Jake's story
Jake contacted Ben for support after becoming overwhelmed when caring responsibilities for his father, work and family life became too much...
Watch Jake's story“I contacted Ben when I felt completely overwhelmed with everything. I was trying to look after my elderly dad from afar and juggling work and family life. It was a pressure to be everything to everyone, to be the husband, the dad, the son, the manager and the main breadwinner. I was trying to spin all these plates. I came to a point when my emotional cup overflowed - you could call it a meltdown.
“I felt lost, hopeless and worried, like there were no solutions. I was scared because I hadn’t ever experienced anything like this before. Everything got on top of me and seemed to multiply. I’m quite highly strung, I can be at 100mph most of the time, but then everything comes at me at 100mph.
“I pulled over in my car on the way to work and rang my boss, saying, ‘I can’t come to work as I don’t feel I can process everything, I can’t handle it all.’ My boss was very understanding, he told me to take as long as I needed.
“I called the doctor that day and had an appointment that afternoon. The doctor said I had a lot going on and recommended I take some time off work and get some support. I remembered Ben because of a friend who had received support in the past.
Jake's story
“It wasn’t an easy call to make, I was anxious and I didn’t know what to expect. I explained my situation and Ben’s Helpline team were soothing and very understanding. They put me at ease. They immediately knew what to do and told me to take a breath. They took a genuine interest in what I was experiencing. I thought: wow.
“It didn’t take long to get a call from my Case Manager. She spoke to me with genuine care and interest and really showed how she wanted to support me. She was amazing. The speed and level of support was superb.
“I had a mental health assessment and then eight sessions of life coaching. I didn’t know what a life coach was before this and I didn’t know what to expect. The first session blew my mind. Afterwards, I put the phone down and rang a friend straight away to tell them all about it. Every week, I looked forward to the next call with my life coach. I had tasks to complete every week and I thought it was great. Each week, I couldn't wait to have something else to achieve.
“I felt very different after my life coaching sessions. My kids said I was more calm, relaxed, laid back and mellowed out. I felt like a new person and as though new life had been injected into me. Reaching out and speaking to Ben meant an awakening and a realisation for me. It was a realisation that I had been looking at everything with tunnel vision.
“I’m more comfortable and confident now - if I don't like something, I change it. I don’t worry as much about things like I used to and I don’t catastrophise so much anymore. My resilience is a lot better, I’m much more prepared and I have a lot more tools to deal with challenging situations.
“Don’t delay in getting the support you need. Just get on the phone or whatever method you choose. Don't hide it, don't try to fix it on your own, and don't be embarrassed to reach out.”
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