were networking opportunities and attendees could also fill in ‘relationship resolution’ cards to provide people a chance to think about relationships that they could improve on and make a commitment to do so.