Pippa's story
Pippa had debt collectors knocking at her door, and she was struggling with a physical health condition which had led to issues at work. She had reached boiling point and felt she had no-one to turn to, until she remembered she could turn to Ben...
“Before I called Ben, I had a mental breakdown. At the time, I had debt collectors after me and, in the six months before, I had two miscarriages. I was also having issues at work due to my physical health condition - I have Crohn’s disease. I felt like I had no support around me at all and I couldn’t turn to my family.
“I had reached boiling point, and felt like enough was enough. I kept thinking, ‘who am I going to call’ and ‘what am I going to do’. I knew I couldn’t go on like this and I was even thinking where I could go to do something stupid. I thought that it would be better if I wasn’t here at all.
“I remembered a leaflet (about Ben) that was given to me on my first training day at work and I decided to call. I pleaded for help. It was like a golden ticket as the team looked to see what support they could give me. I felt at ease and safe when I spoke to them, I could trust them. I knew that they wanted to listen to me and genuinely cared about my mental and physical wellbeing.
“First, they supported me by buying me food. I had just £10 a week to live on so I didn’t have money for food and my bills were piling up. I wasn’t in control of my debts. My weight was dropping - I’m 5ft7 and at this point I was 7 stone. My Case Manager helped me to start managing my debt and put me in touch with the right organisations, as well as liaising with my gas / electric provider. With her help, I was no longer being chased for payments, I changed providers and had the tools to reduce my debt. I was a lot less stressed and I finally felt like I had someone I could open up to and start building trust with.
“My Case Manager made me feel secure and I could tell she cared about my mental wellbeing. She organised counselling for me and then I went on to have life coaching. Having counselling and life coaching really moulded me into the person I wanted to be deep down. It made me realise that I wanted a future again. My counsellor was amazing, and I felt safe with her - I’ve recommended her to someone else too! I also loved my life coach - she’s such a lovely lady and was so proud of me and the work I put into the process.
Pippa's story
“If I am completely honest, if it wasn’t for Ben I don’t think I would be here. Things were too much for me. I have now done a 360 turn. I’m eating a lot more healthily now. Before, I had a bad relationship with food as I didn’t have much but I’m slowly building myself back up. I’ve written to my future self, I’m feeling much more positive.
“I feel a lot clearer, but I still have some bad days. I’m getting some more support and I’m working through SilverCloud to help me with sleep, eating and stress and anxiety. I’m still working on coping mechanisms. I’m now almost debt free! I just have two debts which are manageable and I’m paying them off monthly. I never thought this would happen, after debt collectors had been knocking at my door!
“I’m definitely more stable and I have changed in a good way. My whole being has changed, my outlook on life has changed and I feel I can trust people more. I’m feeling pretty good and I have high hopes for the future. I’m going in the right direction and I’m excited, I want the best for myself.
“I have better support around me now and I should be able to turn to people if things get really bad again. I’m more open to speaking to my family and my relationships with them are better - I will rely on their support more. I will seek more support again if I feel I need it. I would also contact Ben again if I ever needed to. I also know to take time out when I can.
“To anyone reading this who needs help, I would say let go of any fear you have and go in with an open mind. Do it for you. Go for it and let go of your fears.”
Whatever you're going through, you're not alone
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
Bill's story
Bill was feeling low and struggling to cope with doing normal things, with no energy to do anything
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