Bill's story
Bill’s need for support came to light once his wife realised there was something bigger affecting her husband than just a few bad days at work...
"My wife noticed I was coming home each day and wasn’t myself, often feeling low and struggling to cope with doing normal things. I just couldn’t find the energy to do anything. My wife was getting upset, saying it was painful to see me like this. She could see I needed help.
"After feeling low for a long time, I had to have some time off work. I remembered that I had seen a Ben leaflet at work so I decided to give them a call.
"Once I started to open up to the Ben helpline advisor, it was such a relief. They were so calm and understanding. While we were talking, it became clear that I was feeling like this because of several issues in both my work and personal life.
"Along with a very heavy workload and no rest from it, I had also suffered the loss of two family members within months of each other, with one passing away a week before I was due to get married. With pressure from work and several stresses in my personal life, it all built up and I was feeling down at a time when I should have been at my happiest. I felt lost, worthless and couldn’t face even the smallest task.
"The helpline advisor at Ben said I needed support and guidance on how to improve the way I felt, and assured me they would do everything to help. The pressure felt like it was lifting straight away. I was referred to a Ben client support advisor who worked with me on a one-to-one basis.
"After helping me to take a step back and refocus, I’m now able to stop things building up and try to address issues when they arise. It took a bit of time and work to get where I am now, but I feel more able to manage my stress so it doesn’t build up. I’m now enjoying life, especially spending quality time with my wife and daughter.
"Now I’m back at work, I have a much better approach where I don’t worry about things I can’t change and I tell my manager if I’m struggling with my workload.
"If I could give one piece of advice to anyone in a similar situation, I’d say contact Ben. I wished I had called sooner."
Mental health support
Looking after your mental health
We asked our team how they personally look after their mental health and wellbeing. From meditation and visualisation to volunteering, yoga and playing piano, our team chooses to de-stress from the pressures of life in a variety of ways!
Money and mental health
Poor mental health can make earning and managing money harder. And worrying about money can affect how you look after your mental health. Check out our tips to help you start a conversation about money today.
Tips to deal with stress
Stress happens when we have too much pressure. Use these top tips to feel more in control
Using breathing to reduce stress
Breathing deeply can reduce your stress and anxiety levels. When you breathe deeply you improve your heart rate, reduce the stress on your body and even lower your blood pressure
Tips to strengthen your wellbeing
Looking after our wellbeing is good for us now, and can also help us manage difficult times in the future
Mental health tips
Our mental health, like our physical health, varies all the time. Looking after our mental health is not only good for us now, it can also help us deal with and manage difficult times in the future
SilverCloud
SilverCloud is a digital mental health and wellbeing platform which can help you to better manage your mental health and wellbeing. It’s free for those who work, or have worked, in the automotive industry.
Real life stories
Chris' story
Chris came to Ben when he was dealing with some complex family issues and needed support
Noel's story
Noel’s partner was diagnosed with a brain tumour and they were left struggling to pay their mortgage and bills
John's story
John was struggling to pay his rent after suffering two strokes which left him unable to work
Robin's story
Robin had no symptoms when he discovered he had prostate cancer, after having tests done for an unrelated illness. He's raising awareness that early detection has good outcomes.
Clive's story
Clive was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in early 2022. He was struggling to pay his rent and bills and felt he had nothing to look forward to.
Lloyd's story
Moving away from friends and family for his dream job left Lloyd feeling lonely and depressed
Darrell's story
Darrell struggled with depression after giving up his job as a recovery truck driver to care for his son
Brady's story
After losing his baby girl, Brady quickly found himself in a spiral of financial hardship which took over his life
Will's story
The excessive nature of Will's sales role triggered severe anxiety and panic disorder, and it wasn't just him who was affected
Nigel's story
Nigel had been bullied at work for 2 years and the situation just got worse when he lost a family member