David’s story
“They are not doing it for the praise, they are doing it because they have a genuine interest in people.”
I was widowed twenty-four years ago but in recent years I had become a bit of a recluse and I was really struggling with my mental health. It all changed for me when my GP referred me to a Community Link Worker (CLW). I wasn’t aware of the service but when we first met, they took the time to get to know me, what my interests were, the things I was struggling with and started by putting me in touch with a few organisations and places I could go to talk and get the support I needed. One of the organisations was Glasgow Association for Mental Health (GAMH) and I have been working with them for a few years now.
When I first met with my CLW, I had very dark thoughts in my head but they encouraged me to get help and suggested things I can do to get out and about again. She takes the pressure off me, we have a laugh and I feel like I can tell her anything. She helped me to spread my wings and I have more confidence because I know that they are always there to talk to if I need them. I like to think that my life before I met my CLW was always winter but now, it is summer.
It is rare to meet professionals that really care, but they do. I feel like she knows if there is a problem before I even do. She talks it through with me, makes it all manageable and looks for solutions and things I can do to help myself. Television used to be my life but now my brother says I have a better social life than anyone he knows. He says I have changed so much in the last couple of years. It has opened the world up for me.
They are a constant support structure for me and continue to check in with me. My mental health has been better recently. I have had so much support over the past few years, and I am now in a place that I can start to repay some of that kindness. I am part of a focus group and have my own little support group at GAMH and I also speak to student groups through my doctor’s surgery. I talk to my group of friends now and some of them haven’t heard about the Community Link Worker programme. I encourage anyone to get in touch if they need help. As long as I am not stopping anyone else from accessing the support, I will continue to engage with my CLW. From the bottom of my heart, I cannot thank them enough for the work they do. They are not doing it for the praise, they are doing it because they have a genuine interest in people.
David’s story is part of the latest Humans of Scotland publication – Community Links Worker Edition. The book is available to read here.
Read all Humans of Scotland stories here.
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